Book Review: The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Adult science fiction/mystery
Tor Books
October 11, 2022

Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling—and keep the real killer from striking again.

The Spare Man has a great, simple hook - it's The Thin Man in space! And if that one-liner grabs you, then yes, it's as delightful as it sounds, go get it right now. However, if you haven't read or seen The Thin Man, don't worry - like the best retellings, there are some fun references here for fans of the original, but it also stands fully on its own. (And yes, Nick and Nora fans, there's a dog. Her name is Gimlet. She's great.

I love traditional mysteries, but I've also been increasingly appreciating books that blend mysteries with other genres, and an interplanetary spaceship, once you start thinking about it, is a perfect mystery setting. Talk about a locked room. Kowal does a great job of really integrating the mystery with the science fiction elements - the setting isn't window dressing, but intrinsic to the way the mystery unfolds, and the different genre aspects feel very balanced. And the sci-fi worldbuilding is fascinating and intricate without ever feeling like a data dump; this is definitely helped by the humor and the way Kowal's style keeps things moving at a bright, sparkling pace.

The main couple is M/F and never mentions who else they might or might not be attracted to, so I hesitate to call the book queer, but it definitely feels queer, and it's a thoroughly queernorm world, where everyone mentions their pronouns as a matter of course, relationships and families come in all sorts of configurations, and characters' hobbies, styles of dress, etc. have nothing to do with their genders. In this way it was extremely refreshing. There's also lots of ethnic and racial diversity, and explorations of the effects that disability and trauma have had on the characters' lives.

I highly recommend this one and definitely hope there are more Tesla Crane mysteries in our future. Bonus: There are fun cocktail recipes at the beginning of each chapter!

Author's Site | Amazon | Bookshop

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/19/23)

Today is Sunday! My goal is to get a bunch of stuff done so I can relax on my day off tomorrow.

China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken (The Guardian)

Russia is planning coup in Moldova, says President Maia Sandu (Politico EU)

Where does space begin? Chinese spy balloon highlights legal fuzziness of ‘near space’ (Grid)

Jimmy Carter to begin receiving home hospice care (CNN)

UGH: Bill requiring single-sex school bathrooms divides parents, students (NH Bulletin)

A post-pandemic drop in kindergarten vaccinations is making public health officials very nervous (Grid)

‘It is a balance’: Scientists grapple with ethics of cutting-edge stem cell research (STAT)

Amazing: English police say they foiled an 'eggs-travagent' plot to steal Cadbury chocolates (NPR)

Skull Found in Alaska Is Linked to New York Man Missing Since 1976 (NYT)

Ancient DNA Charts Native Americans’ Journeys to Asia Thousands of Years Ago (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

White Supremacy Is a Script (The Atlantic)

The New Soldiers in Propane’s Fight Against Climate Action: Television Stars (NYT)

The Corrupt World Behind the Murdaugh Murders (New Yorker)

What the Lesbian Best Friend Trope Leaves Out (them)

Shop Talk: Jane Harper Makes a Plan for Her Novels…Then Several Hundred Mugs of Tea (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/18/23)

Yay, it's Saturday!

Syrians in Turkey cross border after earthquake (BBC)

Georgia grand jury: ‘Perjury may have been committed’ in Trump election probe (WaPo)

Unidentified flying objects seem to be everywhere all of a sudden. Just how dangerous are the skies? (Grid)

This is great: Narcan Is Safe to Sell Over the Counter, Advisers to the F.D.A. Conclude (NYT)

Why Some Florida Schools Are Removing Books from Their Libraries (New Yorker)

Related: Author George M. Johnson: We must ensure access to those who need these stories most (NPR)

NH Supreme Court weighs confidentiality of police disciplinary files (NHPR)

Elon Musk’s Twitter fails first EU disinformation test (Politico EU)

And: Tesla Workers Fired in Alleged Retaliation Following Union Push (Gizmodo)

Svante Pääbo: ‘It’s maybe time to rethink our idea of Neanderthals’ (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

House ‘weaponization’ panel’s agenda consists of GOP talking points that often stretch the truth (Grid)

Reporter's dismissal exposes political pressures on West Virginia Public Broadcasting (NPR)

Why the Odds Are Stacked Against a Promising New Covid Drug (NYT)

Scientists are finding increasing evidence for a link between air pollution and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s (STAT)

Ice-Cold Winter Thrillers to Watch This Season (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/17/23)

Whew, it's Friday! This was another VERY LONG WEEK, somehow, but it's time for some happy links!

SO EXCITED for this: Secrets, Magic, and Bloody Sacrifice: Revealing A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (Tor)

Webb Telescope Spots a Distant Spiral Galaxy Like Our Own (NYT)

Oh this is so cool! ‘The Night Manager’: Stars Anil Kapoor & Aditya Roy Kapur To Feature On New Novel Cover (Deadline)

‘Outlander’: Hear Sinéad O’Connor Sing Theme Song for Season 7 (TV Insider)

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Gold Pendant Celebrating Henry VIII’s First Marriage (Smithsonian)

I only massaged my answers SLIGHTLY to get the response I wanted: Quiz: Which Marvel Hero Is Your Wife? (Autostraddle)

Reading Pathway: Daphne du Maurier Books (Book Riot)

Adorable: Man, 30, completes encyclopedia of animals he started at nine (The Guardian)

Colorwork for Hygge Lovers (The Woolly Thistle)

Locating the earthly paradise (Medieval manuscripts blog)

And some longer reads:

25 New And Upcoming LGBTQ Romance Novels You’ve Got To Read (BuzzFeed Books)

This is SO CUTE: 7 Must-Try Dishes at the New Super Mario Brothers Restaurant Inside Universal Studios Hollywood (Eater)

10 Great Young Adult Space Operas (Tor)

The Quest to Find Rectangles in a Square (NYT)

Need a vacation? Thrillers Set in Stunning Locales (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/16/23)

Thursday! So close to a three-day weekend! (My company added Presidents Day as a holiday this year and I have mixed feelings on that specific choice but am VERY excited for a day off.)

Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly quits as first minister of Scotland amid swirl of political setbacks, citing ‘brutality’ of public life (CNN)

Russian banks and exports set to be hit in new EU sanctions (Politico EU)

‘We’re Scared, Too’: Ohio Residents Press for Answers on Train Derailment at Meeting (NYT)

The Myth of the Iowa Caucuses Got Busted (New Yorker)

'New York Times' stories on trans youth slammed by writers — including some of its own (NPR)

Twitter is just showing everyone all of Elon Musk’s tweets now (The Verge)

This is great: Now available at a public library in Lebanon: naloxone, an opioid reversal drug (NHPR)

Phony Managerial Positions Created to Avoid Overtime Pay, New Study Shows (Gizmodo)

Scary monsters: how virtual reality could help people cope with anxiety (The Guardian)

Real "don't know why these guys would live together! Obviously just roommates!!!" energy here: See the Lavish Pompeii Home Owned by Two Men Freed From Slavery (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Turkey’s Earthquake Response Is as Political as the Conditions That Increased the Devastation (New Yorker)

Is an Arctic ‘Cold War’ coming? How climate change and the war in Ukraine are driving tensions. (Grid)

How the Myth of the American Frontier Got Its Start (Smithsonian)

Not so faux: How the ‘fake’ fur industry is secretly selling you real fur (Grid)

I am VERY SKEPTICAL: A behind-the-scenes look at how the pitch timer works (MLB.com)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/15/23)

I guess it's Wednesday! I was supposed to go to the dentist this morning but they called and rescheduled. A reprieve!

Dianne Feinstein is retiring. Could Adam Schiff replace her? (Vox)

Nikki Haley Is Running for President, the First G.O.P. Rival to Take On Trump (NYT)

Not great!! Italy regional elections: Right-wing coalition wins landslide victory (Politico EU)

Dictator Hun Sen shuts down Cambodia’s VOD broadcaster (The Guardian)

“I Owe Turkey, Because I Was a Refugee”: A Young Syrian on the Earthquake’s Devastation (New Yorker)

South Dakota is about to pass a trans healthcare ban (LGBTQ Nation)

Four things to consider as Sununu presents state budget plan to lawmakers (NHPR)

"Ebbs" is a strong word!! But wow, I spend so much time looking at this tracker. I'll miss it. As the pandemic ebbs, an influential COVID tracker shuts down (NPR)

Aw, good for him! (He's one of the highest-level male players to come out while playing.) Jakub Jankto: Czech Republic international midfielder comes out as gay (BBC)

Ancient DNA Reveals a Genetic History of the Viking Age (Smithsonian)

And some longer reads:

Can Putin win? (Politico EU)

Want to stop police abuse? Screen out the abusers, experts say. (Grid)

Sigh: Vaccine Makers Kept $1.4 Billion in Prepayments for Canceled Covid Shots for the World’s Poor (NYT)

The Meaning of African American Studies (New Yorker)

A.I. Is Becoming More Conversational. But Will It Get More Honest? (NYT)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/14/23)

Today is Tuesday. Unfortunately we're opening with something awful that was breaking as I was heading to bed last night, so I haven't read a ton yet, but linking you to updates...

Live Updates: Gunman Is Dead After Killing 3 at Michigan State, Police Say (NYT)

Netanyahu launches contentious overhaul as thousands protest (WaPo)

Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof released from prison (The Guardian)

Cyprus’ ex-Foreign Minister Christodoulides elected president (Politico EU)

Ugh: A judge blocks the release of most of a grand jury report in Georgia election probe (NPR)

UGH: New ‘provisional ballot’-type system to debut next week during Rochester special election (NH Bulletin)

The U.N. Secretary-General’s Searing Message for the Fossil-Fuel Industry (New Yorker)

“Loving” Christian Super Bowl ads connected to anti-LGBTQ+ hate group (LGBTQ Nation)

A New Discovery Puts Panama as the Site of the First Successful Slave Rebellion (Smithsonian)

William Hogarth works at London’s oldest hospital to be restored (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

Amnesty in Turkey for Construction Violations Is Scrutinized After Quake (NYT)

The U.S. effort to arm Ukraine starts in Scranton, Pennsylvania (Grid)

A philosopher’s death and the two realities of Orbán’s Hungary (Politico EU)

Coming soon: Beef, coffee, and chocolate, without a side of environmental destruction (Vox)

‘I’ve been in that room’: How HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ resonated for a survivor of the AIDS crisis (The 19th*)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/13/23)

Today is Monday! Are we being invaded by aliens? Who's to say! Oh, here's my weekly TV news roundup at The Televixen.

Over Lake Huron, the U.S. downs a 3rd unidentified object in 3 days (NPR)

Turkey and Syria earthquake death toll passes 35,000 (The Guardian)

Ukraine war: Russians slowly take ground around Bakhmut (BBC)

Well, that's something: Florida drops menstruation reporting from student sports forms after backlash (WaPo)

Good: Federal government will offer grants to sex education programs defunded by NH Executive Council (NHPR)

New York Public Library Acquires Joan Didion’s Letters, Drafts and Notes (Smithsonian)

A.I. Turns Its Artistry to Creating New Human Proteins (NYT)

The pandemic showed the power of viral sequencing. Now the U.K. plans to decode other respiratory bugs (STAT)

Madagascar’s unique wildlife faces imminent wave of extinction, say scientists (The Guardian)

Ron Labinski, Who Designed a Cozier Future for Stadiums, Dies at 85 (NYT)

And some longer reads:

World in Photos: Turkey’s 7.8 earthquake devastates northern Syria as well (Grid)

Afghanistan's Undercover Athletes: Sportswomen Pose For Portraits Amid Taliban Threats (RFE)

What happens when a huge ship sinks? A step-by-step guide to averting disaster (The Guardian)

Where the Bison Could Roam (NYT)

How Much Netflix Can the World Absorb? (New Yorker)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/12/23)

Today is Sunday!

Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant (NPR)

Turkey arrests building contractors as earthquake death toll mounts (The Guardian)

The U.S. military shot down an unidentified object over Canada's Yukon territory (NPR)

Utah's new anti-trans law is "brutally unfair" and will face a legal challenge, advocate says (LAWdork)

NH health providers say state's low Medicaid rates add to staffing ‘crisis’ (NHPR)

Crypto Super Bowl commercials dominated last year’s game. This year, they’re absent. (Grid)

Charles Silverstein, 87, Dies; Helped Destigmatize Homosexuality (NYT)

For the First Time, U.S. Repatriates an Artifact to the Palestinian Authority (Smithsonian)

It's a testament to their buzz that this made me say "ooh!" even though I don't know if I can eat anything there: In-N-Out Is Headed East After Years of Insisting It Wouldn’t (Eater)

Creating Trans Futures in “The Sims” (Autostraddle)

And some longer reads:

Russia’s economy is now forecast to grow faster than Germany’s and Britain’s in 2023. How is that possible? (Grid)

After a train derailment, Ohio residents are living the plot of a movie they helped make (CNN)

Farmers Embrace the Growing Domestic Spice Trade (Civil Eats)

How Should We Think About Our Different Styles of Thinking? (New Yorker)

The New L.A. Crime Canon (CrimeReads)

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (2/11/23)

Today is Saturday and I made an absurdly long to do list, so let's see how I do!

Pence subpoenaed by special counsel investigating Trump (CNN)

I see he's staying with his platform of "killing children": Trump vows to 'stop' gender-affirming care for minors if re-elected president (NBC)

China’s Mideast buildup stirs security worries for U.S. (Politico)

The Killing of Tyre Nichols and the Issue of Race (New Yorker)

SIGH: Sununu moves closer to presidential run with creation of new fundraising committee (NHPR)

Striking HarperCollins Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With Publisher (NYT)

Ridiculous: Temple University cuts tuition and health benefits for striking graduate students (NPR)

The Tests Are Vital. But Congress Decided That Regulation Is Not. (ProPublica)

Burt Bacharach, Composer Who Added a High Gloss to the ’60s, Dies at 94 (NYT)

‘A landmark step’: how pioneering foetal surgery is transforming lives (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

Turkey’s earthquake was devastating enough — rain, snow and regional politics have made things worse (Grid)

Biden said 107 words on abortion and LGBTQ+ issues in the State of the Union. Here’s why that matters. (The 19th*)

UPS and the Package Wars (New Yorker)

How an Unorthodox Scholar Uses Technology to Expose Biblical Forgeries (Smithsonian)

All of your questions about the new rules, answered (MLB.com)