Collection of fiction/non-fiction. I hadn’t read much of Turtledove’s short stuff, but it’s excellent. My favorite was “Hoxbomb,” you may like others. ( )

Many years ago, I read much more science fiction and alternate history than I do now. That was when I was first introduced to Harry Turtledove and his novel The Guns of the South, an alternate history of the American Civil War. When I discovered that a collection of his short stories, novellas, and essays was on sale, I admit I felt nostalgic and bought it. I'm glad I did.

The twelve offerings in this collection range from three essays (which I had the least interest in) to his fiction. My favorites were "Father of the Groom" in which a mad scientist is faced with his son's Bridezilla; "Birdwitching" about a neighborhood's fierce annual competition in counting the various species of birds that visit; and two novellas-- "Hoxbomb" and "Down in the Bottomlands."

These last two are both actually mysteries, so I didn't stray that far from my current preferred milieu, and they both concern aliens, alien landscapes, their customs, and the uneasy truces that exist between them. In both novellas, different sides must work together to both solve the crimes and to keep the peace. "Hoxbomb" and "Down in the Bottomlands" both prove that Turtledove can pretty much write whatever he wants and do it well.

If you want an excellent author's tips on how to write alternate history, or if you're in the mood for humor or a bit of alien investigation, We Install: And Other Stories is a good collection with which to spend a few hours. ( )