While the maps are sometimes lacking in detail, the trail descriptions themselves are excellent with plenty of landmarks and features to orient yourself on as you hike. Coupled with a good map like the National Geographic SNP it's an excellent source for planning out trips to the Shenandoah.

Nancy Kress' Steal Across the Sky feels like a great novella that was padded out into a so-so novel. The novel starts out with an engaging mystery as it follows three human ‘Witnesses’ sent to the far-off binary planet system of Kular-A and -B by an alien race known as the Atoners in order to observe evidence of some ancient, unknown crime that the Atoners committed against humanity. The three are not scientists or military personnel, having been randomly selected by the Atoners from millions of potential applicants, which leaves them with ill-prepared to make first contact with the alien civilizations they encounter on the two worlds. As they struggle to learn more about the societies they’ve been assigned, the full scope of the Atoners’ crime slowly grows apparent.

Unfortunately the novel begins to slack off once the mystery has been solved and the crew returns to Earth to reveal their findings. The point of view jumps away from the two main characters from the early chapters to focus mainly on others coming to grips with the Atoners’ crimes, including the third Witness who remained in orbit over Kular. After the interesting interactions between the Witnesses and Kularians in the first half the philosophical musings and personal dilemmas were something of a letdown. The grand finale, in which an attempt is made to find a way to reverse the Atoners’ crime, was particularly anti-climactic.

All in all, an excellent first half that should have ended without show more returning to Earth. show less