Best Selling Books by James Dick

Whether its parental, platonic, or passionate, we all experience love at some point in our lives―as well as all the ups and downs that go along with it, from blissful to agonizing. In all of its myriad forms, love has been one of the greatest inspirations for poetry for as long as there have been poets, because its abundance, or lack thereof, profoundly impacts our lives in ways that are otherwise difficult to articulate. This collection of thoughtful and heartfelt poems speaks with a simple elegance, resonating with sincerity that is hard to deny, giving words to thoughts and feelings we might struggle to find on our own, and perhaps more importantly, offering comfort and assurance that, for better or worse, we are not alone. “Our thoughts, feelings, wants, needs, and fears are valid and worth sharing. All too often, we hide our thoughts and feelings from others and take on a burden that can sadly be too much for some to bear ... I want people to know that they are worthy of love, and that they need to convey their thoughts and feelings when they are struggling, so they do not have to go through those struggles alone.” ~ Rodney James Dick

A collection spotlighting the best hard science fiction stories and novellas published in 2025 by current and emerging masters of the genre, edited by Allan Kaster. · “Apartment Wars” by Vera Brook—the widow of a physicist, residing in a country short of living space for its citizens, finds a device that creates small pocket dimensions. This novella is a finalist for a 2025 Analog Analytical Laboratory (AnLab) Award. · “ESRI” by James Dick—the daughter of the woman who launched a failed second mission to Europa, launches the third mission to that moon. · “Freediver” by Isabel J. Kim—a two-man team risks a spacewalk to repair vital portal-spanning telecom cables hanging a hundred meters beneath the ocean . . . billions of light years away. · “Reality Check” by Nancy Kress—parents resort to deep brain stimulation to break their teenage son’s addiction to gaming. · “Threat Assessment” by Matthew Kressel & Mercurio D. Rivera—a psychologist is recruited by the military to determine why a self-aware AI, secluded on the Moon, wants to destroy humankind. · “The Last Lunar New Year” by Derek Künsken—the fate of humanity’s descendants is argued in a far-future zero-G court. · “In the Slime of Life” by Edward M. Lerner—humans and alien green scum antagonize each other on a malodorous, water world. · “The Hunt for Lemuria 7” by Allen M. Steele—robotic rovers search for the passengers and crew of a tourist-class lunar spacecraft that mysteriously vanished on the Moon. · “Tenth Contact” by Bruce Sterling & Paul Di Filippo—astronauts on Ganymede are caught in a once-in-twenty-million-years galactic aurora storm. This novelette is a finalist for a 2025 Asimov’s Readers’ Award. · “The Twenty-One Second God” by Peter Watts—a man able to keep his sanity after briefly joining a hivemind is interrogated by the government. This novelette is a finalist for a 2026 Locus Award. · “Infestation” by Jay Werkheiser—borane life-forms discover a planet infested with carbon life-forms.

Is economic freedom a necessary condition for political freedom? What can the government do about unemployment? Why would governments limit international trade? Students use questions such as these to help them make essential connections between economics and civics/government.