Irene Pennington is a moonchild, born and bred. On the moon, humans live one mistake away from death, and the mental habits of a moonchild—being obsessively careful and exactingly precise—are not well-received on Earth. But as Irene untangles conspiracies on Earth and mysteries on Venus, she will prove useful after all. B. Ward Powers’s five original novellas are collected into Moonchild Rising, set in an age before cell phones and the internet. His stories possess a classic feel, projecting the future from the rise of computers and the beginning of spaceflight. Irene’s adventures rehearse extraterrestrial plagues, the high obstacles of space colonization, and the danger and mystery of alien life. Occasionally the stories skate the edge of believability, pushed by some characters’ extreme actions. Nonetheless, Moonchild Rising is a compelling, old-fashioned adventure, full of the opportunities and dangers of mankind’s flight beyond the Earth.

Best for: Teens and adult fans of science fiction, especially from the 1950s–70s.

Discern: Occasional violence that is usually mild, several people commit suicide under strange circumstances, use of prescribed drugs that shows addiction, infrequent crude or profane language.