Use of Weapons

Use of Weapons by Iain Banks (Orbit, $15). An engrossing meditation on love, relationships, betrayal, and the true price of winning at all costs. Banks uses well-drawn characters to make his science-fiction fantasy worlds compelling and believable. All of his books are excellent; this just happens to be my favorite [NFL punter Chris Kluwe, whose scathing letter to an anti-gay-marriage state lawmaker became an Internet]