Stranger than fiction

Two stories from CNN's Web site illustrate that truth is really stranger than fiction. This is a theme I could spend lots of time on, but for now, the stories.

First, the one I learned about through Steve Miller. Steve and his writing partner (and wife) Sharon Lee have created a science fiction series that is one of my favorites -- the Liaden Universe books. Sharon also writes mysteries, and together they have written other books and stories. More on their work in another post, but let me give a quick thanks to mystery writer Dean James, who used to work at Murder by the Book in Houston and introduced me to Lee & Miller's books. So...see what happens? You walk into a mystery bookstore, and the next thing you know, you're reading that a scientist in India believes he's found alien life forms. I kid you not. This was not from an article in the Enquirer, folks, but the "prestigious peer-reviewed journal Astrophysics and Space Science."

And in the way things happen for those of us who embrace distraction, as I was about to e-mail that article off to Tim, I came across this disturbing headline: Cops: Couple ordered hit on grandkids.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this couple allegedly tried to set up a hit (alas for them, with an undrecover detective) on their daughter-in-law, their 10-year-old granddaughter and two step-grandchildren -- and the family dog -- all in order to prevent them from testifying against their son in a rape trial. "The couple's 31-year-old son has been jailed since November on 22 charges of sexual battery on a child, lewd and lascivious molestation and showing obscene material to a minor, court records show."

So which life form seems closer to human to you?