Astronomers Anonymous

In Astronomers Anonymous Steve presents an exaggerated parody of queries from stargazers to himself, in the style of letters to an agony aunt. Anyone who has received requests for help from beginners in this hobby will know the amazing range of bizarre messages that can arrive. Well, by removing the names of the original authors (where they existed) and adding humour, Steve’s treatment of these queries works very well. The 200 pages of real (-ish) or imaginary letters, along with Steve’s replies, are divided up into eight chapters covering subjects such as Instrumental Hiccups, Medical Maladies, Guiding the Naïve and Observational Tips. Of course, humour is a very personal thing, so individual readers may scream hysterically at every other page and others might just raise the odd titter in each chapter. For me, it was hard to put the book down, and even the most stone-faced reader should find something to amuse them.