As in Gilchrist's earlier fiction, the emphasis in the stories collected in Light Can Be Both Wave and Particle falls squarely on individuals rather than social or political concerns. There is virtually no political context for these stories, and class consciousness figures even less importantly than in Victory over Japan (1984) or In the Land of Dreamy Dreams (1981). As the title suggests, however, several stories refer directly or obliquely to scientific endeavor. In "First Harmonics," Randal Yung, a nuclear physicist, verifies the Bose-Einstein condensation theory, a classic problem in quantum mechanics.

Unlike many contemporary authors, Gilchrist displays more enthusiasm than anxiety about modern science. For the most part, technical innovations, especially medical procedures such as amniocentesis, are presented in a neutral if not markedly favorable light.

Moreover, the natural world often mirrors the human relations among these characters. Gilchrist's scientists often uncover a truth that has been...