A native of the midwest, Lucas moved to the Bay Area from NYC in 2017 after finishing law school. Stacks of books have been his friends, his consolation, and at times, the only furniture in his apartment.
He is particularly fond of off-kilter science fiction and fantasy, but can also be found in Kepler’s sections on history, science, animals, and nature writing.
When not working at Kepler’s, Lucas is probably studying, or raising two fur babies – a doodle, Ash, and a golden retriever named Walden (yes, like the pond).
A book about our treatment of animals, with all the suffering, cruelty, and greed that entails. It’s a hard read, more so because of the author’s beautiful writing and clear moral compass. Please read this book, and let it move you to consider the ways you use animals and why. ~Lucas
With a historian’s eye for detail, Sarah Tolmie writes into existence a compelling picture of the early middle ages. The story’s gentle touches of magic feel as unremarkable to the reader as they do to the characters within. An excellent reminder that we have lived in a cosmopolitan world far longer than we often acknowledge - one who’s exchange was not only between cultures, but species. ~Lucas
A brilliant collection of dark fiction. Jeffrey Ford has a knack for bringing old echoes of fables into modern settings, while maintaining the tense, dangerous feel they must have had when first told. ~Lucas
The incredible true story of one British psychiatrist and his quest to experimentally determine whether precognition is real. Part memoir, part history, and part popular science, Sam Knight gently demonstrates how grief and expectation shape our beliefs, and reveals a chapter of the past that ends with a genuinely incredible twist. ~Lucas
The true story of Lia Lee, the child of Hmong immigrants in Merced. Diagnosed with a rare seizure disorder, this book is a tragic case study in the barriers to access that exist in the American health care system, and asks deep questions about what it means to be a good doctor. A thoughtful and balanced book that doesn't seek to lay blame, but rather to understand. ~Lucas
Sussana Clarke follows the exploits of two magicians - the last members of a dying profession in alternate-history Britain. Detailed characterization and a commitment to the period creates a work of fantasy that feels like well-researched historical fiction. ~Lucas
Every single story by Ted Chiang is glittering, economical, and profound. His genius is the ability to explore deep existential questions (entropy, determinism, or the nature of God) with both rigor and humanistic compassion. ~Lucas
This eclectic collection of stories explore the common trials and travails of life, with a fantastic or weird twist. The motif of animals and their relationships to humans is woven throughout. ~Lucas
This was one of my favorite books growing up, and I return to it often. Imagine Hadrian’s wall kept at bay dangerous magic and the unquiet dead, and your best defense was an ancient lineage of necromancers who fought using magical handbells. Strange and wonderful! The world is unique, polished, and dark, and the narrative is fast-paced. ~Lucas
A quick, darkly humorous read from the POV of an exorcist in renaissance Europe. It’s a perhaps surprisingly thoughtful narrative about the arc of history, the idea of the ‘great man’ and the meaning of good and evil. ~Lucas
In 2017, the great-great-great granddaughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson died from cancer, at the age of 39. This is the book she wrote about her experience. It’s a painfully honest but affirming book about dying young, love, and what matters in the end. ~Lucas
For anyone who's ever looked around at the grotesque inequality and inhumane practices that characterize modern economies and thought "there has GOT to be a better way to do this ..." ~Lucas
The classic memoir of a mid-century veterinarian in rural england; a humble person trying his best to do good, well. It's about animals, but just as much about the people who love and survive by them. When things are a little too dark, this book is a warm fire to sit beside. ~Lucas