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Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2026 |
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Operation Bounce House
by Matt Dinniman
All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family's aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there's a complication. Even though the settlers were promised they'd be left in peace, Earth's government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an eviction action. But maximizing profits will always be Apex's number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes? The game is called Operation Bounce House. Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who've paid a premium for the privilege.
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Secondhand Luck
by Kim Harrison
It’s been months since Petra Grady bonded with the shadow Pluck. With the help of researcher Benedict Strom, she has made a place for herself at St. Unoc University as the first weaver to use shadow magic in a thousand years. But some are not happy to acknowledge the new shadow/weaver pair, and Petra and Pluck aren’t surprised when they’re blamed for every recent trouble. When a new weaver is drawn to St. Unoc, Pluck quickly realizes the novice magic user has not come alone. Trailing her is Thoth, a devious shadow responsible for betraying his own kind and setting mage against weaver thousands of years ago. His goal hasn’t changed, and when Thoth turns both the mage courts and the university against Petra, she and Pluck must risk everything to uncover a truth that even Pluck has forgotten. Shadows, though, have earned their terrifying reputation, and if Petra can’t prove her and Pluck’s innocence and capture Thoth, any hope of balance will be gone—taking Pluck and her with it.
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| The Age of Calamities: Stories by Senaa AhmadIn this single author short story collection, Senaa Ahmad explores themes of life, death, and change through an alternate history lens. Stories include Anne Boleyn refusing to stay dead, a Manhattan Project scientist caught in a labyrinth of choices, and a murder dinner party full of famous figures. "Teeming with strange delights" (Kirkus Reviews), Ahmad's absurdist debut will appeal to fans of other unconventional storytellers such as Marguerite Sheffer and Kim Samek. |
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| The Starseekers: A Murder and Magic Novel by Nicole GloverIn this fourth in the Murder and Magic series, Cynthia Rhodes, an arcane engineer at NASA and amateur sleuth, teams up with fellow gumshoe Theo to find a link between a mysterious theft at the arcane museum and the death of one of Cynthia's coworkers in a suspicious accident. This latest in Nicole Glover's thought-provoking and intriguing series -- centered around African American history with a magical twist -- will delight returning fans, as well as fans of T.L. Huchu's Edinburgh Nights series. |
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The Poet Empress
by Shen Tao
Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House--where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center--with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love--and death--
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| Snake-Eater by T. KingfisherSelena is desperate to escape her horrid past. With nothing but her dog in tow, she flees to her late aunt's homestead in Quartz Creek. But strange ancient spirits linger along the edges of Selena's home. One of them, known as "Snake-Eater," has come to collect a debt from Selena's aunt; with Selena being the new owner of the home, his attention -- and obsession -- turns to her. Fans of strange and intriguing horror-adjacent fantasy such as Chuck Tingle's Camp Damascus and Jennifer Thorne's Diavola will thrill at T. Kingfisher's latest. |
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| Tailored Realities by Brandon SandersonThis new collection from acclaimed author Brandon Sanderson includes short stories written over the course of twenty years, some appearing in print for the very first time. Such stories include: two police detectives entering VR to catch a serial killer; a dragon hunter getting into a debate about grammar with his quarry; and many more. Fans of Sanderson's other works and inventive spins on speculative fiction tropes will enjoy this collection. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Carrollton Public Library 1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton Texas 75006 4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010 |
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