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Fantasy and Science Fiction September 2019
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| The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi EiseleWhat happens: As society breaks down, a high school principal embarks on a journey across the United States to find his long-distance lover.
Is it for you? Fans of gritty post-apocalyptic survival stories à la Cormac McCarthy's The Road should look elsewhere, as this hopeful debut focuses on community-minded folks rebuilding after catastrophe.
For fans of: Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and James Howard Kunstler's World Made By Hand. |
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| The Dragon Republic by R.F. KuangWhat it's about: Haunted by her deeds during the Third Poppy War, warrior and shaman Rin is determined to redeem herself -- by allying herself with the Dragon Warlord to depose the treacherous Empress.
Is it for you? This dark and ultra-violent military fantasy, set in a world reminiscent of 19th-century China and starring an opium-addicted heroine struggling with PTSD, does not pull any punches.
Should you start here? Due to the complexity of the plot and world-building, newcomers should start with The Poppy War. |
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| Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-GarciaWhat happens: After 18-year-old Casiopea Tun accidentally reanimates Hun-Kamé, Lord of Shadows, she must accompany the Mayan death god on a quest to regain his stolen body parts and defeat his brother.
Why you might like it: the evocative 1920s Mexico setting; a slow-building romance; and a quest storyline that unfolds like a dark fairy tale.
About the author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things. |
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| Wanderers by Chuck WendigWhat happens: A mysterious epidemic of sleepwalking accelerates societal collapse as sufferers and their caregivers traverse a deeply divided near-future United States.
Why you might like it: Unfolding from multiple perspectives, this sprawling yet suspenseful apocalyptic novel combines action with explorations of contemporary social issues.
For fans of: Stephen King's The Stand. |
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Ambiguity Machines: And Other Stories
by Vandana Singh
What it is: This collection marks the North American debut of science fiction writer and physicist Vandana Singh, known for her lyrical prose and moving, yet thought-provoking, stories.
Reviewers say: Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, praises the "delicate touch and passionately humanist sensibilities" of these wide-ranging speculative tales.
Don't miss: "With Fate Conspire," a story about a refugee whose unique ability to peer through time allows her to influence history.
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| A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary... by Victor D. LaValle and John Joseph Adams (editors)What you'll find: 25 dystopian and utopian visions of the future by writers of color, LGBTQIA writers, Muslim writers, and other underrepresented voices in speculative fiction.
Includes: stories by Charlie Jane Anders, Omar El-Akkad, N.K. Jemisin, Seanan McGuire, Daniel José Older, and Charles Yu, to name just a few.
For fans of: anthologies such as Octavia's Brood, edited by Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha or New Suns, edited by Nisi Shawl. |
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| Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea: Stories by Sarah PinskerWhat it is: a brain-bending collection of 13 short stories by the author of A Song for a New Day.
Don't miss: the Hugo-nominated "And Then There Were (N-One)," which reads like Agatha Christie meets Being John Malkovich.
Reviewers say: "An auspicious start to what promises to be one wild ride of a literary career" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7223rvalibrary.org/ |
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