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Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2019
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The Cruel Stars
by John Birmingham
What's it about: A band of reluctant heroes becomes civilization’s protectors when a genocidal army of cybernetically enhanced beings, believed defeated centuries earlier, returns to annihilate all human life.
For fans of: Epic sci-fi adventure such as The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica.
Who will like it: Anyone who enjoys a darkly humorous, gritty sci-fi epic.
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Cold Storage
by David Koepp
Author alert: A debut novel by the screenwriter of Jurassic Park.
What it's about: Cold Storage follows the desperate mission of a Pentagon bio-terror operative and two unwitting security guards to contain a highly contagious, deadly organism.
Who's it for: Anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, action-packed thriller featuring a pandemic apocalyptic world.
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The Psychology of Time Travel
by Kate Mascarenhas
What's it about: The granddaughter of a noted time-travel scientist is alarmed when she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of a woman who she suspects may be her grandmother.
Who's it for: Anyone who enjoys an intricately plotted and thought provoking science-fiction/mystery novel.
For fans of: Doctor Who, dystopian fiction, and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures.
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| Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirIntroducing: Lesbian swordswoman Gideon Nav, indentured servant in the House of the Ninth; and her nemesis, necromancer Lady Harrowhark Nonegesimus, who may be her best shot at freedom.
Why you might like it: This edgy, irreverent debut boasts a foul-mouthed, snarky heroine; an enemies-to-not-quite-lovers plot; a murder mystery in the midst of an interplanetary competition; and necromancy.
For fans of: the revenge plot of Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicle; the protagonist and atmosphere of Nicole Kornher-Stace's Archivist Wasp. |
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| Blood of an Exile by Brian NaslundWhat it's about: Exiled lord-turned-dragonslayer "Flawless" Silas Bershad has a chance to redeem himself by rescuing a kidnapped Almiran princess and assassinating the emperor of neighboring Baleria.
Why you might like it: This opening installment of the Dragons of Terra series boasts an action-packed plot, compelling (if not exactly sympathetic) characters, and an immersive setting.
You might also like: John Gwynne's Of Blood and Bone series, a similarly verging-on-grimdark fantasy where no character is safe. |
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The Monstrous
by Ellen Datlow
What's inside: A collection of twenty horror stories featuring monsters of all shapes and sizes.
Author alert: Includes works by such genre authors as Peter Straub, Steve Rasnic Tem, Caitlín R. Kiernan, and Kim Newman.
Rave reviews: "There is a monster here for everyone's taste." Library Journal
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The Boy Who Drew Monsters
by Keith Donohue
What's it about: Developing agoraphobia after a near-drowning incident, a 10-year-old boy draws increasingly disturbing pictures of monsters while his parents search for answers about strange noises coming from the nearby ocean at night.
Atmosphere: A compelling, creepy tale that takes place in a Maine coastal town.
Who's it for: Readers of Neil Gaiman, Jason Mott, and Audrey Niffenegger.
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| It Devours! A Welcome to Night Vale Novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffery CranorWhat happens: Local scientist Nilanjana Sikdar investigates strange goings-on in the desert and discovers...well, you'll just have to find out.
Should you start here? While this spin-off of the popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast stands on its own, it does contain some (minor) spoilers for the main series.
Food for thought: "Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you." |
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| The New Annotated Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; edited by Leslie S. KlingerWhat it is: A thoroughly annotated, lavishly illustrated edition of Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein.
Includes: Both the 1818 and 1831 versions of the text, as well as 200 illustrations ranging from engravings to photographs.
Series alert: Readers whose sweet spot is the intersection of horror and SF will be pleased to learn that editor Leslie S. Klinger is also responsible for The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft. |
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Heartstone
by Elle Katharine White
Adaptation: An epic fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
What happens: Aliza Bentaine agrees when the people of Merybourne Manor hire Riders to fight the monsters threatening their kingdom, but is thrown off guard by her romantic attraction to the proud dragonrider Alastair Daired
Series Alert: White's second Heartstone novel, Dragonshadow, was released in 2018.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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