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Fantasy and Science Fiction June 2018 |
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| The Poppy War by R.F. KuangWhat it’s about: In this historical military fantasy, dark-skinned war orphan Rin surprises everyone when she aces the entrance exam for Sinegard, the most revered military academy in all of Nikan. Will her discovery that she has shamanic powers help her prove to herself and her classmates that she’s worthy of her place?
Why you might like it: Punctuated with mysticism, treachery, and martial arts, this debut novel (the (the 1st in a planned trilogy) is inspired by real events in 20th-century China. |
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The Book of M: A Novel
by Peng Shepherd
What it's about: Set in a dangerous near future world, The Book of M tells the captivating story of a group of ordinary people caught in an extraordinary catastrophe who risk everything to save the ones they love. One afternoon at an outdoor market in India, a man's shadow disappears--an occurrence science cannot explain. The phenomenon spreads like a plague, and while those afflicted gain a strange new power, it comes at a horrible price: the loss of all their memories.
Mood: Haunting, thought-provoking, and beautiful. Explores fundamental questions of memory, connection, and what it means to be human in a world turned upside down.
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| Song of Blood and Stone by L. PenelopeStarring: outcast Jasminda, thrown out of Elsira because of her gift of Earthsong; and injured spy Jack, whom Jasminda heals with her voice and then partners with to save her homeland.
Is it for you? This epic fantasy, which is inspired by Native American and African mythologies, is for readers who like stories with romantic elements.
You might also like: N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which also features a strong-willed female heroine. |
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| Space Opera by Catherynne M. ValenteWhat it's about: “Glamrock messiah” Danesh Jalo is fighting for mankind’s continued existence -- by taking center stage in an intergalactic talent show bursting with glitter, lipstick, and rock and roll.
Reviewers say: An “endearing, razzle-dazzle love song about destiny, finding one’s true voice, and rockin’ the house down” (Publishers Weekly).
Is it for you? If you like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, David Bowie, or the Eurovision Song Contest, you'll like this humorous science fiction extravaganza too. |
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| The Last Days of New Paris: A Novella by China MiévilleWhat it’s about: In 1941, a surrealist bomb explodes in Nazi-occupied Paris. A year later, Parisians and Nazis are fighting for control of the city, now known as New Paris, while “manifs” -- physical realizations of surrealist paintings -- are loose on the streets, creating their own bizarre chaos.
Read it for: an imaginative coupling of art history and speculative fiction.
You might also like: The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy, which also features warfare, art, and surrealism. |
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Last Days
by Adam L. G. Nevill
What it's about: A documentary filmmaker visits London and France while doing research on a notorious cult steeped in paranormal myths and responsible for a 1970s massacre, only to have his film shoot plagued by a series of uncanny events.
Why should you check it out?: Anyone with a fascination for the strange and the paranormal will enjoy this read.
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| The Last Policeman by Ben H. WintersWhat it’s about: In just six months, Earth will be destroyed by an unavoidable asteroid. Although some people see little point in doing much of anything anymore, New Hampshire homicide detective Hank Palace doggedly keeps at it, hoping to bring a killer to justice.
Is it for you? For anyone looking for something a bit different, this police procedural science fiction story fits the bill perfectly.
Series alert: This is the intricately plotted 1st book in a trilogy, followed by Countdown City and World of Trouble. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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