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Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2017
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| The Massacre of Mankind: A Sequel to the War of the Worlds by Stephen BaxterScience Fiction. In this authorized sequel to H.G. Wells' classic novel The War of the Worlds, Earth prepares for a second Martian invasion. Having survived the previous conflict, humanity is confident that they can handle whatever Mars throws at them. However, the Martians have spent the past 14 years learning from their mistakes. Treating Wells' story as a factual account, The Massacre of Mankind proceeds to develop an alternative 20th-century history that aligns with that book's internal chronology. |
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Buffalo Soldier
by Maurice Broaddus
Steampunk. Having stumbled onto a plot within his homeland of Jamaica, former espionage agent Desmond Coke finds himself caught between warring religious and political factions all vying for control of a mysterious boy named Lij Tafari. Wanting the boy to have a chance to live a free life, Desmond assumes responsibility for him and they flee. But a dogged enemy agent remains ever on their heels, desperate to obtain the secrets held within Lij for her employer alone. Assassins, intrigue, and steammen stand between Desmond and Lij as they search for a place to call home in a North America that could have been.
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| The Stone Sky by N.K. JemisinEpic Fantasy. In this concluding volume of N.K. Jemisin's acclaimed Broken Earth trilogy, orogene Essun and her daughter Nassun find themselves on opposite sides of an ideological battle for the future of the Stillness. Like its predecessors, this novel boasts a vivid apocalyptic setting and thoughtful explorations of the nature of personhood and the ways in which systems of oppression operate. Due to the complexity of the story, newcomers should start with The Fifth Season, followed by The Obelisk Gate. |
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| Autonomous by Annalee NewitzHard SciFi. Big Pharma is watching you. In a near-future society dominated by multinational corporations, drug pirate Jack Chen reverse-engineers expensive medications and distributes free copies to those who can't afford the real thing. As a result, her activities have attracted the attention of the International Property Coalition, which sends military robot Paladin and Paladin's human partner, Eliasz, to apprehend Jack. With its noir-tinged dystopian setting, suspenseful plot, and themes of bioethics and artificial intelligence, this debut may remind readers of William Gibson's Neuromancer. |
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Focus on: Humorous SciFi and Fantasy |
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Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
by Douglas Adams
For Dirk Gently, private detective, a simple search for a missing cat uncovers a bewildered ghost, a secret time traveller, and a devastating secret that threatens the future of humanity.
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The Sirens of Titan
by Kurt Vonnegut
The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there's a catch to the invitation—and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell.
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| Helen & Troy's Epic Road Quest by A. Lee MartinezHumorous Fantasy. Road trip! To lift the curse placed on them by a hamburger god-in-exile, fast-food worker Helen Nicolaides (who suffers from a rare condition known as minotaurism) and her friend, Troy Kawakami, set out on a cross-country quest to recover magical artifacts. As they navigate dangerous tourist traps and mythical motorcycle gangs, Helen and Troy must also deal with the National Bureau of Questing and their complicated feelings for each other. |
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| Raising Steam: A Discworld Novel by Terry PratchettHumorous Fantasy. Inventor Dick Simnel has just built Discworld's first steam engine. In need of a wealthy backer, he brings his invention to Ankh-Morpork, which ushers in an industrial revolution...and a predictable amount of comedic chaos. A stand-alone novel in the perennially popular Discworld series, Raising Steam nevertheless features several familiar characters, including benevolent dictator Lord Vetinari and criminal-turned-fixer Moist von Lipwig. |
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| Redshirts by John ScalziHumorous SciFi. Thrilled to be aboard the Universal Union starship Intrepid, Ensign Andrew Dahl can't understand why his shipmates aren't as excited as he is about away missions. That is, until he realizes that crew members who are chosen to go planetside don't live long or prosper. This affectionately wry, pitch-perfect homage to TV's original Star Trek series will please avid Trek fans and readers who enjoy author John Scalzi's lighter SciFi, such as Fuzzy Nation. |
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| Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi TaylorHumorous SciFi. Recruited by St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research, Madeleine "Max" Maxwell is delighted to discover that being a historian involves time travel. Although her job is to simply observe the past, she can't help getting involved. With its quirky characters and offbeat humor, this 1st book in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series may remind readers of Connie Willis' Oxford Time Travel series crossed with Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels. |
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| Crosstalk by Connie WillisWhen her boyfriend Trent asks her to get an EED ("even better than getting engaged," gushes a coworker), telecommunications executive Briddey Flannigan undergoes the "minor procedure," thinking that the neurological enhancement will strengthen their relationship. Instead, she ends up telepathically linked to a coworker, her company's (sub-)basement-dwelling misanthrope C.B. Schwartz. Madcap romantic comedy combined with a satirical look at modern technology makes this offering from multi-award-winning author Connie Willis a must-read. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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