Fantasy and Science Fiction
May 2025*

Recent Releases
The Way Up Is Death
by Dan Hanks

When an ominous tower suddenly appears in the sky over England, 13 strangers are pulled from their everyday lives as a countdown begins. They are left with only one option, written above the doorway: ASCEND. A heady blend of science fiction and horror "with displays of the best and worst human qualities" (Publishers Weekly), Dan Hanks' latest title will thrill and chill fans of Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series looking for a more gruesome edge.  
Soma
by Fernando Llor; illustrated by Carles Dalmau

Maya is a comic artist in the middle of a creative rut and struggling to make her deadlines. Just then, her crisis is interrupted by an alien crash landing into her living room. The creature, Soma, warns Maya that she is the only one who can stop an oncoming alien invasion. Colorfully detailed and packed with action, this graphic novel will hit home for "new adult readers and millennials who are continually exhausted with living in unprecedented times" (Booklist).
Splinter Effect
by Andrew Ludington

Time-traveling Smithsonian archaeologist Rabbit Ward discovers that a sacred menorah he once lost in Rome, along with his friend Aaron, has made a reappearance in 535 CE Constantinople. Seeking to redeem himself to both the historical community and Aaron's family, Rabbit makes a second attempt to retrieve this sacred relic. Fans of this history-bending science fiction thriller will also enjoy Nick Jones' And Then She Vanished or The Tourist by Robert Dickinson.  
Symbiote
by Michael Nayak

As World War III rages in 2028, two groups of scientists -- one American, one Chinese -- suddenly face chaos when a dead body in their Antarctic base triggers a dangerous biological threat. As an infectious parasite wreaks havoc, the remaining survivors struggle to resist the siren call of the hive mind. Tense, compelling, and chilling, this contagious science fiction read will be a welcome recommendation for fans of Contagion, The Walking Dead, and John Carpenter's The Thing.
Dengue Boy
by Michel Nieva; translated by Rahul Bery

The eponymous Dengue Boy grows up in 2272 Argentina, where the ice caps have melted and mega-corporations control day-to-day life. He is a mutant hybrid of child and mosquito brought about by the reckless experimentation that leaves the poor behind in pandemic wastelands while the rich live in terraformed paradises. Michel Nieva's propulsive novel is "a hyperkinetic, audacious grotesquerie about metamorphosis and the inevitability of change" (Kirkus).
Two Truths and a Lie
by Cory O'Brien

In a mostly underwater future Los Angeles, veteran Orr Vue lives an idle life and trades in information. However, things take a dark turn when cops show up at his door looking for help solving a murder he's never heard of, and his ex-boyfriend is the prime suspect. For fans of: cyberpunk narratives with complex characters and intricately plotted twists such as Olivia Waite's Murder by Memory.  
The river has roots
by Amal El-Mohtar

In Thistleford, two sisters, heirs to a mystical stewardship, are torn apart when one falls in love with a denizen of the land of Faerie, leading to an enchanting story of separation, loss, and an enduring love that transcends death.
Blood beneath the snow
by Alexandra Kennington

Revna, a magicless royal outcast, enters the deadly Bloodshed Trials to save her friends, only to be kidnapped by a powerful enemy general whose unexpected motives could change both her life and the fate of her kingdom.
The third rule of time travel
by Philip Fracassi

After inventing a machine that allows observation of past moments within a lifetime, scientist Beth Darlow discovers her timeline warping inexplicably after each use, forcing her to confront grief, unravel hidden truths, and make impossible choices to protect her present and future. Original.
The Rainfall Market
by You Yeong-Gwang

They say that if you send a letter detailing your troubles to an abandoned house on the edge of Rainbow Town, you could receive a ticket to the Rainfall Market that will change your life. Dissatisfied and lonely Serin, accompanied by a magical cat, must find her happiness at the market within one week or lose herself forever. For fans of: cozy and whimsical magical realism such as The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi and The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Madison County Public Libraries
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Marshall, North Carolina 28753
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