|
Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2019
|
|
|
|
|
Radicalized
by Cory Doctorow
What it is: a quartet of thought-provoking science fiction novellas by Cory Doctorow (Little Brother, Walkaway).
Includes: "Unauthorized Bread," which pits refugees against their "smart" appliances; "Radicalized," in which domestric terrorists target insurance companies; "The Masque of the Red Death," about doomsday preppers unprepared for an actual apocalypse; and "Model Minority," in which superheroes fail in the face of a racist criminal justice system.
Why you might like it: each story examines the intersection of technology, politics, and social issues as it envisions a plausible near-future world.
|
|
| American Magic: A Thriller by Zach FehstWhat it is: a globe-trotting fantasy spy thriller reminiscent of the work of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum.
Starring: former CIA operative Ben Zolstra, who must track down a terrorist who has uploaded to the dark web incantations that allow ordinary people to wield powerful magic.
You might also like: Bookburners by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty, and Brian Francis Slattery. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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." |
|
|
Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik
What it is: a mash-up of "Rumpelstiltskin" and Russian fairy tales by the author of Uprooted.
Starring: moneylender's daughter Miryam, whose success in turning silver into gold attracts the attention of the icy Staryk, a race of otherworldly creatures.
You might also like: Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy, beginning with The Bear and the Nightingale.
Format/Location: Fiction
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
Area X
by Jeff VanderMeer
Area X--a remote and lush terrain--has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer. This is the twelfth expedition. Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
|
|
|
Bookmarks: The Last Days of Night
Friday, October 18, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
Dennis Norman will review The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore. New York, 1888. Gas lamps still flicker in the city streets, but the miracle of electric light is in its infancy. The person who controls the means to turn night into day will make history–and a fortune. A young untested lawyer named Paul Cravath, fresh out of law school, takes a case that seems impossible. Paul’s client, George Westinghouse, has been sued by Thomas Edison over a billion-dollar question: Who invented the light bulb and holds the right to power the country?
This program will also be offered at the Westchester Township Museum in Chesterton, Thursday, October 17, at 2:00 pm.
|
|
|
Films on DVD Series: The Mustang
Sunday, October 20, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
The library’s Films on DVD series continues with a showing of The Mustang. A violent convict is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program centered around the training of wild mustangs. Rated R.
|
|
|
Axis 360 eBooks
Find popular fiction, non-fiction, and picture e-books and e-audiobooks for children, teens, and adults! It's simple--just download the app on your device, search for "Michigan City Public Library", and log in with your library card number and PIN.
|
|
|
NoveList Plus
Looking for more books by your favorite author, or want to find similar authors? On hold for the newest bestseller and need something to read while you wait? Not sure of the next book in the series you’re reading? Found a book you love and want more books like it? Then try NoveList Plus, the online readers’ resource that helps you uncover your next great read, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. Log in with your library card number.
|
|
|
Library Catalog
Look up books and other materials, place items on hold, and more.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
|
|
|