 Supporting COMMUNITY. Inspiring DISCOVERY. Promoting LITERACY. |
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Fantasy and Science Fiction May 2026 |
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| After the Fall by Edward AshtonJohn has lived like the rest of the world has for the last 100 years: as a human pet for the invading alien force known as the grays. But when his supposedly "good" gray owner Martok puts him up as collateral for real estate, John's limits on what he will do to protect his own life are tested. From the author of Mickey7 comes a unique post-apocalyptic story with tight world-building and compelling character relationships; fans of Edward Ashton's other works and Adrian Tchaikovsky will be delighted. |
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Homebound
by Portia Elan
It's 1983 and Becks can't wait to get the hell out of Cincinnati. She's nineteen, blasting her Walkman, and hiding from the fact that her beloved uncle, the only person who understood her, is dead. But she has work to do: he left her a half-finished game to complete--one last collaboration to find her way out of loneliness. Little does she know, what Becks is making will echo far into the future and shape the lives of a scientist, a sentient automaton, and a flinty sea captain in ways she cannot imagine. All are bound together by their search for connection--and by a futuristic traveler on a mysterious mission through space. A novel about our deep interconnectedness, Homebound is a clear-eyed, hopeful adventure into humanity's future and capacity for love.
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| Nobody's Baby by Olivia WaiteThis 2nd entry in the Dorothy Gentleman mystery series follows the intrepid auntie detective as she tries to figure out who left an abandoned baby on her nephew's doorstep and what to do as her nephew and his partner grow increasingly attached to the child. "Waite blends a cozy locked-room mystery and inventively logical world building" (Booklist) in this well-crafted romp for fans of Becky Chambers, Malka Older, and Mur Lafferty. |
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| Operation Bounce House by Matt DinnimanWhen gamers from Earth are enlisted to "evict" the inhabitants of the isolated colony planet New Sonora with remote war machines, Oliver Lewis must take up arms against them to defend the only home he's ever known. From the author of the critically acclaimed Dungeon Crawler Carl series comes a new standalone, with biting humor and thought-provoking commentary on genocide, artificial intelligence, and fear of the other. |
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Radiant Star
by Ann Leckie
Space opera's sharpest mind returns to the world of the Imperial Radch in this brilliant standalone from award-winning author Ann Leckie. The Temporal Location of the Radiant Star has always been a source of both conflict and hope for the people of Ooioiaa. However, the imperial Radch see it only as an inconvenience, an antiquated religious site soon to be absorbed into their own, superior culture. But local politics is complicated, and the Radch have made a final concession: One last man will be allowed to join the mummified bodies in the temporal location to become a living saint. But this decision will ripple out to affect every part of the city. Amidst a slowly worsening food shortage, riots, and a communication blackout from the rest of the Radch Empire, a religious savant will entertain visions of his own sainthood, a socialite will discover hir comfortable life upended, and a young man sold into servitude will find unlikely escape.
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The Last Contract of Isako
by Fonda Lee
A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City.
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| The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin KirkbrideTwo women travel across space and time -- one to ancient Athens, one to the far future -- to try and stop a climate-fueled ecological disaster. They meet together in dreams to try and piece together what can be done to save humanity. "As harmonious as it is mysterious" (Library Journal), this inventive and hopeful debut will be a hit with fans of Terrestrial History by Joe Mungo Reed. |
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| The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten WhiteA tale of revenge and obsession unfolds as a vampire hunter's daughter pursues a terrifying serial killer who has murdered her father, crossing paths with a mysterious beautiful woman who may be more than the monster she seems. In turn both horrific and romantic, this gothic historical fantasy will be a treat for lovers of the sapphic and macabre as found in Francesca May's This Vicious Hunger. |
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Seek the Traitor's Son
by Veronica Roth
Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her. She is happy with her life as a soldier, defending her small country from the Talusar, a powerful nation who worships a deadly Fever. A fever that blesses half of its victims with mysterious gifts. But then she's summoned to hear a prophecy-her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other...but they don't know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with. In just one day, Elegy's old life-her job, her purpose, and her future-is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing. Elegy intends to make sure it's her.
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| The Red Winter by Cameron SullivanIn the modern day, semi-immortal Sebastian reflects on his hunt for the dreaded Beast of Gévaudan in 1700s France. But conspiracies beneath the surface -- some tied to Sebastian's own demonic activities -- threaten to throw all of Europe into chaos. For fans of: queer historical fantasy with complex characters and uniquely intricate plots revolving around legends, such as Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and S.T. Gibson's Evocation. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711) www.mrspl.org
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