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Science Fiction
February 2014
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"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe."
~ Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007), American writer |
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New and Recently Released
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| Fortune's Pawn by Rachel BachMilitary SF. Although she's already a member of the Blackbirds, the galaxy's top private mercenary outfit, Deviana "Devi" Morris is determined to become a Devastator and serve the Sacred King. To further her career ambitions, Devi accepts a job as a security guard aboard the Glorious Fool, a freighter whose trade routes are so dangerous that one year's service counts as five on any other berth. However, as soon as Devi steps aboard, she realizes that the Fool's captain and crew aren't what they appear. Fans of fast-paced, action-packed space adventures starring tough-as-nails heroines will be pleased to learn that Fortune's Pawn is the 1st book in a planned series. |
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Abaddon's gate
by James S. A. Corey
A latest entry in the acclaimed series that includes Leviathan Wakes follows the discovery of a massive alien gate in Uranus's orbit that is examined by Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante, who are placed in mortal danger by a complex human plot. Original. 35,000 first printing.
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Zero point
by Neal L. Asher
On Earth, Serene Galahad tries to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of the Committee; on Mars, Var Delex tries to save Antares Base from the beginnings of rebellion; and aboard Argus Station, Alan Saul's mind has merged with the computer network, revealing secrets
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Ecko rising
by Danie Ware
After awakening in a dimension-jumping inn to find himself immersed in his own sardonic fantasy world, Ecko strives to conquer his deepest fears and save the world from extinction.
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| Parasite by Mira GrantNear-Future SF. By the 2020s, human beings can regulate their personal health with Intestinal Bodyguards, genetically engineered tapeworms (D. symbogenesis) developed by biotech firm SymboGen. However, Sally Mitchell, whose own implant enabled her to survive a near-fatal car accident, remains skeptical of the company and their flagship product -- with good reason, as it turns out. If you enjoy suspenseful, menacing science fiction stories set in a frighteningly plausible futuristic society of cutting-edge medical technology and corporate oligarchy, don't miss this 1st book in the Parasitology series by Mira Grant, author of the Newsflesh trilogy. |
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| Twenty-First Century Science Fiction by David G Hartwell and Patrick Neilsen Hayden (editors)Short Stories. This anthology has one simple goal: to collect stories by "the best science fiction writers that came to prominence since the 20th century changed into the 21st." Among the 34 authors featured in this volume are many familiar names, including Charles Stross, John Scalzi, Elizabeth Bear, Paolo Bacigalupi, Hannu Rajaniemi, Catherynne M. Valente, Kage Baker, and Jo Walton as well as up-and-coming stars such as Vandana Singh, Ken Liu, Genevieve Valentine, James L. Cambias, and Alaya Dawn Johnson. "Whether newcomer or old hand, the reader will not be disappointed," says Kirkus Reviews. |
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| Orfeo: A Novel by Richard PowersSF. Experimental composer Peter Els sets up a homebrew microbiology lab in his rural Pennsylvania residence to dabble in some DIY genetic engineering. Consumed by his obsession with inserting musical patterns into the genome of a common bacterium, Els is probably the only one who's surprised when Homeland Security raids his house, branding him a terrorist. Now a fugitive from the law, the so-called "biohacker Bach" heads West on a cross-country trip that will reunite him the people and places he once intimately knew as he reflects on his past and contemplates his future. As with The Gold Bug Variations, author Richard Powers presents another cerebral, stylistically complex meditation on music and science. |
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| A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories by Ray BradburyShort Stories. Since its publication in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 has become a modern classic. This anthology by Ray Bradbury collects companion tales that are either precursors to the novel or set in its dystopian future society. "Long After Midnight" and "The Fireman" both feature protagonist Montag, while stand-alone stories flesh out Bradbury's dark vision: "Bright Phoenix" examines the reactions of library patrons to censorship, while "The Mad Wizards of Mars" populates the red planet with characters from banned (and burned) literature. A Pleasure to Burn is an essential read for Bradbury fans, but anyone who enjoys provocative ideas presented in smooth, skillful prose should pick up this book. . |
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| Cryoburn by Lois McMaster BujoldSpace Opera. Cryoburn continues Lois McMaster Bujold's wildly popular Vorkosigan series with hero Miles Vorkosigan taking center stage. (New readers need not shy away, however: each book's plot stands alone.) Once cryogenically resurrected from death himself, Miles -- now an interplanetary diplomat -- is ordered to investigate shady dealings in the cryo industry. His unexpected ally is Jin, a young boy whose mother was force-frozen under false pretenses after she pushed for industry reform. Bujold wields deceptive levity and wit with tremendous skill here, the depth of her plot crystallizing at its surprisingly painful conclusion. |
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| The Gone-Away World: A Novel by Nick HarkawaySF. Doomsday "Go Away" bombs have begun erasing whole sections of reality from Earth. Meanwhile, an unnamed narrator and his ex-military buddies must extinguish a fire raging inside the Jorgmund Pipe, which sustains a thin strip of livable space around the planet. And that's just the beginning. This genre-defying, combat-heavy debut by the son of author John le Carré sets a mystery "replete with ninjas, mimes and cannibal dogs" (Publishers Weekly) in a post-apocalyptic world and spins a convoluted, tangential story that has invited comparisons to Vonnegut, Pynchon, Fight Club, and Apocalypse Now. Hop in, buckle up, and hang on! |
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| Saint Antony's Fire by Steve WhiteAlternate History. When Ponce de León travels to the New World to find the legendary fountain of youth, he discovers something else entirely. Could it be related to the Grey Monks of the order of St. Antony of Padua, who equip the Spanish Armada with anti-matter lasers, ensuring their victory at sea? Forced to flee England, Queen Elizabeth rallies her allies, playwright William Shakespeare, alchemist John Dee, and Roanoke colonist Virginia Dare, to discover the enemy's secrets (it involves the interference of an extra-terrestrial race known as the Grella) and find a way to strike back. |
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