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"Nothing looks more lovely than something that’s about to end, and that’s true even if you yourself are going to be the cause of its ending."
~ from Chris Beckett's Dark Eden |
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New and Recently Released!
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| Dark Eden: A Novel by Chris BeckettSocial SF. Welcome to Eden, population 532. Inhabited by Family -- close-knit clans descended from two astronauts who arrived generations ago via Landing Veekle -- this sunless planet is home to a unique culture sustained by mythic tales of Earth (where people power their dwellings with Lecky-trickity and communicate by Rayed Yo) while eagerly anticipating the return of the ship that brought them to Eden. However, 15-year-old John Redlantern -- not content to sit under the lantern trees and wait for a rescue party that may never come -- rebels and is punished with exile. Cast out of Family, John's real life suddenly begins. Fans of Harry Harrison's West of Eden Trilogy or William Golding's The Inheritors may enjoy this thought-provoking depiction of a not-quite-human society struggling to survive and evolve in an inhospitable alien environment. |
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| The Burning Dark by Adam ChristopherFar-Future SF. No good deed goes unpunished, as Captain Abraham Idaho "Ida" Cleveland learns when his wartime heroics result in his reassignment to U-Coast Star City, where he'll be overseeing the demolition of a decommissioned space station. Despite his defeat of the Spiders of Tau Retore, all evidence of this victory has been wiped from the official record, making the once-decorated officer a pariah among his fellow soldiers. In addition to figuring out why he's been relegated to a backwater outpost in a remote star system, Ida must also investigate the increasingly strange behavior of his crew members -- behavior that may be connected to a mysterious message from a long-dead astronaut. This atmospheric, compelling novel gets creepier with every page, which should appeal to readers who like a bit of cosmic horror in their science fiction. |
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| The Bees: A Novel by Laline PaullDystopian Fiction. The rules are simple: "Accept, Obey, and Serve." But Flora 717, a worker bee whose "exceedingly large and ugly" appearance distinguishes her from the rest of her caste, is destined to put that motto to the test. As she rises through the colony's ranks -- from sanitation worker to nurse, from forager to Queen's handmaid -- Flora observes, questions, and challenges the hive's strict laws and neither the brainwashing effects of honey nor the all-consuming pheromonal power of Queen's Love can stop her. But honeybee colonies are super-organisms whose survival depends on the suppression of individual desires in service of the common good. Will Flora prove to be the savior of her hive, or the agent of its destruction? |
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| The Adjacent by Christopher PriestSF. At the center (if there is one) of this thought-provoking experimental novel is a love story fractured, replicated, reconfigured, and repeatedly transformed by the Perturbative Adjacent Field, a theoretical concept described by physicist Thijs Rietvel that turns out to be all too real. The PAF, which facilitates the transportation of matter across time and space, is touted as "The Weapon That Will End War," although it may turn out to be the weapon that causes the war that will end everything. In the meantime, the strange workings of adjacency technology will influence (and subtly connect) the lives of a widowed photojournalist, an Edwardian stage magician, a female World War II pilot, and others. If you enjoy brain-twisting, stylistically complex, genre-bending novels, check out The Adjacent. |
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| Robot Uprisings by Daniel H. Wilson (editor) and John Joseph Adams (editor)Short Stories. Robots are real, and -- in this anthology, at least -- they're coming to get us. Edited by Robopocalypse author Daniel H. Wilson and award-winning anthologist John Joseph Adams, this collection of 17 short stories depicts a variety of robots, ranging from benevolent to malevolent, and the multitude of ways in which they assert their independence (or dominance). Featuring the work of such acclaimed authors as Charles Yu, Genevieve Valentine, Alan Dean Foster, Nnedi Okrafor, Alistair Reynolds, Seanan McGuire, and John McCarthy, Robot Uprisings is an essential read for those anticipating -- or dreading -- the post-human era. |
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| Great North Road by Peter F. HamiltonSF Mystery. In 2143 Newcastle, a naked corpse is dredged from the River Tyne. Although there's no physical evidence to work with, police detective Sidney Hurst must discover the identity of the murderer -- not to mention that of the victim, who may be any one of the hundreds of clones that comprise the North family. This wealthy and powerful dynasty was founded by three brothers who pioneered the technology that enabled humans to access other star systems -- leading to the off-world production of Earth's primary fuel source, bioil. Caught up in a tangled web of money, politics, and family secrets, Hurst's only lead is a decades-old crime with striking similarities to his present-day investigation. This blend of science fiction and mystery boasts an intriguing premise, fascinating future technology, and detailed world-building. |
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| Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel by Alex HughesSF Mystery. Now working as a consultant for the DeKalb County Police Department in near-future Atlanta, Georgia, the unnamed narrator of this suspenseful, gritty SF mystery is a level-eight telepath who's been expelled from his Guild for substance abuse. Paired with Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, he must track down a serial killer who may have connections to the Guild. Don't miss this 1st installment in the Mindspace Investigations series, which continues with Sharp and Marked. |
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| Seeker by Jack McDevittSF Mystery. Back in the 27th century, 5,000 colonists boarded the transport ship Seeker, designed to provide an escape from their oppressive theocratic society, and went on to found the space colony of Margolia before vanishing without a trace. When he discovers an artifact from the Seeker, obsessive antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his assistant, pilot Chase Kolpath, embark on a quest to verify the object's provenance, following the course of the ship while attempting to unravel the mystery of its fate. Seeker is the stand-alone 3rd book in the Alex Benedict series, which begins with A Talent for War; the most recent installment of the series is Firebird. |
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| In Retrospect by Ellen LarsonSF Mystery. In the year 3324, the war between the Oku and the Rasakans has ended, but the real trouble is just beginning. Prominent Oku General Omari Zane has been murdered, an event that threatens the fragile peace. Anticipating further outbreaks of violence, the recently formed Joint Civil Protection Force recruits former Oku resistance fighter Merit Rafi -- the last surviving time traveler -- to perform Forensic Retrospection at the scene of the crime. With only three days to solve the case, Merit gets to work despite her deep distrust of the Rasakans. If she succeeds, she and her crew will have their prewar ranks and privileges reinstated; if she fails...well, that outcome doesn't bear thinking about. |
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| Thirteen by Richard K. MorganSF Mystery. Genetically engineered by the US government as the ultimate fighting force, the new breed of soldiers known as "thirteens" so terrify humanity that they have been exiled to reservations on Earth's Mars colony. Carl Marsalis is a thirteen who works as a UN hit man, tracking down others of his kind who have escaped, even though he's lost his taste for killing. But when a ship from Mars crashes off the coast of California, a thirteen escapes the wreckage and goes on a murderous rampage -- and it's up to Marsalis to stop him. This futuristic noir thriller features plenty of action and a "complex, looping plot" (Publishers Weekly) that should tantalize fans of Philip K. Dick. |
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