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Science FictionFebruary 2015 |
"We have to see this through to the end." ~ from Peter Terrin's The Guard |
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New and Recently Released!
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| Carbide Tipped Pens: Seventeen Tales of Hard Science Fiction by Ben Bova and Eric Choi (editors)Short Stories. According to co-editors Ben Bova and Eric Choi, hard SF is the "literature of change." This anthology of 17 stories focuses on the effects of science and technology on a human species that is itself constantly evolving. Contributions by authors including Gregory Benford, Aliette de Bodard, Jack McDevitt, Daniel H. Wilson, Leah Petersen and Gabrielle Harbowy explore a wide range of concepts and situations, blending hard science with universal human concerns. |
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| Golden Son: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce BrownDystopian SF. "Once upon a time, a man came from the sky and killed my wife," explains freedom fighter Darrow in this sequel to the bestselling Red Rising. Recruited by the revolutionary group Sons of Ares to infiltrate the world of the elite Golds and bring down their rigidly hierarchical, color-coded society from within, Darrow's mission is not without complications. Not only must he remain in the good graces of his employer, ArchGovernor Augustus of Mars, Darrow must also prepare to turn his back on the handful of sympathetic Golds whom he's come to know and trust. Hunger Games fans will appreciate this series' determined protagonist and his desire to topple an oppressive society, while readers who enjoy Richelle Mead's Age of X series will appreciate Golden Son's futuristic, caste-bound society. |
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| The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu; translated from the Chinese by Ken LiuHard SF. In 1967, Ye Wenjie witnesses the brutal, government-sanctioned murder of her father, renowned physicist Ye Zhetai, when he refuses to denounce the theory of relativity. This, combined with her "seditious" science advocacy, brings her to the attention of the authorities, who permit her to avoid imprisonment by working in a research facility dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life. Set against the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution, this acclaimed novel, originally published in China in 2006, finally makes its English language debut. |
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| The Galaxy Game by Karen LordSocial SF. Confined to the Lyceum, a residential school for the psi-gifted adolescents of the planet Cygnus Beta, Rafi Abowen Delarua is surrounded by authority figures who distrust him even as they attempt to exploit his talents. Bereft of home and family, Rafi's only refuge is Wallrunning, a high-stakes game requiring speed, agility, and adaptation to gravitational fluctuations. It may also be Rafi's best hope of escaping his situation. However, what initially appears to be a fun athletic activity is gradually revealed to have great intergalactic significance. Fans of author Karen Lord's previous novel, The Best of All Possible Worlds, will appreciate cameo appearances from that novel's characters, as well as an expansion of its predecessor's detailed world-building.
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| The Guard by Peter Terrin; translated from the Dutch by David ColmerApocalyptic SF. Security guards Harry and Michel have one job: to monitor a luxury apartment complex and protect its inhabitants. Nobody can leave (except for those who have mysteriously disappeared) and no one knows why (or how to get out). It's possible that the world may be about to end. Or perhaps it already has? In brief chapters that unfold through terse first-person narration, readers must piece together what's going on in a darkly humorous novel reminiscent of both Harold Pinter's The Dumbwaiter and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, but with an apocalyptic twist. |
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| The Just City by Jo WaltonSocial SF. With the aid of a time-traveling team of 300 scholars representing the best of 25 centuries of human civilization, the goddess Athene creates the Just City, a real-life version of Plato's Republic populated by more than 10,000 manumitted slave children, raised to become the next generation of philosopher-kings. At least, that's the plan. Unfortunately, utopias tend to falter in the presence of actual human beings. Don't miss this thought-provoking, stylistically complex new novel by the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Among Others and My Other Children. |
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| Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangShort Stories. Ted Chiang, author of the acclaimed novellas The Life Cycle of Software Objects and The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate, writes stories that are as brief as they are profound. In this collection of eight thought-provoking tales, Chiang explores topics ranging from aliens to artificial intelligence to alternate history, and does so with consummate skill and precision. Science fiction aficionados looking for quick reads that nevertheless linger in the mind will want to check out Stories of Your Life and Others. |
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| Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree, Jr.Short Stories. Better known as science fiction writer James Tiptree, Jr., Alice Bradley Sheldon led a life as fascinating as her acclaimed short stories: a childhood spent traveling the world with adventurous parents; wartime service as an intelligence analyst; a stint in the CIA; a career as a research psychologist; and sudden death by spousal suicide pact. And yet, despite these demands on her time, Tiptree also managed to make an indelible mark on the science fiction genre under multiple pseudonyms, creating a body of work that inspires readers to this day. Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, which collects some of her best-known stories, is a must-read for SF fans. |
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| The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories by Connie WillisShort Stories. With 11 Hugo Awards and seven Nebulas under her belt (not to mention just about every other major SF award in existence), Connie Willis is a modern master of speculative fiction writing. The stories in this collection -- displaying Willis' talent for memorable characters and meticulous research, as well as her signature blend of heartbreak and humor -- represent the prize-winning work that has made her a favorite among science fiction readers and writers alike. |
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| The Time Traveler's Almanac by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer (editors)Short Stories. Spanning over a century of speculative literature, this anthology collects 65 time-travel tales from notable science fiction authors both past (including but not limited to H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Douglas Adams, and Ray Bradbury) and present (Ursula K. Le Guin, C.J. Cherryh, Charles Stross, and Connie Willis, to name just a few). In addition to its comprehensive compilation of short fiction, The Time Traveler's Almanac includes an intriguing selection of nonfiction pieces, notably Genevieve Valentine's "Trousseau: Fashion for Time Travelers" and Charles Yu's "Top Ten Tips For Time Travelers." |
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