Publisher: Forge
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/16/2012
ISBN-13: 9780765328410
ISBN-10: 0765328410

Hard SF. This suspenseful, atmospheric collaboration by Galactic Center Saga author Gregory Benford and Ringworld series creator Larry Niven begins with the Earth-based crew of the SunSeeker expedition. En route to a habitable exoplanet, their starship encounters a strange, bowl-shaped object half-encircling a star. What's more, this Bowl -- whose interior can contain millions of Earths -- is inhabited and has been on the move for millennia, for the Bowl serves as a kind of ship and the star as its engine, powering its progress through the universe as it makes contact with other intelligent species.

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Publisher: Baen Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/06/2012
ISBN-13: 9781451638455
ISBN-10: 1451638450

Space Opera. Captain Ivan Vorpatril, cousin of series protagonist Miles Vorkosigan, finally takes center stage in this 18th entry in the Vorkosigan saga, set several years before the events of Cryoburn. Content to perform his duties as a staff officer on the planet Komarr, the unambitious Ivan's expectations of a quiet, uncomplicated existence are shattered when he receives orders to protect Tej Arqua, a young woman targeted by a criminal syndicate. Starring a popular supporting character, this novel can be enjoyed on its own, although previous exposure to the world of the series will certainly enhance the experience. New readers may want to start at the beginning with Shards of Honor.

Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/30/2012
ISBN-13: 9780765368973
ISBN-10: 0765368978

Social SF. On the planet Ardagh 1, human colonists develop symbiotic connections with aliens who adopt the appearances and personalities of dead relatives, friends, or loved ones. Although the human hosts and their alien "ghosts" cannot physically survive separation, neither are they permitted to interact -- thanks to the Ghost Protocol instituted by psychologist Dr. Grayson Murphy. But Elizabeth Cole, whose research focuses on the human-ghost bond, challenges the Protocol as soon as she arrives on Ardagh 1 -- in part because, after dying in transit, she's been reincarnated as Dr. Murphy's personal ghost. Can Elizabeth uncover the mysteries behind the ghost phenomenon, and will doing so enable her to detach and live an independent life?

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Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2013
ISBN-13: 9780345526663
ISBN-10: 034552666X

Cross-Genre SF. 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 started a company that 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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Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/27/2012
ISBN-13: 9780765329509
ISBN-10: 0765329506

Science Fiction. Charming posthuman thief Jean le Flambeur owes his very existence to space captain Mieli, her sentient ship Perhonen, and their patroness Pellegrini -- a debt that can only be repaid by pulling off a seemingly impossible heist. Fortunately, Jean excels at stealing; unfortunately, this job -- robbing the mind of a high-ranking member of the ultra-powerful Sobornost collective, which currently rules Earth and aspires to control all of reality -- will require all of Jean's skills. If you enjoy fast-paced, planet-hopping adventures fizzing with futuristic ideas and technology, don't miss this sequel to The Quantum Thief.

Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2007
ISBN-13: 9780553589306
ISBN-10: 055358930X

Artificial Intelligence SF. Rescued from a deep-space disaster by DIANA, the now-defunct Earth corporation that apparently created her, social-care operative Judy is tasked with a mission that goes against everything she knows about herself. Thanks to unique aspects of her genetic code, she's the only one who can destroy the AI Watcher that controls Earth's population through a drug that allows operatives, such as Judy, to read and influence the minds of their charges -- both atomic humans and PCs (cyberspace-based personality constructs). But even if Judy succeeds, will DIANA deliver on its promise of freedom? Divergence is the concluding volume of Tony Ballantyne's Recursion Trilogy, after Recursion and Capacity.

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Publisher: Eos
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/27/2010
ISBN-13: 9780061934735
ISBN-10: 0061934739

Far-Future SF. When the Crib Empire used its new "biocyph seed" technology to terraform the planet Scarabaeus, everything went wrong, and only biocyph-programmer Edie Sha'nim knows why. Freedom fighters from the Rebel Fringe colonies, determined to stop the Crib, kidnap Edie and -- to ensure that she doesn't escape -- telepathically shackle her to rough-and-tumble rebel Finn. They promise to release her if she shows them how to prevent the biocyph seeds from deactivating, but Edie worries that she may not survive if her captors discover her role in the catastrophe. This is the 1st in the Scarabaeus novels, followed by Children of Scarabaeus.

Publisher: Ace Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/28/2010
ISBN-13: 9780441020126
ISBN-10: 0441020127

SF Thriller. When 17-year-old Madeleine "Maddy" Grant sustains a severe brain injury, her only hope for recovery is an experimental neurological treatment at the Braintree Institute. Fortunately for Maddy, the treatment is successful -- more than successful, actually, since she's now far more cognitively advanced than she was before the accident. Yet Maddy can't help but wonder if the Institute's assistance is entirely altruistic, especially after she's sent to the village of Harmony to be "reintegrated" into society. With its fast pacing, intricate plotting, and resourceful heroine, Mad Skills is the "literary equivalent of a syringe full of adrenaline" (Publishers Weekly).

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Publisher: Roc
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/04/2012
ISBN-13: 9780451464750
ISBN-10: 0451464753

Near-Future SF. 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 the upcoming Sharp.

Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/29/2008
ISBN-13: 9780765356697
ISBN-10: 0765356694

SF Thriller. Centuries from now, intergalactic travel between myriad worlds takes place via Quadrail, a faster-than-light train system run by spider-like robots. The Modhri, an ancient, telepathically linked intelligence that can (and does) possess unwitting hosts of any species, is intent on destroying the tenuous unity of civilizations connected by the Quadrail. After saving the galaxy in Night Train to Rigel, hardboiled PI Frank Compton races against time to stop the Modhri in this sequel, which features memorable characters, intriguing technology, and plenty of "red herrings, blind alleys, and rising tension" (Booklist).

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