Science Fiction
The Martian : a novel
Andy Weir
SCIENCE FICTION Weir Andy
Science Fiction
"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"
Jurassic Park : a novel
Michael Crichton
SCIENCE FICTION Crichton, Michael
Adventure, Science Fiction
On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have created a dinosaur game park. But as always there is a dark side to the fantasy and after a catastrophe destroys the park's defence systems, the scientists and tourists are left fighting for survival.
A novel that further captivated readers since the release of the 1993 cinematic masterpiece (in this staff person's opinion), "Jurassic Park" is perfect for any reader who has long imagined what it would be like for dinosaurs to roam the Earth...and why cloning ancient dino-dna may not be the best plan. A story of dinosaurs sprinkled in with commentary of the downsides to greedy capitalism, "Jurassic Park" is a must-read! -Madison C
Vicious
Victoria Schwab
SCIENCE FICTION Schwab Victoria
Science Fiction
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates-- brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
If you're a fan of morally ambiguous main characters, superpowers in the real world, and destructive journeys of vengeance, "Vicious" is just the book for you! For any reader that is a fan of dark, action-packed stories that sprinkle in superheroes (and villains you can't help but root for). -Madison C
Ender's game
Orson Scott Card
SCIENCE FICTION Card Orson
Dystopian, Science Fiction
A veteran of years of simulated war games, Ender believes he is engaged in one more computer war game when in truth he is commanding the last fleet of Earth against an alien race seeking the complete destruction of Earth.
In this classic novel, Orson Scott Card explores the complexities of war and the consequences of pushing the human spirit to its breaking point. "Ender's Game" is an unforgettable read about the costs of heroism and the value of compassion, told from the eyes of a child. -Madison C
Annihilation
Jeff VanderMeer
SCIENCE FICTION VanderMeer, Jeff
Fiction, Science Fiction
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition. The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers―they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding―but it's the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
Simultaneously dense and dreamlike, VanderMeer's prose is full of vivid detail and demands your full attention. For your effort you are rewarded with a fevered meditation on grief , identity, and the transitional ecologies of the human mind. -Chelsea
The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
Douglas Adams
SCIENCE FICTION Adams, Douglas
Fiction, Adventure, Science Fiction
This is the story of Arthur Dent, who, seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, is plucked off the planet by his friend, Ford Prefect, who has been posing as an out-of-work actor for the last fifteen years but is really a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together they begin a journey through the galaxy aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a hilariously bizarre adventure! Be sure to pair with the BBC miniseries, which is complete with fun 80s special effects! -Violette
How high we go in the dark : a novel
Sequoia Nagamatsu
SCIENCE FICTION Nagamatsu, Sequoia
Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Short Story
"For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague-a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe"--
Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark consists of several fascinating short stories that feature characters whose lives are inextricably linked, even if not directly. If you're like me, this book will remain in the back of your mind for a long time. -Violette
All systems red
Martha Wells
SCIENCE FICTION Wells Martha
Science Fiction
A murderous android discovers itself in "All Systems Red", a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial intelligence. In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
The entire Murderbot Diaries series is one of my all-time favorite reads, starting off strong with the first book, "All Systems Red." The self-named android, "Murderbot" is a surprisingly relatable protagonist who, despite being a deadly security unit, only wants to watch TV shows and avoid dealing with its emotions (who doesn't?!). Full of dry humor and clever observations, the cynical Murderbot is one of the most human characters readers will come across. -Madison C
Iron widow
Xiran Jay Zhao
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Zhao Xiran
Fantasy, Science Fiction
"Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn't matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead. To tame her frightening yet valuable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest male pilot in Huaxia, yet feared and ostracized for killing his father and brothers. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will take over instead, then leverage their combined strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Or die trying."--
A really good debut novel mixing fantasy and sci-fi. It comes with murder, liberation, mystery, and some surprises. Well written and easy to read. It is also available as an e-audio book through Libby. -Mykle
Echo of worlds
M. R. Carey
SCIENCE FICTION Carey, M. R.
Science Fiction
Two mighty empires are at war - and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that's what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes. But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force - the Mother Mass - that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it. Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal. Their mission will take them from the hellish prison world of Tsakom to the poisoned remains of a post-apocalyptic Earth, and finally bring them face to face with the Mother Mass itself. But can they persuade it to end eons of neutrality and help them? And is it too late to make a difference? Because the Pandominion's doomsday machines are about to be unleashed - and not even their builders know how to control them.
The action picks up where Infinity Gate left off, with nary a word wasted in the telling. More desperate challenges are faced and more insane solutions are acted upon. Hard to put down and the fastest 480 plus pages I've ever read! -Paul
If you ever find yourself stranded on Mars, "The Martian" would be an excellent "how to survive" guide to keep on hand...plus a fully-fueled rocket to get you back home. This character-driven story is told with incredible wit and humor, despite the dire circumstances astronaut Mark Watney finds himself in. If you are looking for a book about surviving against the odds and the unbreakable human spirit, "The Martian" is the perfect read! -Madison C