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Fantasy and Science Fiction August 2019
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| The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis HallWhat it is: a witty Sherlock Holmes adaptation with a speculative twist and a LGBTQIA diverse cast.
Starring: Captain John Wyndham and his new roommate, consulting sorceress Ms. Shaharazad Haas; their first case involves Hass' former lover, Lady Eirene Viola, who's being blackmailed.
For fans of: Claire O'Dell's Janet Watson novels or G.S. Denning's Warlock Holmes series. |
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| This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneWhat happens: Two time traveling operatives from competing futures fall in love, expressing their longing through letters composed in lava flows, glasses of water, tree rings, and more.
Why you might like it: Fritz Leiber's The Big Time meets Ian McDonald's Time Was in this lyrical epistolary love story.
About the authors: Lebanese-Canadian author Amal El-Mohtar is the author of The Honey Month; Campbell Award nominee Max Gladstone is best known for his popular Craft novels. |
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| The Lesson by Cadwell TurnbullWhat happens: The alien Ynaa occupy St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, causing tension between the newcomers and the locals.
Why you might like it: This thought-provoking debut is at once an allegory for colonialism and a moving, character-driven first contact story.
For fans of: Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End and Tade Thompson's Rosewater. |
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| The Rage of Dragons by Evan WinterStarring: Tau Tafari, a reluctant warrior-in-training who fights his way to the top of a socially stratified society to exact revenge on his enemies.
Why you might like it: This debut, 1st in a series, boasts a sympathetic protagonist and a vividly depicted, African-inspired setting.
For fans of: the inventive system of magic in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novels, the gritty battles of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, and the world-building of Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy. |
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| Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin HearneWhat it is: a quirky comedic fantasy adventure that riffs on classic genre tropes.
Featuring: a farm boy (briefly), a talking goat, a seven-foot-tall warrior in a chainmail bikini, an enchanted rabbit bard, an alektorophobic assassin, a sand witch, and a dark lord.
For fans of: William Goldman's The Princess Bride, Diana Wynne Jones' Dark Lord of Derkholm, or Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. |
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Redshirts
by John Scalzi
What it's about: Thrilled to be aboard the Universal Union starship Intrepid, Ensign Andrew Dahl can't understand why his shipmates aren't as excited as he is about away missions. That is, until he realizes that crew members who are chosen to go planetside don't live long or prosper.
For fans of: Star Trek and readers who enjoy author John Scalzi's lighter SF, such as Fuzzy Nation.
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| Space Opera by Catherynne M. ValenteWhat it's about: “Glamrock messiah” Danesh Jalo is fighting for mankind’s continued existence -- by taking center stage in an intergalactic talent show bursting with glitter, lipstick, and rock and roll.
Reviewers say: An “endearing, razzle-dazzle love song about destiny, finding one’s true voice, and rockin’ the house down” (Publishers Weekly).
Is it for you? If you like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, David Bowie, or the Eurovision Song Contest, you'll like this humorous science fiction extravaganza. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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