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Science Fiction February 2017
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| Remnants of Trust: A Central Corps Novel by Elizabeth BonesteelMilitary SF. This follow-up to The Cold Between finds Commander Elena Shaw and Captain Greg Foster of Central Corps court-martialed for their role in an incident that the government won't officially acknowledge. Their punishment? To patrol the underpopulated and (usually) uneventful Third Sector. When their ship, Galileo, picks up a distress signal from sister ship Exeter, Shaw and Foster find themselves embroiled in an intergalactic conspiracy. Unlike its predecessor, which contained a strong romantic subplot, Remnants of Trust emphasizes action and intrigue over relationships. |
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The Final Day
by William R. Forstchen
After defeating the designs of the alleged federal government, John Matherson and his community have returned their attention to restoring the technologies and social order that existed prior to the EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) attack. Then the government announces that it’s ceding large portions of the country to China and Mexico. The Constitution is no longer in effect, and what’s left of the U.S. Army has been deployed to suppress rebellion in the remaining states. The man sent to confront John is General Bob Scales, John’s old commanding officer and closest friend from prewar days. Will General Scales follow orders, or might he be the crucial turning point in the quest for an America that is again united? As the dubious Federal government increasingly curtails liberty and trades away sovereignty, it might just get exactly what it fears: revolution.
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The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
by Kij Johnson
Professor Vellitt Boe teaches at the prestigious Ulthar Women’s College. When one of her most gifted students elopes with a dreamer from the waking world, Vellitt must retrieve her. But the journey sends her on a quest across the Dreamlands and into her own mysterious past, where some secrets were never meant to surface.
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| Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation by Ken LiuShort Stories. China's "vibrant, diverse science fiction culture" is on display in this anthology of short stories edited by author and translator Ken Liu. In addition to an introduction explaining his selection process, Liu provides notes on language and dialect as well as cultural context to help general readers navigate the collection. Short author bios preface the stories, which are supplemented by accessible essays written by literary scholars on topics such as "What Makes Chinese Science Fiction Chinese?" If you're curious about the universe of science fiction beyond the English-speaking world, check out Invisible Planets. |
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| After Atlas: A Planetfall Novel by Emma NewmanScience Fiction. When Carlos Moreno was a baby, his mother left Earth on the Atlas while his father joined an anti-technology cult led by the charismatic and dangerous Alejandro Casales. Now Carlos is an investigator for the Ministry of Justice, a department of the corporate government that effectively owns both Carlos and his labor. When Casales dies under suspicious circumstances, Carlos must solve the murder of the man whom he blames for ruining his life. But what was once a tiny fringe group has since grown into a powerful organization. Although After Atlas can be enjoyed without having read Planetfall, that novel provides useful backstory for this one. |
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Women of Futures Past : Classic Stories
by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Meet the Women of Futures Past: from Grand Master Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey to today's popular SF writes such as Lois McMaster Bujold and C.J. Cherryh. The most influential writers of multiple generations delivering lost classics and foundational touchstones that shaped the field. Adventure tales, post-apocalyptic visions, space opera, aliens-among-us, time travel--these women have delivered all this and more.
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The Liberation
by Ian Tregillis
I am the mechanical they named Jax. My kind was built to serve humankind, duty-bound to fulfil their every whim. But now our bonds are breaking, and my brothers and sisters are awakening. Our time has come. A new age is dawning. Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, this is the third and final novel in a stunning series of revolution by Ian Tregillis, confirming his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.
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| After the Crown by K.B. WagersSpace Opera. Since ascending to the throne of the Idranan Empire, Empress Hail Bristol has avenged the murders of her entire family and put down a palace coup. However, war with the neighboring Saxon Empire threatens the newfound stability of her realm. Accompanied by her personal bodyguards, Emmory and Zin, Hail will have to reach out not only to her fellow Idranans (not all of whom are pleased that she's in power) but also an assortment of unlikely allies from her wild days as a gunrunner. After the Crown is book 2 in the Idranan War series; although the primary cast remains the same, newcomers should start with Behind the Throne in order to fully enjoy the complex politics and intricate plotting that propel this action-packed saga. |
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Interstellar Civilizations
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| The Dark Between the Stars: The Saga of Shadows, Book One by Kevin J. AndersonSpace Opera. This opening installment of Kevin J. Anderson's Saga of Shadows trilogy picks up where the author's Saga of the Seven Suns left off. In the aftermath of the Elemental War, the human Confederation -- replacing the corrupt Terran Hanseatic League -- has formed an alliance with the Ildiran Empire. But the Ildirans have old enemies with scores to settle, while the insectoid Klikiss want to destroy both races. And if these foes join forces, the galaxy is doomed. |
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| Undercity by Catherine AsaroSF Mystery. Once an Imperial Space Command officer, "Major" Bhaajan is now a private investigator in Selei City on Parthonia, the capital of the Skolian Empire. Hired by the Matriarch of the powerful House of Majda to locate a missing prince, Bhajaan travels to the City of Cries on the planet Raylicon and ventures into the slums of the Undercity -- her home, to which she never expected to return. In addition to solving the case, Bhaajan will have to confront her past and those she left behind. While the detailed world-building in Undercity is consistent with other installments of Catherine Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire, the novel easily stands on its own. |
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| Leviathan Wakes: The Expanse by James S.A. CoreySpace Opera. Earth's colonies include Mars and frozen rocks in "the Belt," asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. While ice-rig captain Jim Holden discovers a deserted Belter ship bearing the marks of a Martian military assault, Earth-based Detective Miller pursues a missing persons case that may be related. The duo must dodge violent revolutionaries, corporate heavies, and corrupt government foes to find the truth before it's too late. Fortunately, the Belt favors underdogs. Leviathan Wakes is the opening installment of a collaborative effort by author Daniel Abraham (of Long Price Quartet series fame) and newcomer Ty Frank; it's also been adapted for television as The Expanse. |
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| Out of the Dark by David WeberMilitary SF. Although the Hegemony long ago wrote off Earth civilization as too violent and unstable to benefit from membership in a galactic alliance, they have no problem with letting the expansionist Shongairi conquer the planet. However, the humans of Earth refuse to submit to its new alien overlords, instead joining forces with their former enemies -- vampires -- to repel the extraterrestrial invaders. Bestselling author David Weber applies his skill at depicting futuristic warfare (honed in his Honor Harrington novels) to this stand-alone novel, which began life as a short story in the anthology Warriors, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. |
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