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Science Fiction August 2016
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"Without words, we're history's orphans. Our lives and thoughts erased." ~ from Alena Graedon's The Word Exchange
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| Company Town by Madeline AshbyTo make money to purchase cybernetic enhancements, bodyguard Hwa accepts a job protecting 15-year-old Joel, heir to the Lynch corporate empire, who's been receiving death threats that appear to be coming from the future.
Peter Hamilton's Great North Road and One Second After by William R. Forstchen may also pique your interest. |
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| Waypoint Kangaroo by Curtis C. ChenKangaroo isn't your typical spy. What sets him apart is "the pocket" : It's a portal that opens into an empty, seemingly infinite, parallel universe, and Kangaroo is the only person in the world who can use it.
With its snarky protagonist and futuristic spycraft, this debut novel may appeal to fans of Charles Stross' Laundry Files or the short fiction of Frederic Brown. |
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| False Hearts by Laura LamTwo formerly conjoined sisters are ensnared in a murderous plot involving psychoactive drugs, shared dreaming, organized crime, and a sinister cult.
If this tech-heavy title leaves you wanting more of a wilderness dystopia, check out Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. |
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| Too Like the Lightning by Ada PalmerIn this 25th century utopia, a convicted felon and a spiritual counselor have to work together to save their hard-won world of peace and prosperity.
Readers who enjoy philosophical SF may also like Jo Walton's Just City novels, which imagine a world based on the principles of Plato's Republic. |
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| Underground Airlines by Ben H WintersIn this U.S. alternate history, the Civil War never happened and slavery is still legal in four states. Protagonist Victor infiltrates abolitionist circles and risks blowing his cover when he decides to aid a struggling family he meets on his way to locate a fugitive slave.
This thought-provoking novel by the author of the apocalyptic Last Policeman trilogy has been described as "Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man meets Blade Runner." |
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| The Word Exchange: A Novel by Alena GraedonA dystopian novel for the digital age, The Word Exchange offers an inventive, suspenseful, and decidedly original vision of the dangers of technology and of the enduring power of the printed word
If you enjoyed Max Barry's Lexicon, check out The Word Exchange, which features a similarly compelling linguistic thriller with philosophical overtones. |
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| Speak: A Novel by Louisa HallIn a narrative that spans geography and time, from the Atlantic Ocean in the seventeenth century to a correctional institute in Texas in the near future, Speak considers what it means to be human, and what it means to be less than fully alive.
If time-jumping stories are right up your alley, you may also enjoy Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. |
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| The Silent History by Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby, and Kevin MoffettPhysically normal in every way, children have begun to be born without the capacity for speech. As the number of cases grows to an epidemic level, theories spread about what could be causing this strange phenomenon.
If you like suspenseful speculative tales about the near future, such as Halting State by Charles Stross, you'll want to check out The Silent History. |
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| The Flame Alphabet by Ben MarcusA terrible epidemic has struck the country and the sound of children's speech has become lethal. Radio transmissions from strange sources indicate that people are going into hiding. Suburban side streets become routes of shameful escape for parents trying to get outside the radius of affliction.
Fans of Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby may enjoy this disturbing work of speculative fiction in which words not only hurt -- they kill. |
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| The Affinities by Robert Charles WilsonTo join one of the twenty-two Affinities is to change one's life. It's more than family. Your fellow members aren't just like you or people who are likely to like you. They're also the people with whom you can best cooperate in all areas of life--creative, interpersonal, even financial.
Don't miss this suspenseful near-future SF story of social media on steroids that feels a lot like a modern, tech version of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. |
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