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Science Fiction December 2016
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| The Tourist by Robert DickinsonIt is expected to be an excursion like any other: a bus will take them to the mall. They will have an hour or so to look around. Perhaps buy something, or try the food. The tour rep has no reason to expect any trouble, until he notices that one of his party is missing. Now she is a woman whose disappearance could change the world.
If you enjoy twisty time-travel thrillers such as Ellen Larson's In Retrospect or Sean Ferrell's Man in the Empty Suit, you'll want to read this one. |
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| A Night Without Stars: A Novel of the Commonwealth by Peter F. HamiltonAfter centuries trapped inside the Void, the planet Bienvenido has been expelled into normal space. But the survivors are millions of light-years from the Commonwealth, which knows nothing of their existence. As the two races plunge into mortal conflict for sole possession of the planet, the humans seem destined to lose.
This 2nd book in the Chronicle of the Fallers series expands the universe introduced the author's previous Commonwealth saga and Void trilogy. |
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| Death's End by Cixin Liu; translated by Ken LiuHalf a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity and it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent.
The Three-Body Trilogy may appeal to fans of millennia-spanning SF sagas such as Vernor Vinge's novels. |
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| Children of the New World: Stories by Alexander WeinsteinFans of television's Black Mirror will want to pick up this short story collection, which explores the complex ways in which humans and technology interact.
Set in a recognizable near-future world and ranging in tone from the darkly humorous to the heart-wrenching, these 12 tales tackle topics including (but not limited to) artificial intelligence, implanted memories, virtual reality, and digital reincarnation. For fans of Halting State by Charles Stross. |
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| Crosstalk by Connie WillisIn the not-too-distant future, a simple outpatient procedure to increase empathy between romantic partners has become all the rage. And Briddey Flannigan is delighted when her boyfriend, Trent, suggests undergoing the operation prior to a marriage proposal! But things don't quite work out as planned, and Briddey finds herself connected to someone else entirely--in a way far beyond what she signed up for.
Madcap romantic comedy combined with a satirical look at modern technology makes this latest offering from multi-award-winning author Connie Willis a must-read for fans of Jennifer Government by Max Barry. |
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Books You May Have Missed
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| The Race by Nina AllanThe present day and an alternate future merge as a child is kidnapped, a writer reaches into the past to discover the truth about a possible murder, and a young woman prepares for her mysterious future.
This time-bending adventure will appeal to fans of The Children of Men by P.D. James. |
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| Dark Matter: A Novel by Blake CrouchA mind-bending, relentlessly paced science-fiction thriller, in which an ordinary man is kidnapped, knocked unconscious--and awakens in a world inexplicably different from the reality he thought he knew.
Readers who enjoyed Peter Clines' The Fold or David Walton's Superposition may be interested in this suspenseful novel of an ordinary man contending with alternate realities. |
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| The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria by Carlos HernandezGrounded in science, infused with fantasy, and filtered through contemporary Cuban-American culture, this collection pushes the boundaries of genre as it explores themes of identity and belonging. Whether exploring quantum love triangles, extraterrestrial immigrants, or unconventional wildlife conservation methods, these witty and offbeat stories always put human motivations and behavior front and center.
Fans of Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others should enjoy this thought-provoking book. |
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| Solar Express by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. An asteroid dubbed the Solar Express for its sun-bound trajectory turns out to be an artificial mechanism built by extraterrestrials. Two experts join forces to discover the origins and purpose of the device. However, their task is complicated by the immutable laws of physics as well as shifting geopolitics on Earth.
Presenting a classic space exploration plot that doesn't stint on the technical details, Solar Express may appeal to fans of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama. |
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| Barren Cove: A Novel by Ariel S. WinterBroken and on the verge of obsolescence, an android named Sapien contemplates self-deactivation as he travels to Barren Cove, a stately home that dates from the time when humans reigned. Upon arrival, Sapien meets the robot inhabitants of the estate, learns of their tragic history, and witnesses firsthand their dysfunctional family dynamics.
Isaac Asimov meets Wuthering Heights in this lyrical, if bleak, novel. |
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