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Science Fiction April 2017
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Waypoint Kangaroo
by Curtis C. Chen
Humorous SF. More Maxwell Smart than James Bond, spy Kangaroo -- so named for the extra-dimensional pouch that allows him to retrieve objects from other universes -- has bungled yet another mission, prompting his superiors send him on a mandatory "vacation" to Mars aboard a luxury cruise ship. En route to the red planet, Kangaroo encounters two other spies, who may or may not be responsible for a series of murders that occurs on board the ship -- murders that may or may not be linked to a vast interplanetary conspiracy. And here Kangaroo was worried about what to do with his time off. With its snarky protagonist and futuristic spycraft, this debut novel may appeal to fans of Charles Stross' Laundry Files.
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The swarm
by Orson Scott Card
A prequel to Ender's Game profiles the past of Ender's world and is set in the aftermath of the Scouring of China as part of the Formic's efforts to eradicate all life on Earth. By the best-selling authors of Invasive Procedures.
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Apes and Angels
by Ben Bova
Arriving at Mithra Gamma, the third planet of the star Mithra, to protect its stone-age inhabitants from the Death Wave, the crew of the Odysseus is confronted by threats that force them to defend themselves in a conclusion to the trilogy by the six-time Hugo Award-winning author of New Earth.
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| Eifelheim by Michael FlynnAlternate History SF. Eifelheim should have been resettled. Although plague decimated the tiny German town in 1349, modern-day historian Tom, who uses mathematical models to predict settlement patterns, can find no reason why Eifelheim, ideally situated in all respects, shouldn't have bounced back after the Black Death. As Tom and his partner, Sharon, a theoretical physicist, puzzle over this anomaly, readers learn how 14th-century village priest Father Deitrich welcomed extraterrestrials to Eifelheim, setting the stage for a confrontation between the otherworldly visitors and the Church. Readers who enjoy intricately plotted speculative fiction that delves deeply into history, science, and religion may also enjoy Wolfgang Jeschke's The Cusanus Game. |
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| The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce SterlingAlternate History SF. In this version of 1855, Charles Babbage actually builds his Analytical Engine and, in doing so, ushers in a new age of computer-driven technology more than a century ahead of schedule. The plot centers around a set of missing punch cards and three individuals affected by their disappearance: courtesan Sibyl Gerard, daughter of a Luddite agitator; paleontologist Edward "Leviathan" Mallory; and diplomat-spy Laurence Oliphant. However, the book's real draw is its atmospheric and richly detailed retrofuturistic Victorian setting. Originally published in 1990, The Difference Engine played a significant role in bringing Steampunk into the mainstream. |
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| The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley RobinsonAlternate History SF. What if the Black Death had killed 99 percent of Europe's population? In this sweeping novel, author Kim Stanley Robinson explores a radically different world in which the Chinese colonize North America, the Industrial Revolution begins in India, and Christianity proves to be more of a historical curiosity than a global religion like Buddhism or Islam. The book is divided into ten novella-length sections that span about 700 years. Uniting these otherwise distinct stories are a small cast of characters who are repeatedly reincarnated in different time periods and places. With its well-drawn ensemble cast and detailed world-building, The Years of Rice and Salt offers a thought-provoking glimpse of what easily could have been. |
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| Radiance by Catherynne M. ValenteAlternate History SF. The daughter of one of Earth's most acclaimed movie directors, Severin Unck blazes her own artistic trail by making documentaries about obscure and overlooked cultures within the solar system. However, her latest project, a film about a lost colony on Venus, becomes her controversial final work when she disappears during the shoot. In a "found footage" narrative style that compiles transcripts, news items, eyewitness accounts, and more, Radiance -- described by its author as a "decopunk alt-history Hollywood space opera mystery thriller with space whales" -- is a must-read for SF fans seeking a lush, lyrical outer space adventure. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Keene Public Library
60 Winter St.
Keene, New Hampshire 03431
603-352-0157
http://www.keenepubliclibrary.org/
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