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Fantasy and Science Fiction June 2020
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| Goldilocks by Laura LamWelcome to: Cavendish, a habitable exoplanet ten light-years from Earth, where a crew of women astronauts known as the Atalanta 5 go after stealing a spaceship from NASA.
Why you might like it: This character-driven hard SF novel by the author of False Hearts delves into both the technical challenges and ethical dilemmas of space colonization.
For fans of: Emma Newman's Planetfall novels; Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut series; Becky Chambers' To Be Taught, If Fortunate. |
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| Network Effect by Martha WellsStarring: Murderbot, the sardonic, antisocial SecUnit that just wants to be left alone to binge-watch shows while doing a bare minimum of work.
What happens: Once again, Murderbot's human associates need saving, which means doing a thing. As opposed to NOT doing a thing (Murderbot's preference).
Series alert: Although this 5th installment of the Murderbot Diaries can be enjoyed on its own, starting at the beginning (with All Systems Red) provides important context. |
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| Exhalation: Stories by Ted ChiangWhat it is: the long-awaited 2nd short story collection by the author of Stories of Your Life and Others.
Don't miss: "The Life Cycle of Software Objects," in which humans and machines form parent-child bonds; "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a time travel tale in the style of One Thousand and One Nights.
Reviewers say: "likely to linger in the memory the way riddles may linger -- teasing, tormenting, illuminating, thrilling" (The New Yorker). |
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| Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation by Ken Liu (editor)What it is: a collection of award-winning short stories by Chinese speculative fiction writers, most translated into English for the first time.
What sets it apart: In addition to brief author profiles accompanying each of the 13 stories, Invisible Planets includes three essays on various aspects of Chinese science fiction.
Read this next: editor and translator Ken Liu's follow-up anthology Broken Stars. |
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| New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color by Nisi Shawl (editor)Includes: well-known SF authors such as Tobias S. Buckell and Steven Barnes, as well as rising stars including Rebecca Roanhorse, Jaymee Goh, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
About the editor: Nisi Shawl is the co-author of Writing the Other as well as the alternate history novel Everfair.
You might also like: A People's Future of the United States, edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams; Octavia's Brood, edited by adrienne maree brown and Walidah Imarisha. |
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| Ambiguity Machines: And Other Stories by Vandana SinghWhat it is: the North American debut of science fiction writer and physicist Vandana Singh, known for her lyrical prose and moving, thought-provoking short fiction.
Reviewers say: Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, praises the "delicate touch and passionately humanist sensibilities" of these wide-ranging speculative tales.
Don't miss: "With Fate Conspire," a story about a refugee whose unique ability to peer through time allows her to influence history. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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New Hanover County Library
201 Chestnut Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 910-798-6301 www.nhclibrary.org |
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