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Science FictionDecember 2015
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"Humankind has changed, fractured, Prismed into a dozen breeds of fairy-tale grotesques, the chaos of expansion, war and ruin flinging humanity like bouncing sparks around the blankness of space." ~ from Tom Toner's The Promise of the Child
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| Ancillary Mercy by Ann LeckieSpace Opera. Housed in a composite human body not her own, Fleet Captain Breq is the last remaining "ancillary" fragment of a fallen starship's AI, as well as the commander of her own vessel. With civil war raging throughout the rapidly fracturing Radchaai Empire, Breq and her crew devise a plan to defend Atheok Station from ancient nemesis Anaander Mianaai, Lord of the Radch. Action-packed heroics unfold side-by-side with reflections on identity and personhood in this dramatic conclusion of the Imperial Radch trilogy, which begins with Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword. |
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| Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonaldSocial SF. In place of a government, the Moon boasts a corporate syndicate headed by the Five Dragons, powerful families who profit from lunar resources while ordinary people pay steep per diems for food, water, and air (or die trying). Focusing on the Corta clan, which controls the Moon's Helium-3 industry, Luna introduces matriarch Adriana Corta and her kin as they fight both among themselves and against their principal rivals, the MacKenzies, whose lucrative mineral extraction business threatens their bottom line. Advanced technology enhances and amplifies the extensive world-building in this compelling first volume of a planned duology. |
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| The Promise of the Child by Tom TonerSpace Opera. In the 147th century, the Amaranthine Firmament, "an impossibly delicate, eleven-light-year-wide ecosystem," rules a highly advanced post-human society. Against this sprawling, yet intricately detailed backdrop, a diverse cast of characters pursues personal and political agendas that bring them into contact -- and conflict -- with one another. The large-scale setting and richly textured narrative of this series opener may appeal to fans of Iain Banks' Culture Universe. |
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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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| Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David WongThe pseudonymous author of John Dies at the End turns his attention from horror to science fiction in this fast-paced, darkly humorous novel, which begins when barista Zoey Ashe survives a live-streamed assassination attempt. That's when she discovers that her deceased biological father was not the deadbeat she always assumed, but rather the billionaire founder of Tabula Ra$a, a Mob-ruled metropolis in the Utah desert. Her dead dad's associates, the Suits, offer to protect her from future attacks in exchange for her help defeating their enemy, cyborg crime boss Molech. And since staying alive is a priority for Zoey, she has no choice but to accept their help. |
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| A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. DickHis identity obscured by a "scramble suit," which provides camouflage by making him a non-entity, drug dealer Bob Arctor leads a dangerous double life as Agent Fred, an undercover narcotics agent investigating the source of the illegal and highly addictive Substance D. During the course of the operation, Arctor gets hooked on the drug, which draws him ever deeper into a surreal underworld in which no one is quite what they seem. Originally published in 1968, A Scanner Darkly draws on author Philip K. Dick's own experiences to paint a stark, compelling picture of a futuristic society characterized by constant surveillance. |
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| Afterparty by Daryl GregoryPrior to her extended stay in a mental hospital, biochemist Lyda Rose invented Numinous, a medication designed to treat schizophrenia that was shelved after its side effects proved lethal. On the ward, Lyda encounters a girl showing all the symptoms of Numinous abuse, despite the fact that the drug's production has been banned for years. With the help of her own chemically induced guardian angel, Dr. Gloria, and her ex-colleague Ollie, an intelligence analyst, Lyda searches for the manufacturers in order to put a stop to Numinous' production. Fast-paced, thought-provoking, and witty, Afterparty may appeal to fans of other tales of designer drugs gone awry, such as Mira Grant's Parasitology series. |
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| Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel by Alex HughesSF Mystery. Now working as a consultant for the DeKalb County Police Department in near-future Atlanta, Georgia, the unnamed narrator of this suspenseful, gritty SF mystery is a level-eight telepath who's been expelled from his Guild for substance abuse. Paired with Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, he must track down a serial killer who may have connections to the Guild. Don't miss this 1st installment in the Mindspace Investigations series, which continues with Sharp. |
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| The One-Eyed Man: A Fugue, With Winds and Accompaniment by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.Hard SF. Sent by the interstellar Union of the Ceylesian Arm to the colony world of Stittara, scientist Dr. Paulo Verano must assess the impact of human activity on the planet's ecosystem. Complicating his assignment, however, are political and economic considerations, for Stittara is a source of anagathics, a class of life-extending drug more valuable to his employers than either the planet's unique ecology or its many and varied inhabitants. For more stories about plantetary exploration in which scientific, political, and corporate interests intersect, check out Joan Slonzcewski's Elysium cycle or Jane Lindskold's Artemis Awakening series. |
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| Flashback: A Novel by Dan SimmonsSF Mystery. BIAHTF: "Before It All Hit the Fan." That's the last time Nick Bottom was happy. Now homeless and jobless, Nick's life revolves around flashback, a drug that enables users to relive the best moments of their lives. Desperate to stay "under the flash" so that he can spend time with his dead wife, the former Denver police detective accepts money from a Japanese billionaire to revisit a cold case that he couldn't solve six years ago. Using flashback to review now-destroyed evidence from the investigation, Nick pursues suspects who live only in his mind and leads that shouldn't go anywhere, yet point to sinister motives on the part of nearly all parties involved. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-560-0100
durhamcountylibrary.org
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