Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/19/2013
ISBN-13: 9780765326447
ISBN-10: 0765326442

Short Stories. These 22 original tales of diabolical supervillains, written by a rogues' gallery of well-known authors, spotlight the bad guys, emphasizing those who fall into the category of "mad scientist." Robopocalypse author Daniel H. Wilson's "The Executor" and "The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan" by Heather Lindsley both emphasize the importance of planning, while Seanan McGuire's "Laughter at the Academy" and Genevieve Valentine's "Captain Justice Saves the Day" pay tribute to assistants, both good and bad. Finally, the complicated personal lives of evildoers are explored in humorous yet poignant detail in tales such as Theodora Goss' "The Mad Scientist's Daughter" and Soon I Will Be Invincible author Austin Grossman's contribution, "Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List."

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Publisher: Grand Central
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/19/2013
ISBN-13: 9781455503087
ISBN-10: 1455503088

Post-Apocalyptic SF. In this sequel to Pure, teenager Partridge has escaped from the pristine, sterile Dome in which he grew up in order to find his missing mother, thought to be living among "the Wretches" in what remains of the outside world. While Partridge's father Willux -- the influential leader of "the Pures" -- chases after his son, Partridge seeks Pressia Belze, a girl with a doll's head fused to her hand, who may be able to help them both uncover clues to their history. Detailed world-building, a host of unusual yet well-drawn characters, and a gritty, compelling prose style distinguish this 2nd installment of author Julianna Baggott's Pure trilogy.

Publisher: Orbit
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/12/2013
ISBN-13: 9780316200202
ISBN-10: 0316200204

SF. Originally built by the government to house scientists working on top-secret projects, Wink, New Mexico, has been declining ever since its research station shut down in the 1970s. When ex-cop Mona Bright moves into the house she inherited from her late mother, she gets to know Wink's remaining inhabitants: town clerk and semi-professional gossip Mrs. Benjamin; eccentric motel owner Parson, who plays Chinese checkers against an invisible opponent; and the elusive, reclusive Mr. First. However, nobody in Wink claims to remember Mona's mother, despite the fact that she once worked at the research facility. With its manacing atmosphere and slow-building psychological suspense, American Elsewhere should please SF fans who enjoy a good scare.

Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/08/2013
ISBN-13: 9780765330925
ISBN-10: 076533092X

First Contact SF. When Captain Prudence Falling of the freighter Ulysses lands on the remote outpost of Kassa, she finds the planet devastated by a mysterious attack. But her attempts to aid the survivors end with the comandeering of her ship by Lt. Kyle Daspar, an operative of the much-mistrusted League, whose headquarters are located on the planet Altair Prime. Forced to work together to discover the source of the invasion, regulation-skirting Prudence and by-the-book officer Kyle uncover a conspiracy with far-reaching implications for all life in the universe. This debut novel blends spacefaring adventure, political machinations, alien lifeforms, and even a hint of romance.

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Publisher: Subterranean
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/31/2013
ISBN-13: 9781596065154
ISBN-10: 159606515X

Time-Travel SF. When rare book dealer Richard Blanzac acquires a manuscript written by obscure Beat poet Sophia Greenwald, he discovers that simply reading a few lines of her poetry can transport him back in time to 1957 San Francisco -- and into the hands of an apocalyptic cult that wants Greenwald's work for its own purposes. As if fending off cultists isn't enough, Blanzac must also contend with an ancient Sumerian deity. Despite its brevity, this lyrical and tightly plotted novella by the author of the alternate-history classic The Anubis Gates is both action-packed and thought-provoking.

Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/26/2007
ISBN-13: 9780553591071
ISBN-10: 055359107X

Space Opera. Set aboard a broken generation ship in orbit around a dying sun, this opening volume of author Elizabeth Bear's Jacob's Ladder trilogy breathes new life into a well-worn SF trope. Bioengineered crew members, nanotech "angels," and descendants of the ship's AI are fighting for control of the endangered ship. When servant girl Rien learns that captive angel Perceval is her half-sister, she frees her in a desperate attempt to form an alliance that could avert a disastrous war. Unbeknownst to the two young women, their escape is noticed by the last vestiges of the AI Jacob Dust. Readers eager for a "brilliantly detailed, tightly plotted, roller-coaster book" (Booklist) with fantastic characters will not be disappointed.

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Publisher: DAW Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/07/2006
ISBN-13: 9780756403331
ISBN-10: 0756403332

Space Opera. Having finally completed a grueling two-year mission to evacuate the humans stranded on Reunion Station, Diplomat Bren Cameron resettles them on Mospheira, the homeworld of the atevi. However, there's more to be done. Mospheira stands on the brink of civil war, with human colonists and native atevi vying for dominance. Meanwhile, Tabini, Bren's employer and the most powerful of the atevi rulers, has been deposed -- meaning that Bren must travel across the planet to search for Tabini, his best hope for quelling the rising rebellion. This 1st installment of the Third Foreigners sequence begins a new chapter in C.J. Cherryh's long-running series, although newcomers to the Foreigner Universe will want to begin with Foreigner: A Novel of First Contact.

Publisher: Bantam Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2002
ISBN-13: 9780553583762
ISBN-10: 055358376X

SF. In the 250 years since the Star Road left Earth, fleeing persecution, Ship Mother Zoya Dundara has survived in suspended animation, waking intermittently to guide generations of crew members. But the planet to which they eventually return bears no resemblance to the one they left behind: a cold, crystalline substance known as "Ice" now coats the Earth's surface, forcing all surviving humans to live in underground caves. As Zoya attempts to ensure the survival of her people, a faction of mutinous crew members join forces with the Ice Nuns, a group that believes that Ice is an information storage medium and is determined to access its secrets. Detailed world-building, unusual creatures, and a suspenseful plot make Maximum Ice a must-read.

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Publisher: Tor
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9780765329820
ISBN-10: 0765329824

Hard SF. When humans discover a five-billion-year-old data archive, they mount an expedition to investigate its contents. But the High Lab facility and its researchers are soon compromised by a sentient, super-intelligent entity called the Blight, prompting a band of human refugees to seek safety among the inhabitants of a preindustrial alien civilization. This Hugo Award-winning 1st installment of the Queng Ho series continues with The Children of the Sky. Readers interested in author Vernor Vinge's unique world may also want to check out this novel's prequel, A Deepness in the Sky.

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