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The coming storm
by Mark Alpert
In a near-future New York City ravaged by rising sea levels, superstorms and scarce resources, a genetic scientist joins forces with a genetically enhanced soldier and a Brooklyn gang kingpin to resist a government plot involving mass DNA manipulation.
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| The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane AndersWhat it's about: The planet January boasts two politically opposed cities capable of sustaining human life -- and disgraced student Sophie is in neither of them, instead exiled in the wilderness among January's original inhabitants.
About the author: i09 cofounder Charlie Jane Anders made a splash with her debut, All the Birds in the Sky.
For fans of: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. |
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| Ancestral Night by Elizabeth BearWhat it's about: A space salvage crew discovers advanced technology that shouldn't exist -- along with evidence of a crime. On the run from the (corrupt) authorities, they encounter space pirates.
Starring: Self-medicating salvage operator Haimey Dz, augmented pilot Connla, and ship's AI Singer. (Also, two cats.)
Expanded universe: Ancestral Night is set in the world of the author's Jacob's Ladder trilogy, although it takes place well after the events of that series. |
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Summoned to thirteenth grave
by Darynda Jones
In the final installment in the best-selling paranormal series, Charley Davidson returns to the earthly plane after a century in exile and prepares for an ultimate battle to solve a loved one's death.
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| Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation by Ken LiuWhat it is: an anthology of Chinese science fiction edited and translated by Ken Liu, who provides brief introductions to each featured author.
Contains: 16 stories by 14 authors, including by Cixin Liu, Chen Qiufan, and others whose work has been translated into English for the first time.
For fans of: Invisible Planets, Liu's previous anthology of Chinese SF. |
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| The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha ShannonWhat it is: a lush epic fantasy saga by the author of The Bone Season.
Why you might like it: In addition to detailed world-building and an intricate plot, this standalone saga boasts a predominantly female cast of queens, mages, alchemists, warriors, assassins, and dragon riders.
You might also like: Sofia Samatar's The Winged Histories, another gynocentric fantasy novel told from the perspectives of LGBTQIA-diverse viewpoint characters. |
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| The Bird King by G. Willow WilsonWhat it's about: The arrival of the Inquisition in the royal court of Granada sends concubine Fatima and her friend, magically gifted mapmaker Hassan, on a quest to the island of the Bird King.
Why you might like it: Set during the Reconquista, this lush and leisurely paced novel by the author of Alif the Unseen draws on Sufi literature to present a richly detailed recreation of Muslim Spain.
You might also like: Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan. |
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| Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees BrennanWhat it is: a fantasy adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, in which light and dark magic divide a near-future New York City.
Introducing: dark side refugee Lucie Manette; her privileged boyfriend Ethan; and Ethan's dark magic-created doppelganger, Carwyn.
Want a taste? "Rich people think like that about slumming it, putting on other peoples' lives like a disguise at a party. It is fun only because they can cast off the mask at any time." |
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| Carnivalesque by Neil JordanWhat it's about: After a visit to a carnival leaves 14-year-old Dublin resident Andy trapped in a funhouse mirror, he takes the name Dany and adjusts to his new life -- while his reflection navigates the outside world.
For fans of: Keith Donoghue's The Stolen Child, another atmospheric modern-day changeling tale; John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, which also presents a phantasmagorical coming-of-age story. |
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| Six Wakes by Mur LaffertyWhat it is: a locked-room mystery set aboard a generation ship crewed by clones.
Reviewers say: a "taut, nerve-tingling, interstellar murder mystery with a deeply human heart" (NPR).
For fans of: the psychological suspense of James Smythe's deep space-set Anomaly Quartet; the puzzle-box format of Adam Roberts' Jack Glass. |
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Down among the sticks and bones
by Seanan McGuire
"Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children ... Jacqueline was her mother's perfect daughter--polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it's because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father's perfect daughter--adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got. They were five when they learned that grown-ups can't be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices."
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| Foe: A Novel by Iain ReidThe premise: Selected by lottery for a space settlement, rural farmer Junior prepares for his mission while his wife, Henrietta, receives a replacement in the form of Junior's doppelganger.
Why you might like it: This eerie near-future psychological thriller by the author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things emphasizes the complexities of human relationships over science and technology.
For fans of: the pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you twists of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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