Space Opera. The Firstborn, the alien race that built the iconic black monolith described in Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, are back and they intend to wipe out the human race once and for all in this "rousing adventure" (New York Times Book Review). Having twice before attempted to annihilate humankind, the Firstborn are now sending a quantum bomb to Earth, and United Nations peacekeeper Bisesa Dutt is revived from a 19-year hibernation to aid in desperate attempts to stop it. This is the final volume of the Time Odyssey trilogy (following Time's Eye and Sunstorm), but be prepared for a conclusion that Booklist calls "tantalizingly open-ended."

SF. Ill-fated prospector Ramon Espejo is one of a host of humans who left Earth's poorer nations and traveled on the alien Enye's starships in search of a new and better life on the planet Sâo Paulo. After awakening in Sâo Paulo's uncharted mountains with no memory of his identity, Ramon suffers flashbacks of violent scenes from his past and slowly realizes that he's committed a murder and is being hunted by the Enye. While in the hostile wilds of the strange planet, Ramon accidentally discovers a hidden colony of highly advanced aliens who will stop at nothing to prevent the Enye from learning of their presence. Don't miss this intriguing adventure that Booklist calls "gripping."

SF Thriller. Centuries from now, intergalactic travel between myriad worlds takes place via Quadrail, a faster-than-light train system run by spider-like robots. The Modhri, an ancient, telepathically linked intelligence that can (and does) possess unwitting hosts of any species, is intent on destroying the tenuous unity of civilizations connected by the Quadrail. After saving the galaxy in Night Train to Rigel, hardboiled PI Frank Compton races against time to stop the Modhri in this sequel, which features memorable characters, intriguing technology, and plenty of "red herrings, blind alleys, and rising tension" (Booklist).

Dystopian SF. In this chilling cautionary tale that Kirkus Reviews puts on a par with A Clockwork Orange and Brave New World, genre-hopping author Margaret Atwood imagines some frighteningly plausible consequences of unfettered biotechnology. Snowman, who was once known as Jimmy, may be the last surviving human on Earth--but he is not alone. He must constantly be on guard against mutant, man-made predators, and he serves as a kind of shepherd to an eerily passive herd of humanoid beings called the Children of Crake. As Snowman fights for survival and travels to a former corporate compound for supplies, his flashbacks to the past detail humanity's path to destruction.

SF. Virus hunter Christopher Dicken, anthropologist Mitch Rafelson, and microbiologist Kaye Lang are each desperately trying to unravel the secrets of a retrovirus dubbed SHEVA (after the Hindu god of destruction), which seems to only infect pregnant women. In this compelling novel filled with "food for thought and nightmares," (Booklist) the three gradually uncover evidence that what has been regarded as junk DNA may have an evolutionary purpose--one that might mean the end of the human race in its current form. SF readers who like believable characters, polished writing, and a bit of mystery should tune in to Darwin's Radio.

SF. Hal Briggs is a biotech programmer whose past accomplishments include the creation of beavers that sing commercial jingles, but now he is leading a team of Galapagos Technologies engineers in their efforts to create fully formed humans in laboratories. His company wants to mass-produce laborers to do unsavory jobs, but Briggs employs a bit of poetic license and imbues his creations with qualities such as aesthetic appreciation, reproductive capabilities, and the capacity for love. His unauthorized tinkering produces unexpected results--and may profoundly impact humanity's survival. Wetware, a sort of near-future Frankenstein, will fascinate readers who are intrigued by the philosophy and ethics of science.