Science Fiction

The tusks of extinction book cover

The tusks of extinction

Ray Nayler

SCIENCE FICTION Nayler Ray
Science Fiction, Fantasy

"When you bring back a long-extinct species, there's more to success than the DNA. Moscow has resurrected the mammoth. But someone must teach them how to be mammoths, or they are doomed to die out, again. The late Dr. Damira Khismatullina, the world's foremost expert in elephant behavior, is called in to help. While she was murdered a year ago, her digitized consciousness is uploaded into the brain of a mammoth. Can she help the magnificent creatures fend off poachers long enough for their species to take hold? And will she ever discover the real reason they were brought back?" -- Publisher website.

Paul's picture

Once again Nayler has created a very interesting and engaging near future world, with a specific animal in focus. A novella in length, there is certainly room and many directions to expand this particular reality he has crafted; I hope he does so. Naylor is officially on my watch list for future endeavors. -Paul

System collapse book cover

System collapse

Martha Wells

SCIENCE FICTION Wells Martha
Science Fiction

"Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells's New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series. Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse. Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there's an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can't have the planet, they're sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there's something wrong with Murderbot; it isn't running within normal operational parameters. ART's crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza's SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they're going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what's wrong with itself, and fast! Yeah, this plan is... not going to work. The Murderbot Diaries All Systems Red Artificial Condition Rogue Protocol Exit Strategy Network Effect Fugitive Telemetry System Collapse"--

Brian's picture

Murderbot is back and it feels so good! Wells never disappoints, and any time with my favorite, anti-social Security Unit is happy time for me. -Brian

Abaddon's Gate book cover

Abaddon's Gate

James S. A Corey

SCIENCE FICTION Corey James
Science Fiction

For generations, the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt -- was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark. Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.

Brian's picture

I'm continually impressed by the authors' ability to draw me in with new characters to this sprawling tale. It makes sense that this is a standout, fan favorite series! -Brian

Flux : a novel book cover

Flux : a novel

Jinwoo Chong

SCIENCE FICTION Chong Jinwoo
Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery

"A blazingly original and stylish debut novel about a young man whose reality unravels when he suspects his mysterious new employers have inadvertently discovered time travel--and are using it to cover up a string of violent crimes..."--Dust jacket flap.

Annie's picture

This one was a real page-turner and a quick read to add to your stats before the end of 2023! I loved the way this narrative was organized and probably has something for everyone in it! -Annie

Exadelic book cover

Exadelic

Jon Evans

SCIENCE FICTION Evans Jon
Science Fiction, Adventure

"When an unconventional offshoot of the US military trains an artificial intelligence in the dark arts that humanity calls "black magic," it learns how to hack the fabric of reality itself. It can teleport matter. It can confer immunity to bullets. And it decides that obscure Silicon Valley middle manager Adrian Ross is the primary threat to its existence. Soon Adrian is on the run, wanted by every authority, with no idea how or why he could be a threat. His predicament seems hopeless; his future, nonexistent. But when he investigates the AI and its creators, he discovers his problems are even stranger than they seem...and unearths revelations that will propel him on a journey -- and a love story -- across worlds, eras, and everything, everywhere, all at once." --

Paul's picture

A fast paced ride with many unexpected twists and turns. Definitely an engaging and entertaining amalgam of: time travel, AI, evil villains, multiverses, alternate histories, real magick, intimate relationships, and encounters with famous people, I found the book very hard to put down, except when I needed to catch my breath. -Paul

The mountain in the sea book cover

The mountain in the sea

Ray Nayler

SCIENCE FICTION Nayler Ray
Science Fiction

"Following a mysterious murder on an island off the coast of Vietnam, a research team convenes to study an octopus community that seems to be developing its own language and culture. Humans, AIs, and animals are swept up in the machinations of governments and corporations in this near-future thriller about the nature of intelligence"--

Brian's picture

This is an incredibly intelligent slow burn, Sci-Fi thriller with interesting and complicated characters. It's going to stick with me for a long time, and I'm definitely going to read everything that Nayler writes in the future. -Brian

Ancillary sword book cover

Ancillary sword

Ann Leckie

SCIENCE FICTION Leckie Ann
Science Fiction

"What if you once had thousands of bodies and near god-like technology at your disposal? And what if all of it were ripped away? The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go -- to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn's sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six hundred years ago, and by now everyone is fully civilized -- or should be. But everything is not as tranquil as it appears. Old divisions are still troublesome, Athoek Station's AI is unhappy with the situation, and it looks like the alien Presger might have taken an interest in what's going on. With no guarantees that interest is benevolent"--

Brian's picture

Breq's story continues as she tries to make up for her sins the only way she knows how. The book also explores the destruction and assimilation of cultures during the creation of empires, and the personhood of AI. I'll say this again--I can't believe that I slept on these books for so long. If you are a Sci-Fi fan, this is a must read. -Brian

Yumi and the nightmare painter book cover

Yumi and the nightmare painter

Brandon Sanderson

SCIENCE FICTION Sanderso Brandon
Science Fiction, Fantasy

"Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other's communities from certain disaster? "--

Mykle's picture

Brandon Sanderson is an amazing high fantasy and sci-fi author and this looks like his most fun book, to date. Put this on your holds list! -Mykle

The three-body problem book cover

The three-body problem

Cixin Liu

SCIENCE FICTION Liu Cixin
Science Fiction

"With the scope of Dune and the commercial action of Independence Day, this near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multple-award-winning phenemonenon from China's most beloved science fiction author. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision"--

Annie's picture

Although this book took me a long time to really get into (I lack a basic understanding of quantum mechanics and astronomy...), I couldn't put it down once I reached about the halfway mark. Don't be daunted by the science jargon; you'll be glad you stayed for the riveting plot, historical tidbits and intriguing dialogue. I'm also glad that the jargon wasn't too dumbed down since it made it so much more authentic and rewarding to read when I actually was able to visualize some of the concepts. I can understand how it can be difficult to put these details in popular science fiction (let alone translate it from another language), and I thought the attempt was well-done and not too complex so as to throw off the reader from the rich meat of the story. I'm curious to see how the upcoming January 2024 Netflix series will pull it off. -Annie

After many a summer book cover

After many a summer

Tim Powers

SCIENCE FICTION Powers Tim
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure

A down-and-out screenwriter is hired to deliver a mummified head as the ransom for a kidnapped Belgian heiress, but his encounters with the supersitious kidnappers and the heiress lead him to question his actions. --from Amazon.

Paul's picture

Novella in length and easily a one sitting read, Powers once again engrosses the reader in a quickly moving tale with lots of interesting main and side characters, all bound to a peculiar supernatural situation. I hope he will continue the story of Conrad and Arielle in the future, two of the newest players in his expansive, off-reality Los Angeles land-, or is that hell-, scape. -Paul