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Posts Tagged ‘sci-fi’

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A Librarian Reads City Of Pearl

Monday, March 5th, 2012

City of Pearl by Karen Traviss

A group of humans left Earth in order to set up an agrarian colony on a planet called Cavanagh’s Star. They wanted to escape a world controlled by corporations. They were never heard from again.

Years later Shan Frankland, a police officer specializing in environmental crimes, is tasked to lead a small exploratory mission to discover what happened to the colonists.

But she will find herself stuck in the middle of a military dispute involving three species. Shan and her crew are allowed to land and discover that the human colony has survived. But not everything is as it seems. The colony lives at the whim of an immortal alien named Aras. His species prizes environmental balance more than anything.

Shan Frankland’s scientist crew are intent on extracting any sort of genetic material for their corporations back on Earth. Shan must tread a very thin line because the last time an alien race settled this planet they polluted the waters and were wiped out by Aras.

City of Pearl is a fascinating space opera with plenty of tension, exotic aliens, and a environmental message. If you like quick sci-fi reads you will enjoy this Karen Traviss series a lot. Highly recommended and appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Echo

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Echo: The Complete Edition by Terry Moore

Julie is in the desert taking photographs when she witnesses an explosion in the sky. Soon it begins to rain small silver spheres. They land and stick to her and her truck. Frightened she quickly drives home where she finds a larger piece of the mysterious silver in the back of her pickup. When she touches it the metal jumps and attaches to her shoulder. Soon all the silver spheres on the car and her body are drawn to the larger piece of metal. Soon her shoulders and chest are covered with what looks like metal, but is flexible like her own skin.

But she wasn’t the only person to be near the explosion. A deranged vagrant, who believes he is the biblical Cain (cursed to walk the Earth forever) also had some of the metal collect on his body; near his hand. Cain realizes that the metal has abilities, like shooting lightning out of his hand. Cain goes on a quest to collect more of the metal in order to bring about  the end of the world.

But where did the metal come from? A secret laboratory created it as a super=powered suit for the military. The scientists caused the explosion in order to test how the suit would behave. The test subject who wore the suit was sacrificed on purpose. They know people were in the vicinity of the explosion, and they want their suit back.

Now Julie is being stalked by government agents and a super-powered mad man. Her only friend is a stranger, a park ranger, who believes his scientist girlfriend was the test subject for the suit. He wants to expose her murder while Julie just wants to be normal again. But when people start dying Julie can never go back. Now she has to save the world, and if she fails the world will end.

Echo is a really fun take on superhero comics that focuses more on characters and plot than wall to wall action. If you like previous work by Terry Moore, like creator-owned comics, or just need something different you can’t go wrong with Echo. It’s highly recommended and appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Starbound & Earthbound

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

StarBound and Earthbound by Joe Haldeman

Carmen Dula is back in books two and three in this excellent introduction to science fiction adventure.

In the first book, Marsbound, Carmen was a young teen whose family was a part of the colonization effort on Mars. Soon she meets a race of Martians only to discover that the Martians were placed on Mars by an ancient and powerful alien race. The Martians are used as an advanced warning system for developing civilizations, in this case humanity.

In Starbound Carmen and a small crew are sent on an interstellar voyage at near light speed to meet with the ancient race. The meeting however does not go well. And now Earth must face drastic consequences the ancient aliens’ tests.

In Earthbound Carmen’s adventures continue on the planet she used to call home. Earth has been decimated by the aliens and left a pre-19th century state where no electricity or advanced technology works. Now humanity is faced with it’s own worst enemy, themselves, as people fight and kill over scarce resources. The whole while the ancient aliens are watching how humanity behaves and judging if humans have the privilege to exist.

The Carmen Dula books are highly engaging, short, and most of all fun sci-fi series. I recommend the series to anyone who loves sci-fi or those who are new to the genre. The series is marketed at adults ( although has some YA appeal), so there are references to physical intimacy, and mild language. Therefore it is generally appropriate for ages 16 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Goliath

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Deryn and Alek are back in this exciting steampunk adventure set against the backdrop of World War I. This time the Leviathan is sent to Russia to save Nikola Tesla, who has been experimenting in the Siberian wilderness and claims he now possesses the ultimate weapon that will end the war. The weapon is called Goliath and could level cities all over the world by harnessing the Earth’s electromagnetic field.

Deryn and Alek have to see if Tesla’s claims are true or if they are just the ravings of a mad man. This new adventure takes them on a world tour; from Tokyo to Hollywood, from Mexico to New York, with each new location comes new machines or new genetically created creatures. But they will have to discover Tesla’s secrets before he demonstrates his weapon on Berlin.

But Alek discovers a secret Deryn has been keeping from him. Can they trust each other enough to save the world in time?

Goliath is a fun and exciting conclusion to an excellent series. It is appropriate for all ages and highly recommended for adventure lovers.

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A Librarian Reads Fuzzy Nation

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Note: This is a reboot of H. Beam Piper’s Fuzzy Series, sort of in the same vein of how the Star Trek universe was rebooted in its latest movie.

Jack Holloway is one of many independent prospectors employed by a large corporation, ZaraCorp, to discover anything of value within the ground of Zara XXIII, a planet that whose mineral and oil rights belong to ZaraCorp. Holloway is a loner, a recluse, and most of all a jerk. On his latest expedition, Holloway discover a lucrative sunstone seam. However he had to blow up most of a cliff to get at it. His actions are against environmental regulations and promptly gets him fired, but when he explains to his boss about the sunstones he is rehired and given a bigger cut of the potential payout. Holloway is easily going to be set for life.

But a problem awaits for him back at his home. A small, fuzzy, native creature has somehow figured a way in the house and is causing all sorts of terror. Holloway and his dog corner the creature and soon he is luring the animal out with gifts of food. But something about the creature rubs Holloway wrong. The animal was smart, maybe even smarter than a dog. The next day the creature is back and has brought his family. Soon Holloway is considering the creatures may be sapient, which means the are intelligent and self-aware like humans. If the creatures are people so to speak, then Holloway can kiss his new sunstone seam goodbye. Colonial regulations call for ZaraCorp to stop exploiting all of the planets resources and leave in order for the resources to be used by the planets native sapient species. But Holloway isn’t quite willing to walk away from lots and lots of money. And Zaracorp would stoop as low as genocide to keep their profits.

Can a jerk be redeemed? Can Holloway discover a way to make money and protect his new fuzzy companions? Or will Holloway idly watch as genocide occurs because he is making tons of money?

Fuzzy Nation is an excellent fun, and humorous sci-fi romp. I highly recommend it for anyone who like classic sci-fi, or someone looking for an sleek adventure story with an environmental twist. Fuzzy Nation is appropriate for all ages, but can be found in adult sci-fi.

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