Top 5 Classic Sci-Fi Titles Our Patrons Love

Our patrons love Sci-Fi! Here are the top five novels that have been checked out from our science fiction/fantasy collection:

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

This book was so well read that it's worn out. Don't worry, a replacement is on its way! Dune Messiah is the second in the popular Dune series and, according to Galaxy Magazine, is "brilliant...it is all that Dune was, and maybe a little bit more." Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known-and feared-as the man christened Muad'Dib. As Emperor of the Known Universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremens, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne-and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence. And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover and the unborn heir to his family's dynasty.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This cult classic, the Boston Globe called "Irrisitible" and Publishers Weekly describes as "[A] whimical odyssey...characters frolic through the galaxy with infectious joy,"was first published in 1979 and went on to become a television show, a radio show and a series of five more books.  For those unfamiliar with this book, here is a summary: Escaping Earth just before it is demolished to make way for a new galactic highway, reluctant galactic traveler Arthur Dent embarks on a series of off-beat and occasionally extraterrestrial journeys, accompanied by a variety of unusual companions.

The Seeress of Kell by David Eddingings

Time was running out for Garion and his companions in their quest to recover Garion's infant son and heir. If they could not locate the Place Which Is No More, then Zandramas, the Child of Dark, would use Garion's son in a rite that would raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell could reveal the site of that mysterious place--and that she could do only once Garion and Polgara had fulfilled an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers. The Seeress of Kell is the fifth and final installment in Eddings Mallorean series. It is recommended to read this series in order. Start with Guardians of the West, followed by King of Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda and The Sorceress of Darshiva.

First and Only: Gaunt's Ghost by Dan Abnett

One of the Warhammer 40,000 series based on the Warhammer 40,000 wargame which is set in a dystopian science fiction/fantasy universe, First and Only: Gaunt's Ghost is the first of the Warhammer 40,000 Gaunt's Ghost Founding Series and revisits the early adventures of Commisar Gaunt and the Tanith First-and-Only as they fight for survival in their war-torn homeworld. 

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Hired to break into the virtually inaccessible computer network of a large corporation, Case, the world's finest interface cowboy, and Molly, a street-smart samurai, venture deep into cyberspace only to discover that they have become pawns in a deadly game. With Neormancer, William Gibson launched the "cyberpunk" genre and won three coveted science fiction awards for best novel: the Nebula, the Hugo, and the Philip K. Dick awards.

New Installment in Sci-Fi Bone Season Series

In The Bone Season, author Shannon Smith gave us a fantasy/sci-fi epic dystopian tale set in the near future London where major world cities are controlled by a formidable security force, Scion, and where clairvoyant underworld cell member Paige (a rare dreamwalker) is captured by an otherworldly race that would make her a part of their supernatural army.

The action continues in the second installment of Shannon's seven book Bone Season series with The Mime Order where Paige flees Scion while Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare for a rare assembly of the clairvoyant community that is clouded by dark secrets.

"A Clockwork Orange meets A Tale of Two Cities meets Harry Potter in this clever, caring, and spellbinding tale, which promises more to come." (Booklist Reviews)

Think this sounds like the making of a great summer movie? You're in luck - Fox Studios has already purchased the rights to develop this series into a possible movie franchise. Read about it here. The movie is listed at IMDB.com as "in production" with no further details as of yet. In the meantime stop by the library to pick up this book series.

Can't Get Enough Dystopia?

Looking for another dystopian read? You're not alone! We've pulled together a new display on our lower level featuring dystopian picks you may have missed.

The Word Exhange by Alena Graedon:

In a near-future world where the "death of print" has become a near reality, Anana Johnson, an employee at the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL) working on the last print version of the dictionary, searches for her missing father. As Anana penetrates the mystery of her father’s disappearance and a pandemic of decaying language called “word flu” spreads, The Word Exchange becomes a cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a meditation on the high cultural costs of digital technology.

Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles:

In the coming centuries the world's population has exploded. The earth is crowded with cities, animals are nearly all extinct, and drought is so widespread that water is rationed. There are no maps, no borders, no numbered years, and no freedom, except for an elite few. Orphan Nadia dreams of a green vacation spot called Lighthouse Island. When an opportunity for escape arises, Nadia embarks on a dangerous and sometimes comic adventure. Along the way she meets James Orotov, a mapmaker and demolition expert. Together, they evade arrest and head north toward the wild beauty that lies beyond the megapolis—Lighthouse Island.

California by Edan Lepucki:

The world Cal and Frida have always known is gone, and they've left the crumbling city of Los Angeles far behind them living in a shack in the wilderness, working side-by-side to make their days tolerable in the face of hardship and isolation. The tentative existence they've built for themselves is thrown into doubt when Frida finds out she's pregnant. Terrified of the unknown and unsure of their ability to raise a child alone, Cal and Frida set out for the nearest settlement, a guarded and paranoid community with dark secrets. In this unfamiliar world, where everything and everyone can be perceived as a threat, the couple must quickly decide whom to trust.

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead:

Living in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims, Justin March, a man from a near-future world decimated by religious extremists, is invited to join an elite branch of the military by genetically enhanced soldier Mae, with whom he confronts formidable enemies to solve a string of ritual murders. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board. (This is the first of a projected New Adult series Age of X.)

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami:

The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo. A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ "A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled. 

Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Thomas Sweterlitsch:

A decade has passed since the city of Pittsburgh was reduced to ash. While the rest of the world has moved on, survivor John Dominic Blaxton has not, reliving his lost life by immersing in the Archive's fully interactive digital reconstruction of Pittsburgh, accessible to anyone who wants to visit the places and people they remember. Dominic investigates deaths recorded in the Archive to help close cold cases, but when he discovers glitches in the code for a crime scene he stumbles into a web of deceit taking him from the darkest corners of the Archive to the ruins of the city itself, and into the heart of a nightmare more horrific than anything he could have imagined.

For more dystopia related recommendations, click on the dystopian tag in the tag list under this post and speak with a librarian at the reference desk.

If You Like Dystopian Fiction

Can't get enough of dystopian fiction like Veronica Roth's Divergent series or Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games? Try these action-packed novels featuring strong heroines and heroes resisting government control in a dystopian future:


Pure by Julianna Baggott:
In a post-apocalyptic world, Pressia barely remembers life before the Detonations and at sixteen, the age when all are required to turn themselves over to the militia, she decides to run. Partridge is a "Pure"- one of the few who escaped the apocalypse unmarked and live safe inside the Dome. Believing that his mother is still alive outside the Dome, Partridge risks all by escaping. The day Pressia meets Partridge is the day their worlds begin to shatter all over again. This is the first in the completed Pure trilogy followed by Fuse and Burn.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown:
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet with Darrow (and Reds) nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Sacrificing everything to infiltrate the upper caste system, Darrow is forced to compete for his life and the future of civilization. This is the first installment in a planned trilogy.

Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta:
After global warming changes the world's geography and its politics, and wars are waged over water, 17-year-old Noria Kaitio becomes a tea master, a position that holds great responsibility and great secrets, until her father's death forces her to chose between safety and fighting back.

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead:
Living in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims, Justin March, a man from a near-future world decimated by religious extremists, is invited to join an elite branch of the military by genetically enhanced soldier Mae, with whom he confronts formidable enemies to solve a string of ritual murders. This is the first book in the on-going series Age of X followed by the newly released The Immortal Crown.

Sci-Fi Debut Series

Author Samantha Shanon makes her debut with The Bone Season, the first book a seven-part series of dizzying imagination.

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing. 

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion.  Enlisted in an army against her will, Paige is assigned to her enemy in charge of her care and training. And if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

"The first of a projected set of seven novels, this book is for those who like their dystopian science fiction multilayered, philosophical and complex" - Kirkus Reviews

Margaret Atwood Concludes Sci-Fi Trilogy

Bringing together Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, this thrilling conclusion to Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction trilogy points toward the ultimate endurance of community and love.

Madd Addam

Madd Addam, the compelling conclusion to Atwood's dystopian trilogy, opens with a brief synopsis of the series' first two books, Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, then launches directly into the story of the MaddAddamites, survivors of a global pandemic that wiped out most of humanity. Readers, even those unfamiliar with the human characters and the genetically engineered new species Atwood has created in her futuristic world, will be quickly drawn in and eager to find out what happens to the MaddAddamites and to the Crakers, a gentle, quasihuman species created by Crake. Their world is full of many dangers, including direct attacks from criminally insane Painballers and from pigoons, transgenic pigs developed to grow replacement organs for humans. Toby, Zeb, and the rest of the MaddAddamites are alive, but will they be able to continue not only to subsist but to build up their small society and, eventually, live alongside the Crakers and even flourish?

Certainly of great interest to Atwood fans awaiting this third book of the trilogy and for fans of dystopian/postapocalyptic fiction generally, this finale is a gripping read for any reader. (Library Journal) 

Dystopian Novels for Grown Ups

With the success of The Hunger Games trilogy, many adults are looking for similar reading experiences.  Never fear, your Community Library has you covered with these dystopian novels:

• The Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell recounts the connect stories of people in the past and the distant future including a nineteenth century notary, a 1970s journalist, and a young man trying to make his way through a post apocalyptic world.

• Acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go tells the story of a reunion between childhood friends that draws Kathy and her companions on a nostalgic odyssey into their lives at an isolated private school and the truth about their childhoods.

• A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" whose victims are confined to a mental hospital while a single witness to the events guides seven strangers through the barren urban landscape in Jose Saramago's Blindness.

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood gives a look at the near future through the story of Offred, a handmaid in the republic of Gilead, once the United States, an oppressive world where women are no longer allowed to read and are valued only as long as they are capable of reproduction.

• The classic, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, showcases a futuristic culture where teens rule with violence.