Staff Recommendations
Daryl M.
Pages
-
Fuzzy nation
by Scalzi, John, 1969-
August 26, 2013
Call Number: SF
What if, on an otherwise ordinary day, something happened on your job that could make you rich beyond your wildest dreams? And what if, a few days after this event, you encountered an alien life form that may be sentient? But if it is sentient, you would not be able to successfully collect your recently acquired wealth. Would you put your efforts behind the discovery of these creatures and the protection of their planet? Or would you try to hide them and protect your own interests? These are the questions explored by John Scalzi in Fuzzy Nation.... Read Full Review
-
Queen Victoria's book of spells : an anthology of Gaslamp fantasy
August 19, 2013
Call Number: SS
Steampunk, the sub-genre of science fiction set primarily in the 19th century and featuring fantastic, often steam-powered, technologies with a Victorian flare, has been steadily growing in popularity over the last two decades. But what if you are more of a fantasy reader than a sci-fi reader? Well, prolific editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have just the collection for you: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells. Within this book, Datlow and Windling have gathered a marvelous collection of all new Victorian tinged fantasy stories (a new fantasy sub-genre referred to as... Read Full Review
-
The Cassandra project
by McDevitt, Jack.
June 24, 2013
Call Number: SF
What if Neil Armstrong was not the first human to walk on the moon? What if there had been a secret moon landing that had never been publicized or acknowledged? And all involved who knew the truth had been sworn to secrecy, with some actually taking that truth to the grave? How could this have happened? And, more importantly, why? These are some of the intriguing questions explored in The Cassandra Project, by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick.
When a reporter asks Jerry Culpepper, NASA’s Director of Public Affairs, about a story in The National Bedrock (a... Read Full Review -
Hard magic
by Correia, Larry.
May 13, 2013
Call Number:
What if Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade were able to use magic to assist them in solving mysteries? And what if the culprits they were tracking had magic as well? What would a pre-World War II world infused with magic be like? And how would the addition of magic alter the progress of world events? All of these questions are explored in Hard Magic: Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles, by Larry Correia.Jake Sullivan is a decorated World War I vet, an ex-con, a private eye and an Active (person with magical abilities). He was released early from the Special Prisoners’ Wing of Rockville... Read Full Review
-
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
April 12, 2013
Call Number: YA
Two 15-year-old boys, each spending the afternoon at the community pool: “I can teach you how to swim,” one says to the other. With this kind and innocent offer, a relationship begins that will alter both of these boys, and their families, as they forge a friendship that will help them on their journey to becoming men.Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza is the classic loner. He prefers his own company to that of others. He is also perpetually bored, moody, and has bouts of inexplicable anger. With nothing better to do on a summer morning in 1987, he heads to the community pool.... Read Full Review
-
The mad scientist's guide to world domination : original short fiction for the modern evil genius
April 12, 2013
Call Number: SF
The mad scientist has been a science fiction standard since the genesis of the genre with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1818. Many novels and films revolve around a scientific genius and his (or her!) plans, but are they necessarily mad? And are their plans truly nefarious or only "evil" from a certain point of view? Some of the genre’s best and brightest contemporary authors explore this archetype from the inside out with fascinating, insightful and often hilarious results in The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.Within this collection of short... Read Full Review
-
The explorer
by Smythe, James.
March 28, 2013
Call Number:
What if you were doomed and found yourself in a situation from which there was no rescue, no escape. There are no secret panels to look behind, no levers to pull, no button to push or secret skill that can save you. You are completely isolated and without the knowledge that might, MIGHT, be able to save you. That you will die is a certainty. How would you face it? Could you face it? Is it possible to stare directly into the face of our mortality with dignity? Or would we inevitably devolve to our baser instincts? These are just some of the questions examined in James Smythe’s ... Read Full Review
-
The ghost brigades
by Scalzi, John
November 28, 2012
Call Number: SF
What if you knew, from almost the moment you were conscious, the exact and precise reason for your existence? Would it be helpful or would it be a limitation? And how would free will--the ability to choose--be manifested in this circumstance? These are some of the questions explored in The Ghost Brigades, by John Scalzi.In Old Man's War, Scalzi created and explored the Colonial Union and the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF), which recruits aging humans from Earth on their... Read Full Review
-
Shadow and Bone
by Bardugo, Leigh
November 19, 2012
Call Number: YA
What if you believed yourself to be completely and utterly ordinary, and you were afraid that this lack of “specialness” was going to cost you your best friend, who is charismatic and talented? And then, in a single moment, you became someone unique, valued, and even perceived as a threat. In the process, you are sent to live in a palace and presented to the king, but you also have been separated from your friend and now may never see him again. Can this be real or is everyone mistaken? How can you possibly be the person who will save your kingdom? And is it worth it if you never... Read Full Review
-
The map of the sky : a novel
by Palma, Felix J.
October 8, 2012
Call Number: F
What if an author wrote and published a novel dealing with an extraordinary occurrence, and within a year the described event happened? Would the author have special insight into what had happened? Would the novel’s publication and the event be seen as coincidence? Or, would s/he be seen as being somehow complicit in bringing these circumstances to life? And what if the fate of Earth rested on the answers to these questions? These are just some of the intriguing ideas explored in Felix J. Palma’s The Map of the Sky.On August 1, 1898, a large, strange metallic cylinder... Read Full Review
-
This dark endeavor : the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
by Oppel, Kenneth
September 10, 2012
Call Number: YA
If you found out that a close member of your immediate family was ill, and the doctors treating your family member seemed incapable of curing him, what would you do? Would you seek out other types of treatment--even illegal ones? Would you consult with a person convicted of practicing “dark arts,” or even attempt to practice them yourself? What would you choose to do to save a family member at risk of dying? These are some of the questions explored in Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein.Twins Konrad and Victor Frankenstein... Read Full Review
-
Mechanique : a tale of the Circus Tresaulti
by Valentine, Genevieve
September 3, 2012
Call Number: F
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything to get it? Something that captivated you from the first moment you saw it--and you knew that this thing would either make you happier than you ever thought possible, or it would destroy you. Would you work and wait an unknown amount of time? Work and live with people you did not like, who did not like you either? Suffer? Die? What if you were the creator of something that affected the people around you like this? Would bestowing your creation be a blessing or a curse? And how would you choose the recipients? These are just... Read Full Review