Aurora Rising

YES! There was a hole in my life after reading the Illuminae Files and this definitely helped patch it up! This teen science fiction story is amazing. First off - the characters are amazing. You could hate science fiction and still love novels by this writing duo because their characters are so compelling - they are witty, unique, and the chemistry is palpable. Secondly - the action never stops. It  is almost impossible to set this book down while you're reading it. It's too addictive and one more chapter turns into an hours long binge. Finally - the worldbuilding and the story are complex and intricately plotted. But don't let that scare you - the story flows so well that it never seems complicated or cluttered. When Tyler flew out into the fold to burn off some steam he certainly never expected to find anything or anyone out there. He catches a distress signal - from one of the most infamous lost vessels of all times - the Haddenfield. The ship disappeared nearly three centuries ago but the distress signal is still coming in strong. When Tyler boards all the humans in the cryo chambers have shriveled and died over the centuries - all except one. What happens next is like a series of dominos falling onto one another and starting a chain reaction. When Tyler and Aurora go back to the space station together they have no idea how much their lives have just changed. SO FREAKING GOOD!

The War of the Worlds

I know, I know - a classic that I'm just now reading. Prior to this I had only ever seen the Tom Cruise film adaptation! Better late than never. The fact that this was written when it was - before electronics and technology as we know it was incredible. It set the tone for science fiction as we know it. The parts I didn't love were the constant name dropping of towns (If I saw the word Woking one more damn time...) and the slow build - sometimes on the point of boring drudgery. Overall though it's a fantastic piece of literature - even if my lazy ass brain had to struggle through parts of it. It definitely made me want to watch more film versions if nothing else.

The Space Between Worlds

Wow - the amount of precision and craft put into this worldbuilding novel is impressive. Cara is a traverser or a world jumper. She lives on Earth 0 where the world's smartest man has figured out that there are 382 parallel worlds and he knows how to access them all. The only catch is the world will kill you and spit you back out if a version of you is still alive on that version of Earth. That's what makes Cara so special - in all the worlds she's had tough upbringings - and in most of them she's already dead. That means she can travel to all but 8 of them - collecting information from data ports to send back to her boss. But when something unexpected happens she begins to distrust the entire organization. Is she just a carrier pigeon to them? Is their something else going on that she isn't aware of. Honestly the scope of this novel is stunning - I wish it were part of a series instead of a standalone!

Exo

I don't read a lot of "alien" books, but I was pretty impressed with how unique a concept this book was. Earth has been settled for a century, with aliens as the governors of the planet. It's been a century of peace but some humans don't like that they aren't "free," and keep trying to incite violence and upheaval. Donovan is an exo soldier, which means that at 6 years old he was given alien cells that help him live longer, protect himself, and better serve the aliens. He's able to armor himself just like the aliens and it definitely comes in handy when he's kidnapped by human terrorists. Donovan isn't sure what they are fighting for. Isn't earth better with the alien overlords? Unique and inventive; this is storytelling at its finest. Perfect for fans of young adult fantasy.

David: Savakerrva

What happens when a fourteen year old orphan from Detroit finds out he's the son of an alien king?! Adventure of the highest order; a space odyssey for all ages! "David: Savakerrva" takes readers on a journey through space; exploring rich new frontiers and fantastic species and cultures.

Disbelief, anger, annoyance, and righteous indignation flow through David when he learns the life changing truth about his past and his future. How can he help save a planet when he's used to being bullied, he can barely stand up for himself let alone a bunch of aliens! Against his wishes he's taken from Earth and given only the barest of explanations on what he's expected to do. David knows that the prophecy has foretold his coming and that without his help, his father's home planet will be destroyed. No small feat, considering he was just chilling out in his room reading comic books days before, it's not like he's been training his whole life for this. David must look inward to see if he's even an inkling of the man that these strange aliens think he is. The classic battle of good versus evil will play out on the pages and readers will enjoy every minute of the ride.  Brimming with exhilarating sights and sounds, witty banter, impossible tests, malicious bad guys, and an occasionally whiny teenager; this science fiction novel is an excellent start to what I hope is a nice long series.

Illuminae

This book was money in the bank! The formatting and dialogue was soo unique! It started off a little overwhelming but quickly made sense. I would LOVE to see this on the big screen. It's non-stop action, teenage heartache, sarcasm, and trippy sci-fi. What more could you want? Even though this young adult book is massive (599 pages!) it reads quickly thanks to the unique format of the pages; the text of the book alternates between personnel files, online chats, memos, diary entries, code, and more. Kady Grant and Ezra Mason have just broken up and the timing couldn't be worse. They're at school when the sirens go off. Their small mining planet is under attack. They're able to make it off-world with a small contingent of other survivors on three ships, but the trouble is just getting started. Those responsible for the attack on their planet don't want their to be any survivors so they are in pursuit. Now to top it off, the AI system on one of the ships is acting wonky and some of the survivors are having weird side effects from the weapons used on their planet. Ezra and Kady aren't on the same ship but soon discover that their breakup is the least of their worries, if they don't get to the bottom of what's going on they're toast. Hilarious, unique, and breathtaking. I can't wait to read the sequel!!!

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful

Wowza!! I couldn't get enough of this book. It's creepy, compelling, and akin to something off of a Black Mirror episode. This young adult sci-fi explores the possibilities of genetic engineering. What if we could get re-grow damaged lungs? Replace skin? Upgrade our vision? What if we could cure genetic deficiencies?  It all starts innocent enough. A modification here to save a life. To prolong a life. Soon there is nothing left to cure, there are no accidents that can't be fixed. The future isn't about staying alive, it's about perfection. Want to breathe underwater? There is mod for that. Need extra limbs to make you more efficient at your job? There is a mod for that. Want to be cool and edgy and unique? There are moving tattoos, extra eyes, different colored skin and more to set you apart. Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful tells the story of genetic modifications through teenagers. Each teenager is living in a different period of scientific discovery and as the future gets closer, the modifications get wilder and the story gets darker. Impossible to put down. A wildly unique book!!

Foundation

UGH. I wanted more of a space opera! Instead I got more of a political space thriller! Foundation traces the fall of the galactic empire to the creation of the Foundation, a colony comprised of science, art, and technological development and preservation that will eventually become the second empire. Spanning decades in places, centuries in others; Foundation is more a story of the growth of a colony through time, then it is the story of people and plot. As the years progress the Foundation becomes stronger and centralized; better able to control the planets and systems around it. This audiobook had me snoozing. Just not my cup of tea, I will definitely not continue the journey by reading more of the series.

Head On

Holy cow, what an amazing follow up! I read this bad boy from start to finish in one day because I was so hooked! Head On is the follow up to Lock In which I adored a few years ago. I didn't give it a re-read before reading this and I thought I would be a little rusty on all the particulars but I was not. Win! John Scalzi continues to dazzle with his complex and brilliantly detailed worlds. This novel picks up not to long after Lock In, and follows FBI agents Chis Shane and Leslie Vann as they try to get to the bottom of an athlete's death. Hadens (or those with lock in syndrome) don't generally get to be star athletes due to their robot bodies (called threeps). However the sport of Hilketa involves violent matches with threeps so it's perfect for Hadens. Even though it's a violent sport, it's safe since those playing are really locked in, in their beds, but one day a player dies and it's up to Shane and Vann to get to the bottom of it and figure out if it was an accident or if there is something else sinister going on. Fascinating and fun, world building at its best! I can't wait for the next in the series!!!

Annihilation

This book was almost more horror than sci-fi! The sense of unease and dread I felt  were palpable at parts! Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades and attempts to go in and explore this un-explainable habitat filled with beautiful vegetation have proved to be fatal. Eleven expeditions have gone to try and map, study, and explore the area and have all been met with death. The twelfth expedition is composed of five women and this novel is told through the perspective of the biologist who was motivated to come after her husband died on the previous expedition. As the biologist tries to understand this hauntingly beautiful landscape and explore an unmarked tunnel into the earth, things start to veer of course. You can't trust everything you see. I'll definitely be continuing with this trilogy. I have to know what in the hell is going on!

The Sky is Yours

I was immediately drawn in by the cover. I mean my lord. It's eye catchingly beautiful! This book is set in a futuristic metropolis that is slowly dying out. The dragons have been in the sky for decades but the city truly lost hope when the firefighters mutinied and left their posts. Now fires run unchecked and only a few shell-shocked souls live behind. Duncan Ripple is from old money, the manor he lives in is far up on a cliff overlooking the metropolis and out of reach of the dragons. His wealthy father refuses to move, convinced that the city will eventually rise up for the ashes. His father is also convinced that Duncan needs to marry, so he is betrothed to a socialite hidden deep in the forest that he's never met. Before he makes it to his wedding night though, he encounters a feral young woman trapped out on a trash island and finds himself falling for her... or rather her body. This novel is a blend of science fiction, bodice rippers, and black humor. It's oddly satisfying, profoundly weird, and comes very close to being fulfilling. It fell a little flat for me, but I still enjoyed it. It's just not something I think I'd ever pick up again. 

Mort(e)

Mix Redwall, Animal Farm, and The Fifth Wave together and you have some sense of what is going on in this action packed science fiction thriller. Giant ants have erupted from the surface of the earth and have started massacring every human in sight, to get the job done more effectively they release a substance that transforms all animals into walking, talking, thinking creatures to help eradicate all the humans. Sebastian was a content house cat but when he woke up with thoughts and plans he shed his old identity and became Mort(e) a former choker (pet) and current military bad-ass renowned for his feats of bravery and fearlessness. All he really wants to do is find Sheba, his neighbor who happened to be a dog, but Mort(e) remains content tracking humans and killing them while looking for his friend on the side. Years pass and the war rages on, the humans are wily creatures all Mort(e) wants to do is curl up with his missing friend but instead he must battle on and be disillusioned with what the Queen ant has in store for everyone. A compelling unique sci-fi that is the beginning of a trilogy.

A Canticle for Leibowitz

Definitely not something I would have ordinarily ever picked up. I was a little skeptical when I first got into it, but it developed into this wonderful apocalyptic book that I can't stop thinking about it. I've never been much for speculative fiction by Walter M. Miller Jr.'s classic, award winning science fiction book has me singing another tune. In a hellishly destroyed world, thrown back into the dark ages, a naive young monk discovers some artifacts that had belonged to the beloved Saint Leibowitz centuries prior. The monks are dedicated to preserving memorabilia and remnants of the old world and the story spans many centuries and revolves around their saint and their order. A wonderful read once you get into. I may even have to pick up the rest of the trilogy to see how this saga can possibly continue.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This is one of those books that I can't believe I've waited soo long to read. Honestly, it's a bit of a travesty that I waited nearly 27 years of my life to get around to reading this. I made the fortunate decision to listen to the audiobook version narrated by Douglas Adams himself and I was not disappointed. He perfectly captured the essence of his work with his fast paced, British, odd humored narration. Perfection. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is the first of its series and hilariously recounts the adventures of Arthur (a human earthling) and Ford (an experienced alien hitchhiker) as they try to muddle their way around the galaxies. Ridiculousness abounds. Excellent, tongue in cheek book and I can't wait to read the next in the series.

The Martian

READ THIS BOOK! I've read some pretty amazing shit this year, but this one takes the cake. It is hands down the best book I've read in 2014. Simply... mind blowing! It's Macgyver meets Castaway... but on Mars.

It's labeled as science fiction but it seems so stunningly real that it could happen some day. Like in the not to distant future. Author, Andy Weir puts his nerdy engineering and space skills to the test in this book by brilliantly bringing to life an unimaginable scenario. Astronaut Mark Watney is mistakenly left on Mars after a mission goes wrong. His crew thinks him dead and are ordered to abort the mission and go home. Mark has to use all his skills and resolve to stay alive on this desolate planet. All he has is a small base, 2 rovers, and enough food to last 300 days. Can he re-establish contact with earth? Can he make the food stretch? Can he find the will to survive? It sounds serious and depressing, but it's anything but. It's witty, informative, and damn smart. Mark tries to make the best of his shitty situation and his daily logs contain dark humor and an amazing strength to believe.

You have to read it! Simply amaze-balls. I can hardly believe this is Andy Weir's first book, it's genius, well-researched, and has qualities to draw readers of all genres in. I cannot wait to see the movie version coming out next winter!

For fans of... anyone that has a brain. READ IT!

I Received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Ender's Game

I was excited to finally get this book off my "to-read" list and I wasn't disappointed. For years I've heard this book hailed as one of the all time greatest science fiction novels of all time and I'm glad to say it lives up to all the hype.

In the future children are the saviors of humanity, after aliens attack the earth elite children are groomed to become captains of the starfleet to defend humankind. Young Ender is an exceptional child, from an early age his critical, emotional, and physical skills, were amazing. As he ages he has to continually show the higher ups that he has what it takes. But does he? Is there anything wrong with wanting to be a child and act your age? Is it even moral to subject such young children to tests? Read to find out more, also keep your eyes peeled for the trailers of the new movie adaptation starring Harrison Ford.

The 5th Wave

Hands down the BEST alien book I've ever read! Imagine if "The Host" had actually been good and had a lot of awesome multi-dimensional characters, now multiply that by ten and throw in some "War of the Worlds" and that is what "The 5th Wave" is. A real page turner told through the eyes of those living through the alien invasion.

Humans have been largely eradicated, billions are dead and the few that remain know they can trust NO ONE. After the first wave, the world was covered in darkness, everything technological was destroyed in a massive EMP blast. Everything was mass chaos. The second wave killed millions by wiping out all the coastal cities, the third wave was a plague, and the fourth wave was aliens posing as humans. Can Cassie survive another wave? Can anyone?

This young adult thriller will keep you on your toes as you see the world through the eyes of four young survivors. Each chapter brings about another question, another trial. Can humanity survive?

This page turner is hands down the most inventive and engaging alien novel I've ever read, it's not overly science fictiony and it is a great read for those who love dystopias and end of the world books.

Snow Crash

This is hands down one of the most unique "sci-fi" books I have ever read. It's not really sci-fi perse it's more steam-punk set in a dystopic future America, but hey, kinda same thing right?

This wildly exciting novel is damn hard to describe. Hiro Protagonist a pizza delivery guy for the mafia (yep, in the future Pizza delivery is a serious business. the mafia personally guarantees your pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less) who finds himself teaming up with a young kourier (highly skilled skateboarders that deliver packages for hire) to find out about a new virus called "snow crash" before it brings their highly complex technological world crashing down. This description literally only gets you one tenth of the way though the book. You have to read to find out more! And trust me, you'll want to. This book is soo bizarre and soo fun. It's one of a kind. I will definitely be reading more from this genre!!

Science Fiction - Orphans of the Sky

Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Title: Orphans of the Sky

Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: 1941

Number of Pages: 128
Geographical Setting: Space

Time Period: the distant future
Series: no

Plot Summary: I was due for a sci-fi classic and this slim little novel sure did the trick.
Set far into the future, Hugh Hoyland starts exploring "the ship" a 5 mile long (2,000 feet across) steel expanse that is the only known world to its inhabitants. The people on board the ship have no concept of anything outside the ship, the idea that anything could exist beyond its steel walls is inconcevable. The lower decks are inhabited by the citizens and the largely unexplored upper decks are inhabited by the "muties," deformed creatures that attack anyone who ventures up.

One day while exploring, Hugh ventures too far up and is captured by a dwarf (Bobo) and a 2 headed man (Joe-Jim). His captors are intrigued by him and decide to "educate him" and take him on as his slave. Hugh doesn't mind and soon discovers a forgotten room on the upper decks. With the help of Joe-Jim, Hugh begins to understand that the universe is bigger than the ship and for the first time he sees the stars. The question is, what is he going to do about it, can he make the ship move again?

I thought that this book was quite original and the concept was very intriguing. Hugh's world is literally turned around when he realizes that everything he was taught and believed is false. It's a fast read and has an interesting conclusion. Disclaimer, it's quite sexist (the women are subjected as slave wives, and cannot speak up. they are often beaten and not one of the main characters is female) but if you read past it (hey, it was the forties) you'll be sure to enjoy it.

Subject Headings: Space, Future, Science Fiction

Appeal: fast paced, engaged, unresolved ending

Similar Works: (via GoodReads)
The Green Odyssey by Philip Jose Farmer
Time and Again by Clifford D. Simak
Deathworld 1 by Harry Harrison

Kindred

Wow. This book draws you in from page one and doesn't loosen it's grip til you get to the epic conclusion. When I first heard the premise for this story, time travel mixed with historical fiction, I instantly thought of the "Outlander" series and I was a little apprehensive. But once I launched into "Kindred" any fears I had about sappy romance were instantly squelched, this is book is gritty, realistic, saddening, and extremely captivating.

The story follows Dana, a young black woman who keeps getting transported back in time from 1976 to the early nineteenth century in order to save her ancestors. Every time Rufus, a slaveholder's son, is in trouble Dana magically appears and has to save the day. Things are very dangerous for Dana she is black and in the south, and as she finds out, her ancestor is a white plantation owner.

Can she keep him safe and save her lineage? How can she get safely back home? All these questions plague Dana's mind and she learns the real brutal truths in history as she keeps getting sent back.

Overall this book is fantastic, it tackles issues such as interracial marriage and slavery, items that are still hot topics today. A great read, I would highly recommend it!