Popular Science Fiction Books for Adults
Hundreds of books are added to the Library's collection each month. Here are the most popular Science Fiction books for adults.
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The Left Hand of Darkness
50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION--WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY DAVID MITCHELL AND A NEW AFTERWORD BY CHARLIE JANE ANDERS Ursula K. Le Guin's groundbreaking work of science fiction--winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants' gender is fluid. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters... Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction. (syndetics)
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Stranger in A Strange Land
A young man from Mars comes to Earth and must learn our strange ways.
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Neuromancer
Henry Dorsett Case was the sharpest data-thief in the Matrix, until an ex-employer crippled his nervous system. Now a new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run against an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence. With a mirror-eyed girl street-samurai riding shotgun, he's ready for the silicon-quick, bleakly prophetic adventure that upped the ante on an entire genre of fiction.
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Solaris
The first of Lem's novels to be published in americanca and still the best known. A scientist examining the ocean that covers the surface of the planet Solaris is forced to confront the incarnation of a painful, hitherto unconscious memory, inexplicably created by the ocean. An undisputed SF classic. Translated by Joanna Kilmartin and Steve Cox. (syndetics)
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The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
"With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop. At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through. When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers--all different species with different aims--are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio--an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes--are compelled to confront where they've been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other."--
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Knot of Shadows: A Penric & Desdemona Novella in the World of the Five Gods
When a corpse is found floating face-down in Vilnoc harbor that is not quite as dead as it seems, Temple sorcerer Penric and his chaos demon Desdemona are drawn into the uncanny investigation. Pen's keen questions will take him across the city of Vilnoc, and into far more profound mysteries, as his search for truths interlaces with tragedy.
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Death's End
Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, twenty-first-century aerospace engineer Cheng Xin awakens from hibernation, bringing with her knowledge of a long-forgotten program that threatens the peaceful co-existence of humans and Trisolarans.
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Network Effect
"Murderbot returns in its highly-anticipated, first, full-length standalone novel, Network Effect. You know that feeling when you're at work, and you've had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you'll read this century. I'm usually alone in my head, and that's where 90 plus percent of my problems are. When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action. Drastic action it is, then"--Amazon.com.
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Magic for Beginners: Stories
Perfect for readers of George Saunders, Karen Russell, Neil Gaiman, and Aimee Bender, Magic for Beginners is an exquisite, dreamlike dispatch from a virtuoso storyteller who can do seemingly anything. Kelly Link reconstructs modern life through an intoxicating prism, conjuring up unforgettable worlds with humor and humanity. These stories are at once ingenious and deeply moving. They leave the reader astonished and exhilarated. Includes an exclusive conversation between Kelly Link and Joe Hill Praise for Magic for Beginners "A sorceress to be reckoned with." -- The New York Times Book Review "[Kelly] Link's stories . . . play in a place few writers go, a netherworld between literature and fantasy, Alice Munro and J. K. Rowling, and Link finds truths there that most authors wouldn't dare touch." --Lev Grossman, Time "She is unique and should be declared a national treasure." --Neil Gaiman "Funny, scary, surprising and powerfully moving within the span of a single story or even a single sentence." --Karen Russell, The Miami Herald "This is what certain readers live for: fiction that makes the world instead of merely mimicking it." --Audrey Niffenegger "[These] exquisite stories mix the aggravations and epiphanies of everyday life with the stuff that legends, dreams and nightmares are made of." --Laura Miller, Salon, Best Books of the Decade "A major talent . . . Like George Saunders, [Link] can't dismiss the hidden things that tap on our windows at night." -- The Boston Globe "The most darkly playful voice in American fiction." --Michael Chabon "I think she is the most impressive writer of her generation." --Peter Straub "Link's world is one to savor. [Grade:] A" -- Entertainment Weekly "Intricate, wildly imaginative and totally wonderful . . . will fill you with awe and joy." --NPR (syndetics)
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The Martian: A Novel
"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?" --
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