Newly arrived science fiction
Space operas from a favourite
Lieutenant Selene Genji, genetically engineered with alien DNA, witnesses Earth's annihilation from orbit. With a unique perspective and exceptional skills she becomes humanity's last hope as she navigates a perilous journey through space and time battling prejudices and fighting for survival, both hers and ours. In Our Stars will appeal to long time fans of Campbell's space operas (see below) and new readers alike.
Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet is an space opera series following Captain John "Jack Black" Geary, awakened from centuries of sleep to lead a stranded Alliance fleet against the Syndicate, pitting human against human in our race out into the stars. Facing overwhelming odds and his own legendary past, Geary must navigate complex military strategies, develop strong characters, and inspire hope in a desperate situation. One of our most popular sci-fi authors, Implacable is the third in the Outlands sequel series.
In space no one can hear you scream
Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds
In the multitude of city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone, a top cop is murdered, leaving her boss haunted by a dangerous past. Amidst the sprawling space city, Prefect Dreyfus must unravel a deadly conspiracy targeting Panoply, the elite police force asked with maintaining order and democracy. As he digs deeper, a long-buried enemy resurfaces, forcing him to confront a deadly gamble he made years ago.
A scientist, an expert on a deadly spaceborne virus, is embedded with a crew establishing a foothold on an ancient, abandoned planet. But she quickly discovers the the crew are hiding something, purposefully keeping her on the outer, and when things start to go wrong fast, she must confront her worst nightmare, and stop history from repeating itself. A chilling and atmospheric horror/thriller.
Time and time again
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Commander Graham Gore died in 1847 on an ill fated Arctic expedition, but he's also alive and well, coming to grips with life in the 21st century, a world with streaming services and no British Empire. Our unnamed narrator is a civil servant tasked with navigating the complexities of time travel, by acting as a 'bridge' connecting the past and future. But when the true nature of the project comes to light, she is forced to question the nature of time, love and history. A clever mix of time travel, romance, espionage and comedy.
Winters is known for exploring interesting time lines and concepts in his novels, from slavery to lying and policemen in the near future. In Big Time he explores the concept of time as a commodity. When a young woman is found with a mysterious device implanted in her chest, an FDA employee is pulled into a dangerous world where time is stolen, sold, and manipulated. A slow burn that blends science fiction, corporate espionage, and a touch of horror to create a thought-provoking story.
The future is another country, they do things differently there
What I Would do to You by Georgia Harper
In a near future Australia, the death penalty has been reinstated, but there's a catch - the victim's family must enact the sentence. As secrets and grief threaten to destroy the family of a 10 year old murder victim, her mothers and siblings recount their stories to a court-appointed psychologist. A and clever, unexpected and twisty novel that feels like reading true crime.
Forced to flee their home, eleven year old Silvia and her mother seek refugee in The Morningside, a crumbling high-rise where her aunt Ena works as a super intendent. As Ena regales Silvia with the myth and legend of her homeland, of which Silvia remembers little, the girl comes to see the magic in the world around her. Dystopia and climate change combine with magical realism in this post apocalyptic tale of the stories we tell and the possibilities we hold for the future.
