Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books

Book SynopsisWritten in 1899, Grigg's moving, terrifying book describes the Jim Crow era life of a black man inhabiting a living dystopia. Belton Piedmont is from a poor background, he works hard to become educated but is subjected to the full range of discrimination and racism as he grows older. At the point where he has lost all hope he is introduced to the notion of a shadow state, 'Imperium in Imperio', a utopia where black people are treated equally and attempt to bring their values into the heart of government in Texas, altering his life forever. Grigg's unflinching narrative explores nationalism, civil disobedience, voter suppression, poverty and education, all still familiar themes today. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and robots, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales, ancient and modern gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. The Foundations titles also explore the roots of modern fiction and brings together neglected works which deserve a wider readership as part of a series of classic, essential books.

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Book SynopsisShe had made me envious. Strange as it might seem, I had not known envy before. Surely there must be other ways of living, I thought, not hand-to-mouth, alone, in a draughty old shack looking out at the same scene, day after day. Was this to be my future? It’s 2137, and the future’s dark. Sixteen-year-old Flora is scraping out a humble living, selling homegrown supplies from her late grandparents’ run-down Shell Shack and keeping her illegal copy of Pride and Prejudice hidden from the terrifying Uzi soldiers. But Flora’s life changes when she meets Li-li, the daughter of a powerful Rice Lord. Flora is seduced by the lavish lifestyle of her rulers, but also sees the brutality that underpins their lifestyle. What choices will she face on her last days in Eden?Trade ReviewIt’s a disturbing, compulsive read that makes you realise that not so very much needs to shift for this to happen here. HELEN DUNMORE on RunnersThe author as artist evokes people and places with delicacy, humour and truth – a novel of outstanding beauty. COSTA AWARD JUDGES on The Bower Bird

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Book SynopsisIN 2020, BRITAIN IS AT BREAKING POINT...In a country sorely divided, what happens to empathy and tolerance, to generosity of spirit? And can hope survive? In 2020, years of economic turmoil, bitter debates over immigration, and anger at the political elites have created a maelstrom, a dis-United Kingdom. The country is a bomb waiting to explode. Then it does. As the nightmare unfolds, a myriad of voices - from across the political and social spectrum - offer wildly differing perspectives on the chaotic events...and unexpectedly reveal modern Britain's soul with 20/20 acuity. Thoughtful, compassionate and sometimes provocative, Kenneth Steven's 2020 is a parable for our times.Trade Review“Impressive... This novel is so realistic that it is reminiscent of Orson Welles’ classic The War of the Worlds (1938) fictional radio broadcast, which many listeners believed.”—Booklist; “This complex picture of a fraught political future will leave readers unsettled by its terrifying plausibility."—Publishers Weekly, starred review; "As tightly compressed and explosive as a block of Semtex." —Robert Schenkkan, Pulitzer and Tony Award winning writer of Building the Wall; "2020 is a compelling and difficult study of the darkness and pain of societies in conflict. Disconnection and misunderstanding feed the narrative, and leave the reader with no choice but to keep reading more.”—Eric Barnes, author of The City Where We Once Lived; “This book shook me… It caused me to reflect, to look into myself, to look at the world, to look at the UK, to look at the United States, to look at those around me and reflect.” NJ Thompson book blog; “An important book that should be read by everyone… A gripping and compelling narrative.” Undiscovered Scotland; “Clever and challenging… An honest and at times horrific view of the state of the nation, but run through with humanity and ultimately hope, Kenneth Steven has written a parable for our times, and one which we would do well to take note of.” Scots Whay Hae; “Artfully constructed… the tension is perfectly pitched.” The List; “Exerts the unsettling fascination of events that could easily come to pass.” The Herald; “Chillingly plausible, not to say prescient.” Scotsman

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Book SynopsisJellyfisherman Dhiraj Om is struggling to make ends meet, so when a highly valuable pleasure robot called Naomi ends up adrift in his nightly North Sea catch, an opportunity to make some quick money presents itself. Trouble is, she's highly illegal, and her owner, underworld kingpin Agarkka D'Souza, doesn't take kindly to his things being stolen. What''s more, he will do anything to get her back. Man O'War is a taut science fiction thriller set in a London where cutting-edge companies vie for market space with cut-throat black market operations, and around the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, a wild frontier land on the Niger Delta where one of the world's most powerful oil conglomerates is apparently under threat from dissident rebels.

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Book SynopsisThe reader arrives in Adam Bodor's world, the periphery of civilization, at the break of dawn. Adam, the foster son of Brigadier Anatol Korkodus is waiting at the dilapidated station for a boy who is arriving from a reformatory. Soon afterwards, Korkodus is arrested for unfathomable reasons. Yet this decaying and sinister world is not devoid of a certain joie de vivre: people eat gourmet dishes, point out their interlocutor's hidden motives with incredibly dark humor and enjoy the region's stunning natural beauty.

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Book SynopsisThe Doolin brothers (ne “Dueling Brothers”) are notorious outlaws tracking down a stash of loot hidden from them by a double crossing partner. As infamous as they think they are, however, they’re pretty basic until they realize the powers each of them get from the crusty old skulls left to them by their genuinely infamous father. While older brothers Dan and Duke are focused on becoming outlaw legends like their Pa, younger brother Dave just wants to settle down and become a decent father to the kid he rescued from… a parallel dimension. Did we mention that this is a sci-fi western full of dinosaurs, robots, and magic? Narrowly surviving a shootout by the corrupt alien deputies, Dan and Dave discover their powers for the first time: Dan seems to be un-killable while Dave can somehow open up portals in space and time. Uncertain how exactly their new skills actually work, theirs is a schoolin’ on the run. And so is that of the poor little girl Dave rescue-adopted. But that little girl proves to be plenty capable of handling herself, being an expert shot with dual revolvers. Pretty soon, she’s as infamous as the Doolin brothers hoped to be themselves, drawing the attention of bounty hunters from around the world, including one who calls himself “The Cherub of Golgotha.” A bizarre sci-fi western where folks ride dinosaurs instead of horses, this gonzo action adventure flies in the spirit of Brandon Graham’s KING CITY and MULTIPLE WARHEADS mixed with Jamie Hewlett’s TANK GIRL set to a soundtrack by GORILLAZ.

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Book Synopsis-Will be promoted by Indiana Review -Explores universal human need to create narrative out of disparate events -Perfect for readers who like literary realism or speculative fictionTrade Review"I found The Devil and the Dairy Princess to be strikingly original. Each piece is distinctive, innovative, and full of fresh surprises. Yet the collection as a whole is cohesive in tone and voice, evocative, playful, haunting spaces both dreamy and nightmarish."—Charles Yu, author of Interior Chinatown, Blue Light Books Prize Judge, author of Interior Chinatown"Ponce's stories are filled with vivid topographies, moving reveries, and quiet wonders. A little bit Calvino, and a little bit Borges, this collection is like a strange and haunting museum: the perfect place to get lost in for a while."—Lincoln Michel, author of The Body ScoutTable of ContentsAcknowledgements1. The Piazza de Chirico2. The Discovery of Dr. James Osborne Beckett3. The Presentation4. The Well at Founders Grove5. The Abbreviated Life of Whitney Bascombe 6. Divination by Water7. Nuptial Superstitions of the West8. The Possession of Charles Ignatius De Leon9. The Devil and the Dairy Princess10. In the Empire of CetaceansCredits

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Book Synopsis1. This is a powerful and engaging novel that resonates with current fears about climate change. 2. Sanders is an award-winning author, well known for his environmental writing.Trade ReviewA keen eye, a sensuous and exact imagination, and a buoyant spirit. -- Ursula K. Le Guin

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Book SynopsisFamously described by the author as a heroine whom no one but myself will much like, Emma Woodhouse is wealthy and charming, and she delights in interfering with the romantic relationships within her communitythough she herself has no desire to marry. As her meddling begins to bear consequences, however, Emma must come to terms with her responsibility and decide on her place in the world. With inimitable wit and incisive social commentary, Austen evokes a complex prism of relational connection and a richness of ordinary life that unfolds from the small world of her most extraordinary heroine.

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Book SynopsisSet in an imagined future where anti-Muslim sentiment and political pressure lead to a community being cut off from the rest of society, this stunningly fresh dystopian novel depicts the very real consequences of tensions between majority populations and Muslim minorities in the Western world.

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Book SynopsisThis “interesting and excited to read” spiritual sequel to The Man in The High Castle focuses on the New Japanese Empire—from an acclaimed author and essayist (io9) Decades ago, Japan won the Second World War. Americans worship their infallible Emperor, and nobody believes that Japan’s conduct in the war was anything but exemplary. Nobody, that is, except the George Washingtons—a shadowy group of rebels fighting for freedom. Their latest subversive tactic is to distribute an illegal video game that asks players to imagine what the world might be like if the United States had won the war instead.   Captain Beniko Ishimura’s job is to censor video games, and he’s tasked with getting to the bottom of this disturbing new development. But Ishimura’s hiding something . . . He’s slowly been discovering that the case of the George WashingtonsTrade Review“United States of Japan is a powerful book, unsettling at times – surreal and hypnotic. There’s a bit of Philip K Dick in here, and Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but Peter Tieryas is his own voice, a talented author, somebody to keep an eye on for sure.”– Richard Thomas, author of Breaker and Disintegration“A searing vision of the persistence of hope in the face of brutality, United States of Japan is utterly brilliant.”– Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy winner and author of The Grace of Kings“Mind-twisting and fiercely imaginative; Tieryas fuses classic sci-fi tradition with his own powerful vision.”– Jay Posey, author of The Legends of the Duskwalker series“It’s a tense and intriguing read, a blend of alt history and cyberpunk and thriller. 1988 California where San Diego is a razed landscape home to American rebels, and Japanese mechas patrol the coast? Heck yes!”– Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger and The Clockwork Crown“The novel deftly portrays the horrors of oppression but also, with its giant military robots, sumo wrestlers and body-transforming technology, is a gleeful love letter to Japanese pop culture.”– The Financial Times“A really intriguing book, one that jumps nicely off of the coattails of Philip K Dick and instead of simply copying what had come before, has ventured out and created something wholly new, interesting and exciting to read.”– io9“United States of Japan is one of those books that you think about long after you put it down. I haven’t been able to shake it. This is a darkly fun, clever, and unrelentingly ambitious book. Pick it up and enjoy the ride.”– Kameron Hurley, Hugo Award-winner and author of The Mirror Empire“It’s both a thoughtful examination of humanity’s darker nature and a slam-bang sci-fi adventure.”– B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog“Acute observations in great dialogue and characters who are emotionally charged, and tied brilliantly and respectfully to discussions about war; it asks expected questions of its characters and readers but these are delivered in an engaging manner; United States of Japan is set in a world that’s beautifully descriptive, oftentimes shocking and mixed in with outrageous sci-fi environments.”– Narelle Ho Sang, for SF Signal“Its depiction of America in the latter 20th century under Japanese rule is great and very well thought out (look, anything that involves giant mecha is a winner in my book) and the alternate technologies that exist, some of them decades ahead of their time are quite cool. The rest of the book is solid, whips along apace and gives you the daily reality of what it must be to live in a society like that well.”– Rick O’Shea“A hell of a ride.”– Lightspeed Magazine“A great protagonist, an interesting plot, well paced and executed, with a lot of interesting insights into what the wider expansion of the Japanese empire might have looked like. Definitely recommended to any fans of alternate history, or war stories.”– Strange Currencies“Amid complex layers of political and personal dynamics, these initial narratives unravel to explore what it means to be mixed race, to be a cyborg, to be loyal, to be a patriot, to be a resistance fighter, to be a gamer, to a be a human being. The novel is great fun – intellectually, ethically, and aesthetically – and I’ll be pondering its implications for a while.”– Asian American Literature Fans“A book that is both an exciting, pulpy adventure full of action, violence and giant mecha fights and a thoughtful and disturbing dissection of the tactics by which world powers are forged and maintained.”– Golden Apples of the West“Fast paced, well researched, and with believably complex characters, this was quite difficult to put down and left me wanting to read more about this setting. With many subtle allusions to existing Japanese popular culture, it’s a tale of complex, divided loyalties which interact in unexpected ways right through to the end. This should appeal to the general science fiction reader, the Japanophile, and the alternate history enthusiast alike.”– Fanboy Comics“Tieryas is a visual writer, big-screen ready, who takes the reader to each clearly delineated scene in memorable fashion, whether it be the seamy cyber-yakuza gangster hangout, the antiseptic torture chamber, the huge shiny shopping and gaming arcade or the super-sized mecha battleground. Even his smaller side characters have complete backstories and unique goals, all of which adds texture and color to his richly detailed world. He mixes a punk-colored, neon-lit Japanese social scene set in appropriately modern gender-equal host and hostess bars with details of Southern California settings twisted inside out in his dark vision.”– Palantir Press“United States of Japan is a fascinating venture into alternate history, and it is not to be underestimated. Highly recommended.”– The Speculative Herald“Peter also bravely enters the political arena of history and intra-Asian debates. It’s by far Peter’s most ambitious novel to date. This has also been the most thought-provoking book I’ve read all year. The book excels in its imagery, suspense, and storyline.”– BigWOWO“With its plot centred on video games, giant mechas and debaunched alternate history, United States of Japan will keep your attention and fire your imagination.”– Power of Pop“The plot is thrilling. I could not put this book down for an extended period of time without wanting to pick it back up again. I kept finding it in my hands to read a bit more. At the root of this story, it is a political-legal thriller set in a scifi world, and that was just what I was looking for when I picked up this book. And the plot is well thought out, intriguing, and moves at a good pace, blending suspense and action perfectly. The characters are well developed, and behave in very believable ways. They are full three dimensional characters that really help with story, and you find yourself interested in them. This book had action, and well crafted action, but it was more than that. It was that level of depth to this story that took it to the next level.”– Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Corner“United States of Japan was one of my most anticipated book of the year and I am glad to say that it did not disappoint. The book was full of very cool concepts, it blends alternative history with giant robots, video games and political thriller. ”– The Curious SFF Reader“Much more complex than it seemed , with a very entertaining and enjoyable interesting historical and social recreation, reading agile and full of original features novel. Fully recommended.”– Dreams of Elvex“Often brutal, at times genuinely humorous, and occasionally profoundly poignant, United States of Japan is a political action adventure where the characters – sometimes atypical, sometimes caricatures – anchor the narrative in a step above the norm.”– Litstack“I really liked this book!”– Galactica 3.0“An original and truly gripping narrative, set within a fantastically realised, but terrifying world.”– Stephen Rhodes“United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas is an alternate history tale told in epic adventure style that will take you on bloody journey. The comparisons to Philip K Dick’s The Man in the High Castle will be obvious. The comparison to Homer, or the Orpheus story are not so obvious but are also there.”– Looking For a Good Book“I had fun reading it. The story was engaging , there was tension and surprise. I was often angry with the book, but I enjoyed that feeling, it was like a ride in a crazy theme park, not the safest kind of fun and slightly insane, but worth experiencing.”– Re-enchantment of the World“I totally enjoyed United States of Japan, it is exciting with lots of interesting developments, well done characters and presents a very credible alternative historical narrative.”– The Reading Life “An amazingly well thought out and clever look at what America would be like if Japan had developed super weapons and delivered a devastating defeat to the US.”– A Book Drunkard“United States of Japan is a tremendous book, it’s got a wonderfully dark and rich atmosphere, great action, intelligent and twisted story and above all not only does it pay homage to one of the finest authors of the 20th century but also continues one of his most celebrated and yet most difficult works — simply wonderful.”– SF Book Reviews“United States of Japan is a surreal, weird, and brutal what-if aftermath of a brutal war. Prepare to be horrifyingly awed.”– Gem in the Rough“United States of Japan was a compelling read, thoroughly entertaining, and the ultimate 'what if?' story.”– Cemetery Dance Online“Mr Tieryas does an amazing job in weaving a wonderful entertaining yet thought provoking and sometimes disturbing story that I highly recommend.”– Two Nerds Talking“If I see anything with Tieryas’ name on it in the future I will read it because of the quality of his writing.”– Strange Alliances“An intelligent, different and very interesting science fiction novel.”– Sense of Wonder“United States of Japan is a dark, disturbing read – but also a timely one…this is by no means a happy book, nor is it an easy one (conceptually, at least; Tieryas’s writing is a pleasure to read). It makes the reader imagine what it would be like to live in a world where the government polices the very thoughts of its citizens via the Internet; where one’s rise through the system is achieved by saving face at any cost; and where the truth is not what actually is, but what the regime says it is, and then asks: “Will you take action to make sure this does not happen to you?” This is a question that needs to be asked more often, given the current political climate in the world today, and I am glad this novel encourages that kind of questioning. The world needs a lot more like it.”– Occasionally Random Book Reviews“This is an exciting scifi book that will make you think ‘what if.’”– A Bookish Affair“That is my humble opinion and recognize that this book from its writing alone has the power to be a HUGE success. It is motivating, compelling, and fascinating narrative. The characters are real and gritty.”– In Pursuit of My Own Library“It is a dark thriller at its heart, but it is laced with elements of science fiction, alternative history, philosophical discussion and war fiction. And damn, it is a wonderful combination. United States of Japan is simply brilliant. A dark and brutal thriller set in a dystopian world that will blow your mind, United States of Japan is one of my reads of the year so far.”– Smash Dragons“For a book that will surely be thrown under the microscope of the science fiction and alternative history elements, United States of Japan puts together a solid and compelling plot. This isn’t window dressing; this is the real deal.”– Heavy Feather Review“Like China Mieville wrote A Man in the High Castle after seeing Pacific Rim.”– Blackfish Reviews“Peter Tieryas’ United States of Japan encapsulated horrific authoritarian rule in brilliant writing. What makes this book such a rare gem is that it manages to do all things well. Its writing is clever, careful and beautifully phrased.”– Joe’s Geek Fest“Overall this is a neat little self-contained mystery using an alternate America as its colourful backdrop. I particularly liked how certain things were just ever so slightly different. Just changed enough to raise an eyebrow. I enjoyed United States of Japan. It pays deferential homage to The Man in the High Castle, but also manages to be entirely its own beast.”– The Eloquent Page“United States of Japan sees an author capable of beautiful, evocative prose writing a fast-paced Science Fiction novel of old. This results in a journey through an alternative version of our world that is as fascinating as it is disturbing and as full of emotion as it is full of adrenalin. This novel will stay with readers far beyond the final pages, forcing them to reassess the potential impact of who wins the world’s wars.”– Fantasy Faction“Things I want from a summer read: action, fast-pace, action, intriguing world, action,well-rounded characters, and did I mention action?”– Kathy’s Book Pile“I would highly recommend United States of Japan.” 5/5*– San Francisco Book Review“A novel that stands above the rest, different, original, with good pace and a good structure , but above all, very entertaining. I expected a robot in the style Pacific Rim and I found one of the best science fiction novels 2016. Peter Tieryas and United States of Japan is a titanic discovery.”– Donde Acaba el Infinito“United States of Japan is probably not quite what you imagine it to be.”– Talk Amongst Yourselves“In United States of Japan Peter Tieryas delivers a story which leaves a mark on your psyche and many important things to reflect upon”– Booklover Book Reviews“United States of Japan still delivers an exciting and tense plot that builds to a satisfying conclusion. If alternate history is your thing, then this is a novel that will hit your spot.”– Walker of Worlds“We learn much that transforms the novel from a cartoon-like action thriller to a rather complicated and—in the end, moving—exploration of ethics and ideals. In this, the novel is both very like Dick and not at all like The Man in the High Castle, and Peter Tieryas has done well in acknowledging influence and remaining determined to be his own man.”– The Future Fire“A kick-ass dystopian action thriller with all bells and whistles.”– Reading Lamp“Tieryas is a true wordsmith, a logophile of the greatest caliber.”– Miranda Boyer“Tieryas develops a world that is fascinating and engrossing. One that, in perhaps his greatest tribute to Philip K Dick, you feel you haven’t fully explored even at the book’s end.”– The Nervous Breakdown“A dark, brutal, and twisted thriller, United States of Japan delivers hours of fun reading while challenging its readers with thought-provoking, philosophical repercussions.”– Daniel’s Corner Unlimited“United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas is a visceral, beautifully realized alternate history.”– Gesilayefa Azorbo for Medium.com“Big Brother meets Ready Player One meets Pacific Rim.”– Charity Case“A splendid masterpiece.”– Hayakawa Publishing“In USJ, Tieryas finds a way to incorporate gaming, history and an alternative ‘what if’ scenario into a creative sci-fi, action-packed, profound, and solemn narrative.” – Kotaku TAY“A compelling read, thoroughly entertaining, and the ultimate ‘what if?’ story.”– Frank Errington“An Asian American sci-fi classic that draws on the best traditions of speculative fiction to meditate seriously on what any of us can/should think and do in a world of repression, surveillance, disillusionment, and uncertainty.”– Asian American Literature“United States of Japan is a dark, disturbing read – but also a timely one. Excellent.”– Occasionally Random Book Reviews“United States of Japan is much more than your typical alternate history novel. It is also a thriller novel, a spy novel, and a detective story. The author’s imagination is running wild, and we see that with all the cool gadgets and weaponry. Besides the technical wizardry, the book has almost non-stop action.”– San Franciso Book Review“A thoughtful examination of humanity’s darker nature and a slam-bang sci-fi adventure.”– Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog“An original and truly gripping narrative, set within a fantastically realised, but terrifying world.”– Stephen Rhodes“Too sweet!”– Sweet Story, Bro (podcast)“Excellent and deranged worldbuilding.”– A Science Fiction Blog In Search of A Name“All the best bits of Japanese pop culture rolled into one, with a Dickian twist.”– James Lovegrove, Forbidden Planet“A gripping thriller.”– Gonzo NewsThis year’s best books, according to the authors of the best books: “A brilliant, searing meditation on the weight of history and the moral responsibility of the individual living in a system founded on intolerable crimes against humanity.”– Ken Liu, for The Fader“I truly love this book. Yes, it’s emotional, but it’s so engaging and immersive. I couldn’t stop reading it (so glad I picked it up during the weekend and not when I had to work). It’s a wonderful book that will keep your attention through the end.”– Purple Owl ReviewsAdvance Praise“It sounds like a perfect patchwork of multiple sci-fi and anime subgenres rolled into one novel.”– Popular Mechanics, 16 Sci-Fi Things to Look Forward To in 2016“The Man in the High Castle is one of my favourite books of all time. This subversive alternative history story was originally planned as the first in a three part series (one about the Japanese, one about the Germans and a third about the Free State in the middle) however PKD got so distressed researching about the Nazi atrocities that he just couldn’t bring himself to write any more. 2016 has two reasons to celebrate this work. Amazon’s new TV series and this book.”– Books to Look Out For in 2016, SFBook Reviews40 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books That Will Rock Your World in 2016 by io9150 Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Books to Look Forward to in 2016 by Kirkus Reviews40 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books with Potential to Rock Your World in 2016 by NeatoramaSF, Fantasy & Horror: Worlds Turned Upside Down (Spring SF,F & H top 10) by Publishers Weekly42 SF/F Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2016 by B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog16 Sci-Fi Pop Culture Moments to Look Forward to in 2016 by Esquire16 in 16: Highly Anticipated SFF! by SFF180Highly Anticipated Works of 2016 by Alternate History Weekly UpdateMy 8 Most Anticipated Books of 2016 by LitReactorOn My Radar by Kristin Centorcelli of SF SignalThe United States of Japan Needs You! by Tor.comMIND MELD: This is What We Want to Read in 2016 Sunil Patel for SF Signal

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Book SynopsisCaptures the rhythms and smells of an extraordinary eraTrade Review"[A] bright, burning novel-- intended for a young adult audience but powerful enough to engage any adult is set in the Philadelphia of 1870. Using surprising period details and a gorgeous turn of phrase, Kephart has called forth an interesting time in our city's history and made it live again for just a moment... While many historical novels, especially those for younger readers, can come across as corny or costumey, this one rings true, its language seeming to have been composed during the era it describes... These people feel real, and we have no trouble imagining them living out their dramas just as painfully and joyously as we do ours, 100 or more years before we were born."--The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2013 "Kephart integrates her story of the Quinn family's hope for salvation with a celebration of the city's [Philadelphia's] rich and multifaceted history... Though the tone of the novel is somber, the author frequently incorporates upbeat, poetic phrases to suggest that the Quinns' fate is far from hopeless... Original news stories add an authentic touch to the book. Equally effective is the true account of the daring escape from the Eastern Penitentiary published in The Public Ledger on August 2, 1871... Pair this novel with Kephart's Dangerous Neighbors and Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever, 1793 for other key events about Philadelphia's intriguing past."--School Library Journal, October 2013 "In this exceptionally-researched novel targeted toward the tween/young adult audience, Beth Kephart captures not only the sights and sounds of Philadelphia during this industrial age, but also the language of the time. One of her many talents as a writer is her consistent ability - in every book she writes - to put her reader in the scene alongside her characters." - Melissa Firman's blog

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Book SynopsisA harrowing early novel by one of France’s most unusual contemporary writers At once humorous and horrifying, Solo Viola is one of Antoine Volodine’s first forays into post-exoticism. He takes the reader into a fictional world where a variety of characters collide: three prisoners just released from jail, a band of circus performers, a string quartet, a writer, and a bird. All are trying to survive in an absurd and hostile environment of authoritarian spectacle, at the mercy of a tyrannical buffoon, and seeking the strange counterbalance of hope in a viola player, whose stunning music just might save them all, if only for a moment. Trade Review"Antoine Volodine's Solo Viola is a deft evisceration of fascism, seen through another lens and dislocated to a fantastical world. Volodine, here and elsewhere in his hugely important work, shows how the political and the fantastical can be intertwined in a way that allows a powerful reevaluation to occur—a reevaluation that feels all too starkly relevant to twenty-first-century America."—Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World"Haunting and elegiac, Solo Viola has its share of whimsy, but it’s all in service of an earnest meditation on the dangers of fascism that lingers long after the story is concluded."—Foreword, starred review "Antoine Volodine has been exploding the boundaries of fiction for decades in his native France; now University of Minnesota Press brings one of his most fascinating experiments to U.S. readers with this new translation of Solo Viola. Its vision of performers and prisoners held under the sway of an authoritarian buffoon echoes eerily with our tumultuous present."—Chicago Review of Books "Solo Viola is one exhibit in a greater collective expression of a sense of political apocalypse."—Reading in Translation"Smoothly translated by Lia Swope Mitchell, Solo Viola serves up bits of whimsy as well as moments of healing defiance at its conclusion."—The Arts Fuse" It's a worthwhile journey; Solo Viola is a fine small piece and example of Volodine's larger post-exotic project."—Complete Review Table of ContentsContents1. Afternoon of May 272. Evening of May 273. Morning of June 27

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Book SynopsisSet in the wasteland of post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, Hammer of the Dogs is a literary dystopian adventure filled with high-octane fun starring twenty-one-year-old Lash. With her high-tech skill set and warrior mentality, Lash is a master of her own fate as she helps to shield the Las Vegas valley’s survivors and protect her younger classmates at a paramilitary school holed up in Luxor on the Las Vegas Strip. After graduation, she’ll be alone in fending off the deadly intentions and desires of the school’s most powerful opponents. When she’s captured by the enemy warlord, she’s surprised by two revelations: He’s not the monster her headmaster wants her to believe and the one thing she can’t safeguard is her own heart. Hammer of the Dogs celebrates the courageousness of a younger generation in the face of authority while exploring the difficult choices a conscionable young woman must make with her back against a blood-spattered wall. It’s a story of transformation and maturity, as Lash grapples with her own identity and redefines the glittering Las Vegas that Nevada is known for.Trade ReviewA dozen years after The Hunger Games and Divergent were first published, Hammer of the Dogs lights Las Vegas aflame with a post-apocalyptic fury, in which a new generation must reclaim the world from those who ruined it." - Todd Pierce, author of The Australia Stories"Lash, the heroine of Jarret Keene’s post-apocalyptic Hammer of the Dogs, is a mix of Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior, and Lisbeth Salander with an arsenal of deadly drones and ‘bombots’ worthy of a Tom Clancy novel. Lash was ‘born to slaughter evil’ and she’s very good at her job. What bleeds in Vegas won’t remain in Vegas for long." - Pat Rushin, screenwriter of The Zero Theorem

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This Element provides a comprehensive explanation of Wittgenstein's philosophy. It introduces distinctions that are essential for approaching the multilayered complex of Wittgenstein's oeuvre. One is the distinction between writing philosophical clarifications for himself and forming philosophical books for his reader.

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Book SynopsisTo save her loved ones, unlock the mystery of who she is, and finally get revenge, a brave young woman must travel through the multiverse and between alternate realities in The Rift Frequency, the exciting second book in Amy S. Foster''s The Rift Uprising Trilogy.She didn’t mean to, but...Teenage super-soldier Ryn Whittaker started an uprising.For three years Ryn was stationed at The Battle Ground Rift site—one of the fourteen mysterious and unpredictable tears in the fabric of the universe that serve as doorways to alternate Earths—and then she met Ezra Massad.Falling in love and becoming a rebel Citadel wasn’t part of Ryn’s life plan, but with Ezra there asking all the right questions, they began to decode what’s really going on with the Allied Rift Coalition, and what they discovered was enough to start a civil war. When the base explodes with infighting and Ezra gets caught

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“O’Dell’s prose is sharp and clean, rising at times to the poetic, and her near-future Washington DC feels like a real city. The USA of A Study in Honor is a place with deep political divisions, and some of that comes into play in this story. It feels appropriately complicated as a future, and not a simplistic future vision of now.” — Locus Magazine “Readers who pick this up for the novelty of Watson and Holmes as black women will be impressed by how well O’Dell realizes them as full, rich characters. This is a real treat for fans of Conan Doyle and SF mysteries.” — Publishers Weekly “If you like dystopian future narratives, queer romance, and Sherlock Holmes, you’ll adore A Study in Honor.” — LitHub “In this intriguing and fresh twist on the Sherlock Holmes mythos, O’Dell brings a heady mix of dystopian sf and strong female protagonists in the first of a new series.” — Library Journal “I may be a sucker for a good Dr. Watson, or maybe Claire O’Dell (an open pseudonym for Beth Bernobich) has just written a hell of a good novel, because A Study in Honor turns out to be one of those books I find impossible to put down. I want the sequel immediately.” — Tor.com “A gritty, fast-paced investigation with a memorable and compelling duo of main characters. I can’t wait to see what Janet and Sara get up to next.” — Aliette de Bodard, Nebula-award winning author of The House of Binding Thorns and The Tea Master and the Detective “A Study in Honor is a fast-moving, diverse science-fictional Holmes and Watson reinterpretation set in near future Washington DC. As a deliciously intersectional makeover of a famous literary duo it’s enormously satisfying. Clean, clear, and vastly enjoyable.” — Nicola Griffith, Lambda Literary award-winning author of So Lucky “An entertaining and empathetic dystopian procedural that navigates the capital of an America at war with itself, tracking the path to recovery from personal and national trauma.” — Christopher Brown, author of Tropic of Kansas

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Book SynopsisNPR Book of the Year 2020Electric Literature: One of 55 Books by Women and Nonbinary Writers of Color to Read in 2020 |Trade Review“Chilling...Giddings is a writer with a vivid imagination and a fresh eye both of the body and of society. This eerie debut provides a deep character study spiked with a dose of horror.” — Publishers Weekly “Giddings writes with eloquence, walking readers through the complicated world of Lakewood. They'll be eager to turn each page and read what happens next.” — Booklist "Lakewood is a thought-provoking debut and Megan Giddings is a young writer to watch." — Kirkus Reviews “Megan Giddings’ debut novel Lakewood is reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s terrifying film Get Out.” — Essence “Both profoundly poetic and utterly compelling, Lakewood presents an intimate portrait of the physical and psychological trauma caused by the use of black people as test subjects for medical experiments in the United States and powerfully connects it to the broader legacy of environmental racism.” — Ladee Hubbard, author of The Talented Ribkins “Megan Giddings’ Lakewood is a gripping thriller of ideas in the tradition of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, depicting a terrifying world of public complicity and government-sponsored malpractice. Giddings asks: What happens when our want to be useful is weaponized against us, when the only way we see to help others is to invite harm upon ourselves? This is the rare debut that feels utterly of the now, unearthing our shared past even as it charges the reader to imagine and enact a better future, fast as they can.” — Matt Bell, author of Scrapper "Like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or Ira Levin’s The Stepford Wives, Lakewood compels even as it unsettles. Megan Giddings writes with a scalpel and I’d follow her characters anywhere." — Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble “An impressive debut. Megan Giddings has produced a novel of great emotional intensity. Her brilliant storytelling skills are on full display in this story which unfolds with subtle prose that deftly explores powerful themes of family, loss, responsibility, and friendship. Lena Johnson is a masterfully rendered protagonist, reminiscent of the characters of Toni Morrison, Gayl Jones and Jesmyn Ward, while appearing utterly new and fresh.” — Jeffrey Colvin, author of Africaville

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Breathtaking in scope and ambition. With Byrne as your assured guide, The Actual Star offers so much to discover from the first read, and invites returning to over and over." — John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of the Interdependency Trilogy "When a book is this ambitious, either it is a thumping success or it falls on its face. Happily, The Actual Star is a stone-cold masterpiece. It is one of the most moving novels I have read and surely a contender for major awards." — New Scientist “An indescribable epic saga of three reincarnated souls from the author of The Girl in the Road. . . The Actual Star is for those who love complexities and questions that transcend single lives.” — The Millions "A fascinating and intricately woven piece of speculative fiction...Byrne’s work delves into themes about entropy, destiny, how place affects us as we change the world, and the search for meaning. But it is also a thoroughly human work where ambition, loneliness, love, and the need to belong resonate, no matter the year. Complex and captivating." — Booklist "The Actual Star is a book about sacrifice, about the long view and deep time, about the universality of human experience and the particularity of any given moment. It's a first-rate work of sf, and a hopeful and fearful book about the climate. It's just great." — Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Walkaway “Contained in this book is a vivid historical novel, a heartfelt contemporary narrative, and a mind-boggling science fiction story, all tightly braided together into a single experience that is bold, wild, profound. It's a novel you won’t forget.” — Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future “Sweeping, mesmerizing, The Actual Star is a travelogue of souls, an epic that leaps lightly between the centuries. From the royal children of an ancient Mayan dynasty to the nomadic pilgrims of a far-future religion, Byrne draws her interconnected characters with compassion and depth, weaving their stories into a mystery with echoes in past, present, and future. At the center of it all is Leah, a young American woman whose search for her roots in Belize will have repercussions far beyond her lifetime. A magnificent achievement!” — Helene Wecker, author of The Golem and Jinni and The Hidden Palace "The Actual Star is a speculative fiction masterpiece" — Fantasy Hive “Beautifully rendered . . . moving . . . a terrific novel.” — Locus "The Actual Star is a boldly daring examination of what it means to be human from a non-traditional perspective, one focused away from the Western-European colonialist lens and zeroed in on a culture many think lost to the sands of time, but that still exists very much to this day." — Lightspeed Magazine "The Actual Star is a stunningly realized work of literary fiction. Byrne blends elements of speculative and historical fiction to create a trio of timelines, each a thousand years apart, the individual stories serving to illustrate a fundamental truth of narrative power.... Flexible and fluid, these tales grow and evolve until they are both of us and not of us...The Actual Star is unlike anything I’ve read. It is immersive and idiosyncratic and without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read in quite some time." — The Maine Edge

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A tense, gripping, and satisfying story that will leave readers wondering about their own physical limits and what would be possible, if only one had the proper motivation. Translated from the original Russian, this dark and unforgiving magical world treats its characters in ways that make Harry Potter and even Naomi Novik's Scholomance Trilogy look like preschool." — Booklist (starred review) "This is a novel that transcends genre and will astound readers looking for serious, contemporary fiction." — Library Journal (starred review) “Vita Nostra—a cross between Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian [...] is the anti-Harry Potter you didn’t know you wanted.” — Washington Post "Vita Nostra is singular and brilliant - unlike anything I’ve ever read." — R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel “Vita Nostra has become a powerful influence on my own writing. It’s a book that has the potential to become a modern classic of its genre, and I couldn’t be more excited to see it get the global audience in English it so richly deserves.” — Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians “Vita Nostra takes the trope of young people selected for a school for magic and transforms it into an unnerving, deeply philosophical coming-of-age tale. [...] Hersey’s translation is plain and straightforward, a wise choice that enhances the deep strangeness of this trippy, vivid novel.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “This dark, ambitious, and intellectually strenuous novel will feel like a fresh revelation to fantasy readers glutted with Western wish-fulfillment narratives.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Vita Nostra “Imagine that Hogwarts has opened a satellite campus inside Harry Haller’s Magic Theater from Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse, and assigned Kafka, Dostoevsky and Rod Serling to oversee the curriculum.” — BookPage on Vita Nostra

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the 2021 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the YearShortlisted for the 2021 Bookmark Book of the Year PrizeOne of the most provocative, intelligent and original novelists working in Britain today (Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting) makes his American debut with this darkly comic and electrifyingly twisty thriller with echoes of Emily St. John Mandel, Lionel Shriver, and Richard Powers, in which a teenage girl and her brother are abducted by their survivalist father who believes the apocalypse has begun.An absolutely brilliant read.?Lucy Mangan, journalist and author of Are We Having Fun Yet?Hilarious, foreboding with all of the brilliance and brutality of life in between. Haley is the hero of our times?bold, bewitching, and superbly drawn. Her voice rang in my ears long after I reluctantly turned the last page.?Diane Cook, author of the Booker Prize nominated novelThe New WildernessMy name is Haley Cooper Crowe and I am in lockdown in a remote location I can?t tell you about.Children of divorce, Haley and Ben live with their mother. But their dad believes there?s a new, much deadlier pandemic coming and is determined to keep them alive. He wants to take them to his prepper hideaway where they will be safe from other people. NOW. But there?s no way their mother will go along with his plan. Saving them requires extreme measures.Kidnapped by their father and confined to his compound far off the grid, Haley and Ben have no contact with the outside world. How can they save their mother? Will they make it out alive? Is the threat real?or is this all just a dark fantasy brought on by their conspiracy obsessed father?s warped imagination?Propulsive and chilling in its realism, How to Survive Everything is the story of a world imploding; a teenage girl?s record for negotiating the collapse of everything she knows?including her family and sanity.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A more agile, universal book, with its title alluding to the randomness of human connection. It’s a variety of rom-com, really, that somewhat lost art. . . . [People Collide's] naturalness and ease with the most fundamental questions of existence make it a big project knocking around in a small package, portending even bigger projects ahead." — Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times "People Collide takes a sudden turn in its final pages, building toward an ending that’s genuinely moving and redemptive, though not in the way the reader has been expecting. The finale is so good, in fact, that it elevates the entire book, making it one of the year’s most compelling reads. Ultimately, McElroy discovers that gender-swap narratives may really be about tracing the wavy line between envy and desire." — Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post "People Collide's Freaky Friday concept covers a deep exploration of marriage, love, and the ways we know one another—and don't—as well as how slippery a sense of self can be when so much of how we navigate the world depends on how it sees us." — Ilana Masad, NPR "A hilarious, riveting novel of a married American couple's body swap." — San Francisco Chronicle "A creative, well-written exploration of marriage, gender, and desire." — Kirkus Reviews "Engrossing . . . an impressive twist on the familiar trope of marital ennui." — Publishers Weekly "Compelling, hilarious, and thought-provoking, this is a fascinating Freaky Friday-like thought-experiment that questions the performance and expectations of gender roles, the body-mind puzzle, how class can define a person’s perspective, and the definition of identity." — Booklist "Beyond the gender binary and the public's assumptions based upon appearances, McElroy's insightful novel also examines class, privilege, the art world, and family relationships....People Collide is sly, clever, funny, provocative, and compelling. It offers a world and a story to get lost in." — Shelf Awareness "[People Collide] deftly explores partnership, identity, and sex." — Rolling Stone "Expertly interrogates gender roles and questions the ties that bind lovers together." — Vogue "People Collide dives deeper into gender and sexuality with the same sharp wit [as their first novel." — Them "A fresh take on a classic trope." — The Millions "Fascinating ... an entertaining, thoughtful depiction of how we choose to exist, and its implications for how we love." — Elle "A little Kafkaesque, a little Hitchcockian, a little Freaky Friday, but McElroy makes this dizzying story their own." — Electric Literature "[A] profound exploration of marriage, identity, and sex." — Nylon Magazine "McElroy is sharp on the collaborative failures endemic to love, and the kind of oneness that creates separation. In People Collide, that separation is explored through the body with wonder and frankness." — Raven Leilani, author of Luster "A profound and moving meditation on love and commitment swapped into the body of a gripping literary thriller—I predict Isle McElroy’s People Collide will inaugurate an entire genre." — Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby "People Collide is spectacular. McElroy has given us a work of art that's original, stylish, and frequently masterly in the ways it explores the porous and mutable nature of bodies, selves, partnerships, and what we call love. Bravo." — Sarah Thankam Mathews, author of All This Could Be Different "People Collide asks how the ambition, power, sweetness, and deep-feeling of our bodies gets policed by those who perceive us, and how we sometimes wind up hurting each other as a result. McElroy writes their characters with compassion for human pain and bumbling, but makes room for all our complexity and occasional grace too. This is the queer novel I didn’t know I so badly needed." — CJ Hauser, author of The Crane Wife

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