Science Fiction Sci-Fi Books

Book SynopsisTwelve-year-old, Maude, has a case of puberty-induced pantherism, a missing friend, a detective dad who thinks she may be a killer, a mom with a big secret, a unicorn hiding in her bedroom, and a plan to overthrow the patriarchy.From the creative team that brought you the groundbreaking and Eisner-nominated series Mockingbird, this trade paperback collects the second arc of the unconventional coming-of-age tale—including the mental hygiene guide for girls, “WHAT’S HAPPENING TO ME AND HOW CAN IT BE STOPPED?”Collects MAN-EATERS #5-8

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Book SynopsisCOPRA returns with the long-awaited OCHIZON SAGA! Collecting the Image-released issues plus the subsequent Copra Press chapters, Michel Fiffe pits his cast of mercenary misfits up against cruel cyborg turncoats, reanimated doomsday agents, and a reality-warping cosmic dynasty. Jump into the thick of it with the world’s greatest superhero revenge machine.Collects COPRA #32-41

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Book SynopsisSuperpowers and teenage romance collide in the newest SKYBOUND original by SHAWN KITTELSEN (Mortal Kombat 11) and ERIC ZAWADZKI (The Dregs, Eternal)!Gene therapy has saved Americans from disease-only to give birth to Variants: people with powers so unique, the government denies their human rights. But a rebellion has begun...Charlie North is on the run from police when he crosses paths with Jill Kearney. Instant attraction becomes mass destruction when they unlock powers neither knew they had. Now the question isn't about how to use these powers, but how far they're willing to go.Collects HEART ATTACK #1-6

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Book SynopsisAlexia desperately wants to become one of the greatest super heroes of all time, just like her father, the much revered IRONHEAD. Upon his sudden death, however, Alexia's destiny takes an unexpected turn. IRONHEAD's empire now rests solely in her unprepared hands...or so she thinks. At the funeral, Alexia is confronted with a well kept family secret: a villainous sister she never knew existed! Will the two be able to form an alliance and solve their father's mysterious demise? Or will they destroy one another in the process? BLACKHAND & IRONHEAD, VOL. 1 collects issues #1-5 originally published on PanelSyndicate.com.Trade Review"I love Blackhand & Ironhead, a beautifully confident, modern, and unique superhero story." -Brian K. Vaughan

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Book SynopsisIn this adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, set in the year 2717, The Lighthouse is a supercomputer the size of a skyscraper that guides space craft through a turbulent sea of wormholes. Maria Vasquez has chosen this isolated base to escape her troubled past, but now she and her glitchy nanny bot, Moses, are the only ones who can stop a crew of murderous pirates from seizing the most devastating weapons ever created.COLLECTS JULES VERNE'S LIGHTHOUSE #1-5Trade Review“A bold take on a classic, infusing science fiction elements into an already thrilling tale.”-Monkeys Fighting Robots"Jules Verne's: Lighthouse gets a sci-fi twist and casts readers into the high seas of outer space for a swashbuckling cyberpunk saga.”—Space.com“Brings Verne's vision to life in a sleek and colorful way that will appease fans.”-ComicBook.com

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Book SynopsisIn an underpopulated future Earth, devastated by the dire consequences of the millennium bug, the survival of mankind—and, maybe, of the planet itself—is handled by a small number of people. These are talented scientists who, despite the adverse situation and the stupid feuds that continue to divide the small number of people still alive, try to understand and study what is hidden in the depths of the abyss—something mysterious and dangerous, which could eventually cause an even worse and more destructive catastrophe!The 100 meets LOW, with a hint of Death Stranding in the brand-new sci-fi thriller series from acclaimed creator MIRKA ANDOLFO (UNNATURAL, MERCY, SWEET PAPRIKA), teaming up with writer DAVID GOY, rising-star artist ANDREA BROCCARDO (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Empyre: X-Men), and colorist BARBARA NOSENZO (The Ballad of Halo Jones).Collects DEEP BEYOND #1-6

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Book SynopsisWhen his megacorp power plant falls under attack by terrorists, the super-scientist who revolutionized and controls all energy on Earth sends his ultimate creation (and an adequate employee) in to destroy his most monstrous secrets.Best-selling artist Nick Dragotta (EAST OF WEST) and Eisner Award-winning writer Caleb Goellner combine their energies in a visceral thrill ride through supernatural social commentary, over-the-top combat, and the power of friendship!!! Collects GHOST CAGE 1-3When the world's ultimate clean energy plant is taken over its secret occult power source, reluctant allies from different walks of life collide on a quest to tame the ungodly elemental monsters within. Can they survive humanity's demons and reignite Earth's future?!Best-selling artist Nick Dragotta (EAST OF WEST) and Eisner Award-winning writer Caleb Goellner combine their energies in a visceral thrill ride through supernatural social commentary, over-the-top combat, and the power of friendship!!!Collects books 1–3 of GHOST CAGE

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Book Synopsis How much loss can one soulendure?Blue Eyes can''t stop being reborn. Hetumbles from life to life, from one unthinkably strange universe to the next -the only constant being that, one way or another, everything that he learns tolove is lost. But when Blue Eyes finally catches up to a mysterious figure he''sseen recurring throughout his lives, he realizes he might just have a chance toescape his cursed immortality - or, at very least, exact revenge forit.

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Book SynopsisTHE ENERGON UNIVERSE CONTINUES HERE! Darak and Solila traverse the northern wasteland and there's no shortage of enemies in their way. But there's hope in the form of everyone's favorite Autobot Triple-Changer, Springer! The game-changing team of Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici and Matheus Lopes continue their critically-acclaimed new series exploring the most shocking corners of the Energon Universe. Collects Void Rivals #7-12.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe aftermath of SPAWN #350 has left a lasting impact on the world, with six months passing since the events unfolded, creating a sense of danger for everyone in this new reality. Al Simmons, now back to his original self, relies on his training to track down the Demons in New York City. Collects King Spawn Issues #31 - 36

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Book SynopsisViolator's siblings, Vacillator, Vindicator, Vandalizer, and Vaporizer, along with ruthless mobsters, hire assassin Admonisher to kill Violator. Stripped of his powers, Violator must defend himself against attacks from his brothers and Admonisher. In a twist of fate, an unexpected team-up with none other than SPAWN to help Violator along the way. Collects Violator Issues #1 3

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Book SynopsisCollecting the third arc of Greg Rucka''s critically acclaimed pulp-sci-fi sensation in an oversized format!War in the Skull Nebula! Vic and company join Forged teams Rapier and Gladius to bring the fight to the Phobesand Vic goes MIA. Meanwhile, General Davian struggles to uncover just what the Empressand her Cassandrasare up to!

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Book SynopsisMELISSA FLORES (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and FRENCH CARLOMAGNO (RADIANT BLACK) bring you the latest superhero story from the MASSIVE-VERSE!In the aftermath of the Battle for San Francisco, Bibi struggles with her new responsibilities as a corporate superhero—but when an unexpected face from her past resurfaces, threatening to redefine everything she thinks she believes, Bibi will have to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to bring Morrow down for good. Collects The Dead Lucky #7-12

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Book SynopsisTaimin and Selena must discover the truth about their world—before it’s too late. In a world of secrets, Taimin and Selena are desperate for answers. They need to discover the truth about their origins and the firewall that borders the wasteland. If they don’t find the hidden path they seek, the citizens of Zorn will die. As they make the perilous journey to the distant firewall, Taimin and Selena are joined by three companions: a young healer, a weapons trader, and an old rover. Together the five are in constant danger, unable to rely on Selena’s powers as she has lost the ability to farcast—and she doesn’t know how to get it back. Now Taimin finds himself hunted by a new enemy—a strange creature on a bloodthirsty quest of his own. Taimin and Selena get ever closer to the answers that are essential to their survival. But will they learn the truth in time to save themselves?

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Book SynopsisWith a madman in control of the timeline, one wrong move could be the last for time travelers intent on stopping him in this mind-bending novel by the bestselling author of the CHRONOS series. CHRONOS historians Madi, Tyson, and Katherine and their cohorts are on the enemy’s trail, fixing the mess that sociopath Saul Rand has made of history—and of the Temporal Dilemma rules. Another time shift is on the horizon, and this time, it’s one that reflects Saul’s twisted vision. When the shift hits, it plunges the United States into a modern dark age where superstition trumps science and seventeenth-century witch hunts are no longer a thing of the past. But Saul has added a new hurdle to this insane reality: he’s hunting the Sisters of Prudence. Clones of Katherine’s daughter, the Sisters are pawns to be sacrificed on Saul’s time chessboard—unless the team can track him down at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and erase him first. Saul is calling the shots, so he’s ahead of them every step of the way. With the clock ticking, this could be the endgame for CHRONOS and, if they fail, for reality itself.

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Book SynopsisThe United States’ past is hijacked in a time-warping adventure of future interdimensional, high-risk games by the bestselling author of the CHRONOS series. History is turned inside out when off-world travelers challenge Tyson Reyes and Madi Grace to a real-life game of Temporal Dilemma. Three rounds from the opponents and Hitler takes Europe, Pearl Harbor never happens, a fascist cloud hangs over the postwar United States, and CHRONOS itself is erased from existence. Now Tyson, Madi, and a team of seasoned players must make their moves—in 1930s New York. Jazz and the blues waft from Village clubs. The World’s Fair draws assassins. Madison Square Garden hosts Nazis. And the Manhattan Project never gets off the ground. Tyson and Madi have only three days to undo the strategy that changed the tides of war and the fate of the world. A surprise survivor from CHRONOS could be their best hope for flipping the timeline. If he’s on their side. But can they risk trusting him when the past, the future, and the lives of millions hang in the balance?Trade Review“Fans of time-travel stories will appreciate the historical detail and characters’ ingenuity.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisAn interplanetary battle is renewed in an epic novel of a warring solar system by the author of Ballistic. The war should have been over. But it’s not for a group of nationalists grabbing for control. It’s been two weeks since a missile with a nuclear warhead tore through the planetary defenses in the most blistering large-scale attack ever committed in the history of the Gaia system. Commander Dunstan Park of the Rhodian navy has been handpicked to command an experimental cruiser that could dictate the course of the escalating conflict. All he has to do is keep the ship from falling into the wrong hands. On Gretia, the powder keg is beyond control. A terrorist attack against civilians draws Idina Chaudhary into a costly battle. It also forces a cautious Aden Jansen back into the fray. Now dedicated to a just cause, he’s still keeping his past hidden. The risk of exposing his former alliance could twist not only his fate but also that of his sister, Solveig, heir to the family empire. With no time to waste, Dunstan hits the ground running. But as insurgents threaten the unstable peace, what’s ahead for both sides could change the destiny of the Gaia system forever.Trade ReviewAn Amazon Best Book of the Month: Science Fiction & Fantasy “A series you should start if you are a fan of grounded space opera with a military lean. The Palladium Wars comes at straight-up military fiction from an angle that keeps it interesting.” —Locus Magazine

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Book SynopsisA conspiracy of fear drives twin sisters in their fight to save the world in a pulse-pounding science fiction adventure by the authors of Exiles. Nothing in life is to be feared: it is only to be understood. The Golden State is at war. The Conservators are winning. With an insidious nano reform, they’ve cleaned out cities and upended thousands of Unfortunate lives by controlling a single emotion: inescapable fear. Billionaire CEO Damon Yates, the only one with the potential clues to stop the threat, has disappeared. Twin sisters Jade and Crys—along with their dedicated crew of Exiles—have fled Los Angeles for a remote Texas hideout and are leading the formidable mission to find him. Stripped of their life-altering nanobots, however, the sisters struggle to join sides. Jade’s useful fearlessness is gone. And while Crys is happily no longer terrified of her own reflection—or her sister—she still hasn’t found her place outside her old Fortunate life. Divided again, the sisters go their separate ways in search of answers. Now, Crys must learn how to wield fear itself, while Jade desperately seeks to regain her own elusive courage. But soon the sisters begin to realize they’ll need each other more than ever in order to succeed, because the Conservators’ endgame is more sinister than anyone imagined. They’re not just subjugating the vulnerable; they plan to reshape the world. A nonstop sci-fi adventure about dreams, disillusionment, and finding salvation in family, Intruders will have you racing through its pages to read the pulse-pounding conclusion to the Exiles series.Trade Review“The story picks up quickly, taking readers on a whirlwind journey jetting all over the world and rubbing elbows with society’s elite.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisAn inexplicable sickness. A small town cut off from the world. An unexpected community of survivors forges a family out of the despair, struggling against things known and unknown for survival and hope. A mysterious plague known as the Grey grips the small village of Pilam, which the world has quarantined without pity. Laying waste to Pilam’s residents, the sickness saps its victims of strength, drains the color from their eyes, and kills all promise. Only the young are immune. But beyond the barricades and walls of soldiers—the manifestation of a nation’s terror—there are rumors of a cure. Dunka, the eldest son of a family reeling from the Grey, takes on the daunting task of leaving Pilam to find that cure for his siblings and save them before it’s too late. His brother and sisters, however, have plans of their own. Navigating the chaos of violence, hunger, and death, each of them tries to make sense of the bleak circumstances, forging new bonds with other juvenile survivors left to their own devices. Now an unlikely family of six, they choose their own perilous paths, at first separately and then together, coming to terms with the decisions they make and the ghosts they cannot leave behind. Umar Turaki’s gripping novel is a story of survival, love, and the human spirit’s tenacious capacity for wonder.Trade Review“A mysterious disease sweeps through an African village in Umar Turaki’s debut novel. Estranged siblings reunite to band against this insidious illness, highlighting the power of the everyday in this terrifying yet elegant read.” —Good Morning America “Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold is ultimately a redemptive and uplifting text about what family means. The characters draw apart and come together again, showing an astonishing and moving amount of resilience. Though some of the characters commit unimaginable acts, their determination to prevail perfectly matches our own, and that brings great solace.” —Fredericksburg Free Lance Star “No matter how terrible the circumstances…Umar Turaki isn’t glossing over the reality of how bad this situation could get—the changing perspectives kick in at exactly the right times to break the tension and allow a little hope back for the reader…It’s a beautiful book, and even more impressive as a debut.” —Mystery & Suspense “There is an aching beauty woven into the lyrical prose of this novel that lingers with the reader beyond the last page. Against the richly drawn canvas of a landscape rendered vividly and with meticulous detail, a story unfolds of a family and community faced with both outward and inner desolation. Compelled to untangle the difficult questions of what it means to be both human and humane in the face of unspeakable cruelty and horror, one is drawn in and held by their resilience, courage, vulnerability, and tenderness and the inimitable power of the ties that bind.” —Colleen van Niekerk, author of A Conspiracy of Mothers “Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold is a stark, powerful novel about family, resilience, and survival in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Turaki’s engrossing storytelling will draw you in from the very first page, and the siblings’ determination to escape their grim fates is as harrowing as it is hopeful, reminding us that even when faced with all matters of adversity and tragedy, humanity will still seek a way to forge ahead and prevail.” —Kirthana Ramisetti, author of Dava Shastri’s Last Day “Grim, beautiful—a stunning novel.” —T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead

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Book SynopsisDragon Award for Best Speculative Fiction Nominee. In a present-day Britain where the British Empire never existed, wives and mothers strive for deliverance in a novel about oppression, autonomy, and family secrets by the author of The Peacekeeper. What if Europe had never colonized the world? It is a world that never had overseas empires, the transatlantic slave trade, or the Protestant Reformation. There is, however, in an obscure island nation called England, a woman running for her life. Marie, Duchess of Suffolk, has no choice. In this society, women are a reproductive commodity. Marriage is the only available occupation. And barren wives like Marie are expendable trade. After absconding with the family jewels, Marie fakes her own death and seeks a life outside the confines of her family and her marriage. She’s looking for freedom but finds even more: an underground network of women like her, her estranged sister, and a greater mission to discover the truth behind their mother’s inexplicable death. Hunted and chased across borders by those she fled, Marie has stolen more than the family jewels. She is escaping with secrets. And all that matters now, no matter the risk, is stealing freedom.Trade Review“[A] dystopian thrill ride.” —Publishers Weekly “I have never read a book as transformative, sharp, fun, genuinely page-turning and transgressively Indigenous as B.L. Blanchard's The Mother. This is Indigenous Futurism at its absolute best.” —Erika T Wurth, author of Whitehorse

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Book SynopsisFrom visionary author C. T. Rwizi comes the epic journey of four people on a distant planet who face the ultimate test of loyalty, friendship, and duty in the rising tide of war. A corporate aristocracy descended from Africa rules a colony on a distant planet. Life here is easy—for the rarified and privileged few. The aristocrats enjoy a powerful cybernetic technology that extends their life spans and ensures their prosperity. Those who serve them suffer under a heavy hand. But within this ruthless society are agents of hope and change. In a secret underwater laboratory, a separatist cult has created a threat to the aristocracy. The Primes are highly intelligent, manipulative products of genetic engineering, designed to lead a rebellion. Enabling their mission are the Proxies, the Primes’ bodyguards and lifelong companions bound to their service. When the cult’s hideout is attacked, Proxies Nandipa and Hondo rush to the rescue. As they emerge with their Primes onto the surface, however, everything they’d been led to believe about their world is shattered. Nandipa and Hondo will risk it all to honor their oath of absolute loyalty. But when the very people they’re tasked to protect turn on each other, the Proxies must decide between those they were built to serve and the freedom to carve out their own destinies. And the fate of their planet may rest in their choice.Trade Review“Rwizi’s exciting novel captures the political maneuvering and danger of the Hunger Games series with a universe fans of Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti books will enjoy.” —Booklist “A remarkable new talent.” —Tor.com

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Book SynopsisFrom acclaimed Chinese author Han Song comes a twisted, experimental narrative of one man’s mysterious illness and his journey through a dystopian hospital system. When Yang Wei travels to C City for work, he expects nothing more than a standard business trip. A break from his day-to-day routine, a good paycheck, a nice hotel—nothing too extravagant, of course. No fuss, but all the amenities. But this is where his problems begin. A complimentary bottle of mineral water from the hotel minibar results in sudden and debilitating stomach pain, followed by unconsciousness. When he wakes three days later, things don’t improve; they get worse. With no explanation, the hotel forcibly sends him to a hospital for examination. There, he receives no diagnosis, no discharge date…just a diligent guide to the labyrinthine medical system he’s now circulating through. Armed with nothing but his own confusion, Yang Wei travels deeper into the inner workings of the hospital and the secrets it’s hiding from the patients. As he seeks escape and answers, one man’s illness takes him on a quest through a corrupt system and his own troubled mind.Trade Review“China’s premier science fiction writer.” —Los Angeles Times “[T]his dystopian tale skillfully balances delusion, disillusionment, and disdain. Readers are in for a dark, difficult trip down the rabbit hole.” —Publishers Weekly “Fans of Haruki Murakami and Cixin Liu will enjoy Song’s writing style and inventive narrative scope.” —Booklist “Demented, delirious, and one of a kind…Kafkaesque doesn’t begin to describe this cunning labyrinth of a novel. Nothing I have read has captured so incisively (and searingly) the unrelenting institutional brutality of our contemporary world.” —Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao “The darkness contained within Hospital expresses the author’s desperation with mankind’s attempts at self-treatment and salvation. The novel’s completely unbridled narrative path sets out in the direction of science fiction but ultimately arrives at the spiritual abyss lurking in the reality of today’s China…and the rest of the world.” —Yan Lianke, author of The Day the Sun Died and Hard Like Water “Han Song stands out among Chinese science fiction writers. His exuberant imagination engages history in total earnest, speaking to the darkness and perversity of the human condition. Hospital is his masterpiece and should be a landmark in the terrain of contemporary science fiction.” —Ha Jin, author of Waiting, War Trash, and A Song Everlasting “The kind of science fiction I write is two dimensional; but Han Song writes three-dimensional science fiction. If we look at Chinese science fiction as a pyramid, two-dimensional science fiction would be the foundation, but the kind of three-dimensional science fiction that Han Song writes would be the pinnacle.” —Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem “In this era in which the epidemic rages, Han Song’s Hospital has presented us with a delirious Kafka-esque vision of the future where the relationship between disease, patients, and (technological) caregivers has become enshrouded in a new level of complexity and dark enchantment. Thanks to Michael Berry’s brilliant translation, this unforgettable literary experience can now reach a new group of readers. “ —Chen Qiufan, author of The Waste Tide; co-author of AI 2041 “A work of unbelievable creativity and imagination.” —Lo Yi-Chin, author of Faraway

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Book SynopsisIn the follow-up to the visionary Hospital, Yang Wei discovers that there’s more to the mysterious hospital than meets the eye—and none of it is as it seems. Yang Wei wakes to find himself still a patient at the hospital. Somehow, he’s aged decades overnight and is confined to the geriatric ward on a massive Hospital ship as it floats along a bloodred sea full of unsightly things. But human remains and sea nymphs are perhaps nothing compared to the goings-on belowdecks. The doctors are nowhere to be found, replaced by a procession of medical robots from whom, of course, no information can be gleaned. So Yang Wei, along with a small group of patients—all just as aged as he is—venture out to explore the uncharted depths of the ship and the answers that are surely hidden within. As they delve deeper into both the ship and why they’re on it, every uncovered secret comes with its own questions. The only thing Yang Wei can be sure of is that the more he learns, the less he understands…and the less he truly wants to know.Trade Review“The bizarre twists and disturbing wrongness are compelling and reminiscent of other postmodern classics.” —Booklist

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Book Synopsis“A new series that promises to be just as engrossing [as Frontlines]…the action just as exciting, the science just as solid, the tension just as high. I gulped down the first book in a day, and I am already eager for the next one.” —George R. R. Martin Across the six-planet expanse of the Gaia system, the Earthlike Gretia struggles to stabilize in the wake of an interplanetary war. Amid an uneasy alliance to maintain economies, resources, and populations, Aden Robertson reemerges. After devoting twelve years of his life to the reviled losing side, with the blood of half a million casualties on his hands, Aden is looking for a way to move on. He’s not the only one. A naval officer has borne witness to inconceivable attacks on a salvaged fleet. A sergeant with the occupation forces is treading increasingly hostile ground. And a young woman, thrust into responsibility as vice president of her family’s raw materials empire, faces a threat she never anticipated. Now, on the cusp of an explosive and wide-reaching insurrection, Aden plunges once again into the brutal life he longed to forget. He’s been on the wrong side of war before. But this time, the new enemy has yet to reveal themselves…or their dangerous endgame.

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Book Synopsis“I gulped down Ballistic in one long read, staying awake half the night, and now I want the next one!” —George R. R. Martin There is a personal price to pay for having aligned with the wrong side in a reckless war. For Aden Jansen it’s the need to adopt a new identity while keeping his past hidden. Now he’s integrated himself aboard the Zephyr, a merchant ship smuggling critical goods through dangerous space. But danger is imminent on planet Gretia, as well. Under occupation, torn between postwar reformers and loyalists, it’s a polestar for civil unrest. Meanwhile an occupation forces officer is pulled right back into the fray when the battle alarm is raised, an ambitious heiress is entangled in a subversive political conspiracy, and an Allied captain is about to meet the enemy head-on. As Aden discovers, the insurgents on Gretia—and in space—are connected, organized, and ready to break into full-scale rebellion. History is threatening to repeat itself. It’s time that Aden rediscovers who he is, whom he can trust, and what he must fight for now.Trade Review“Fans of The Expanse series will enjoy this engaging and fast-moving combination of corporate machinations, police procedural, and interstellar naval combat.” —Booklist “A series you should start if you are a fan of grounded space opera with a military lean. The Palladium Wars comes at straight-up military fiction from an angle that keeps it interesting…” —LOCUS Magazine

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A colony on Mars becomes home to a killer conspiracy in a Near-Earth Mystery by the award-winning author of The Last Dance. Brazilian investigator Rosalia Morais, and her husband, revered American spacer Nicolau Aames, are building a life together in Mars’s Maxwell City, the fastest-growing settlement on the planet. Good news: there are no natural predators. Bad news: there are humans. That means the crime rate is growing, too. To ensure public safety, Rosie’s appointed by the mayor as the Red Planet’s first chief of police. No sooner does she build a law enforcement squad than the biggest challenge looks to be internal. Policing the police for graft and corruption is one thing. But when an industrialist is found among the chars of an arson, it’s murder. The fire leads to questions that can be answered by only one man—Nick’s former officer on the Earth-to-Mars vessel the Aldrin. And Nick is still duty bound to keep the officer’s secrets. As loyalties shift, trust breaks, and the tide of a political conspiracy rises, Rosie must solve a mystery that could doom the future of humanity on Mars.

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Book SynopsisWapke meaning tomorrow in the Atikamekw language is Quebec's first collection of science fiction short stories by Indigenous writers. Fourteen authors from various nations and different backgrounds project us into the future through their moving, poetic, worrying, and sometimes fantastical tales, addressing current social, political, and environmental themes. From time travelling Indigenous warriors to rebellious language and knowledge keepers, from Big Trees in a lake to a human sausage factory, from living on the land to living in cyberspace, these stories provide a trans-Indigenous colonial critique.The brainchild of Michel Jean, Wapke can be read on different levels: as pure entertainment for sci-fi fans or as a stimulant to serious reflection. It offers an often-captivating social commentary that reveals how Indigenous people view the future as well as a hope that change will come.

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Book SynopsisIt is 2027. August Helm is thirty years old. A biochemist working in a lab at the University of Chicago, he is swept off his feet by the beautiful and entirely self-assured Amanda Clark. Animated by August’s consuming desire, their relationship quickly becomes intimate. But when he stumbles across a liaison between the director of his lab and a much younger student, his position is eliminated and his world upended.August sets out to visit his parents in Words, an unincorporated village in the heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. Here, he reconnects with several characters from his past: Ivan Bookchester, who now advocates for “new ways of living” in an age of decline; Hanh, formerly known as Jewelweed, who tends her orchard and wild ginseng, keenly attuned to new patterns of migration resulting from climate change and habitat destruction; and Lester Mortal, the aging veteran and fierce pacifist who long ago rescued her from Vietnam. Together, the old friends fall back into a familiar closeness.But much as things initially seem unchanged in the Driftless, when August is hired to look after Tom and April Lux’s home in Forest Gate, he finds himself in the midst of an entirely different social set, made up of wealthy homeowners who are mostly resented by the poorer surrounding communities, and distanced in turn by their fear of the locals. August soon falls head over heels for April, and different versions of his self collide: one in which the past is still present in tensions and dreams, another in which he understands his desire as genetically determined and chemically induced, and then a vaguely hoped-for future with April. When Lester is diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, Ivan comes clean on a ghastly past episode, and April makes a shocking revelation, a series of events ensues that will change all involved forever. As approachable as it is profound in exploring the human condition and our shared need for community, this is a story for our times.Trade ReviewPraise for Painting Beyond Walls“An impressive and beautiful novel . . . Painting Beyond Walls joins Driftless and Jewelweed to shape the second half of an impressive career. Characters from his earlier novels appear prominently in this book, as does its setting, the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin. . . . In his first book, The Last Fair Deal Going Down, Rhodes created a city beneath Des Moines, a sub-city. Before he enters it, the protagonist tells his sister, ‘I’ll write you a giant novel . . . a book that is the inside of me, a great, sprawling ironclad prodigy of emotion.’ David Rhodes, a Midwestern treasure, has now written six such novels.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“Terrific . . . Fans of Rhodes will appreciate the return to fictional Words, Wisconsin, and the familiar cast of characters that populate the unincorporated village. They’ll recognize Rhodes’ voice, as singular and lyrical as ever, and his distinct style; often waxing profound for page after luxurious page before suddenly punching out a hilarious one-liner. Rhodes continues to explore the human condition in profound but unpretentious ways.”—Madison Magazine“David Rhodes, a Wisconsin resident, takes characters from his widely-praised novel Driftless and Jewelweed and imagines them into the future in Painting Beyond the Walls. In doing so, he reinvents the ‘Midwestern pastoral’ genre, confronting questions of science, technology, power, evolution and the effects of a rapidly changing society on a rural area.”—Pioneer Press“Rhodes’ novels about the small, modest town of Words, Wisconsin, are in accord with the place-anchored, morally and spiritually inquisitive fiction of Kent Haruf and Marilynne Robinson even as this fourth installment, set in the very near future, takes a surprising turn. . . . Rhodes is rhapsodic in his descriptions and compassionate and wise in his observations, while his endearing, caring characters speak in peculiarly formal, even academic dialogue and the audacious plot veers into speculative territory and postulates . . . thought-provoking hope.”—Booklist, starred review"A thought-provoking meditation on human relationships at the cellular level as well as our relationship to Earth, the cosmos, and life itself. . . . Rhodes has a knack for writing acute psychological realism; these characters live and breathe, and by the time the novel ends we feel like we know them. Additionally, several story arcs reveal a humanistic, righteous indignation regarding the violence toward women so endemic to Western civilization, and characters frequently engage in thought-provoking discussions of everything from cellular science to sexual politics and world economies. The epilogue recalls Michel Houellebecq's The Elementary Particles, albeit much more optimistic. Although elements of the novel are adjacent to the near-future sci-fi writers like Kim Stanley Robinson, Rhodes is primarily concerned with the timeless human phenomena of love, loss, origins, family, and community."—Kirkus Reviews“In his new novel, David Rhodes returns to the Midwest with this tale set in the near-future about humanity’s relationship with each other, with nature, and with the self. Written in lyrical and melancholy prose, Rhodes once again proves why he is one of our best writers writing about our physical and metaphysical connection with each other and our environment.”—Bennard Fajardo, Politics & Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC“David Rhodes’s prose is as captivating as ever in Painting Beyond Walls. Not only are his characters masterfully drawn, but the obvious joy of language is a thrill to read. His words are so easy to get lost in that there is almost a disconnect when closing the book—one needs a few seconds to reattune to reality after spending time in Rhodes’s world. It helps that his vision of the near future is extremely believable and though one doesn’t necessarily want to be going through some of what he puts his characters through, there is no doubt that his world-building is spectacular.”—Jesse Hassinger, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA“A new novel by David Rhodes is a cause for celebration! . . . ­In Painting Beyond Walls, Rhodes deftly explores the importance of community and connectedness; the human condition, particularly the presence of evil in the world; and how wealth can be used to better the world. And, interestingly in this time when many deny the validity and importance of science in human life, he tackles that issue head on. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that the problems our world currently faces, such as climate change and overpopulation, find remedy in the world of this book through science . . . the complex characters, beautiful descriptions and a view of the future will challenge your understanding of science and where we are headed as a species. And then, like me, you may want to reread Driftless and Jewelweed to be reminded of the backstory of Painting Beyond Walls. Welcome back, David Rhodes!”—Sally Wizik Wills, Beagle and Wolf Books & Binder, Park Rapids, MN“Gus is a young research scientist who was raised in the Driftless region of southwest Wisconsin and has spent ten years away in college and working for research labs in Chicago. In a short period of time, he finds out that his job is discontinued, his love relationship is over, and his lease is ending. With all of his possessions in the trunk of a rental car, he returns to Wisconsin in the hopes of planning a new future. Gus is plagued by sexual desires that don't lead to satisfying relationships. He's trying to find answers by studying cell behavior to explain why he doesn't feel whole. He connects with old childhood friends and mentors, adapts a different philosophy, and then one day he discovers his perfect mate. But there's a price to pay if they'll be together, and you'll never see it coming. A cast of memorable characters are presented at a pleasant pace, interspersed with extra details to keep you immersed in the numerous directions that the novel takes. It speaks to family, friendship, community, and an endearing description of what mature love relationships can be. Rhodes was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in the midst of writing this book. The extra time it took to write it, along with the quality of the prose, made for an intriguing and satisfying read. A master storyteller."—Todd Miller, Arcadia Books, Spring Green, WI“David Rhodes is a writer who has helped sustain the appeal of literary fiction due to his unique style and lyrical narration. His characters are so believable they become members of our own community; we share their hopes and fears, their pain, and their joy. His previous novels (at least five) revealed a gift for understanding human nature well beyond his years and this latest book set a few years into our future (2027) is sterling. If you’re a follower of Rhodes’ career, you’ll be delighted to know he has returned with a new story set in the Midwest. If you are not familiar with his work, this is a great way to get acquainted. You’ll be glad you did.”—Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA“David Rhodes has a beautiful, almost mesmerizing way with words. The story unfolds at a human pace; with characters that are complex and compelling. I don’t know if August got into my head or Rhodes put me into August’s head; either way, I felt at one with August as he navigated his way through romances and friendships and the inevitable changes that have come to the small rural hometown to which he’s returned after ten years in Chicago. . . . I’d gladly recommend this book to readers looking for immersive literary fiction! David Rhodes is a master storyteller.”—Pat Rudebusch, Orinda Books, Orinda, CAPraise for David Rhodes“‘A new, hitherto unknown novelist swam into my ken,’ Floyd Dell wrote in his autobiography more than forty years ago, about a time back further still when Sherwood Anderson pressed a manuscript into his hands. American readers can now enjoy a similar shock of recognition by picking up David Rhodes.”—New York Times Book Review“One of the best eyes in recent fiction belongs to the novelist David Rhodes. Rhodes’ eye, like any fine novelist’s, is accurate both about literal detail and about metaphorical equivalencies. The most important point, however, is that nothing in Rhodes’ vision is secondhand.”—John Gardner, from On Becoming a Novelist“A brilliant writer.”—Cleveland Plain-Dealer“Wildly imaginative.”—Saturday Review“Rhodes writes with both symphonic grandeur and down-to-earth humility.”—BooklistPraise for Jewelweed“A generous ode to the spirit’s indefatigable longing for love.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“A master of nuance, Rhodes picks up on those ‘inaudible rhythms’ that drive human actions.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel“Emits frequent solar flares of surprise and wonder.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer“An impressive and emotionally gratifying novel.”—Library Journal“A rhapsodic, many-faceted novel of profound dilemmas, survival, and gratitude.”—BooklistPraise for Driftless“The best work of fiction to come out of the Midwest in many years.”—Chicago Tribune“A profound and enduring paean to rural America. Radiant in its prose and deep in its quiet understanding of human needs.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel“Each of these stories glimmers.”—New Yorker“Moves at a stately pace as it offers deep philosophy and meditative asides about life in Words, Wisconsin, in the Driftless zone -- which is to say, about life on earth.”—NPR, “All Things Considered”“A symphonic paean to the stillness that can be found in certain areas of the Midwest. The writing in Driftless is beautiful and surprising throughout, and it’s this poetic pointillism that originally made Rhodes famous.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“Few books have the power to transport the way Driftless does, and it’s Rhodes’s eye for detail that we have to thank for it.”—Time Out Chicago“A fast-moving story about small town life with characters that seem to have walked off the pages of Edgar Lee Masters’s Spoon River Anthology.”—Wall Street Journal“Encompassing and incisive, comedic and profound, Driftless is a radiant novel of community and courage.”—Booklist, 2008 Editor’s Choice (starred)“A wry and generous book. Driftless shares a rhythm with the farming community it documents, and its reflective pace is well-suited to characters who are far more comfortable with hard work than words.”—Christian Science Monitor, Best Novels of 2008“Rhodes’ first novel in over 30 years is set in a rural area of Wisconsin so remote and forgotten that it’s left off the map. Most of the residents have chosen to be isolated from the world around them and one another. Nevertheless, their concerns—the meaning of spirituality, family, love, and desire—are global and universal. The characters and their struggles come vibrantly alive.”—Library Journal (starred)Table of ContentsOrientation Familiarity Trouble Going Back Remembering Jet Lag The Saws Working Wood The Glass Eye The Home Place Going In Settling In The Flat Worm Dogs Play Shampoo Insects Whittling Car Jacking Player Piano Divine Madness Visitors Violated Hot Biscuits Femicide Snow Links and Linkage Living Bookends The Service Gene Circling We Grew Up Together Climax Epilogue Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisA visually stunning narrative of three eras in humankind’s vexed relationship with natureAscension is a novel about the end of nature, or rather, the end of three “natures”: the time just before Darwin changed the natural world; the 1980s, just as the digital and genetic revolutions begin to replace “nature” with “environment”; and today, a time when we have the ability to manipulate nature at both the scale of the planet and at the genome. The narrative follows three different biologists on the brink of each of these cultural extinctions to explore how nature occupies our imaginations and how our imaginations bring the natural world, and our place in it, into existence.Ascension is a story of how we continually remake the world and are in turn remade by the new nature we’ve created. It is the story of humans yearning to understand their families, themselves, and the world they live in as it comes to a close, leaving them to anticipate what will follow. Rich in visual depictions of the natural world—from nineteenth century engraving and paintings to twentieth century photography and twenty-first century databases—Ascension uses the materials of three eras to drive home our inability to escape nature, and the ways our fates are irrevocably bound together even as our actions usher in an end-time.

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Book SynopsisJ.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy is not only a seemingly inexhaustible source of wonder and excitement, it is also a profound tale, relevant to our times and to the vital question: what is it to be a human being? Why have these books proved so captivating since their publication, discovered anew by each generation? Is there a deeper aspect to the stories that speaks directly to something within us?Many scholars and commentators have asked these or similar questions, delving into his unique use of language, his deep knowledge of the aesthetics of story within the heritage of mythic storytelling, and his ability to weave together myriad themes. However, few if any have approached the deeper aspects of Tolkien's work with the spiritual esoteric insights of Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy as their basis. Mark McGivern adopts this approach while also building upon the work of Tolkien scholars such as Verlyn Flieger.This is an illuminating guidebook to the forms and depths of Tolkien's master work.

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