Science Fiction – Liz Helfrich

City of Bones

Updated and Revised Edition by Martha Wells Having come to the work of Martha Wells through her Murderbot series, I was intrigued when this “updated and revised” edition of one of her early novels, City of Bones, popped up. But if you’re looking for the fast pace and wise-cracking snarky tone of that series, thisContinue reading “City of Bones”

The Mountain in the Sea

by Ray Nayler Overall: A fascinating and original work of science fiction, The Mountain in the Sea takes place on Earth at an unspecified future date. Humans have managed to create a conscious android and fully autonomous AI and have devastated vast swaths of the planet’s ecosystems. On a small island off the coast ofContinue reading “The Mountain in the Sea”

Murderbot Diaries 1-3

All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, and Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells Overall: Well, this is what happens when you hang out in online book communities. You end up trying a series that you’ve seen featured a million times on your library app feed, and you love it! Murderbot, the main character of these three quickContinue reading “Murderbot Diaries 1-3”

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

by Becky Chambers Overall: Not everyone loves science fiction as much as I do. If you think of yourself as someone who doesn’t read sci-fi, this might be a good choice to dip your toe outside your comfort zone. A Psalm for the Wild-Built avoids many of the tropes that turn people off of sci-fi:Continue reading “A Psalm for the Wild-Built”

Iron Widow

by Xiran Jay Zhao Overall: Books like this make me ask myself why I read less science fiction than I used to in my teens and early 20s. I love the unbridled imagination of sci-fi and its ability to take real-world problems and approach them in a different way. Zhao takes elements of traditional ChineseContinue reading “Iron Widow”

Atomic Anna

by Rachel Barenbaum Overall: A multi-generational family story focused on mothers and daughters, Atomic Anna stretches across much of the 20th century. The Anna of the title is Anna Berkova, a Soviet nuclear scientist living in Pripyat (the city supporting Chernobyl) at the time of the accident in 1986. When she discovers that the accidentContinue reading “Atomic Anna”

The Left Hand of Darkness

by Ursula K. Le Guin I felt guilty that I had never read anything by one of the grande dames of sci-fi, Ursula K. Le Guin. So, I picked up The Left Hand of Darkness, widely regarded as one of her best books. Published in 1969, it takes place in the distant future on aContinue reading “The Left Hand of Darkness”