Let’s take a look at the science fiction genre on this last Wednesday of September. I know they say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you should! Don’t these covers look amazing? And don’t they make you want to read the books? Let’s dive right into the top 5 of new science fiction releases this month.
- Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black
Release date: September 6th 2016
Centuries of war with aliens threaten the future of human civilisation on earth in this gripping, epic science fiction debut… We never saw them coming. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it—until we discovered we could wield the power too. Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back. - Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
Publication date: September 15th 2016
A superb science fiction adventure set in the rubble of a ruined universe, this is a deep space heist story of kidnap, betrayal, alien artefacts and revenge. The galaxy has seen great empires rise and fall. Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilisations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives. And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them. Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future–a tale of space pirates, buried treasure, and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism and of vengeance… - The Gradual by Cristopher Priest (The Dream Archipelago #4)
Publication date: September 27th 2016
A new literary novel by the critically acclaimed author of The Prestige, Christopher Priest. A rich and involving tale of the creative mind, the rigours of living under war and the nature of time itself. Alesandro grows up in Glaud, a fascist state constantly at war with a faceless opponent. His brother is sent off to war; his family is destroyed by grief. Occasionally he catches glimpses of islands in the far distance from the shore, and they feed into the music he composes—music for which he is feted. His search from his brother brings him into contact with the military leadership and suddenly he is a fugitive on the run—he seeks refuge on the islands and his endless travels take him through places and time, bringing him answers where he could not have foreseen them. - The Warren by Brian Evenson
Publication date: September 20th 2016
X doesn’t have a name. He thought he had one—or many—but that might be the result of the failing memories of the personalities imprinted within him. Or maybe he really is called X. He’s also not as human as he believes himself to be. But when he discovers the existence of another—above ground, outside the protection of the Warren—X must learn what it means to be human, or face the destruction of their two species. - Everfair by Nisi Shawl
Publication date: September 6th 2016
Everfair is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium’s disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Socialists from Great Britain join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land which they call Everfair, a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated. Shawl’s speculative masterpiece manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history. Everfair is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history.
Other new releases of September 2016 can be found by genre right here on Goodreads.
One small remark, this is one of the first times that I’ve seen Goodreads put a book from a series in their list that is not the first one. So I’m guessing that this means it is a very good series, have any of you read it yet? Thoughts?
And I have to admit, I was most drawn to book number 2, purely based on the cover. But then I read the words “space” and “pirates” and I was convinced: this one is going on my to read list! How about you?
Happy Reading,
Loes M.