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{{Frontpage
|author= Christopher Paolini
|title= To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
|rating= 5
|genre= Science Fiction
|summary= On the moon of a distant gas giant, Xenobiologist Kira Navárez is helping with the efforts to make the planet habitable to human life. However, a discovery of an ancient alien bunker under the moon's surface leaves her bonded with a strange alien entity. After the entity bonded to her loses control and kills half the staff of the research station, the United Military Command cruiser Extenuating Circumstances arrives in the system to take Kira in for examination. Things go from bad to worse when the Extenuating Circumstances is attacked and destroyed by an alien ship, and she has to flee to the 61 Cygnus star system. She is revived aboard the freighter Wallfish, crewed by Captain Falconi and a rag-tag bunch of misfits, and the news is grim. The same aliens that destroyed the Extenuating Circumstances are now wreaking havoc across all of human-occupied space, and only a mythical weapon known as the Staff of Blue can stop them. As the death toll climbs and more players are introduced into this war, Kira slowly begins to realise that she may have had a greater hand in the conflict than she could've possibly imagined…
|isbn=1529046505
}}
{{Frontpage
|author= Laura Lam and Elizabeth May
|title= Seven Devils
|rating= 4
|genre= Science Fiction
|summary= Eris is one of the foremost operatives of the Novantae, a resistance movement fighting against the ruthlessly expansionist Tholosian Empire – an Empire she was destined to inherit in her past life as Princess Discordia, whom everyone believed has been dead for years. Clo, an ace pilot for the Novantae, has a mission: hijack a Tholosian spacecraft to gather information vital to the war effort. Although she's less than pleased to discover that her former friend Eris is her partner on this mission. Things get more interesting as the mission commences; aboard the ship are three defectors with a secret that could potentially cripple the Empire. Eris's brother Damocles, the runner-up heir to the Empire, is plotting to disrupt peace talks between Tholos and the last of the free alien species. It's a race against time as the rebels move to put a stop Damocles' plans, with millions of lives hanging in the balance…
|isbn=1473231140
}}
{{Frontpage
|author=Frederic Beigbeder and Frank Wynne (translator)
|title=A Life Without End
|rating=4
|genre=Literary Fiction
|summary=I looked at the calendar the other week, and disappointedly realised I have a birthday this year – I know, yet another one. It won't be one of the major numbers, but the time when I have the same number as Heinz varieties looms on the horizon. And then a few of the big 0-numbers, and if all goes well, I'll be an OBE. (Which of course stands for Over Bloody Eighty.) Now if that's the extent of my mid-life crisis, I guess I have to be happy. Our author here doesn't use that exact phrase, but he might be said to be living one. Determined to find out how to prolong life for as long as he wants – he would like to see 400 – he hops right into bed with the assistant to the first geneticist he interviews, and they end up with a child, which is at least a way of continuing the life of his genes, and a motive to keep on going. But how can he get to not flick the 'final way out' switch, especially when foie gras tastes so nice?
|isbn=1642860670
}}
{{Frontpage
|author= Adrian Tchaikovsky
|title= The Doors of Eden
|rating= 4.5
|genre=Science Fiction
|summary= Wow – this novel is gigantic, in every sense of the word. "Epic" is a word that's thrown around a lot these days, but if a book ever earned the name it's this one. It's a doorstopper full of big ideas, and at times it almost felt too big for my brain.
|isbn=1509865888
}}
{{Frontpage
|isbn=B0867X8NW7
|title=Access Point
|author=T R Gabbay
|rating=4
|genre=Thrillers
|summary=When we first meet Ula Mishkin she's having something of a professional success: using a device of her own invention she's helped a man who has been blind for decades to see an image of a hummingbird. She's thirty-six years old and her life is about to change radically as, cycling home, she's involved in an accident with a bus. It's two years before we meet her again and in the meantime, she's spent 392 days in a coma and now walks with a stick. A professional colleague persuades Ula that she should let out a spare bedroom to bring in some income.
}}
{{Frontpage
|author= M R Carey
|isbn=1473223172
}}
{{Frontpage|class-"wikitable" cellpaddingisbn="15" <!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE--> <!-- Graves -->168369094X|-| styletitle="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future!|author=Ian Doescher[[image:194927201X|rating=4.jpg5|linkgenre=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/194927201X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] Humour| stylesummary="vertical-align: top; text-alignA long time ago, in a publishing house far away, [[:Category: left;"Ian Doescher|===[[Lakes of Mars by Merritt Gravessomeone]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]]thought it wonderfully wacky to rewrite the story of Star Wars in Shakespearean pentameter, colliding two entirely different genres and styles in such a clever way they seemed perfectly suited. After his entire family is killed in a shuttle crash, one that he It was piloting no less, Aaron Sheridan enlists in then duly repeated for all the Martian Fleet, fully expecting to die other films in the ongoing Rim War. Insteadmain Star Wars cycle, he winds up on Corinth Station, the Fleetand clearly someone's command school. At firstbuffing their quills ready for Episode Nine, he is apathetic towards the brutality and scheming title of which became public knowledge the students and staffday before I write. In the hiatus, but after standing up for his only friendhowever, he becomes a target for the dreaded Caelus Erikeffort has been made to see if the same shtick works with other texts, the most feared cadet and to riff on Corinth. Scared that any further actions will put others on his flight team at risk, Aaron shuts himself off from everyoneother seemingly unlikely source materials in iambs. But, when he discovers that the staff on Corinth And could we have a motive other anything more suitably unsuitable-seeming than training officers, he begins Back to realise that risking his all might be the safest thing he can do... [[Lakes Future, with its tales of Mars by Merritt Graves|Full Review]]time travel, bullying, and parent/child strife like no other?}}<!--Merritt Graves -->{{Frontpage|-isbn=194927201X| styletitle="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|Lakes of Mars|author=Merritt Graves[[image:1949272028.jpg|linkrating=http://www4.amazon.co.uk/dp/1949272028/ref5|genre=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] Science Fiction| stylesummary="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"| ===[[Sunlight 24 by Merritt Graves]]=== [[image:4starAfter his entire family is killed in a shuttle crash, one that he was piloting no less, Aaron Sheridan enlists in the Martian Fleet, fully expecting to die in the ongoing Rim War.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category: Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] In 2031Instead, he winds up on Corinth Station, genetic engineering the Fleet's command school. At first, he is apathetic towards the brutality and robotics is changing scheming of the world at an unprecedented ratestudents and staff, with but after standing up for his only friend, he becomes a regimen known as Revision making people strongertarget for the dreaded Caelus Erik, faster and smarter than ever beforethe most feared cadet on Corinth. Baseline humanity is slowly being rendered obsoleteScared that any further actions will put others on his flight team at risk, with people like 16-year-old Dorian Waters being left by the wayside as these new superhumans dominate the workforceAaron shuts himself off from everyone. Without RevisionBut, Dorian can't go to University and can't get when he discovers that the staff on Corinth have a job. And so motive other than training officers, he begins Dorian's slow spiral of self-destruction, robbing houses with his best friend Ethan to pay for to realise that risking his Revision, all might be the time desperately trying to keep this activity secret from his familysafest thing he can do... But, with his psychopathic brother already suspicious of him and the police gaining ground, Dorian slowly begins to realise that he's going to have to risk everything to stay ahead...[[Sunlight 24 by Merritt Graves}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1949272028|title=Sunlight 24|author=Merritt Graves|Full Review]]rating=4|genre=Science Fiction<!-- Peter F Hamilton -->|-| style|summary="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1447281357.jpg|link=http://www.amazonIn 2031, genetic engineering and robotics is changing the world at an unprecedented rate, with a regimen known as Revision making people stronger, faster and smarter than ever before.co.uk/dp/1447281357/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbagBaseline humanity is slowly being rendered obsolete, with people like 16-21]] | style="verticalyear-align: top; text-align: old Dorian Waters being left;"|===[[Salvation Lost by Peter F Hamilton]]=== [[image:4starthe wayside as these new superhumans dominate the workforce.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction]] Humanity is at a turning point. After Feriton KaneWithout Revision, Dorian can't go to University and can't get a job. And so begins Dorian's investigation uncovers the supposedly benign Olyix's plan slow spiral of self-destruction, robbing houses with his best friend Ethan to harvest humanity in the name of their godpay for his Revision, all the entire human race prepares time desperately trying to fight backkeep this activity secret from his family. But when , with his psychopathic brother already suspicious of him and the Olyix's harvesting ships appear and start heading towards Earthpolice gaining ground, and Olyix-derived technology Dorian slowly begins preparing them for transportation, humanity realises to realise that they are vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Some people he's going to flee, taking have to the stars in an effort risk everything to hide from their aggressors, even though only a small percentage of humanity would survive. But others choose to fight them head-onstay ahead...}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1447281357|title=Salvation Lost|author=Peter F Hamilton|rating=4|genre=Science Fiction|summary=Humanity is at a turning point. As humanity comes face-After Feriton Kane's investigation uncovers the supposedly benign Olyix's plan to-face with harvest humanity in the largest ever threat to name of their existencegod, old grudges will have the entire human race prepares to be put aside to focus on obliterating this enemyfight back. Even if it means planning But when the Olyix's harvesting ships appear and start heading towards Earth, and Olyix-derived technology begins preparing them for a future than none of them will ever live transportation, humanity realises that they are vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Some people to flee, taking to see...[[Salvation Lost by Peter F Hamilton|Full Review]] <!-- Megan E O'Keefe -the stars in an effort to hide from their aggressors, even though only a small percentage of humanity would survive. But others choose to fight them head->|on. As humanity comes face-| style="width: 10%; verticalto-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:0356512223face with the largest ever threat to their existence, old grudges will have to be put aside to focus on obliterating this enemy.jpg|link=http://wwwEven if it means planning for a future that none of them will ever live to see.amazon.co.uk/dp/0356512223/ref}}{{Frontpage|isbn=nosim?tag0356512223|title=thebookbag-21]]Velocity Weapon |author=Megan E O'Keefe |rating=4.5| stylegenre="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"Science Fiction|summary===[[Velocity Weapon by Megan E O'Keefe]]=== [[image:4After her gunship is destroyed in a battle, Sanda Greeve expects to wake up in a friendly medical ward, fully healed and ready to get back into the fight.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction]] After her gunship is destroyed in However, instead, she wakes up a quarter of a millenia later, missing a battleleg, Sanda Greeve expects to wake up in a friendly medical wardaboard an enemy starship called The Light of Berossus (or "Bero", fully healed and ready to get back into as the fightstarship's rather grumpy AI prefers to call himself). However, instead she wakes up a quarter of a millenia later, missing a leg, aboard an enemy starship called The Light Bero tells Sanda that the war is long over and that the entire population of Berossus (or "Bero", as the starship's rather grumpy AI prefers to call himself). Bero tells Sanda that the war is long over, and that the entire population of the system system is dead. The only option, it seems, is to travel to the nearest star system. But, as the starship makes preparations for its decades-long voyage across the stars, it becomes clear to Sanda that something else is going on... [[Velocity Weapon by Megan E O'Keefe|Full Review]] <!-- Vaughn -->}}{{Frontpage|-isbn=0751568228| styletitle="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"Across the Void|author=S K Vaughn|rating=4[[image:0751568228.jpg|linkgenre=http://www.amazonScience Fiction|summary=Sea epics? So 20th century.coTry a space epic.uk/dp/0751568228/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]}}{{Frontpage| styleisbn="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"1529014484|title=Exhalation |author=Ted Chiang|rating=5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=[[Across Over the Void by S K Vaughn]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] Sea epics? So 20th century. Try past twenty-eight years, Ted Chiang has published fifteen science fiction short stories, these magnificent stories have won twenty-seven major science fiction awards so if you are a space epic. [[Across science fiction fan it is likely that you have already come across some of the Void work by S K Vaughn|Full Review]] <!-- Ted Chiang -->|-| style="width: 10%. If you haven't then take this opportunity to do so now. Trust me; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1529014484.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1529014484/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Exhalation by Ted Chiang]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], [[:Category:Short Stories|Short Stories]] Over the past twenty-eight years Ted Chiang has published fifteen science fiction short stories, these magnificent stories have won twenty-seven major science fiction awards so if you are a science fiction fan it is likely that you have already come across some of the work by Ted Chiang. If you haven't than take this opportunity to do so now. Trust me; your imagination will be grateful. [[Exhalation by Ted Chiang|Full Review]] <!-- Doescher -->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:168369094X.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/168369094X/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future! by Ian Doescher]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Humour|Humour]], [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] A long time ago, in a publishing house far away, [[:Category:Ian Doescher|someone]] thought it wonderfully wacky to rewrite the story of Star Wars in Shakespearean pentameter, colliding two entirely different genres and styles in such a clever way they seemed perfectly suited. It was then duly repeated for all the other films in the main Star Wars cycle, and clearly someone's buffing their quills ready for Episode Nine, the title of which became public knowledge the day before I write. In the hiatus, however, the effort has been made to see if the same shtick works with other texts, and to riff on other seemingly unlikely source materials in iambs. And could we have anything more suitably unsuitable-seeming than Back to the Future, with its tales of time travel, bullying, and parent/child strife like no other? [[William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future! by Ian Doescher|Full Review]] <!-- Martine -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1529001579.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1529001579/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] The problem with Martine's fiction debut is that she makes the two commonest errors in SF writing: she tries to be too clever and she wants her fictional languages to be complex and rich and errs on the side of making them unpronounceable by most readers. I can see why she does both, but it's a disappointment because they're the blocks against which the brilliance of the book stumbles. [[A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine|Full Review]] <!-- Lingane -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:B07NV8NY4Y.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NV8NY4Y/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"| ===[[The Rose, the Night, and the Mirror by Mark Lingane]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] Julian's family are getting pretty fed up with his perma-student status. They feel that the maths PHD candidate should start earning some money. To that end, they have managed to find him a job tutoring the children of a highly regarded politician. Julian bowls up at their strange, austere mansion with little in the way of expectation. Victor, the politician is not at home. But Esis, his wife, is. A beautiful but isolated woman, Esis shows little interest in her children and not much more in Julian. She directs him towards his room, the library in which he will teach the children, and the kitchen, whose chefbot will provide him with food. [[The Rose, the Night, and the Mirror by Mark Lingane|Full Review]] <!-- Arnold -->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:1789016525.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1789016525/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[Betrayed by Geoffrey Arnold]]=== [[image:3.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] In an extension of the story begun by Geoffrey Arnold in ''Ripped Apart'', he continues to tell the story of the Quantum twins. Born on a parallel world, these genetically identical twins interfered with an experiment and were hurtled through space-time to our earth - and a series of adventures ensued in the following books. When we rejoin them in ''Betrayed'' we find Tullia struggling to adapt to life in the bush - adopted by a Bushman family and made part of a tribe. Twin Qwelby however, is not doing so well - shocked by the violence on the earth. Rescued by an old friend, he then tries to help a girl called Xaala - but her ulterior motives may well prove to drive a wedge between the twins as they try to reconnect... [[Betrayed by Geoffrey Arnold|Full Review]] <!-- Marrs -->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:1785038885.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785038885/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[The Passengers by John Marrs]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]], [[:Category:Thrillers|Thrillers]] In the near future, self-drive cars are the norm - a convenient and easy way of transport. However, when someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course. As everyday commutes turn into terror-filled journeys, the public have to judge who should survive. But with every aspect of these passangers being examined by the public - will they turn out to be what they seem? [[The Passengers by John Marrs|Full Review]] <!-- Beckett -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1786491559.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1786491559/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Beneath the World, A Sea by Chris Beckett]]=== [[image:3.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science Fiction|Science Fiction]] South America, 1990. Ben Ronson, a British police officer, arrives in a mysterious forest to investigate a spate of killings of Duendes. These silent, vaguely humanoid creatures - with long limbs and black button eyes - have a strange psychic effect on people, unleashing the subconscious and exposing their innermost thoughts and fears. Ben becomes fascinated by the Duendes, but the closer he gets, the more he begins to unravel, with terrifying results.your imagination will be grateful.. [[Beneath the World, A Sea by Chris Beckett|Full Review]] <!-- DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -->}}
