There's a heck of a lot to like among the science fiction and fantasy
books released this month. A murder mystery with clones, a supernatural
ship made of fingernails and toenails that will usher in the end of the
world, a galaxy in which teleportation has made heroic (and hilarious)
space pilots irrelevant, a growing revolution against aristocratic magic
users, and giant roaches that steal people from their beds... Read on
to learn more about five of our favorite February books that will plunge
you into very different worlds.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
- Neil Gaiman putting his own fingerprints on the Norse myths? Cue the
hyperventilation of delighted readers. That reaction is genuinely earned
in this tight retelling, as Gaiman darts between a Tolkienesque tone in
the epic origin stories and his own bright wit in the tales centering
on the adventures of Thor, Loki, and Odin. Many who read Norse Mythology
will make this volume their joyful leaping-off point into a strange and
mesmerizing world of gods, giants, undead goats, betrayals, a
slanderous squirrel, elves, dwarves, and Valkyries. Read our interview with Neil Gaiman about his "weird little side project" to learn more.
Ubo by Steve Rasnic Tem
- After Daniel is kidnapped away from his wife and child by giant
roaches and taken to a place he only knows as UBO, he is forced to
relive the memories of mass shooters, serial killers, and soldiers in
war so that the roaches can better understand how humans' violent
impulses work—or at least that's what Daniel thinks is going on. As he
uncovers more and more truths, the reality of his situation is even more
frightening. Tem's introspective retelling of the killings of Jack the
Ripper and others adds to the already high horror level of this tale,
but he clearly has ideas he wants to convey about the human animal and
its propensity for violence—and for our need for connection and beauty
as well.
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty - An inventive (air-)locked room mystery, Six Wakes will keep you guessing alongside the murdered and freshly cloned crew of the spaceship Dormire,
as they try to uncover who among them could have done the deed.
Lafferty sets a blistering pace as the nuanced characters continually
reveal new facets to the mystery through inventive backstories. (Review by Matt Fyffe)
Gilded Cage by Vic James - This book was initially described to me as "Red Rising meets Downton Abbey," and that rings true if Red Rising
took place in modern-day England instead of on Mars and Downton Abbey
were populated by frightening, sometimes sociopathic magic users
determined to keep their spot at the top of the social heap by any means
necessary. Okay, so maybe it's not the most precise description of the
plot, but it's a good match for the conflict, as the heroine is forced
to serve the aristocratic and dominating Jardine clan while the rumbling
undertones of revolution are being amplified by her brother
incarcerated in a slavetown. Original and gripping, Gilded Cage launches a new series from debut novelist James.
Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw
- When a down-on-his-luck space pilot is paid well to impersonate
someone else at a fancy dinner, he learns too late that he's pretending
to be the galaxy's most hated pilot. Worse, the dinner is hosted by the
galaxy's baddest crime boss, who wants to hire him to drive his son
around the solar system for the weekend. Space pirates, a steely
executive assistant who's always working the angles, and the awkwardness
of teenage crushes add to the chaos. As our hero extricates himself
from one deadly situation, he immediately face-plants into the next one,
keeping the humor and action levels at 11 at all times. Good clean fun.
Click here to see all our February picks, including The Book of Etta by Meg Elison, A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab, and With Blood upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu. Or discover which books we chose as the best science fiction and fantasy of 2016.
by
Adrian Liang
sursa: omnivoracious.com