5 Books On My Sci-Fi TBR #2

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Welcome back to part two of “Sharing Books That Are On My Sci-Fi TBR – a series by Lay”😎. If you missed it, you can check out part 1 here. This weeks 5 books from my TBR are pretty mixed, some of them I’ve owned for a while, some of them are more recent additions to my collection. The one thing they have in common? I’ve been saying “I’ll read this soon!” for way longer than I should have. Let’s get into it.

Illuminae – Aime Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Update: Since putting this list together I have learned about Jay Kristoff’s continuous racist and antisemitic behaviour that is reflected in his books and in his interactions with bloggers. I suggest you have a look at this thread on Twitter, it compiles tweets and threads detailing some of the things Kristoff has said and done and is a good starting point.

While I might still read Illuminae at some point, you won’t hear me talk about it because I don’t want to support Kristoff in any way shape or form. This update is for anyone who, like me, might not have known about him being problematic. Well, now you know!

Across the Void – S.K. Vaughn

Commander Maryam “May” Knox awakes from a medically induced coma alone, adrift in space on a rapidly failing ship, with little to no memory of who she is or why she’s there.

Slowly, she pieces together that she’s the captain of the ship, Hawking II; that she was bound for Europa—one of Jupiter’s moons—on a research mission; and that she’s the only survivor of either an accident—or worse, a deliberate massacre—that has decimated her entire crew. With resources running low, and her physical strength severely compromised, May must rely on someone back home to help her. The problem is: everyone thinks she’s dead.

Back on Earth, it’s been weeks since Hawking II has communicated with NASA, and Dr. Stephen Knox is on bereavement leave to deal with the apparent death of his estranged wife, whose decision to participate in the Europa mission strained their marriage past the point of no return. But when he gets word that NASA has received a transmission from May, Stephen comes rushing to her aid.

What he doesn’t know is that not everyone wants May to make it back alive. Even more terrifying: she might not be alone on that ship.

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A while back, after buying Sleeping Giants because it had a blurb comparing it to The Martian, I decided I wanted to find some more books like that. Because yes, my love for The Martian is 25% of my personality at this point. Across the Void has received some pretty mixed reviews, but I’m hoping I’ll fall on the side of those who loved it!

Exhalation – Ted Chiang

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This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. In The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate, a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. In the epistolary Exhalation, an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. And in The Lifecycle of Software Objects, a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being. Also included are two brand-new stories: Omphalos and Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom.

In this fantastical and elegant collection, Ted Chiang wrestles with the oldest questions on earth—What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human?—and ones that no one else has even imagined. And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion.

Would you look at that, it’s a short story collection! Interestingly, the only short story collections I own are the ones by Ted Chiang. I have plans to change that one day, but for now, this shall be my introduction to the world of short stories. I’m wondering, do you read collections like these the way you’d read any other book? Or do you pick and choose stories and finish the collection over time? I’m looking forward to diving into these stories, I have a feeling some are gonna be more my thing than others – it’s like a pick ‘n mix bag of sweets!

Rosewater – Tade Thompson

Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless—people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.

Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn’t care to again—but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.

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I’m not gonna lie, the cover was the reason this book caught my attention. But when I read the synopsis, I realised I just had to read it! Most sci-fi that I have read so far has either been space or aliens/robots on earth themed so Rosewater interests me because it seems to be sort of eco-sci-fi (if that’s even a thing?). Additionally, this is set in Nigeria and considering that almost all the sci-fi books I’ve read have been set in America for the most part, I’m glad to have some non-western sci-fi! Admittedly, I know nothing else about this series. I just know that a lot of people love it and that it sounds like something I’ll enjoy, too. Bonus points: the trilogy is finished and I can binge it if I love this first book!

Dark Matter – Blake Crouch

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Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

‘Are you happy in your life?’ Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before the man he’s never met smiles down at him and says, ‘Welcome back.’

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream?

And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

I bought this on a whim, after walking past another book by this author all the time in my local bookstore! I’m trying to figure out what kind of sci-fi I like (apart from “anything like The Martian”) and trying a sci-fi thriller seemed like a good way to do this. I have no expectations for this book, which is probably the best way to approach a new type of story! If you’ve read it, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Which books are on your sci-fi TBR? Did any of these spark your interest?

I hope you have a lovely day,