5 Books On My Sci-Fi TBR #3
Welcome to part #3 of books that are on my Sci-Fi TBR! If you missed them, you can check out part one and two below.
Stories of Your Life and Others – Ted Chiang
What if men built a tower from Earth to Heaven-and broke through to Heaven’s other side? What if we discovered that the fundamentals of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent? What if there were a science of naming things that calls life into being from inanimate matter? What if exposure to an alien language forever changed our perception of time? What if all the beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity were literally true, and the sight of sinners being swallowed into fiery pits were a routine event on city streets?
These are the kinds of outrageous questions posed by the stories of Ted Chiang. Stories of your life . . . and others.
I talked about Ted Chiang’s other short story collection last time, so it felt only right to include this one now. In all honesty, I was persuaded to buy this after listening to one of my favourite podcasts Beyond the Screenplay talk about the movie Arrival and how it differs from Chiang’s original story. I really enjoyed Arrival, it’s one of the films I’ve seen the most and I’m curious to see where it all started.
Red Rising – Pierce Brown
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Red Rising is one of those Sci-Fi books I kept seeing around but never quite knew what to make of it. Honestly, I still don’t quite know what to expect, but I’ve seen some good reviews so I’m curious about it. It’s definitely one of those books I’ll start with no expectations which might be a good thing!
Do You dream of Terra-Two? – Temi Oh
When an Earth-like planet is discovered, a team of six teens, along with three veteran astronauts, embark on a twenty-year trip to set up a planet for human colonization—but find that space is more deadly than they ever could have imagined.
Have you ever hoped you could leave everything behind?
Have you ever dreamt of a better world?
Can a dream sustain a lifetime?
A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.
And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.
It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.
And something always goes wrong.
This is one of the rare cases where a title makes me interested in a book! And as you might be able to tell, I really love books that a) are set in tight/confined spaces, b) feature a big cast of characters and c) have found-family vibes. Do You Dream of Terra-Two seems to fit all three of those!
Seven Devils – Laura Lam and Elizabeth May
When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy’s most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire’s voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.
Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.
When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire’s inner workings.
Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can’t, millions may die.
I present to you: the very newest addition to my Sci-Fi TBR! Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this book. It’s one of those books that I can’t wait to read…but then I wait because I’m trying to find the perfect time. I know, that doesn’t make any sense but try explaining that to my two remaining brain cells.
Skywards – Brandon Sanderson
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 have yet to read anything by Brandon Sanderson, a crime, I know. But considering my newfound adoration for Sci-Fi, this might be a good place to start! I have the audiobook for this book which I’m very pleased about. Something about Sci-Fi and audiobooks just works very well for my brain.
Are any of these books on your TBR? Or have you already read them and can tell me which ones I should start with?
I hope you have a lovely day,
8 Comments
Sumedha
I’m not a huge sci fi person so I’ve only heard of Red Rising but I’m here! to bully you! to read these books! Because they sound great.
bookshelfsoliloquies
haha, I also didn’t consider myself a sci-fi person until a year ago or so! And thank you, the kind bullying is appreciated because otherwise they’ll all just sit on my TBR untouched forever 🙈😅
saima @ storieswithsaima
Do You dream of Terra-Two sounds sooo interesting, I’m adding it to my tbr!
bookshelfsoliloquies
Right? I can’t wait to read it (hopefully soon) and see if it’s as cool as it sounds!
Jayati
I don’t read much sci-fi but I’m really looking forward to reading Red Rising!
yourwordsmyink
I enjoyed Seven Devils. Did you see the cover for the sequel? It’s BEAUTIFUL. Also I have Do You Dream of Terra Too, Red Rising, and Skyward on my TBR. Maybe I need a follow up of my post lol.
bookshelfsoliloquies
Yes!! I recently saw it on Twitter when it was announced and it made me even more eager to finally read Seven Devils 🙈 I’m always here for more posts about sci-fi, so I’d love to read that!!
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