Fantasy & Sci-Fi Archive - Check It Out

Check It Out

Feed

Larry of Fiction/AV/Teen Services recommends Feed by M.T. Anderson:

Computers have been reduced in size to a small chip that can be implanted in the human brain. Everything that can be done with a computer is now done by the interaction of one’s thoughts with the chip which is in constant connection with the network. Get the news, watch your favorite show, talk online with your friends, do your work, and buy products online through your brain’s connection to the Feed. No need to read, write, or dial numbers; it all comes to you automatically, including a constant flow of advertisements for products targeting your specific interests. But there’s a price to pay in quality of life and human development for a society of runaway consumerism and instant gratification.

By Readers' Advisor on February 4, 2013 Categories: All Staff Picks, Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Picks by Larry

Sword and Sorcery Meets Detective Fiction

For 25 pieces of gold a day, sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse will take on almost any case. His office is above Angelina’s Tavern. One slow night, an occupied, oversized coffin is delivered to Angelina’s. All the regulars egg Eddie on to tell them who is in the coffin and how he could possibly know without prying the lid off. Eddie tells of a long-ago case on the island kingdom of Grand Braun, where King Marcus Drake is beloved by his people and Queen Jennifer is accused of adultery and murder. In Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe, Eddie unravels if Queen Jennifer is a killer and who is in the coffin so many years later.

Also, if you love audiobooks, Dark Jenny is a great listen, read by Stefan Rudnicki.

By Readers' Advisor on January 31, 2013 Categories: Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense

There’s More Than One of Everything

Fringe is more than you think it is. Yes, it began with X-Files-like investigations into strange events, and you’ll certainly find episodes with the best storytelling elements of science fiction, fantasy, and even horror. However, it grows beyond formulaic genre fare. Fringe became a complex and poignant exploration of parenthood, identity, and humanity. Terrific performances, most especially that of John Noble as the repentant, Red Vine-loving mad scientist, expose the beating hearts beneath dual worlds. Not many series boast episodes that include a noir musical, an LSD-fueled jump into animation, or a twenty-five-year fast-forward into dystopia, but that’s par for the course on a show that embraces the full spectrum of human emotion, from the creepy to the heart-tugging.

By Readers' Advisor on January 28, 2013 Categories: Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Horror, Movies and Television, Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense

A Seamstress and Five Orphans

Chintana is a struggling seamstress going through a divorce. She accidentally ends up at her husband’s mistress’ house for a birthday party. A storyteller has been brought in to entertain the children, but his story is a dark one. You see, there is a sword – a sword that might even be in the long black box set before the audience – that only causes harm to its victims after they have aged to 50. The Fifty Year Sword is an experimental novella by Mark Z. Danielewski. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Danielewski has a major cult following for his first novel, House of Leaves.

By Readers' Advisor on January 19, 2013 Categories: Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Web Video

On Her Majesty’s Supernatural Secret Service

In one of the most fascinating starts in recent fiction, Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in a London park surrounded by dead bodies wearing latex gloves, and she has no idea how this happened or even who she is. A note in her jacket pocket begins, “The body you are wearing used to be mine,” kick-starting a story that escalates in both action and intrigue. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley is masterfully read by Susan Duerden, who rises to the challenge of voicing two versions of Myfanwy — one of whom is revealed through stacks of preemptive letters, and the other who is trying to ferret out a conspiracy in the secret organization which battles supernatural forces in Britain.

By Readers' Advisor on January 14, 2013 Categories: Audiobooks, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense

LISTS: Murder and Fantasy for the Holidays

It is four days before Christmas. Old Saint Nick is practically here. You have officially, almost, survived the holidays without running over any Scrooges in the mall parking lot. But that doesn’t mean that someone else hasn’t.

Click here for cozy mystery Christmas books.

Click here for thriller/suspense holiday novels.

If dead bodies under the mistletoe aren’t your scene, click here for fantasy and sci-fi holiday novels.

By Readers' Advisor on December 21, 2012 Categories: Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Lists, Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense

The Hitherto Unknown Story of Krampus, The Christmas Demon

Jesse’s woman left him, his music is going nowhere, and he can’t afford to buy Christmas presents for his daughter. One night, Jesse sees Santa get attacked by what appear to be demons. After the scuffle and take-off of the sleigh, Jesse hears a scream from the sky, and then Santa’s bottomless sack falls to the Earth. Jesse is suddenly able to give his daughter as many presents as he wants…but what if the sack wasn’t Santa’s to begin with? Turns out that Santa stole his magic from Krampus, the beast of Germanic folklore who punishes naughty children. Jesse gets caught in the middle of a war between Santa and Krampus in Brom’s dark holiday fantasy, Krampus: The Yule Lord.

By Readers' Advisor on December 13, 2012 Categories: Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi

The Night Circus

Mary Jane of Research Services recommends The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:

It just appears. It opens at dusk, closes at dawn – the Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern’s debut novel, written as a National Novel Writing Month project, tells the tale of Celia and Marco who are manipulated and trained by their respective magical guardians to become great magicians and battle to see who is better. At first they don’t know who their opponent will be or where they’ll play. Eventually, they realize that the circus is the public venue for their competition. Marco and Celia’s lives slowly become enmeshed in a dance of love, joy, deceit, heartbreak, and magic. In the competition, only one can be left standing. Who will it be?

By Readers' Advisor on December 10, 2012 Categories: All Staff Picks, Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi

Cathleen’s Pick: Clean

Being a telepath is a distinct advantage when you work as a police interrogator, but being an ex-addict means you get questioned, too – even when you foresee your own death. Clean by Alex Hughes is an escapist adventure perfect for when you need to get out of your own head.

By Readers' Advisor on November 6, 2012 Categories: All Staff Picks, Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense, Picks by Cathleen

Don’t Forget to Vote!

He may well be the perfect presidential candidate. He has a conservative curve for Republicans. He has a progressive streak for Democrats. He even gives good sound bites, so the media adores him. The perfect candidate is William Howard Taft. He was president from 1909 – 1913, so he has experience, but…isn’t he supposed to be dead? Well, he’s not, and he wants to get this country moving again in Jason Heller’s novel, Taft 2012.

By Readers' Advisor on November 3, 2012 Categories: Books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Web Video