Staff Review: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

When Ann Leckie said that fans of her Imperial Radch series would like The Murderbot Diaries, I made a mental note. When the first novella in The Murderbot Diaries, All Systems Red, won the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the Locus Award for Best Novella in 2018, and the Best Novella Hugo Award in 2018, I realized I needed to read this Right Now. Luckily, Carnegie-Stout Public Library owns this series in both print and eBook form, so I was able to pick up All Systems Red from the comfort of my couch at 10:00 p.m.

Murderbot is the creation of author Martha Wells, and Wells has created a character and world that resonates with who I am as a reader in 2018 in ways I never could've expected. It's always a magical experience when you meet the right book at the right time. If you too feel like life is a little too dark, your emotions are sometimes too overwhelming, and you enjoy a good old fashioned adventure in space (with just a hint of lone cowboy hero), maybe you'll love this series as much as I have.

Murderbot is the hero of this series, not that Murderbot has any interest in being a hero. All Murderbot wants is a bit of peace and quiet to enjoy its favorite shows (it is partial to soap operas). Unfortunately, Murderbot is an artificial construct combining robotics, energy weapons, and cloned human parts (including a human brain) known as a SecUnit. Muderbot is the property of a company that rents out SecUnits and other security devices to groups engaged in dangerous tasks like exploring new planets. Luckily, Murderbot had the skills to hack its governor module (the bit of software that makes it do what humans tell it to do), which means that it can enjoy its shows during the many, long boring stretches when no one needs it to provide security.

The series starts with Murderbot doing as little as possible while on loan to a group of scientists exploring a potential colony planet. Until things go wrong and Muderbot realizes that something or someone is out to kill its humans. Something that Murderbot is not prepared to have happen ever again (before Murderbot hacked its governor module it experienced some things that have left it traumatized).

I don't know if Wells plans to continue this series in the future, but I sincerely hope so. In the meantime, I'll just need to enjoy rereading the stories that are available.

-Sarah, adult services

Bingeworthy TV: Star Trek Discovery

This might date me, but I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my family, and this was the series that was my gateway to all things science fiction. As a result, the larger Star Trek universe will always have a special magic for me.

This is why, when a local theater offered the chance to watch the live-stream of the first episode of Star Trek Discovery on the big screen, I was there. Because Star Trek is so much a part of my general knowledge, it's hard for me to judge how good of an entry point this series might be for a viewer brand new to the universe. I think you'll be okay if you know a few basic facts:

• Humanity has joined with other alien planets to form the United Federation of Planets
• Star Fleet is the Federation's science and exploration based space navy
• Vulcans are alien members of the Federation who dislike emotions
• Klingons are aliens who feel threatened by the Federation's growth

Discovery takes place within the original universe established by the 1960s TV series*, but is set before the events of that series. It's not quite a spoiler to say that the Federation is on the brink of war with the Klingons as that war kicks off in the first episode and remains a focus of the first season.

This series is a bit darker than you might expect for Star Trek. It's fairly violent and main characters don't escape the consequences of that trauma. I'm used to a sense of optimistic adventure in my Trek, so this bleaker tone was not an easy adjustment. Things felt a bit uneven as the series tried to find a balance between the serious and the lighthearted. Parents should also be aware that characters use real four-letter English swear words on occasion.

Discovery follows Michael Burnham, an exceptionally intelligent and driven human who was raised by Vulcans after her family was killed. Michael's choices in the early days of the war with the Klingons have disastrous consequences for her career and her self-esteem. Spoilers: she goes to future space jail, until she's sprung by the eccentric captain of the spaceship Discovery and given a second chance to help the Federation.

There are several interesting characters in Discovery, but I don't recommend that you get too attached to anyone as several don't survive the first season. This didn't stop me from enjoying the character of Cadet Sylvia Tully. She added that sense of fun that I enjoy so much in Star Trek to a series that was often far darker and more serious.

The first season is packed with twists and turns and I'm curious to see what the creators have planned for their second season.

~Sarah, adult services


*As opposed to the recent reboot series of films starring Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana, which is an alternate reality.

Bingeworthy TV: Firefly

“You can’t stop the signal”

It’s never too late to become a Browncoat! I watched and fell in love with Firefly back when it aired on Fox in 2002 and wept when it was cancelled unceremoniously after one short season. In 2005, after a fan support campaign, the story continued with the movie Serenity and has continued since with the release of graphic novels, video games, board games, and, hopefully, an upcoming series of books. Even after all these years Firefly still remains my favorite show of all time.

Set in the year 2517 all the resources of earth have been used up and people have set out into space finding new solar systems and terraforming planets for inhabitation. The story centers around nine individuals living together as part of the renegade crew of Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. They live on the fringes of the galaxy taking jobs mostly within the pioneer culture of the struggling newly inhabited planets.

Each member of the crew is there for their own reasons, some transparent and others not. The captain and his first mate fought on the losing side of the galaxy’s civil war and haven’t completely given up the fight. A brother and sister are on the run from some sinister government conspiracy. The mercenary is along for the money. The preacher has a mysterious past. The pilot is there for love. The ever optimistic mechanic has an intuitive gift for machines. Finally, there’s the high society companion, slumming it on the fringes of society. Together this ragtag bunch try to keep flying, sometimes working together and other times trying to kill each other.

~Rebecca, Technical Services

Staff Review: Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown - Audio book version

What a trilogy! Wow. It is dark. It is brutal. There are shameful deeds, shocking betrayals, and blood feuds. Wars and reconciliations. Violence and tenderness. This trilogy really covers all areas of human emotion. A friend says it's a cross between Game of Thrones and Hunger Games. I think it also has a dash of Divergent and tiny drop of Harry Potter in there as well. Pierce Brown has created a fascinating world with his Red Rising trilogy.

Darrow grows up as part of a slave race, the Reds. The thing is, they don't realize they are slaves. They think they are doing the hard labor of mining underground on Mars so future generations can come and terraform Mars and create a better future. What the Reds don't know is that they have been lied to.

Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates all three of these books. Reynolds does such a good job portraying the heart of Darrow, our main character, that he seems the perfect person to read these stories. Reynolds hails from Ireland with classical theater training. His strong Irish accent gives the story depth and character and it is pleasing to listen to.

One initial caveat: Reynolds takes on a haughty voice when he narrates the characters who are Golds (the all-powerful group in Darrow's world), "I do say! My good-man!" and to be honest, this threw me right out of the first book and I did not think I could listen if he did this voice continuously. Luckily, this annoyance fades and you get used to the portrayal. The haughtiness and genteelness make sense for the characters he is portraying - the Golds are nothing if not haughty. 

As the books progress, we find Darrow fighting against a whole society of people who would have him remain a slave and will die trying to keep the status quo. Which leads me to one of the things I am most impressed by with these books. This author really knows how people manipulate others to get what they want and how the minds of warlords might plan their strategies. As I listened, I kept being amazed at the ideas and logic the author created for his characters. This first book does spend a lot of time world-building, which can be get old, but then you are thrust into this amazing world suddenly. It keeps you guessing and you don't know who Darrow should trust or who will betray him.You have to hold on tight, it's quite an adventure. 

Once you have made it through this epic trilogy, be on the lookout for Iron Gold, a new book in the Red Rising Universe, considered to be book four of the Red Rising Saga. It is set to be released in January 2018. It begins ten years after the events of book three and is a start to a new trilogy. Hopefully, Carnegie-Stout will have the audio book soon after its release. It too will be narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds.

~Angie, Adult Services

Staff Review: Leviathan Wakes and The Expanse TV Series

Have you ever read a book and thought, "Hey, this might make a great TV show?" Sometimes you get what you ask for, and in my case that is The Expanse series of books by James S.A. Corey coming to a television near me.  I'd heard raves about the first book in the series, Leviathan Wakes and decided to give it a try.

In a nutshell, humans have colonized Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid belt and beyond.  The people born and raised on the outer planets refer to themselves as "belters". Those born and raised on Earth are called "Earthers".  There are a lot of politics at play, but the bottom line is that the belters aren't big fans of the Earthers and vice versa so of course there is a war brewing.  The majority of the story is told from two different viewpoints, in alternating chapters.

James Holden is an Earther and the executive officer of an ice mining ship that makes runs from the rings of Saturn to various mining stations on the belt. His ship happens upon the Scopuli, a derelict ship, and when he and a few other crew members mount a salvage/rescue mission, things go horribly wrong. It seems they have stumbled upon a secret that will get them killed.

Detective Joe Miller works for Star Helix Security on the Ceres station. He is tasked with looking for a missing girl named Julie Mao.  Her parents are important and it seems she had a bit of a rebellious streak while in college, joining a student activist group and refusing to come home.  Her last known address was on Ceres, and Miller traces her to a ship called the Scopuli.  Through a series of events, Miller and Holden end up working together to find Julie and discover what secret the Scopuli was holding.

Leviathan Wakes paints a fascinating picture of life on Earth and beyond.  Obviously it takes place in a distant future so even things on Earth are different.  For instance, Holden was born in a family co-op with five fathers and three mothers.  They all contributed to his DNA mix and somehow this arrangement gave them a huge tax break, allowing them to own 22 acres of decent farmland. Miller on the other hand was born on Ceres, having only been off-planet 4 times.  It becomes pretty obvious that Miller is being set-up as the fall guy for something.  He is depressed, his life is stagnant, and as a result he become obsessed with the Julie Mao case.  The two different points of view allow the story to move forward until the two main characters intersect.  I had a few moments of "wait, what is happening here?" but for the most part found that the world-building wasn't too complicated and the story progressed nicely.  To date there are four more books in The Expanse series: Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn, and Nemesis Games. 

Enough about the book, lets get to the TV show.  Yes, The Expanse will be coming to the SyFy channel with a two part series premier on December 14 and 15.  I, for one, can't wait to see this huge space opera (for lack of a better description) come to life on the small screen.  I really enjoyed the Battlestar Galactica reboot and the recent SyFy shows Killjoys and Dark Matter.  I apparently enjoy TV shows that take place in space.  There is still time to read the book before the series begins, or if you don't want to read the book (it is only 582 pages, you can do it), wait until December and watch the story unfold in one hour increments.

Also, in case anyone is wondering, "James S.A. Corey"is a pen name used by the two writers that collaborate on this series, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

~Amy, Adult Services

Mini Staff Review: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

I'm honestly a little surprised that we haven't already reviewed the Saga series on the library's blog before because it is a bit of a staff favorite. Written by Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man & Runaways), and gorgeously illustrated by Fiona Staples, Saga is an endlessly creative science fiction romp. And yes, the covers seen here are Staples' work (I'm always annoyed when the art inside a comic is nothing like the art I loved on the cover). A witty space opera with a fascinating cast of characters that stands up well to rereads, a plus when one considers the wait between new issues. The central characters are Alana and Marko, soldiers from opposite sides of a galaxy spanning war who fall in love and have a daughter, which makes their family a target of just about everyone. Readers bothered by violence, nudity, and other adult content should steer clear, but everyone else is in a smart and entertaining treat.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Presented with an unexpected day off last week when the cold and a burst pipe closed the library on Tuesday, I did the only reasonable thing: read a great book.

Ancillary Justice is the first novel by prolific short story author, Ann Leckie. The wonder of this book is how Leckie created a story that was both familiar and unexpected. A character who is an AI, even an AI who is a ship, is a classic of the Science Fiction genre. What makes the story feel fresh is Leckie's attention to world building and characterization.

As a reader, I'm drawn to stories of grandly imagined, future civilizations grounded by the perspectives and experiences of a few characters, or space opera in the best sense of the term. Ancillary Justice is a perfect example of what I'm looking for when I want a space opera. Justice of Toren, a 2000 year-old war ship created by the Radch Imperium, makes for a compelling narrator: she is both an outsider and someone who knows the culture intimately.

The plot starts with Justice of Toren posing as a human named Breq as she nears the end of a decades long quest, and is unexpectedly confronted by someone she knew centuries ago. Through alternating chapters, you're introduced to the pieces of her past that have brought Justice of Toren to the frozen, backwater planet of Nilt. 

Ancillary Justice is a solid foundation for a proposed trilogy, and Leckie provides an intriguing introduction to a large and dangerous universe. From the complex internal politics of the Radch to the ominous threat of the alien Presger, I'm eager for the next book to come out. I've checked her website, and there's no date as yet, but that's what our Author Alerts feature is for.

If you're looking for something else to read in the mean time, I suggest checking out:

Ursula K. Le Guin's Hainish Cycle. Not a series proper, but a loosely connected collection of novels and short stories that give an anthropologist's eye view to the future. Start with The Left Hand of Darkness, which provides a similarly unique perspective on gender.

Iain M Banks's Culture series. With intricate plots and complex world building, it's easy for the reader to lose themselves in the Culture Universe. As an added appeal, some of the characters are vast AI intelligences (even starships).

~Sarah, Adult Services

The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

 Today I am recommending that you pick up a science fiction series from which I've only read half of the books. The Vorkosigan Saga novels by Lois McMaster Bujold are a fast-paced collection of genre-blending fun. The series leaps from murder mystery to epic space battle to romance to political drama, and what ties it all together are Bujold's skills in character development and world-building (galaxy-building?).

The hero of most of the stories is Miles Vorkosigan: charismatic leader, strategic genius, crippled hunchback, and son of one of the most powerful men on his militaristic backwater home planet. Though over the years the series has developed a large and colorful cast of characters from a diverse array of backgrounds, some of whom headline in their own novels. It certainly doesn't hurt that Bujold always maintains a sense of humor, even the darker novels have their comic moments.

I first picked up Shards of Honor, the first in a two part story of how Miles' parents met, while in high school. (At Carnegie-Stout we have these two books as the omnibus Cordelia's Honor.) I read these books two times before I realized they were part of a larger series, and it's only this year that I've made the organized attempt to read them all in some sort of order. I've always been somewhat haphazard when it comes to reading a series, starting with the third book and stumbling over the other books at random. Of course, I'm the sort of reader who often flips to the last page before I've finished the third chapter, so spoilers (usually) don't bother me.

Happily, this is definitely a series where you can get away with reading the books out of order because Bujold doesn't just experiment with the type of story she's telling, but where in the larger chronology the individual story fits. So some readers follow the order of publication, others follow the internal chronology, and I happily muddle my way through, picking whichever one looks more interesting at the moment.

If you're looking for a starting place, you can get away with picking whichever title strikes your interest. However, if you're looking to begin at the beginning, start with Cordelia's Honor (technically Falling Free comes earlier on the time line, but it's so early that there isn't a character overlap). Cordelia's Honor is also a good pick if you're looking for a bit of romance with your science fiction. Young Miles (omnibus containing The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game, the first two novels with Miles as protagonist) has more of a focus on fast-paced action and mystery.

While I haven't loved every book in the series, I keep returning to these characters and their world because Lois McMaster Bujold has managed to capture a piece of my imagination.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Read Alikes: Military Science-Fiction

If you're reading about the experience of a soldier in the midst of a futuristic battle, you've likely picked up a work of military science-fiction. Whether colonists battling an alien invasion, or a fleet battling space pirates, these books are characterized by protagonists with a strong sense of duty, honor, and sacrifice. It's not uncommon for a hero or heroine to be faced with impossible odds and rise beyond expectations.

While authors have been writing about future wars since before H.G. Wells, it wasn't until the 1960s that the sub-genre really took hold. Many authors of military science-fiction have military backgrounds that bring a level of realistic detail to the characters in their otherwise fantastic settings. Despite the fast-paced, action-packed adventure rides that often characterize these novels, it is the characters and the moral dilemmas and intellectual puzzles they face that bring readers back for more.

"Military SF novels aren't about the institution of warfare; they focus on the effects of war, on the soldiers, on the morality of an organization, and on what humanity will do to survive."
-Andrew Liptak, io9

We've gathered together a list of Military Science-Fiction authors available here at Carnegie-Stout:

The Honor Harrington series by David Weber is long-running, plot-driven, and peopled by engaging characters, not the least of which is Honor herself. This series is based in part on the navel adventures of the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester and the career of Admiral Nelson. The series starts with On Basilisk Station (which can be found on a CD-ROM in War of Honor) with Honor demonstrating her extraordinary skill as a tactician and leader under pressure.

David Drake uses his military background to create believable characters and detailed, fast-moving plots in fantastic settings. For his take on military science-fiction, check out With the Lightnings, the first book in his RCN series about a lieutenant unexpectedly thrust into command, and the librarian who becomes his indispensable partner.

Elizabeth Moon is a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, and has written several series featuring military women, both science-fiction and fantasy. Her fast-paced Vatta's War series starts with heroine Ky Vatta being thrown out of the Space Academy, and so she turns to her influential family for a new career in Trading in Danger.

Laura E. Reeve was an officer in the U.S. Air Force before she was an author, which colors the richly detailed future of her Ariane Kedros series. In the first book in the series, Peacekeeper, Ariane is forced to face her past when she's called on to investigate a series of suspicious deaths. Espionage, a cold war, assassins, archaeology, alien forces, and a second murderer make for a compelling narrative.

Jack Campbell is a pseudonym used by retired U.S. Naval officer John Hemry. As Campbell, Mr. Hemry writes the fast-paced and gritty Lost Fleet series. The first book, Dauntless, starts with an important battle, but the real plot starts decades later when a military hero is reintroduced to a society changed by the endless war.

Mike Shepherd grew up in a Navy family, though he failed to survive Army boot camp, and instead made a career writing for the Federal Government. His popular Kris Longknife series follows the career of the title heroine who joined the navy to escape her powerful family, but finds her heritage is not so easy to avoid. The series starts with a bang in Kris Longknife: mutineer when Longknife's first mission is doomed to failure.

John Scalzi started his writing career as a journalist, a blogger, and an author of non-fiction before trying his hand at fiction. His unique take on military science-fiction and his witty writing style quickly made Old Man's War a popular read. The thought-provoking story of a seventy-five year old man who joins the military to protect Earth's distant colonies has recently been optioned for a potential movie adaptation.

Other authors of Military Science-Fiction include:

William Dietz, with several of his own series, as well as a title for the popular video game Halo. You can find other Halo titles by various authors in the catalog here.

Sandra McDonald, military science-fiction with an Australian twist. Check out this staff review for more.

Tanya Huff's Confederation series has the humans cast as the protectors of an alien alliance.

R.M. Meluch's series Tour of the Merrimack starts with humanity battling the alien Hive in The Myriad.

John Ringo writes action-packed and often violent novels, though not always science-fiction. His Legacy of the Aldenata series starts with A Hymn Before Battle where humanity joins the fight against the alien Posleen.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald

When it comes to science fiction, I enjoy books in the military sub-genre that have a strong heroine, and author Sandra McDonald has translated her experience as an officer in the U.S. navy into a trilogy of books that I devoured. The trilogy also includes elements based on Australian culture and history, especially that of the indigenous peoples, which is a rather unique spin on the genre.

The Outback Stars and its sequels, The Stars Down Under and The Stars Blue Yonder, tell the story of Lieutenant Jodenny Scott and Sergeant Terry Myell. The two main characters meet aboard the Aral Sea to which Lieutenant Scott transferred after her previous ship, the Yangtze, was destroyed in a terrorist attack.

The Aral Sea is a vast ship which ferries travelers and colonists along the Alcheringa, an alien constructed pathway between habitable worlds. The daily challenges of shipboard life are quickly overshadowed as Jodenny and Terry come to realize that the destruction of the Yangtze was not as simple as they'd been led to believe.

To promote the paperback publication of The Stars Blue Yonder, Sandra McDonald created a book trailer. It is available for viewing on YouTube: The Stars Blue Yonder: Ode to Australia
(Warning! This video contains spoilers for the first two books!)

And if you find you too enjoy Military Science Fiction with a strong heroine, you should check out these series too:

• The Honor Harrington series by David Weber are based in part on the Horatio Hornblower series of C.S. Forester, though set aboard a starship in the distant future.


• Elizabeth Moon is a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, and has written several series featuring military women. Her Vatta's War series starts with Trading in Danger.
  


• The Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd follow the title heroine who joins the navy to escape her powerful family, but finds her heritage is not so easy to avoid.
  


• Laura E. Reeve's Ariane Kedros series feature the adventures of the title character as she navigates espionage, a cold war, and alien forces.
  

-Sarah, Adult Services