Dragons & Jetpacks: Books of the Month, September 2016

Dragons & Jetpacks is a science fiction and fantasy bookgroup, based on Goodreads. The group is open to all, all that is required is a Goodreads account. We read two books a month, one fantasy and one sci-fi – the second week of each month is when members make suggestions, and the third is used for voting. We’re always happy to meet fellow fans of the genres, so you’re more than welcome to join the group!

Goodreads

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Goodreads

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom–far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead.

But now, her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross into the world to find him, Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of–for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom. There, she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny.

Have you read either of this month’s picks? What did you think?

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Sci-Fi Month 2014: YA to Adult SF Recommendations

This post is part of Sci-Fi Month 2014, an event hosted by myself and Oh, the Books!. You can keep up to date by following @SciFiMonth on Twitter, or the official hashtag #RRSciFiMonth.

Science fiction can be a scary genre. The potential that it holds can be daunting, and it can be difficult to know where to start. I know many readers who are more than happy to delve into Young Adult science fiction, but are wary of going any further. So I thought I’d make some recommendations of ‘heavier’ science fiction, based on YA books. Let me know what you think, and feel free to share your ideas!

If you enjoyed Insignia by S.J. Kincaid…

… then try Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

In both books, real life and online gaming become very entangled. So many of my fellow bloggers have read and loved both of these books! The 80s references only serve to make Ready Player One even more awesome.

If you enjoyed Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld…

… then try Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding.

Although one is an alternate history, and the other is a space western, they’re both steampunk books that really gave off the same sense of adventure to me. If you loved the steampunk inventions of Westerfeld’s series, as well as the fast pace of the story, you’ll enjoy Retribution Falls!

If you enjoyed All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill…

… then try Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Why? Because TIMEY WIMEY! Hyperion features a lot of (complicated but amazing) time travel, and is just a fantastic, fantastic book that I can’t recommend enough (seriously I’ve recommended it so many times over the past two and a bit years).

If you enjoyed Divergent by Veronica Roth…

… then try Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

If you want the classic dystopia disguised as a utopia, as seen in Divergent, then give Brave New World a try. It’s a harrowing tale of good intentions gone horribly wrong.

If you enjoyed Cinder by Marissa Meyer…

… then try Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

If you enjoyed reading about cyborgs in Cinder, then you might enjoy PKD’s Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? Like the cyborgs in Cinder’s world, the androids of this book are so human-like that it is almost impossible to tell. Philip K. Dick was a master of science fiction, and this is one of my absolute favourite science fiction books.

If you enjoyed Beta by Rachel Cohn…

… then try House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds.

Now I have to admit that I haven’t actually read Beta, but I really wanted to recommend House of Suns as it is another of my favourites – and as both books are about the lives of clones, I thought it was a good match. Now to read some more Alastair Reynolds and see if he is favourite author material…

What recommendations would you make for someone wanting to move from YA sci-fi to the ‘heavier’ stuff?

Museum of Literary Wonders #3

Hello, and welcome back to the Museum of Literary Wonders! Are you ready for another part of the tour? Perhaps some of you have just joined us for the first time today, in that case let me explain. I am Rinn, the curator and your tour guide for today. The museum holds many wonderful objects from many different worlds and universes, preserved in this museum because of their importance – perhaps they hold a lot of meaning, perhaps they’re important plot points or maybe just because they’re pretty… For whatever reason, they have been carefully stored in the museum collection so that generation after generation can learn about them. Today we’re going to head into the Young Adult exhibit!

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This Mockingjay pin was apparently the symbol of rebellion in a land called Panem. Supposedly, the citizens of Panem had to take part in a horrific event called ‘The Hunger Games’ every year, where young people from each of Panem’s districts would have to fight to the death. Their history books have recorded that one year, a young girl by the name of Katniss Everdeen managed to beat the system, and become a figurehead of a rebellion that changed Panem forever. The Mockingjay was her ‘symbol’, and apparently this was the very same Mockingjay pin that she wore!

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This glass slipper was discovered in New Beijing. As far as we can tell, it belonged to a cyborg by the name of Cinder – who also happened to be the best mechanic in all of New Beijing. Research into this artefact is still ongoing!

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Riptide is the sword previously belonging to the demi-god and son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson. Previously owned by Hercules, Riptide was forged thousands of years ago from Celestial Bronze, and it has been passed down through the years to various gods and demi-gods. It can be disguised as a normal object, for example a pen, but we have succeeded in dispelling the ‘Mist’ (that covers the eyes of mere mortals as opposed to mighty gods!) around this particular artefact, so you can view it in its full glory. You can see that it is engraved with a trident, a symbol of Poseidon. Its original name was ‘Anaklusmos’.

Are there any questions about today’s tour? What exhibits would you like to see next?

Sci-Fi Month: Definitive Science Fiction Reads

Today I want to share a challenge with you all: my definitive list of science fiction reads! They are books I feel every sci-fi fan should read at least once in their lifetime, and as well as creating a challenge for myself I hope that it can be challenge for some of you too. Although I already have a Top Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Challenge, I wanted to create one that reflected all different types of science fiction, including Young Adult. So it will actually be a mix of books I’ve loved, books I really feel I should read because they’re considered classics, and some titles that might often be overlooked, as well as some books that I’ve heard a lot of good things about.

 

If you’d like to join in, feel free! I’ll be keeping track of my progress too, on a separate post. Don’t forget to check out the schedule for the rest of today’s posts. You can also Tweet about the event using the hashtag #RRSciFiMonth.

‘Classic’ science fiction

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
• Foundation by Isaac Asimov
• The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
• The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
• Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
• A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
• Ringworld by Larry Niven
• The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon
• Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
• Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
• Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
• The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
• The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
• The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

Newer science fiction

• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Attwood
• The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
• Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
• Guardians of Paradise by Jaine Fenn
• Neuromancer by William Gibson
• The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
• Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
• Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons
• Mockingbird by Walter Tevis

Young Adult science fiction

• Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Breathe by Sarah Crossan
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Earth Girl by Janet Edwards
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Cinder by Melissa Meyer
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
• What’s Left Of Me by Kat Zhang

What do you think of the challenge? Are you going to join in?

Sci-Fi Month: Common Concepts in Science Fiction

Don’t forget to check out the schedule for the rest of today’s posts. You can also Tweet about the event using the hashtag #RRSciFiMonth.

 

There are some factors that just make a science fiction book. That’s not to say that all sci-fi novels have to contain all, or even any, of these points, but they’re often found within works of the genre. In the style of my very first Fantasy Friday post, I’m going to do a similar post with science fiction and talk about common concepts in the genre. You’re more than welcome to join in, if you make your own post there is an InLinks widget at the bottom where you can share your post URL.

 

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Time travel is something that has always fascinated humankind. I know some people do not get along with it in books, but personally I love it. There are series like Doctor Who where it is one of the main elements, or books like All Our Yesterdays. It opens up so many possibilities: parts of history can appear in a futuristic novel, historical figures can be brought to life – or civilisations even further ahead in time can be imagined. There are so many elements of time travel – alternate timelines, the grandfather paradox, many elements that would take a great deal more space to discuss!

See also: Doctor Who, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, The Time Machine by H.G Wells, The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Looper, Back to the Future, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

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Space travel is another big factor, often hand-in-hand with time travel. What makes it so exciting is that it’s something we can already do – albeit on a smaller scale than appears in most science fiction – so events in many books could be ones we have yet to look forward to! In some cases spaceships are able to travel in hyperspace and reach destinations very quickly, but some works of science fiction show space travel in a different way. For example, in the Mass Effect game universe, the player can find objects called mass relays (shown above), which form an enormous network allowing interstellar travel. In the Hyperion Cantos series by Dan Simmons, there is a price to pay for space travel. Certain characters are able to travel through space at such a speed that it kills them – but they are resurrected on the other side. It’s every bit as painful as it sounds, much to the dismay of one particular character who has to make several journeys in a short period of time!

 

See also: the Mass Effect video game series, the Hyperion Cantos series by Dan Simmons, House of Suns by Alistair Reynolds, Firefly, Sunshine, Star Trek, Star Wars – in fact there are so many different books, TV series, films and games I could mention!

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Aliens appear in so many works of science fiction, in all shapes and sizes. Occasionally they are friendly and help the human race, but most of the time… well you really don’t want to cross them. The Alien franchise (well, some of it) is a fantastic example of hostile alien races terrorising humans. I think they’re so popular because, admit it, we love the idea of there being some other form of intelligent life out there. There have been so many UFO spottings, abduction reports and other alien eyewitnesses that just prove we are obsessed. I for one am both really excited and kind of absolutely terrified by the idea of extra-terrestrial life. On one hand, they could be like the turians from Mass Effect (I’m a big Garrus fan), but on the other hand they might just be something like the creatures from Alien. And I don’t fancy meeting a facehugger, thank you very much.

See also: the Alien film series, the Mass Effect video game series, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Doctor Who, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

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This is one thing that makes me kind of sad when I read or watch sci-fi. I can’t remember ever seeing physical copies of books represented: characters always use ebooks or tablets to read or study. In fact it’s often some sort of multi-use device, for reading, communicating, studying and looking up information. I really hope that this is not our future; as much as I see the uses of an e-reader I would hate to live in a world without paperbacks.

 

See also: Acid by Emma Pass, the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Star Trek

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It’s not just extraterrestrial life that fascinates us, but also artificial life. And like extraterrestrial life, it can be scary. In many examples, life created by humankind gets its own back on its creators – but in some cases, androids or cyborgs are seen as lesser citizens. One such example is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, also adapted into the film Blade Runner, where a bounty hunter has to dispose of several androids who have defied orders. As for YA fiction, there is Cinder by Marissa Meyer, where the eponymous character would be shunned from society were she to reveal her true status. In many cases, androids and cyborgs are indistinguishable from humans, which can be all the more dangerous. **Alien spoilers ahead** Think how shocked the crew of the Nostromo were when they discovered Ash was an android all along. **end spoilers** So maybe you should think about thanking that ATM next time it spits your cash out. Because one day, the machines might rebel against us!

 

See also: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Prometheus, Blade Runner, Artificial Intelligence

What concepts do you often see cropping up in science fiction? I can think of plenty more but have chosen only to cover a few. Which are your favourites?

Sci-Fi Month: Favourite Sci-Fi Book Covers

Today I’m going to share my favourite science fiction book covers with you. Feel free to join in and share your link in the comments below! Don’t forget to check out the schedule for the rest of today’s posts. You can also Tweet about the event using the hashtag #RRSciFiMonth.

 

Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos #1 & #2) by Dan Simmons – I love these editions of this amazing series. Silhouettes are always a good choice, and the pilgrims on the front of the first book and the Shrike on the front of the second emphasise  whom each book centres around. And I really like it when series use a similar format for each book, changing small details like a main colour.

Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury – these editions of Bradbury’s books are just gorgeous. The vector illustrations and colour schemes work so well, and they’re eye-catching without being too cluttered.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells – this abstract cover works so well. It represents the blueprints and designs for the time machine, and is as mysterious as the workings of the machine itself. I always love the Penguin Classics covers!

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham – I chose this one because of the bright colours, it really catches my eye. I don’t actually particularly like a lot of the SF Masterworks covers, but this one is pretty. Plus giant man-eating plants attacking London!

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card – this cover really says ‘science fiction’ to me. It’s pretty simple, whilst being gorgeous – I love the NASA photos of deep space, all the wonderful colours and different stars.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – 8-bit cover! Pretty much instantly captures the book in one. Whilst not a ‘pretty’ cover like some, I think this one works so well with the subject matter.

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer – I mostly just think this cover is really clever. Cinder is a cyborg after all, so instantly conveying that message whilst using a traditional Cinderella image was a really good idea.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill – this one is so much nicer than the UK cover! The drab, grey buildings and stormy sky remind me of the dullness of every day life, and the clock in the middle represents the excitement of time travel. But that’s just me… just waiting for the TARDIS to arrive.

Jack Glass by Adam Roberts – definitely one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen so far this year, of any genre. It looks absolutely gorgeous and completely bends the stereotype of a ‘typical’ science fiction book cover.

What are your favourite science fiction covers? If you make your own post, feel free to link it up and let me know in the comments!

Monthly Roundup: September 2013

Every first Wednesday of the month, I’ll be posting a roundup of the month just gone, and writing about what’s to come in the next few weeks. This is replacing my Exciting New Releases feature, which may be integrated into this one.

 

 

I read ten books this month. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne (Dragon Age #1) by David Gaider, Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer, Every Day by David Levithan, Fire (Graceling #2) by Kristin Cashore, Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas, Prince of Thorns (Broken Empire #1) by Mark Lawrence, Guardians of Paradise by Jaine Fenn, I Am Venus by Barbara Mujica, The Daylight War (Demon Cycle #3) by Peter V. Brett and Article 5 (Article 5 #1) by Kristen Simmons. Which meant that by the end of September, I had read 68 out of 75 books for the 2013 Reading Challenge!

 

Currently reading:

 

Reviews on the blog this month:

• Fire (Graceling #2) by Kristin Cashore
• Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
• I Am Venus by Barbara Mujica
• The Daylight War (Demon Cycle #3) by Peter V. Brett

Book group related posts:

• I wrote up our thoughts on Ender’s Game and Prince of Thorns.
• We chose Elantris and Ready Player One as Octobers Books of the Month!

Other stuff on the blog:

• I bought a total of eleven books, borrowed six and received two from the publisher.
• I won Anya’s Brandon Sanderson giveaway, and chose Elantris as my prize!
• I joined Leanne’s Horror October event, and The Journey Home, a celebration of the Lumatere Chronicles hosted by Charlene and Paola.
• I started a new science fiction and fantasy based challenge.
• I posted my first Fantasy Friday post, a new feature that I’m hosting every two weeks. The next will be this Friday.
• I updated my readers on Sci-Fi Month, which is coming in November – and you’re more than welcome to join in!

Upcoming:

• A couple of reviews, including Every Day by David Levithan and Aphrodite: Goddess of Love by George O’Connor.
• My Horror October posts, every Tuesday this month! My schedule is here.
• My account of the Cheltenham Literature Festival – this weekend I’ll be seeing/meeting David Levithan, Sarah J. Maas, Maureen Johnson, Patrick Ness and Meg Rosoff, then Mary Beard next Sunday!