Science Fiction

It's the day we're all waiting for...in a galaxy far, far away. Enter the world of Jedis, Sith, Rebels, Mandalorians, and Yodas of all ages! Here are some quick links and library materials to help you celebrate this annual tradition.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

  • Official Star Wars Day website - Head here for videos, free activities, and info on all things Star Wars.
  • The Mandalorian Junior Novel (eBook) - A junior novel retelling of the first season of the smash-hit, instantly iconic Disney+ series, The Mandalorian.
  • The Ultimate Star Wars And Philosophy (eAudiobook) - Does it take faith to be a Jedi? Are droids capable of thought? Should Jar Jar Binks be held responsible for the rise of the Empire? Presenting entirely new essays, no aspect of the myth and magic of George Lucas's creation is left philosophically unexamined in The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy.
  • Star Wars: The High Republic - Long before the Clone Wars, the Empire, or the First Order, the Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in a golden age known as the High Republic! Check out the newest (oldest?) chapter in the Star Wars saga with books for all ages on hoopla.

The High Republic: The Great Jedi Rescue (read-along eBook)

The High Republic: A Test Of Courage (Juvenile eBook)

The High Republic: Into The Dark (YA eBook) 

The High Republic Adventures (eComic) 

Library Books and Comics

The holiday season is upon us and because of the ongoing Covid pandemic it's going to look and feel different for a lot of us. You can still take a little escape or get into the holiday spirit with the viewing of  some classic Christmas film like It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, or A Christmas Carol.

Others may require something more from their holiday fare this year. They might be looking for something that harkens back to when Christmas was a spookier time where people used to share ghost stories around the fire. Or perhaps they're looking for a little supernatural darkness to contrast with the holiday lights. Or maybe they're just in the mood to watch the action filled exploits of brave heroes who are out to insure that there is peace on earth and good will towards men during the holiday season.

If you're one of those people we're here to help with our suggestions for 12 holiday themed or set films in the library's physical or digital collections. In today's installment we'll kick this Yuletide movie party off with bang by recommending six action films

Die Hard (1988)

It wouldn't be a celebration of holiday themed action movies without Die Hard; one of the greatest action movies of all time. This spectacular film is probably already part of many people's holiday season viewing traditions, and if not it should be! It's got incredible action, a charismatic hero, and one of the best on screen villains ever in Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).

Available via DVD

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are the "Oscars" of the comics world. Check below to access eBook or borrow print copies of many award nominees. Visit the San Diego Comic-Con site for the complete list of nominees

Best Continuing Series

One of the best things about science fiction is that sometimes an author's vision of the future turns out to be correct-and sometimes it's so, so wrong. Virtual reality, self-driving cars, and even the moon landing were featured in stories long before they were technologically possible. Then again, we are still waiting on moon bases and flying cars. Check out these futuristic reads from the 80s: how many of them gave us realistic visions of the future? How many might still come true?

Neuromancer by 1948- William Gibson
Also available in: audiobook

Case was the sharpest data-thief in the matrix--until he crossed the wrong people and they crippled his nervous system, banishing him from cyberspace. Now a mysterious new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run at an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, a mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case is ready for the adventure that upped the ante on an entire genre of fiction.

The handmaid's tale [sound recording] by 1939- Margaret Atwood
Also available in: print | audiobook | e-audiobook | video | large print

In a time of declining birthrates, fertile women are dispersed to high-ranking white men as baby-making handmaids. If a handmaid cannot reproduce, she is exiled to the Colonies, an uber-polluted wasteland. One of these handmaids, Offred, not only remembers her life before the revolution, but is determined to reclaim it.

As we near the end of Black History Month, we can look to the future as well. Although the term "afrofuturism" was coined in the 1990s, the works that it is used to describe have been around for much longer. Afrofuturistic books, movies, and music explore the intersection of science fiction, fantasy, technology, and the cultural experience of Black people around the world. If you're curious about this genre, the following books, movies, and albums at the Library are a great place to start:

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.

Also available in: e-book | audiobook | e-audiobook

Seventeen-year-old Zelie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.

Looking for books with non-stop action and cliff-hangers galore?  Then, try one of these:

The maze runner by 1972- James Dashner
Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo

A few years ago, local author Josh Malerman brought the story of "Bird Box" to life. Now it's traveled from Michigan suburbs and backwoods to the small screen and folks can't get enough! So take off your blindfold for these other books and films that will have you shutting your blinds...

 

Bird box by Josh Malerman

Written with the narrative tension of The Road and the exquisite terror of classic Stephen King, Bird Box is a propulsive, edge-of-your-seat horror thriller, set in an apocalyptic near-future world--a masterpiece of suspense from the brilliantly imaginative Josh Malerman.

Black mad wheel by Josh Malerman

 From the author of the hit literary horror debut Bird Box comes a chilling novel about a group of musicians conscripted by the US government to track down the source of a strange and debilitating sound.

The Danes--the band known as the "Darlings of Detroit"--are washed up and desperate for inspiration, eager to once again have a number one hit. That is, until an agent from the US Army approaches them. Will they travel to an African desert and track down the source of a mysterious and malevolent sound?

If you're looking to fill the long wait until the next Star Wars movie is released, check out some of these great stories from the Star Wars Universe.

Last shot by Daniel José Older
Also available in: print

Enjoyed 1984 and the Chronicles of Narnia? Try one of these:

I, robot by Isaac Asimov
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

In a society in which books are outlawed, Montag, a regimented fireman in charge of burning the forbidden volumes, meets a revolutionary school teacher who dares to read. Suddenly he finds himself a hunted fugitive, forced to choose not only between two women, but between personal safety and intellectual freedom.

Looking for stories with fantastical technology, aliens, or predictions of the future? Check these out. Categories below include General Sci-Fi, Space, Dystopian, and Steampunk.

General Sci-Fi

The 5th wave by Richard Yancey

Cassie Sullivan, the survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her young brother from the enemy with help from a boy who may be one of them.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Science Fiction