Book picks similar to
The Stainless Steel Rat: The Gateway Collection by Harry Harrison
science-fiction
fiction
sf
form-prose
Adopted Son
Dominic Peloso - 2006
An invasion not from the stars but from within our wombs. All over the world children are being born.different. Their features are alien, their DNA isn't human, their loyalties are unknown. As scientists, spies, and regular citizens race to make sense of this new disease they find themselves asking the same question: Is this the first wave of an alien assault on Earth? Celebrated fiction author and bioterrorism expert Dominic Peloso weaves a complex tale of alien invasion, environmental catastrophe, and societal upheaval, in a world not too removed from our own. Adopted Son perfectly blends hard sci-fi with biting political and social commentary to create a truly modern literary masterpiece that transcends genres.
2012 Lunar Contact
J.D. Clarke - 2012
It is the riches of our moon. Unfortunately their mining of the moon threatens Earth. An intrepid group of astronauts are given the mission of making contact with the aliens that have so far ignored humans. What follows is anything but what was planned, as they get swept up into a war between beings that travel space and operate on a technology beyond Newtonian physics.
The Explorer
James Smythe - 2012
They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue.But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.
Going, Going, Gone
Jack Womack - 2000
government freelancer, stays busy testing new psychotropics on himself and unsuspecting citizens. Walter's conscience never interferes with his work--until he's asked to help sabotage Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign. The ghosts who've moved into his apartment aren't much comfort. Then two outre femmes fatales show up and frog-march Walter out of Max's Kansas City before the Velvet Underground can finish their first song. The ladies have a mission. They need to save New York--both his and theirs. Called "infernally clever" by Locus, Going, Going, Gone is a deeply entertaining novel that closes Jack Womack's acclaimed Ambient series and serves up an apt diagnosis of modern America. "Daringly, scaringly distinct in contemporary fiction."--Marjorie Preston, Philadelphia Weekly "The action moves with amphetamine quickness, and Womack's surefooted control over his material completely sucks us in."--Bruce Bauman, Bookforum
A Printer’s Choice
W.L. Patenaude - 2018
The dead man—a young Dominican Priest—had secretly made his way “upside” and lived as a common laborer. His intentions are a mystery and the killer’s identity and motive are questions that the best investigators of the new world cannot answer. With public order threatened, the reputation of the ruling engineers at stake, and criminal elements seizing the opportunity to gain control, authorities seek help from Earth—itself recovering from decades of war and environmental crises. With assistance from the Vatican, they recruit Father John Francis McClellan, a parish priest from Boston and a retired US Marine Corps expert in “high-defs”—the artificially intelligent three-dimensional printers that built the new world. A Printer’s Choice tells a story of faith, the future, and the power of free will. It explores questions about sentience, choice, and the necessity of choosing well. Set in locations on Earth and in the orbits, the story takes place in a future extrapolated from today’s geopolitical and ecological turmoil. In this epic debut novel, author W. L. Patenaude illuminates not just the struggles of our world, but also the promises and implications of building a better one, one choice at a time.
The Last Prayer
Lyndon Perry - 2013
For generations, an oligarchy of priests and politicians preserved their standing while the common workers lived in ignorance. When a young girl starts speaking of heaven as if it were just outside, the rigid caste system begins to crack. Sides are quickly drawn. The only thing preventing a violent upheaval is an old priest's confession and the child's last prayer. But will such simple faith be enough to save them all?
Last Contact (Titan Chronicles #3)
Samuel Best - 2021
The crew’s daring plan might be the only way to save humanity.Meanwhile, a research station in orbit around Venus could hold the key to survival. The scientists on board have been studying an alien creature that may be connected to Earth’s imminent demise—if only they could make contact…The events of Mission One and Deep Black culminate in this thrilling conclusion to the Titan Chronicles.
The Wraith's Story
Natalie K. French - 2015
THIS BOOK CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT DANGEROUS BEAUTY... This first novella in an exciting new series will take you to a future unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The world of BRIGAND is as beautiful as it is cruel - a landscape of sharp edges and sharper characters. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes harsh, always sexy, it's a world filled with people who play power games that span multiple planets and the life of a scut can be bought for a few ounces of fresh water. Genetically modified and cybernetically augmented before she even left the womb, Subject 11 was to be one of the Mandate of St. Nicolo's most potent tools of statecraft. With her contract bid out to one of the great families of Marajo Lift, she would become a crucial wheel within the many thousands of wheels that formed the Mandate's legendary engine of intrigue. But 11 had other plans... NOTE: The cover illustration for this novella has been changed to more accurately reflect the main character. DO NOT buy it if you have already purchased The Wraith's Story. ~22,000 words
Eve of Man
Giovanna Fletcher - 2018
. .All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past.But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate.Until she meets Bram.Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom.But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?EVE OF MAN is the first in an explosive new trilogy by bestselling authors Giovanna & Tom Fletcher.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues / Jitterbug Perfume / Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
Tom Robbins - 2002
Times What They Are
D.L. Barnhart - 2015
Panicked millions gridlock roads as Ray Bramlett escapes New York, barely ahead of a radioactive cloud. A thousand miles west, Karla Becker stares in horror at the televised images—sure the aftermath will bring worse. While Karla hunkers down at home, trusting her preparations, Ray seeks safety among his Tennessee friends. Each of their strategies buys time, but as social order collapses around them, both plans go awry. Now, survival means confronting a world teeming with sudden death and learning that no sanctuary remains safe forever.
Hegemony
Mark Kalina - 2012
The Hegemony's vast warships dominate the skies over a hundred worlds, protecting its subjects and enforcing its will. The interceptor pilots of the Hegemonic Fleet are the cutting edge of the Hegemony's military might, the tip of the spear. In a split second, they can decide the outcome of a battle that can affect the fates of whole star systems. The life expectancy of an interceptor pilot is measured in minutes. It's debatable if they're still human. It's debatable if they're even alive to begin with. Alekzandra Neel has attained what she sought; a place among the stars, a chance to be an interceptor pilot of the Hegemonic Fleet. She doesn't expect it to be safe or easy. But as war clouds gather and billions look to the skies with nervous fear, she has no idea what the real cost could be.
The Newman Resident
Charles Swift - 2014
Dr. Newman is at the leading edge of creating the perfect educational environment for children, and all he requires is a hefty tuition—and your child at the age of six months.Christopher Carson is one of the “Newman Residents” who live at the Newman Home year-round. His parents, Richard and Carol, both Manhattan attorneys, may disagree about the specifics, but each wants what’s best for their son. For Richard, this means bringing Christopher, now six years old, home for one last summer vacation before the visits become brief and infrequent.Carol agrees with the staff: Christopher should stay at the school. And Christopher is confused, not sure where his real home is anymore. But Richard would like for their house to be Christopher’s home, at least for one summer.As Richard and Christopher spend more time together they become closer. Not long into Christopher’s visit, Richard begins to suspect that the Newman Home’s methods for developing their children into future leaders are too experimental, if not outright dangerous. His suspicions are confirmed when a secretive support group of Newman parents reaches out to him about their frightening experiences with the school.Richard’s investigations into the Newman Home quickly spiral out of control; he has underestimated the extent of the school’s power and connections—and Dr. Newman’s incessant drive to achieve a new level of success for the students. But what Dr. Newman underestimates may be even more powerful: one father’s determination to fight for his son against the odds.What follows in The Newman Resident is a whirlwind battle between a devoted father and an education system more terrifyingly powerful than he ever could have imagined. It’s a battle that forces him to confront how some will cross any line in order to create the “perfect” child.
The Dragons of Jupiter
Jacob Holo - 2013
Two brothers at war.With advanced weaponry and impenetrable armor, the Crusaders smash aside anything that stands in their way. Led by Kaneda Kusanagi, they have only one mission: to destroy Matriarch, the last thinking machine, and free the people of Jupiter from her tyranny.Whether they like it or not.Standing in their way are the Dragons, led by Kaneda’s estranged brother Ryu. With super-human reflexes and invisible battle suits, the Dragons are masters of infiltration and sabotage. Loyal only to Matriarch, they will stop at nothing to protect their way of life.The two brothers are set to collide in a battle that will shake the great powers of the solar system and force both men to question what they believe in.
Alpha Centauri
Lisa Richman - 2018
In the wake of war, refugees still flee to nearby stars, but there are sinister forces at work in Alpha Centauri who would turn their plight into profit. None of this is apparent to an easygoing, self assured pilot-for-hire named Jason Andrews. Recently arrived from Proxima Centauri to visit his sister, he is sucked into a covert operation by a brother-in-law who is not who he seems. But then again, neither is Jason.... But the enemy they face has grown more powerful than any had expected, and the fate of the star systems' humans and AIs are at stake. Jason must engage in an all-out bid to save a world he's just getting to know, in a war he only just learned about. **