A father mysteriously slips through time in Joseph Eckert’s The Traveler
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As the UK experiences an extraordinary May heatwave, it seems fitting that many science-fiction writers are envisioning bleak futures where characters battle extreme temperatures. I’m particularly intrigued by M. John Harrison’s forthcoming exploration of a dystopian world. For those not interested in apocalyptic scenarios, there are other science-fiction novels to enjoy this month. Currently, I’m captivated by Joseph Eckert’s time-travel narrative, The Traveler. Next on my list is Isabel J. Kim’s Sublimation, a science-fiction take on immigration. For a lighter read, I’m considering Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Green City Wars.
M. John Harrison, acclaimed for his award-winning authorship, has penned a novel that I find quite appealing. Set in a future transformed by an enigmatic “crisis,” this story unfolds in a world where the seas teemed with new life forms. Phillip, a collector of items washed ashore from the Channel, encounters a creature that continuously evolves…
Over a weekend, I delved into a thrilling time-travel adventure centered around a father-son bond. Scott Treder, a father and husband, experiences his first “slip” while commuting. One moment he is in his car, the next he finds himself on the road without his vehicle, and a day has passed. These time slips begin at 7:52 am each morning, doubling in duration until he races through time, missing weeks, years, and decades, watching his son, Lyle, grow up. Lyle, however, is determined to reunite with his father.
The concept in Nebula award-winner Isabel J. Kim’s work is fascinating: emigrating leaves behind a physical version of oneself. You can communicate with your original “instance,” hoping for eventual reintegration. Soyoung Rose Kang left home at age 10 and hasn’t contacted her other “instances” since. Now residing in New York, her Korean instance insists she return for her grandfather’s funeral.
After finishing Adrian Tchaikovsky’s previous novel, Children of Strife, I am eager to read his latest release. Set in a solar-powered future where humans enjoy luxury maintained by “Little Helpers”—enhanced animals who ensure the cities function smoothly under the rule of “do not disturb the humans.” The narrative follows raccoon investigator Skotch, tasked with locating a fugitive mouse scientist while adhering to this rule.
In a post-apocalyptic setting, a cozy romance unfolds. Kayla, living in the desolate Canadian Pacific Northwest, travels to Salt Spring Island with her ill sister April in search of medical help. Unable to access care, Kayla strikes a deal with aspiring politician Sid to save April, agreeing to marry him for treatment. Amidst this arrangement, genuine emotions begin to develop.
Salt Spring Island – an apocalyptic setting for Emily Paxman
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Meg Elison, Philip K. Dick award recipient, imagines a scenario where wealthy right-wing individuals attempt to seize control of the US by secretly cloning the Founding Fathers, aiming to restore the nation’s “original glory.” However, when “Ben” (presumably Franklin) discovers a smartphone in the plantation’s outhouse, the young clones decide to forge their own path.
In a world devastated by future events, Korean citizens escape their harsh realities through virtual reality headsets. A high school student, Soop, is bullied for lacking VR access, placing her hopes on meeting K-pop star Yichae, who plans to film a music video at her school.
Teacher Youngah, secretly discontent with her life dictated by others’ expectations, embarks on a four-week emotional regulation program. Upon completion, she embraces her true self, shedding societal constraints, and finds satisfaction in her newfound freedom.
In an isolated mountaintop feminist community, Mila struggles to maintain order while an orchid endling nears extinction. When the women mysteriously become pregnant and Mila births the only boy, their community’s values are challenged.
VALET by J.P. Lacrampe
Helper robot Cy is less than thrilled when tasked with assisting his owner’s 35-year-old son, Grayson, in overcoming his despondency. However, Grayson’s discovery that his CEO sister, Charlotte, plans to sell the family business to a tech giant sparks his ambition to orchestrate a corporate coup. The story unfolds into a “mad-cap adventure,” described by the publisher as a “whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster.”
Mitch is stuck in a backwater moon base in The Disco At the End of the World
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Set in 1977 in an alternate universe, where the US launched its space program shortly after World War II, Mitch joined the US Spaceguard because of his lost love, Flynn. He has been stationed at a remote moon base until a dishonorable discharge returns him to the US. Flynn reappears, claiming to be a host for an emissary from a utopian alien civilization.
The sequel to Hamilton’s EXODUS: The Archimedes Engine explores a distant future where human society is reduced to serfdom under the Celestials. Can Finn and his allies finally gain their freedom?
Defrosted by Cristina LePort
This intriguing medical thriller features cryogenically preserved scientist Peter and his wife Monica awakening two centuries in the future. They find themselves in a dystopian world threatened by the pervasive “mitocancer.”
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