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Reading Rescue, March 2010:
Get Away with Science Fiction/Fantasy
 By
Anne Allen
Do you ever feel like you just need to get away? Not
away like going to the beach or for a weekend stay, but really, really
far away? The Reading Rescuers (no boring books here!) know that
feeling. and with the help of some new science fiction/fantasy books, we
are here to expand your horizons and help you explore another universe.
Carmen Dula is nearly 18 when she and her family embark
on a six-month long journey – to Mars. In Marsbound by Joe
Haldeman, Carmen, her brother Card and their parents take off for a
six-year stay on the Red Planet. Angry and rebellious one night, Carmen
takes a trip outside the colony buildings and encounters, well, what
else, Martians. Of course, they aren't really Martians, but what they
are and the results of the meeting will keep you turning the pages. Set
approximately ten years later, Starbound is the second (of three)
of Haldeman's "First Contact" novels. Carmen and her former
boyfriend/now husband, Paul, are part of a small group on a long
(six-plus years each way!) voyage to the planet of the Others. If you
like classic science fiction with strong characters (think Robert
Heinlein), these are the books for you.
We've noticed lately that young adult books are edgier
and deal with much tougher issues than in the past. Patrick Nesser's "Chaos
Walking" books really illustrate this, with their focus on teenaged
characters with adult problems. In The Knife of Never Letting Go
(found in the young adult section), young Todd is about to turn 13, when
he'll be considered a man in his home of Prentisstown. He's not exactly
sure what will happen then, which is surprising when you consider that
everyone hears everyone else's thoughts there. Another strange thing is
that Prentisstown has no women. Todd doesn't know what happened to them
(he can vaguely remember his mother), but while women are a topic that
none of the men will discuss, they certainly think about them a lot. One
day, foraging in the woods, Todd and his dog Manchee come across a
silent spot, a place where there are no thoughts to be heard, and
realize they've found a girl. Viola is the only survivor from a scout
ship, and soon she and Todd are on the run. In the sequel, The Ask
and the Answer, Viola continues to search for a way to warn her
fellow settlers still in the rocket ship and Todd is forced into working
for the new president, an old enemy from Prentisstown. With scenes
involving death and racial prejudice, this is not an easy read, but an
engrossing one. Nesser raises ethical and moral questions for the reader
to ponder as his characters struggle to survive in a new society and
also fight to undermine it.
Picture a planet-sized prison, one that is organic,
self-sufficient, and constantly adapting to its prisoners. This is
Incarceron, in the book of the same name by Catherine Fisher (also a
young adult book), a prison where no one enters and no one leaves,
except the Warden. Designed to be a utopia for its inmates, Incarceron
has slowly degraded into a lawless place, sentient but insane, a charnel
where the inmates are terrorized by gangs and by tricks played by the
prison itself. Young prisoner Finn believes he came from Outside, a
belief that is supported when he acquires a mysterious crystal key
believed to open every door, a key with decorations that match his eagle
tattoo. Claudia is the Warden's daughter, living in a world run by
computers and forced by royal protocol to live in the manner of the 17th
century. When Claudia steals a crystal key from her father's office and
accidentally contacts Finn, she sets off a serious of events that
threatens protocol and the royal family itself. Incareron is
enthralling, with treachery galore, sympathetic characters, lots of
suspense, and an ending that leaves the door open for a sequel. We hope!
Are you ready to ride the rails again? We aren’t
referring to Amtrak, but to Timothy Zahn's Quadrail, the
interstellar train operated by the mysterious Spiders. Frank Compton and
Bayta are back for another adventure in The Domino Pattern, using their
diamond chip-crusted unlimited first class train tickets and trying to
keep the universe safe from the group mind known as the Mohdri. Stuck
for six weeks on the Quadrail as they travel across space, Frank and
Bayta encounter a new adversary, one who has circumvented the Spiders'
strict security measures and brought death on board the train. As
passengers die and panic spreads, Frank and Bayta turn to an unexpected
ally for help. Zahn has lots of fun with the habits of the various
aliens, the train itself is always a great setting, and this is a
rollicking space adventure, full of entertainment for the reader.
In The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg, Portier de
Savin-Duplais is a failed sorcerer turned librarian in Sabria, a country
where magic is slowly disappearing. When his distant cousin, King
Philippe, narrowly evades assassination in an attempt that implicates
the queen and seems to involve magic, Portier is asked to conduct a
quiet investigation. Assisted by the queen's brother (and laughingstock
of the royal court), and hopeful he can also solve an old mystery
involving his father, Portier sets off to find a true magician to help
uncover the truth. With unforgettable characters like the renegade
sorcerer Dante and foppish Ilario, and intricate puzzles at every turn,
Berg creates a truly magical story.
Thanks to our patrons for their patience this past
winter. The library was closed for only four days due to wintry weather,
but there were other days with early closings and late openings. As
always, contact the library at (724) 744-4414 or
cmiller@pennlib.org.
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