The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

I had enjoyed New York 2140 so much this summer that when I saw this book on the new book shelf at the library, I picked it up immediately.

Published: 2020

Genre: climate scifi

Length: 563 pages

Setting: various part of the world with the center storyline in Zurich, Switzerland, about 50 years in the future

Summary: Short version: How humanity might address rising greenhouse gas levels

The Knowers by Helen Phillips

I finished our most recent read aloud, and this year have decided to intersperse short stories between the novels (instead of poetry). The trick is deciding on a decent story to read. I found this one on a list Oprah made.

Published: 2013 at Electric Lit (free to read at that link if you’d like)

Genre: scifi short story

Setting: some time in the near future up to April 17, 2043

Summary: The narrator finds out she will die on April 17, 2043 and it colors the rest of her life

Vintarini’s Peak by Scott Mattes

Another Clash of the Geeks story.

Published: 2010

Genre: science fiction short story

Setting: a society with genetic engineering

Short summary: Scalzi and Wheaton are rival climbers of Vintarini Volcano

Gate of Ivrel by C. J. Cherryh

I picked this up from the used book sale at the library since it was a classic scifi book.

Published: 1976

Genre: science fiction

Length: 191 pages

Setting: a medieval tech world

Summary: Short version: Vanye and Morgaine work to close the Gate of Ivrel

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang

I received a copy of this short story collection with the Hugo Awards packet. I decided to review all of the stories, after reading the Hugo nominated stories (he had more than one from this collection this year).

Published: 2019

Genre: science fiction short story collection

Length: 352 pages

Summary: Short version: A collection of science fiction short stories

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

This is second book in the Old Man’s War series.

Published: 2006

Genre: science fiction

Length: 343 pages

Setting: planets in the near-Earth universe, soon after events of Old Man’s War

Summary: Short version: The CDF investigates Boutin using a clone

The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

This is the fourth story in Ted Chiang’s collection, Exhalation: Stories.

Published: 2010 by Subterranean Press. It is available as a standalone novella if you are interested

Genre: science fiction novella

Length: 111 pages

Setting: near future American city

Summary: Short version: What happens to conscious digital entities when their platform becomes obsolete?

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The tagline for this book was “lesbian necromancers in space”. I was instantly intrigued. I’m not sure it lived up to my expectations, but I’m not sad I read it.

Published: 2019

Genre: speculative fiction. It has necromantic magic explained scientifically, so a weird blend of scifi and fantasy

Length: 448 pages

Setting: far future, the worlds of the First and Ninth Houses

Summary: Short version: The heirs of the nine Houses are brought together to become Lyctors for the Emperors

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

This is the second story in Ted Chiang’s collection, Exhalation: Stories.

Published: Originally in 2008 in Eclipse 2: New Science Fiction and Fantasy

Genre: science fiction short story

Length: 21 pages

Setting: some other world

Short summary: A scientist leaves a record of how his people will die when the air pressure within their bodies is equal to the external air pressure

Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom by Ted Chiang

This is another novella nominated for a Hugo this year.

Published: 2019 in Exhalation: Stories

Genre: science fiction novella

Length: 71 pages

Setting: a near future city

Summary: Nat works for a company that buys prisms. Prisms are quantum entangled devices that allow people to talk to another universe. The trick is to find a prism that connects a universe different enough from your own to make it worth it to talk to it. Morrow, one of Nat’s colleagues, finds one like that. He just needs to convince the owner to sell it to him so he can make some money off of it.