Amercian Literature – Digitizeme

Seveneves

Published on February 9, 2017February 9, 2017 by wmelnickLeave a comment

41cnn3ro7l The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason it was waxing, only one day short of full. The time was 05:03:12 UTC. Later it would be designated A+0.0.0, or simply Zero. Read the first 26 pages

The very beginning of an epic novel that explores what the human race would do if the moon exploded and world had to scramble to survive. Don’t choose this book if you are not a techy sci-fi geek, as there is plenty of technical scientific strategies and processes. It describes in detail what the people do and how they do it and the science behind it. But, it is a fascinating read and it stretches your imagination. The characters are deep and plausible and drive the story forward. This book is well worth the investment.

Feed

Published on December 7, 2016February 9, 2017 by wmelnickLeave a comment

M.T. Anderson creates a future dystopian world in FEED. People in this world have their brains altered to accept a chip that feeds them a constant stream of information, games, shows and advertisements, much like an internal internet. But, not everyone is happy with this arrangement. How can you rebel against this when it is done at birth? How can you turn off this noise in order to actually think for yourself. The book focuses on a group of teens that push the boundaries of their feed.

The book was the winner of the LA Times Book Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award. M.T. Anderson is a prolific writer and especially loves the world of the fantastic.

How to Set a Fire and Why

Published on November 2, 2016 by wmelnickLeave a comment

how-to-set-a-fire-and-why

Jesse Ball is an American poet and writer. There is much buzz about this new book, some comparing the protagonist, Lucia, to a female Holden Caulfield. She is an outsider who is comfortable in her own skin and not afraid to take risks. The book is written as a manuscript to the reader where we are in Lucia’s mind each moment. She attends high school and becomes intrigued by the Arson Club and gets involved with both the characters behind the club and the idea of total destruction. There is much philosophizing about life and is a very good read indeed.

The Expanse Series

Published on October 10, 2016October 10, 2016 by wmelnickLeave a comment

51q-9fs-ksl The Expanse is a series of six science fiction novels: Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War, Abaddon’s Gate, Cibola Burn, Nemesis Games and Babylon’s Ashes (to be released Dec 2016). The authors are Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, their pen name is James S. A. Corey. Lizard Brain is their blog and there you can find out about their books, interviews, Facebook, Twitter and the film series that they are working on based on the Expanse books.

I would include this particular series because it has all the elements of great fiction: deep characters, complicated and plausible action based stories, and by that I mean the details in the series are based on solid scientific principles, space theory and probable future outcomes. We not only care deeply about what happens to the characters, we are intrigued by space exploration, life on other planets and the rogue nature of unfettered technology. Once you start this series you will be compelled to complete it.

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

Published on October 10, 2016 by wmelnickLeave a comment

51rhyptxugl Paolo Bacigalupi creates a thriller that is based on the premise of severe water shortages across the southern United States. The southern states are fighting over the dwindling shares of the Colorado River and this story revolves around the players and those caught in the cross fire. It is a book that could very possible become true in the not too distant future. A must read for the environmentally aware.

Paolo Bacigalupi’s website.