Exit Strategy

Wells, Martha. Exit Strategy. Book 4 of the Murderbot Diaries. 2018. 172p. ISBN 9781250191854.

Murderbot is a highly efficient security unit, or SecUnit, that was never programmed with the capacity for empathy or care. Despite this inherent lack of feeling, the SecUnit makes a crucial and deeply problematic decision to help the only human who ever treated it with respect, Dr. Mensah—a choice it suspects must be a significant "system glitch." After traversing the vast expanse of the galaxy to unearth the truth about both its own forgotten murderous history and the illegal activities of the monolithic GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is now heading back to its base of operations.

Murderbot's critical mission is to assist Dr. Mensah in submitting the damning evidence it collected, which is crucial to preventing the GrayCris Corporation from destroying additional colonial settlements in its relentless, profitable pursuit of resources. However, this high-stakes endeavor is fraught with peril as Dr. Mensah is kidnapped by GrayCris and finds herself trapped on a space station. Despite its misgivings, Murderbot decides to rescue the doctor, while knowing that being captured will mean death or, even worse, analysis in a lab to figure out how it escaped its original programming. With the stake this high, Murderbot is one mistake away from losing the independence it savors!

Readers who enjoy fast-paced, action-packed science fiction and space operas will find Exit Strategy highly entertaining. It is perfectly suited for those who appreciate a unique, snarky, and self-aware AI protagonist whose inner monologue drives the narrative. Fans of stories involving corporate espionage, battles against ruthless megacorporations, and themes of identity, humanity, and found family will be drawn to Murderbot’s reluctant and dangerous mission to do the right thing. The mix of thrilling adventure and deep internal character development offers a satisfying read!

How to Survive on the Moon: Lunar Lessons from a Rocket Scientist

Morancy, Joalda. How to Survive on the Moon: Lunar Lessons from a Rocket Scientist. 2025. 48p. ISBN 9781684494477.

What would it be like to travel to the Moon? To live on it? How to Survive on the Moon offers an exciting and informative journey into the world of lunar exploration. Written by a real rocket scientist, this book aims to equip young readers with the knowledge needed to survive on the moon. It delves into practical aspects of lunar living, such as building underground shelters, mitigating the dangers of moon dust, and cultivating food in a lunar environment.

Beyond practical tips, readers are introduced to cutting-edge lunar science, including the concept of underground cities and innovative technologies like lunar catapults for transporting materials back to Earth. This is not the stuff of science fiction but rather real-world science that supports these concepts. The inclusion of hilarious illustrations adds a playful and visually appealing dimension, rendering the book more accessible and enjoyable for readers. Space enthusiasts will appreciate the technical details and will be inspired by the wonders of lunar exploration and the possibilities of future space travel.

The Ascendant Stars

Cobley, Michael. The Ascendant Stars. Book 3 of  Humanity's Fire. 2011. 467p. ISBN 9781841496351.

The forces in the galaxy are converging on Darien as the concluding chapter of Humanity's Fire reaches its climax. The Hegemony's battle fleet of over 2,000 ships is traveling toward the human planet, looking to inflict such a destructive lesson no one else will ever forget. A rag-tag alliance of representatives of the three lost human colonies with alien allies readies to defend the planet against overwhelming odds. Greg Cameron, the archeologist turned rebellion leader, successfully allies people with disparate interests as Catriona marshals Segrana and the Zyradin's vast resources to protect the planet and its inhabitants.

The Knight of the Legions of the Avatar has deployed his mechs and taken control of the warpwell on Giant's Shoulder, and the barriers preventing the rest of the Legions from escaping the deepest part of the hyperspace abyss have been removed. Meanwhile, the Construct and its myriad agents, among them Reski Emantes, work with the Earth Ambassador Robert Horst to defeat the Godhead, who set all of these plots in motion to gain ascension to a higher plane of existence. Talavares, the Godhead's agent, is ready to deploy 500 anti-dark matter missiles against 500 worlds, causing them to go supernova. Julia, like Catriona, an enhanced human, fractionalizes her mind and successfully escapes the prison her body has become. 

With all of these forces converging on Darien, the resulting confrontation threatens to destroy the galaxy!

Orphaned Worlds

Cobley, Michael. Orphaned Worlds. Book 2 of the Humanity's Fire series. 2010. 480p. ISBN 9781841496337. 

The deployment of Brolturan troops on Darien in Seeds of Earth was followed by a stiffening resistance as the humans on the planet sought to defend their home against a ruthless invader. Greg Cameron finds himself the unlikely leader of the resistance defending against mech attacks and assaults from Brotulran troops. A Knight of the Legion of Avatars, an ancient sentient race that long ago merged with machines to transcend the bounds of flesh, reaches Darian and diverts control of a Sendrukan mech factory for its own nefarious purposes. Ambassador Robert Horst, who traveled through hyperspace to meet with the Construct and then on to request the Godhead's help, seeks to transport the Zyradin, an ancient ally of the Forerunners, back to Darien to shore up the defenses of the forest entity that protects the planet and its moon.

When religious fanatics destroy the Brotulran's flagship and land troops on Darien and its moon, the human warship is forced to withdraw. Meanwhile, a group of humans known as the Enhanced have been captured by another human, who serves the Spiral but has devious plans of her own in place. As AI takes control of the Brolturan positions and battle strategy, the Sendrukan ambassador is isolated in a shifting political situation. With forces gathering on Darien, the Legion's ancient evil seeks to escape from its prison deep in hyperspace. Will Catriona's transformation into Guardian thanks to the Zyradin help shift the balance of power?

The Seeds of Earth

Cobley, Michael. The Seeds of Earth. Book 1 of the Humanity's Fire series. 2009. 400p. ISBN 9781841496320.

When Earth was attacked, three colony ships managed to escape. One of them crashed on a world the humans called Darien. Populated by Uvovo, a race of small furry scholarly humanoids who live in a symbiotic relationship with what remains of the large forest which once covered the entire planet and its moon. The humans crash landed on the planet after their ship AI took over controls of the colony ship. Over the last 150 years, this ragtag band of humans established cities on one of the continent, and developed a vibrant culture, incorporating Uvovo influence. The two races have been learning from each other, and the humans have been helping the Uvovo conduct archeological research on significant sites, including on Giant's Shoulder, in what appears to be an ancient temple.

Greg Cameron is one of these archeologists, and he works closely with Chel, one of the Uvovo scholars. They discover that Giant's Shoulder shelters a warpwell, an ancient device built by the Forerunners in their battle against the Legion of Avatars. This revelation coincides with the arrival in orbit of an Earth ship. Earth survived the insectoid assault and has allied itself with the Sendrukan Hegemony, a large star empire. The Earth ship transports a Sendrukan ambassador, who lands on Darien and soon assumes control. The Sendrukans call on their allies, the Brolturans, to provision troops and warships for the new planet. The Sendrukans are hoping to access the warpwell so they can dominate the galaxy.

As the situation degenerates on Darien, humanity's two other lost colonies are also brought into the galatic battle. A large cast of characters creates a proper space opera spanning the galaxy as ancient enemies seek to escape the bonds that keep them subdued in the lowest tiers of hyperspace to once again wreck destruction and impose their will on a suffering galaxy!

The story continues in Orphaned Worlds. 

Alive

Sigler, Scott. Alive. Book 1 of the Generations Trilogy. 2015. 345p. ISBN 9780553393101.

M. wakes up in a coffin. Terrorized, the twelve-year-old manages to break out of the confine of her wooden box, only to discover that there are 11 other wooden boxes in the room. Muffled sounds from another box indicates that someone else is trapped, so M. grabs a bar laying nearby and breaks the cover. Inside is another girl, about 15 or sixteen, who is relieved to be free, but who claims to also be 12, and that today is her birthday. Looking at herself, M. realizes she also has the body of a teenager. She doesn't remember much about her life, only having snippets of information. She can't even remember her own name, nor can she recall the faces of her parents.

In the room, they discover four more kids who are alive, and six who died in the coffins. All of the survivors are confused and scared, but M. takes control, and soon the group is roaming the hallway, looking for an exit. The hallway is straight and is inclined upward, indicating they must be buried deep within some sort of structure. When they come across another larger group of kids, M. contests their leader's command, and Bishop, who led the group, reluctantly yields to her. At heart, all of them are still 12, with predictable childish reactions.

As they search for food and water, the combined group encounters a feral pig, and soon come across a room filled with farmland, vegetables, fruits, and pigs. But just as they hunt the pig, the pigs are hunting them, and some of their comrades fall victims to the pigs' voracious appetite.

When one of M.'s new friend is kidnapped by strange monsters in the farmland, they escape back to the hallway, only to return to their point of origin. Suddenly it dawns on them that they are prisoners on a gigantic starship. And the monsters that hunt them are themselves, only adult and deformed by radiation and years spent in isolation in space. Will M and her group discover a way to escape this hell?

The Last Command

Zahn, Timothy. The Last Command. Book 3 of the Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. 1993. 467p. ISBN 9780553091861.

In Dark Force Rising, Grand Admiral Thrawn displayed masterly tactical skills, employing his dark Jedi to facilitate the destruction of the New Republic. Having gathered to him what was left of the Imperial forces. and having recovered the technology to once again clone soldiers, Thrawn is making a bid to restore the Empire. With Princess Leia pregnant with twins and barely holding the Alliance together, Hans and Luke are tasked to once again reverse a hopeless situation.

While Hans gathers smugglers and criminals, with the plan of making one last stand against Thrawn, Luke leads a small team inside the cloning facility with the aim of destroying it and cutting the flow of Imperial soldiers. But with the Emperor's assassin still on the loose, and a dark Jedi to contend with, Skywalker might finally have met his match!

A vivid conclusion to what should have been the trilogy that followed Return of the Jedi, The Last Command delivers fantastic action, plenty of space battles, and a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Star Wars will love this book!

Dark Force Rising

Zahn, Timothy. Dark Force Rising. Book 2 of the Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. 1992. 439p. ISBN 9780553085747.

With the destruction of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic, imperial forces have regrouped following the events of Heir to the Empire. Under the leadership of Grand Admiral Thrawn, imperial forces have concocted a plan to restore the Empire. Employing a former Jedi to coordinate attacks, Thrawn has taken no chances and has surrounded himself with loyal bodyguards who are immune to mind control, as well as plants that prevent the former Jedi from manipulating him. Using information fed from the New Republic senate, his forces are on the move, looking to strike at the New Republic and probe its defenses.

Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have been tasked by Princess Leia to find out where the vital information that is being fed to Thrawn is coming from. Someone, or a small group of people, have infiltrated the New Republic and are leaking its most important secrets. Looking for evidence, Han and Lando cross the galaxy, only to discover that a large fleet warships has been assembled, ready to deliver doom to the nascent New Republic.

Meanwhile, Thrawn's former Jedi serves the Grand Admiral for his own reasons, hoping to corrupt Luke Skywalker the way Darth Vader was unable to do. And at the same time, the Emperor's assassin, who survived the collapse of the Empire, seeks Skywalker herself, so that she can avenge the death of her Emperor and fulfill her last mission. 

As Thrawn moves his forces throughout the galaxy, the leaders of the New Republic are in a race for their own survival!

The story concludes in The Last Command.

The Gravity of Us

Stamper, Phik. The Gravity of Us. 2020. 314p. ISBN 9781547600144. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Cal Lewis Junior has a promising career in front of him as a journalist. His online posts are generally viewed by thousands of people, and he's covered many events, both political and entertainment. At 17, Cal is looking forward to moving in with his best friend Debra, and go to college in Brooklyn. He's already attracted some attention from Buzzfeed and other social media companies. But when his father returns home one night and announces that he's applied to be the 20th astronaut on the Orpheus mission to Mars, Cal cannot believe it. His dad is a pilot, but he's never expressed an interest in going to space, at least that Cal can remember. Worse, his dat is actually selected, and the family has three days to move from New York City to Houston.

Cal is crushed. This will undermine his dream and life trajectory. Moving to Texas, Cal soon falls for Leon, the son of another of the astronauts on the Orpheus mission. And Cal discover that instead of being a death knell for this channel, this new opportunity brings more viewers. It helps that the whole experience is being recorded by a reality television company and is immensely popular on television. Soon Cal's takes on life find hundreds of thousands of people, and are even picked up by the mainstream media.

But as Cal gets into a fight with the reality television company, his relationship with Leon becomes more serious. With NASA's Orpheus mission in danger of being defunded, Cal will need to navigate the choppy waters of politics and best social media experts at their own game to avoid losing Leon.

Dealing with social media, depression, and emotional instability, the story incorporates elements of the space flight enthusiasm of the 1960s mixed with a more modern version of the world. Cal is a powerfully motivated character, but he is often unlikable. Leon, however, is more relatable, so readers will cheer when the two of them finally decide they are right for each other.

Heir to the Empire

Zahn, Timothy. Heir to the Empire. Book 1 of the Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. 1991. 434p. ISBN 9780345528292.

The Death Star was destroyed, and the Emperor perished with it. Struck at its heart, the Empire is collapsing, and the New Republic is quickly expanding its power, pushing what remains of imperial forces to the outskirts of the galaxy. However, challenges remain to restore peace and prosperity across the galaxy. The people remain as fractious as ever. Imperial agents are sabotaging efforts at creating a free and fair government. Princess Leah and Han Solo are married, but Leah's pregnancy is complicated. And voices whisper to Luke Skywalker, who has just started a Jedi academy, that the Dark Side remains strong.

On the edge of the galaxy, a grand admiral has reunited imperial forces under his command. Having discovered a way to nullify Jedi powers, Grand Admiral Thrawn recruits servants. who previously worked for Darth Vader as bodyguards and elite troops, to be the shock recruits he needs to once again re-establish imperial authority on the galaxy. Armed with a deadly surprise for the New Republic, Thrawn begins moving his pieces on the galactic chessboard, planning for a series of move that will check-mate the nascent Republic!

Written twenty years before the official sequel to Return of the Jedi, this should have been the story told on film. Fans of Star Wars will devour this story and want more!

The story continues in Dark Force Rising.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

de Grasse Tyson, Neil. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. 2017. 208p. ISBN 9780393609394. '

Space has always fascinated humans. We used to think we were in the middle of the universe, but science has long since revealed that not only are we not at the center of the universe, we live in an insignificant solar system on the periphery of an insignificant galaxy. But how did this all come to pass? What is the Big Bang? What constitutes the universe? How is it still expanding? What will happen in billions of years? These questions and more are why renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote this short book. Looking at some of the mysteries of the universe, deGrasse Tyson provides simple explanation that demystify the physics behind some of the most interesting phenomena in science, and describe why knowing this information is important to us.

Fans of science and of space will enjoy reading about ideas and concepts that are both familiar and utterly foreign, and will appreciate how easy deGrasse Tyson make it all sound! For a companion read, take a look at The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), which explains in great details several scenarios on how the universe will one day die.

How We Got to the Moon

Rocco, John. How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure. 2020. 264p. ISBN 9780525647416. Available at 629.45 ROC on the library shelves.

 

When President Kennedy declared in 1961 that the United States would travel to the Moon before the end of the decade, it set forth a massive industrial and scientific effort to achieve what had previously been impossible: Escape Earth's gravity and reach for the stars. Four years prior, the Soviet Union had launched its first satellite, shortly followed by the first animal in space then the first human in space. Embroiled in a Cold War with the Soviets and fearing falling behind technologically and scientifically, the United States poured vast amounts of resources on creating the largest rocket ever built. 

Over the next eight years, countless technological challenges were overcome to assemble the Saturn V rocket and its components, including the landing module and the command module. A building to house the rocket was built, a way to move the giant rocket to the launch pad was designed, space suits to protect astronauts were created and sewed by expert hands, and multiple other complex issues were resolved with determination and grit. On July 20, 1969, the first astronaut walked on the surface of the Moon. It was an accomplishment for humanity, but specifically for the hundred of thousands of workers who contributed to making Apollo 11 a successful mission.

Beautifully illustrated, this story recounts one of the greatest scientific achievement in the history of the nation. Fans of history and of space will appreciate the quality and specificity of the drawings, and will enjoy cheering for the men and women of NASA as they fulfill President Kennedy's mission.

Defy the Stars

Gray, Cynthia. Defy the Stars. Book 1 of the Defy the Stars series. 2017. 503p. ISBN 978-0-316-39403-1. Available at FIC GRA on the library shelves.

As humanity continued to ruin Earth, it became imperative to find other suitable planets where its exploding population could escape. Large space gates were built, and ships explored the galaxy. Other worlds were located, and though they could sustain life, none of them were like Earth. Until Genesis was discovered. A planet similar to Earth before it became overcrowded and polluted. Settlers came to Genesis, but as Earth sought to send more people, the various religious factions on Genesis united and declared the colony's independence. A brief but vicious war granted them freedom and thirty years of peace due to a blockade by Earth of the Genesis Gate. In the last two years, however, Earth has become increasingly hostile, sending armies of mechs, mechanized humans, to fight agains the low-tech Genesis forces.

At seventeen, Noemi Vidal has lost her family when their vehicle was destroyed hitting a mine. She spent her youth with her best friend, Ester. When Earth's military returned to the Genesis system, Noemi and Ester joined the defense forces. AS Earth slowly bleeds the Genesis military dry, increasingly desperate measures have been necessary. She has trained with others to perform the Masada run, a hopeless attempt to disable the Genesis Gate and prevent Earth from sending more forces to this system. This will not destroy the Gate, but it will provide valuable time for Genesis to rearm itself.

During a training exercise, Noemi and her fighter troops are ambushed by mechs. During the assault her friend Ester is critically injured, and Noemi is forced to drag her into one of the shipwrecks that litter the area of the Gate, hoping to save her life. On board the Daedalus, however, is a mech. Abel is an A1 mech, a unique model endowed not only with the information that all other 25 mech models possess, but also the unmatched ability to adapt, and his programming has evolved beyond its coding limitations. Abel was abandoned for thirty years when Dr. Mansfield, his creator and the owner of the Daedalus, had to flee his ship during an attack by Genesis soldiers.

Though on two opposite warring sides, both Abel and Noemi's best hopes to escape the loneliness that has plagued most of their lives. As they get to know each other, they realize that they can bring an end to this war between Genesis and Earth. The price may be the sacrifice of their lives, however. With the fate of the galaxy at hand, will they be willing to make the necessary deadly decisions?

A great science-fiction story, Defy the Stars is told in alternating chapters between Noemi and Abel's points of views. Fans of Illuminae will enjoy this thrilling story.

Hullmetal Girls

Skrutskie, Emily. Hullmetal Girls. 2018. 313p. ISBN 978-1-52477019-8. Available at FIC SKR on the library shelves.

For three hundred years, humanity has been floating in space in a fleet of starships, hunting for a new home following the destruction of Earth's environment. Over the centuries, the fleet stratified and everyone's social position became tied to where they were born in the fleet. Humanity's governing council, the General Body and its Chancellor, are supported by an army of Scela, soldiers who have been mechanically enhanced by merging them with an exo-cortex and mechanic skeleton, effectively turning them into cyborgs. The exo allows each soldier to connect to a network and merge their consciousness and skills into a single whole, whether that be with their small unit of four Scelas, or with larger groups of soldiers. Scelas are strong, deadly, and feared, but they have also given up their humanity and control over their own body to their leaders. Commanders and the Chancellor can override the exo or give it orders that directly contradicts how a Scela feels, but they must comply with it.

The General Body needs these soldiers because elements of the fleet, who call themselves Fractionists, want to split the fleet up to more quickly find a new world to settle on. The Fractionists strongly believe that the Chancellor and the General Body are more concerned with preserving their power than finding humanity a new home, and they have been fighting back through protests and low-level terrorism.

Hailing from the Reliant, a ship at the end of the fleet, Aisha Un-Hadd's parents died in an industrial accident, and instead of facing a life of working in the brutal factories of the fleet, she opted to become Scela, hoping that her salary will provide security for her younger sister and brother. Dedicated to helping her family survive, she's willing to do just about anything, including merging her body with a machine in a procedure that is deadly to many and that cannot be reversed.

Key Tanaka doesn't remember why she became Scela. Her entire past has been erased from her memory, and all she has to rely on are glimpses that are confusing her. She's pretty sure she would never volunteer for such an operation, and her manner of speaking and demeanor seem to indicate that she come from the front of the fleet. She needs to survive training and get a great assignment in the Scela ranks so she can figure out what happened to her.

As the two of them join two others in a four Scela squad and begin sharing memories and feelings through their exo connections, they find themselves in the middle of the conflict between the General Body and the Fractionists, a war that is heating up quickly and that is now causing mass casualties. Will the Scela defend the order they were built to protect, or will they fight for those they left behind despite the terrible costs?

A great dystopian novel, Hullmetal Girls provides a portrait of technology gone wrong.

The Hitch Hiker Guide’s to the Galaxy

Adam, Douglas. The Hitch Hiker Guide’s to the Galaxy. 2002. 216p. ISBN 0-345-45374-3. Available at FIC ADA on the library shelves.

Arthur Dent lives a miserable life. His house, he has just found out, is about to be demolished so that a road can be built. As the bulldozers start to crawl towards his house, he shaves, dresses, then leaves and lays down on the ground. The foreman attempts to convince him to get up, but Arthur refuses, holding up the project’s timetable. Passing by, his friend, Fort Prefect, convinces Arthur to follow him to the pub while the foreman lays down in the mud, taking his place.

At the pub, Ford announces loudly that the end of the world will happen in twelve minutes. He plies Arthur with drinks, telling him that he’ll feel better. Arthur is not sure what is happening, and when he hears the sounds of demolition he realizes his house has just been knocked down. Not of that matters, however, as the Earth itself is about to be destroyed by a Vogon construction fleet so that a galactic highway can be built in this sector.

Transported from Earth to the inside of a Vogon ship, Arthur and Ford barely escape the planet’s destruction.. Ford reveals that he’s an alien from Betelgeuse who has been conducting research for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the most comprehensive space encyclopedia. He’s been stuck on Earth for fifteen years, and now he’s pretty happy to be off.

Meanwhile, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Galactic President, steals the Heart of Gold, a ship that travels on improbabilities. When Ford and Arthur are ejected from the Vogon spaceship, they are, improbably, collected 1 second away from death by Zaphod, who turns out to be Ford’s cousin. Along with Trillian, a human female Arthur had met before, and Marvin, a depressed android, they set off on the quest to rediscover the planet Magrathea, which originally designed Earth. Riotous adventures take place as the crew learns to deal with one another.

Originally a radio show, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has been produced as a novel and as a movie, and continues to be popular both as a comedy and as a space opera novel.