Though I love nonfiction, when I really want to escape into a book I choose sci-fi. Suffice to say I’ve been reading much more science fiction these days! Explore new worlds, connect with relatable characters, and contemplate our place in the universe with these titles, available digitally through Libby or hardcopy with Peter White curbside pick-up.

“Severance” (2018)

Ling Ma

SCI-FI MA & Libby

Ironic for escapism, Ling Ma’s Severance shares some eerie similarities to our current times. Candace Chen is a 20-something in New York, working her first professional job after college as a Bible production coordinator for a large New York publishing corporation, when a mysterious illness breaks out in China. It’s not long before Shen Fever reaches the States, turning the infected into monotonous zombies who repeat mundane daily routines until they’re too decomposed to continue. Seemingly unphased, Candace dons her N-95 mask and continues to work. Nostalgic stream of consciousness sequences develop Candace’s backstory as a Chinese-American immigrant, while chapters following her escape from New York add action and adventure scenes. Severance is more than just a pandemic-produced apocalyptic tale, however; it’s a wry satire on office work, familial connections, and consumerism.

“Sleeping Giants” (2016)

Sylvain Neuvel

SCI-FI NEUVEL & Libby

“Sleeping Giants,” by Sylvain Neuvel, has a little bit of everything: ancient civilizations, cryptic codes, geopolitical tensions, enigmatic characters, even a little romance. One day in rural South Dakota, a young girl falls into a deep, mysterious crater. Searching for a way up, Rose Franklin notices the odd shape and metallic texture of the crater bottom — she’s actually standing in the palm of a massive, metallic human hand. Flash forward and Dr. Franklin is now leading a hodge-podge team of soldiers and scientists to uncover the remaining parts of the ancient relic and figure out its purpose. The plot unfolds through a series of government documents, personal diaries, and recorded interviews, making it a quick, dialogue-heavy read. And as the first in a trilogy, it’s no wonder Sleeping Giants ends with questions solved but even more remaining.

“Exhalation” (2019)

Ted Chiang

FIC CHIANG & Libby

Ted Chiang’s compilation of short science fiction stories, titled “Exhalation,” is a creative, thought-provoking take on classic sci-fi concepts. Drawing on such diverse fields as linguistic anthropology, philosophy of mind and consciousness, 20th century behaviorism, and quantum mechanics, Chiang’s stories explore the various ways in which technology shapes human experience, culture, and morality. Each short story is unique and independent, making it easy to select reads based on your interests and moods. Chiang’s characters aren’t heroes, explorers, or pioneers, per se, they’re often ordinary, common folk. His story of parallel worlds, for example, intertwines the lives of two store clerks and a group therapist to explore free will, moral decisions, and the extent to which randomness and contingency influence our lives. It’s these rather subtle and mundane ways in which technology permeates human existence, not the action-packed adventure stories of space exploration and time travel, that make Chiang’s writing stand out.

“Dark Matter” (2016)

Blake Crouch

FIC CROUCH & Libby

With rave reviews by Harlan Coben, Lee Child, and Andy Weir, Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter makes for a thrilling, suspenseful, mind-bending read. Physics professor Jason Dessen sometimes catches himself wondering what life would have been like had he pursued his career in quantum physics over a quieter family life. Then one night, walking home from the bar, Jason is suddenly snatched from the street, tossed into a van, and brought to an abandoned building on the outskirts of Chicago. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up in an unfamiliar room, strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in awe and disbelief. Because in this world, Jason Dessen is a renown scientist who’s just achieved the impossible: travel across parallel worlds. But is this new life what he really wants? Can he even make it back to his wife and son? And how many alternate versions of himself are out there? “Dark Matter” will keep your mind (and heart!) racing until the very last page.

By Ali Fulsher

Reference Department