There are new titles that are out of this world at the library.

MURDER BY MEMORY by Olivia Waite is a sci-fi nod to the cozy mystery–imagine Ursula K. Le Guin and Agatha Christie collaborating on a story together. The story begins aboard the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty’s most luxurious interstellar passenger liner. Dorothy Gentleman, a no-nonsense auntie detective, is a passenger and the story’s protagonist. A ticket not only includes room and board but new bodies are graciously provided upon request–and should you desire a rest between lifetimes–your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the library, shielded from danger. During the voyage, Dorothy wakes up in a body that isn’t hers–just as someone else is found murdered. As one of the ship’s detectives, Dorothy gets to work investigating the mysterious killings where minds are also being purposefully deleted from the library. The boat is filled with a cast of characters that may be part of these sinister schemes. Is this the work of her feckless nephew Rutherford, who, despite his brilliance as a programmer, leaves chaos in his wake? Or does the sultry yarn store proprietor, and ex-girlfriend of the body that Dorothy is currently inhabiting, know more than she’s letting on? A mastermind may be at work–and if so, they’ve had three hundred years to perfect their schemes.

ORBITAL: A NOVEL by Samantha Harvey. Orbital is a delicate meditation on our planet and humanity, and the fragility of both. Set on the International Space Station, a team of astronauts spend their days collecting data, conducting scientific experiments, and testing the limits of the human body. The crew members are constantly observing as they spin past continents, glaciers, and swells in the oceans below. The astronauts quietly observe as the ship cycles around the Earth sixteen times. Each of them wonders, dreams, and questions all that is going on below while reflecting on the lives and people they miss back home. As a typhoon forms, the crew watches in awe of its magnificence and in fear of its destruction as it approaches an island and the people they love down below.

ABYSS by Ian Douglas begins centuries in the future, where a Galactic Authority reigns over millions of advanced civilizations throughout the cosmos. The Authority’s principal leader has gained the trust and allegiance of many nations, offering them security and access to vast interstellar networks in exchange for their cooperation. Even with advanced technologies that have brought interstellar travel and life-extending procedures to Earth, humans still struggle to maintain their sovereignty and cultural identity within the system. Naval Captain Alexandra Morrigan distrusts the Authority and believes that a war is brewing. When communications from the extrasolar colony at Sirius stop, suspicions arise that Galactic forces are behind their silence and are pressuring humankind into submission. Under threat of annihilation, Morrigan and the forces she commands will do the unthinkable to secure Earth’s future: travel through the Abyss gate and make one last stand against the Galactic forces, whose powers may defy comprehension.

THE MARTIAN CONTINGENCY by Mary Robinette Kowal
Years after a meteorite strike triggers an extinction-level global warming event, the survivors have started an international effort to escape Earth. Home is now space. With established colonies on the moon, the next step: conquer Mars. Lady Astronaut Elma York lands on the Red Planet optimistic about preparing for the first true wave of inhabitants. The mission objective is more than just building the infrastructure of a habitat; they are trying to preserve as many cultures and nuances of life on Earth as they possibly can. However, from the moment Elma arrives, she notices that something is not quite right. Disturbing signs that a hidden disaster took place during the first Mars expedition are visible. As crew members do their best to investigate, their efforts are met with silence and obfuscation. Their attempts to build a thriving Martian community grind to a halt as more questions than answers appear. Will the ripple effects of these events leave humanity stranded on a dying Earth?

By COREY WISEMAN

Reference Assistant