Summer Reading 2021: Dystopia, Fantasy & Sci-Fi

On a cold spring night in 1952, a meteorite falls to earth and destroys much of the eastern seaboard of the United States, decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space. Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too. Alternate histories; Science fiction; Social science fiction.

Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. As her feelings toward him transform from hostility to a firey passion, the threats against the faerie lands grow. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose Tamlin forever. Fantasy fiction; High fantasy.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. Fantasy fiction; High fantasy.

When Leo, a champion swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius, are drafted, along with twenty-two of the world&;s brightest teenagers, into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever changed. Overnight, they become global celebrities in contention for one of the six slots to travel to Europa – Jupiter’s moon - and establish a new colony, leaving their planet forever. With Earth irreparably damaged, the future of the human race rests on their shoulders. But as their tests grow increasingly more dangerous. Leo and Naomi become suspicious of the program's actual purpose. First person narratives; Multiple perspectives; Science fiction.

A raw debut story collection from a young writer taking a satirical look at what it's like to be young and black in America. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that black men and women contend with every day in this country. These stories tackle urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world. Afrofuturism and Afrofantasy; Literary fiction; Satirical fiction; Short stories.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland--the infamous Queen of Hearts--she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. In this prequel to Alice in Wonderland, Cath would rather open a bakery and marry for love than accept a proposal from the King of Hearts, especially after meeting the handsome and mysterious court jester. Classics-inspired fiction; Fantasy fiction.

In a world where the pale-skinned Noughts are discriminated against by the politically and socially powerful dark-skinned Crosses, teenagers Callum--a Nought--and Sephy--a Cross--test whether their love is strong enough to survive their society's racism. (The book was originally published in the UK with the title Naughts & Crosses.) The BBC series adaptation is streaming on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform. Books to TV; Dystopian fiction; First person narratives; Multiple perspectives; Science fiction.

In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities--seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. Dystopian fiction; Fantasy fiction.

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold. Books to TV; Fantasy fiction; High fantasy.

One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully-grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill. No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But The Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon. Juliette has never fought for herself before. But when she's reunited with the one person who ever cared about her, she finds a strength she never knew she had. Dystopian fiction; Science fiction.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. . . . Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. Books to TV; Fantasy fiction; High fantasy.

Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars. Science fiction.

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world's population. Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. When young Ilori commander M0Rr1S finds Ellie's library of music and books, he's duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. Humanity's fate rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but M0Rr1S has a potential solution—thousands of miles away. Apocalyptic fiction; Multiple perspectives; Science fiction.

Isabelle is one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters, who cut off their toes in an attempt to fit into the glass slipper; but there is more to her story than a maimed foot, for the Marquis de la Chance is about to offer her a choice and the opportunity to change her fate--there will be blood and danger, but also the possibility of redemption and triumph, and most of all the chance to find her true self. Classic retellings; Fantasy.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called The Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure - to live a lifetime in a single day. Cyber-thrillers; Dystopian fiction.

Max, a data whiz at the social media company Wren, has gotten a firsthand glimpse of the dark side of big tech. When he questions what his company does with the data they collect, he's fired...then black-balled across Silicon Valley. With time on his hands and revenge on his mind, Max and his longtime friend Akiko, decide to get even by rebooting the internet. After all, in order to fix things, sometimes you have to break them. But when Max and Akiko join forces with a reclusive tech baron, they learn that breaking things can have unintended--and catastrophic—consequences. Cyber-thrillers; Dystopian fiction.