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Recommendations based on Dreamsnakeby Vonda N. McIntyre
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
The Left Hand of Darkness
by Ursula K. Le Guin
A diplomat's mission to a distant planet, exploring themes of gender and identity.
The protagonist of the novel is Genly Ai, a male Terran native, who is sent to invite the planet Gethen to join the Ekumen, a coalition of humanoid worlds. , Ai travels to the Gethen planetary system ... (Wikipedia)
Mirror Dance
by Lois McMaster Bujold
A genetically-engineered clone confronts his identity and struggles to overcome destiny.
Mark, Miles Vorkosigan 's clone , masquerades as him and dupes his mercenary force, the Dendarii, into undertaking a mission to free clones held "prisoner" on Jackson's Whole, an anything-goes ... (Wikipedia)
Paladin of Souls
by Lois McMaster Bujold
A fantasy tale of a woman facing her own dark past to save her kingdom.
In a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons, royal dowager Ista, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to ... (Goodreads)
A Wizard of Earthsea
by Ursula K. Le Guin
A young wizard embarks on a quest to master his own magical powers and battle a mysterious force of evil.
Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon ... (Goodreads)
Embassytown
by China Miéville
Exploring a distant alien city and unraveling its mysteries.
Embassytown takes place mostly in the city of the title, on the planet Arieka. Embassytown exists on the very edge of the "Manchmal" (from the German for "sometimes"), which is suspected to be the ... (Wikipedia)
The Snow Queen
by Joan D. Vinge
A retelling of the classic fairy tale, set on a distant planet, where a young woman must rescue her lover from the clutches of an evil queen.
This reissue of a modern classic of science fiction, the Hugo and Locus Award-winning and Nebula-nominated, The Snow Queen, marks the first time the book has been reprinted in fifteen years. The ... (Goodreads)
Beguilement
by Lois McMaster Bujold
A young girl with magical powers is taken in by a widowed farmer, but their peaceful life is threatened by an ancient evil.
Fawn, a farmer girl of about 20, has run away from her family, because another farmer has impregnated her and made it clear that he will not acknowledge the baby as his own. Dag, a Lakewalker ... (Wikipedia)
The Farthest Shore
by Ursula K. Le Guin
A quest to save a magical kingdom from a mysterious force of darkness.
A strange, inexplicable malaise is spreading throughout Earthsea. Magic is losing its power; songs are being forgotten; people and animals are sickening or going mad. Accompanied by Arren, the young ... (Wikipedia)
The Sparrow
by Mary Doria Russell
A Jesuit mission to an alien planet ends in tragedy, raising questions about faith, morality, and the nature of God.
In the year 2019, the SETI program at Arecibo Observatory discovers radio broadcasts of music from the vicinity of Alpha Centauri . The first expedition to Rakhat, the world that is sending the ... (Wikipedia)
Prodigal Summer
by Barbara Kingsolver
Three interconnected stories of nature, romance, and family in the Appalachian Mountains.
Prodigal Summer tells the story of a small town in Appalachia during a single, humid summer, when three interweaving stories of love, loss and family unfold against the backdrop of the lush wildness ... (Wikipedia)
Greenwitch
by Susan Cooper
Three children unravel the secrets of a mysterious island, guided by ancient magical forces.
Simon, Jane, and Barney, enlisted by their mysterious great-uncle, arrive in a small coastal town to recover a priceless golden grail stolen by the forces of evil – Dark. They are not at first aware ... (Goodreads)
War for the Oaks
by Emma Bull
A fairy tale of music, magic, and a young woman's journey of self-discovery.
Acclaimed by critics and readers on its first publication in 1987, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks is one of the novels that has defined modern urban ... (Goodreads)
Bellwether
by Connie Willis
A humorous and light-hearted tale of a scientist's quest to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious phenomenon.
Connie Willis has won more Hugo and Nebula awards than any other science fiction author. Now, with her trademark wit and inventiveness, she explores the intimate relationship between science, pop ... (Goodreads)
The Day of the Triffids
by John Wyndham
A post-apocalyptic world overrun by carnivorous plants, exploring themes of survival and morality.
In 1951 John Wyndham published his novel The Day of the Triffids to moderate acclaim. Fifty-two years later, this horrifying story is a science fiction classic, touted by The Times (London) as having ... (Goodreads)
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
by Robert A. Heinlein
Revolutionary group fight for freedom from an oppressive lunar colony.
In 2075, the Moon (Luna) is used as a penal colony by Earth's government, with three million inhabitants (called "Loonies") living in underground cities. Most Loonies are criminals, political exiles, ... (Wikipedia)
Hild
by Nicola Griffith
A young girl's rise from obscurity to power, as she navigates a medieval world of danger and intrigue.
Hild is born into a world in transition. In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, usually violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods’ priests are worrying. Edwin of ... (Goodreads)
The Courts of Chaos
by Roger Zelazny
A fantasy adventure of a young man's quest to reclaim a magical throne.
Corwin sulks in Castle Amber's library while Oberon gives the family orders. Random persuades Corwin to leave, but they are held back by an invisible force. They watch as Corwin's sword appears and ... (Wikipedia)
To Say Nothing of the Dog
by Connie Willis
Time-traveling historian visits Victorian England in search of an artifact, amidst a comedy of errors.
Ned Henry is a time traveler in 1940 studying Coventry Cathedral after the Coventry Blitz of World War II . He is specifically searching for the location of the "Bishop's bird stump ", a MacGuffin ... (Wikipedia)
Childhood's End
by Arthur C. Clarke
Human race is transformed by an alien presence, leading to the dawn of a new age.
The novel is divided into three parts, following a third-person omniscient narrative with no main character. , In some editions, the short first chapter is a separate prologue rather than the ... (Wikipedia)
Neuromancer
by William Gibson
A hacker's journey through a dystopian cyberpunk world, searching for a way to survive.
Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City , Japan. Once a talented computer hacker , Case was caught stealing from his employer. As punishment for his theft, ... (Wikipedia)
Of Love and Shadows
by Isabel Allende
A young woman's journey of courage, fighting for justice in a repressive and dangerous society.
Irene is a magazine editor living under the shadow of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. Francisco is a handsome photographer and he comes to Irene for a job. As a sympathizer with the underground ... (Wikipedia)
Dark Side of the Moon
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A paranormal thriller exploring the secrets of a supernatural world.
Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Dream-Hunter
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A dream-hunter must protect humanity from the nightmares that lurk in the dream-world.
IN THE ETHEREAL WORLD OF THE DREAM-HUNTERS Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arikos can only feel when he's in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he's drifted ... (Goodreads)
Catherine, Called Birdy
by Karen Cushman
An adolescent girl's story of rebellion, seeking freedom in a restrictive society.
The following is a description of the novel as it appears on the cover: "[T]he fourteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, ... (Wikipedia)
Snow Crash
by Neal Stephenson
A hacker's quest in a futuristic America dealing with a mysterious computer virus.
Hiro Protagonist is a hacker and pizza delivery driver for the Mafia. He meets Y.T. (short for Yours Truly), a young skateboard Kourier ( courier ) who refers to herself in the third person , during ... (Wikipedia)
The Dark Is Rising
by Susan Cooper
A young boy embarks on a quest to save the world from a mysterious, magical force.
This night will be bad and tomorrow will be beyond imagining. It's Midwinter's Eve, the day before Will's eleventh birthday. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. ... (Goodreads)
Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis
A time-traveling historian struggles to contain a deadly pandemic in the Middle Ages.
For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi ... (Goodreads)
The Ghost Brigades
by John Scalzi
A thrilling sci-fi adventure about a group of super soldiers and their fight against a powerful enemy.
The Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) learn that one of their top consciousness transfer scientists, Charles Boutin, has turned traitor and sparked an unprecedented alliance between three other species ... (Wikipedia)
Fledgling
by Octavia E. Butler
A young girl wakes up with no memory of her past and discovers she is a genetically modified vampire. She must navigate a dangerous world of vampire politics and prejudice.
The novel tells the story of Shori, a 53-year-old member of the Ina species, who appears to be a ten-year-old African-American girl. The Ina are nocturnal, long-lived, and derive sustenance by ... (Wikipedia)
Snuff
by Terry Pratchett
A Discworld novel featuring a comedic murder mystery set in a world of wizards, witches, and trolls.
Commander Vimes is persuaded by his wife and Lord Vetinari to take a family holiday back to Sybil's roots in the countryside; Willikins, Vimes's thug-turned-butler, accompanies them. As Vimes arrives ... (Wikipedia)
