The Fantasy Review‘s list of 6 Long Science Fiction Books for Autumn Reading.
Under the Dome by Stephen King
From the blurb:
Time isn’t just running short. It’s running out.
On a beautiful autumn day, a small New England town is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into the dome and rain down flaming wreckage. A gardener’s hand is severed as it descends. Cars explode on impact. Families are separated and panic mounts.…
Dune by Frank Herbert
From the blurb:
Melange, or ‘spice’, is the most valuable – and rarest – element in the universe. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis.
Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.
When stewardship of Arrakis is transferred to his house, Paul Atreides must travel to the planet’s dangerous surface to ensure the future of his family and his people. But as malevolent forces explode into conflict around him, Paul is thrust into a great destiny beyond his understanding.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
From the blurb:
It is the 29th century and the universe of the Human Hegemony is under threat. Invasion by the warlike Ousters looms, and the mysterious schemes of the secessionist AI TechnoCore bring chaos ever closer.
On the eve of disaster, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set fourth on a final voyage to the legendary Time Tombs on Hyperion, home to the Shrike, a lethal creature, part god and part killing machine, whose powers transcend the limits of time and space. The pilgrims have resolved to die before discovering anything less than the secrets of the universe itself.
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
From the blurb:
A young man arrives in the anarchic city of Bellona, in a near future USA. This world has two moons but could otherwise be our own.
The man, known only as ‘the Kid’, begins to write a novel called Dhalgren that begins where it ends.
Dhalgren is about the possibilites of fiction and about the special demands and pleasures of youth culture.
Void Star by Zachary Mason
From the blurb:
Not far in the future the seas have risen and the central latitudes are emptying, but it’s still a good time to be rich in San Francisco, where weapons drones patrol the skies to keep out the multitudinous poor. Irina isn’t rich, not quite, but she does have an artificial memory that gives her perfect recall and lets her act as a medium between her various employers and their AIs, which are complex to the point of opacity. It’s a good gig, paying enough for the annual visits to the Mayo Clinic that keep her from aging.…
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton
From the blurb:
An extinct race named this phenomenon ‘the Reality Dysfunction’. It is a nightmare that has haunted us since the dawn of time . . .
In AD 2600, the human race is finally realizing its potential. The galaxy’s colonized planets host a multitude of diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has defeated disease and produced extraordinary space-born creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive, living on the wealth created by industrializing entire star systems. And throughout inhabited space, the Confederation Navy keeps the peace….
