Novels Grades 9-12+

(This category, of course, includes much of adult science fiction, only a few of which I have noted here.  For further possibilities see my Survey of Science Fiction syllabus or my Feminist Science Fiction syllabus.

Amadahy, Zainab. The Moons of Palmares. 1997. In a distant future a terraformed mining planet named after a settlement of escaped slaves in Brazil has a flourishing culture of Menchistas (naming themselves after Rigoberta Menchu) and Kituhwas (drawing upon Cherokee traditions). Earth corporate interests, however, are not surprisingly in conflict with the colonistsí values. Written by an African American/Cherokee/Canadian.

Anderson, Poul. Harvest of Stars (1993)The Stars are Also Fire. (1994) Good hard science based sf. Galaxy faces a future in which human based intelligence contends with the intermind. And then things really get weird.

Asaro, Catherine.  Skolian Empire Series.  Primary Inversion.  Catch the Lightning.  The Last Hawk (Nebula award finalist).  The Radiant Seas (1999).  The Veiled Web (1999).  The Ascendant Sun (2000).

Arnason, Eleanor. Ring of Swords. 1993. HS Alien contact is a complex and not necessarily pleasant experience, but a rich cultural text.

Bear, Greg. Blood Music. 1985. By a Hugo and Nebula award winner. Cellular restructuring leads to a whole new world. But you might not want to move there. Website: www.gregbear.com

Bear, Greg.  Darwin's Radio.  1999.  Another Hugo and Nebula award winner.  An ancient genetic instruction has suddenly emerged -- a fascinating and rich text -- long but rewarding. Darwin's Children.  2003.  Sequel. Website: www.gregbear.com

Bear, Greg. Moving Mars. 1994. Nebula Winner.  An inventive and well written novel about a Mars colony that develops the technology to relocate entire planets.  Good hard sf. Website: www.gregbear.com

Bear, Greg.  Songs of Earth and Power.  1994. Website: www.gregbear.com

Bell, Hilari.  Navohar.  2000.  In a near future earth has been shocked by an invasion of technologically advanced aliens (the Vrell) who are slave-raiders.  Having defeated the Vrell finally with an engineered virus, humans must cope with the appearance of the virus in humans leaving 1 out of 200 to deteriorate and then die very young.  They have come to Navohar, a world colonized earlier by humans hoping for a cure.  Wonderful world building (with some echoes of Herbert's Dune) and exploration of cultural interactions, moral dilemmas, and the frightening possibility that humans may have more in common with the Vrell than they thought.

Bennet, Cherie and Jeff Gottesfeld.  Anne Frank and Me.  2001.  The novel of the powerful Broadway play. A 10th grade interent whiz is transported to occupied Paris during World War II where she meets Anne Frank.

Brin, David.  Startide Rising.  Part of the Uplift series set on Calafia a human and neo-dolphin world.  1983.
EARTHCLAN SERIES: Sundiver 1979. Startide Rising. 1983 The Uplift War. 1987. UPLIFT TRILOGY:  Brightness Reef.  1996.  Infinity's Shore.  1997.  Heaven's Reach 1999.

Bush, Catherine.  Minus Time.  1993.  Helen, 20, tires to make sense of a world stressed with ecodisasters, an astronaut mother orbiting the earth, a father who is absent coordinating diaster  relief in earthquake stricken cities, and a near twin brother, Paul, who envisions new cities.  Well written.  More character than science.

Butler, Octavia. Xenogenesis series: Dawn 1989, Imago , Adulthood Rites . Humans are rescued by aliens after a nuclear holocaust and then are transformed by their contact with the aliens. Superb series. African American writer. McCarthur award winner.

Butler, Octavia. Parable of the Sower. 1994. Parable of the Talents. 1998. A very powerful dystopian near-future Californian. African American writer. McCarthur award winner.

Carver, Jeffrey A.  The Chaos Chronicles:  Neptune Crossing (Vol. 1, 1994); Strange Attractors (Vol. 2, 1995); Infinite Sea.  (Vol. 3 1996.)

Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood's End, 1953. Despite its age this book still manages to seem fresh and current.  Aliens suddenly appear around the globe and initiate a new era of peace, health, etc. but refuse to allow humans to actually see them for the first century.  As time moves on and secrets are revealed the world faces unimaginable changes.  Brilliant work -- perhaps Clarke's greatest!  Rama series. 2001 series.

Clarke, Arthur C.  The Ghost from the Grand Banks.  1990.  The raising of the Titanic.

Crichton, Michael.  Andromeda Strain 1969. Sphere.  1987.

Ehrenhaft, Daniel. The Last Dog on Earth. 2003. "Annoyed Logan Moore is desperately unhappy with his stepfather, Robert, with his father (a research scientist) who left 7 years ago and hasn't been in touch since, and with the Wallaces whose son Devon (along with his dog Otis) is always held up as a model for Logan. Logan only wants to play with electronics and invent gadgets. He acquires a dog, Jack, who becomes his dearest friend. He and Jack run away in search of safety and away to survive the deadly prion disease that is wiping out dogs, causing the dogs to violently attack humans, and is spreading rapidly to humans as well. Rather graphic language and Logan is a strongly angry young man with rather violent inclinations that he barely manages to suppress. The language is highly accessible but the content marks it for high school readers at least. Perhaps effective with reluctant readers. Website: www.randomhouse.com/teens

Friedman, C. S. This Alien Shore. 1998. NY Times Notable Book of the Year. Human colonists face genetic damage. Lab raised children.

Goodman, Alison.  Singing the Dogstar Blues.  1998. Winner 1998 Aurealis Award Best Young Adult Novel as well as other awards. "17 year old Jess is a reb -- the daughter of a famous newscaster and a sperm donor; a wild girl who can play a mean harmonica, a student of time travel at the presitigious Center for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien stuent -- Makvet from the planet Choria. (from dust jacket). The writing style of this book is edgy and a touch racy, with excellent use of "futurist" language. Joss is a fine character; the aliens are a little less convincing but interesting nonetheless. Overall a very well done novel.

Goonan, Kathleen Ann. The Bones of Time. 1996. Cyberculture, the cloning of King Kamehameha, and interstellar travel only give the barest hint of the richness of the writing and characterization in this nifty book.

Hartmann, William K. Mars Underground:  A Novel. 1997. 2032 Mars.  Hard sf by a participating scientist in the Mars Global Surveyeor Mission.  Locus 1997.  Recommended List.

Hendrix, Howard. Standing Wave. 1998. Physics based sf.

~Hogan, James.  Cradle of Saturn.  A colony of visionaries on a Saturnian moon.

Hopkinson, Nalo. Brown Girl in the Ring. 1998. Philip K. Dick Nominee. African Caribbean Canadian writer tells story of a near-future Toronto.  Mixture of science, fantasy, magic, myth, religion, and culture.  A heady and wonderful book.

Hopkinson, Nalo.  Midnight Robber.  20th C. Caribbean-colonized planet of Toussaint.

Kenyon, Kay. Seeds of Time. 1997. A deeply damaged earth in 2019 is under the control of Bioteach. Internment of "subversives." Leap Point 1998. Early 21st century virtual reality addiction.

Kress, Nancy. Beggars in Spain. 1991 and Beggars and Choosers. 1994 HS series. Genetic engineering, new energy concepts, dystopian future world, endless imaginative concepts, wonderful writing.

Lee, Tanith. The Silver Metal Lover HS. A young girl falls in love with an android. Dystopian world where privilege, power, and poverty are starkly contrasted with romance and passion.

Leguin, Ursula K. Left Hand of Darkness. 1969. HS. The planet Gethen (Winter) challenges and transforms the human envoy who must adjust to the climate, the gender patterns, the political structure, and so much more. Mythic, brilliantly written, and wonderful. Challenging reading. Websites: http://husted.com/hgsf/Left_Hand_of_Darkness.htm http://www.catch22.com/SF/ARB/SFL/LeGuin,UK.php3

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/lgnlinks.html

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/leguinfh.html

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/lhdstud.html

Le Guin, Ursula K.  Searoad:  Chronicles of Klatsand.  1991. Websites: http://www.catch22.com/SF/ARB/SFL/LeGuin,UK.php3

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/lgnlinks.html

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/leguinfh.html

Marley, Louise. The Glass Harmonica.  2000.  A gorgeous book.  Working on two time tracks -- 18th Century London where Ben Franklin encounters Eilish Eam an Irish beggar who plays music on water glasses and 2018 Seattle (etc.) where Erin is an acclaimed musician playing the glass harmonica  featuring especially the compositions of her brother Charlie a brilliant composer confined to a wheelchair by a disease that has caused neurological damage.  The development and intertwining of these two time tracks is stunning -- making use of rich musical imagery and description, a sensitive and thoughtful analysis of class privilege both in the past and the future, and medical/neurological exploration.

McDevitt, Jack. Engines of God. 1994. Alien artifacts and a pattern of planetary disasters pose a fascinating mystery and possible threat to earth.

McDevitt, Jack. Ancient Shores. 1996. A 10,000 year old gateway to another world is found on the site of an ancient sea in what is now North Dakota. Nebula nominee.

McHugh, Maureen. Half the Day is Night. 1994 Cyberpunk, underwater environments (Caribe), high tech terrorism, etc. Well written.

Ore, Rebecca. Gaia's Toys. 1995. Ecoterrorism.

Piercy, Marge. Woman on the Edge of Time. 1976. Dystopian present and utopian future. Fabulous book.

Piercy, Marge. He, She, and It. 1991. This book is long and somewhat difficult but immensely rewarding. Two time tracks intertwine, 16th century Prague with the Golem, Joseph, who is to protect the Jewish community and 21st century Tikvah a free town barely surviving in a world dominated by multinationals and environmental ruins guarded by the android, Yod.

Robinson, Kim Stanley. Red Mars. 1993, Green Mars. 1994, Blue Mars. 1996. The Martians, 1994.   Terraforming and worldbuilding. Excellent writing and science. Hugo and Nebula awards.

Russell, Mary Doria. Sparrow 1996. A Jesuit missionary, Father Emilio Sandoz, is the sole survivor of a mission to the planet, Rakhat, in 2019..James K. Tiptree Award and Book of the Month Club selection. and Children of God. 1998.  Father Sandoz returns to Rakhat ten years later to find that the earlier visit has had unexpected consequences.

Sagan, Carl. Contact. 1985. Astronomy, alien radio contact, unique interstellar travel.

Sargent, Pamela. Climb the Wind. 1999. Rewriting American history especially in terms of the Native Americans. Website: http://www.sff.net/people/PSargent/default.htm

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Pamela_Sargent.htm

Sawyer, Robert.  Factoring Humanity.  1998.  First Contact 2007.  Nebula winning author.

Sawyer, Robert.  Frameshift.  1997.  A scientist fights diseases, an ex Nazi war criminal, and a genetic plot.  Nebula winning author.

Sheffield, Charles.  The Web Between the Worlds.  1979.  Written the same year as Arthur C. Clarke's Fountains of Paradise (but each independently), Sheffield envisions the creation of a "beanstalk," a space elevator anchored to a space habitat orbiting at earth speed.  In addition to excellent technical material (physics, engineering, other physical sciences) in a very fast-paced and readable mystery/adventure story, Sheffield brings in the impact of a therapeutic drug used on a large number of people before it is discovered that one full dose is all it takes to permanently addict its users, questions of biological, medical, and sociological ethics, etc.  Set in a fairly distant future the work remains quite readable and not outdated.

Sinclair, Alison. Blueheart. HS. On an ocean world themes of terraforming, underwater living, cyberculture mingle among excellent characterization and plotting. Website:

http://www.sff.net/people/asinclair/

Slonczewski, Joan. A Door Into Ocean. 1986. Daughters of Elysium 1993. The Children Star. 1998. Brainplague 2001. In a distant future the ocean planet Shora, inhabited by an all female race faces cultural and technological invasion. Excellent biology and oceanography. Good writing.

Smith, Dean Wesley and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.  1999.  The Tenth Planet (Seen every 2006 years) 1st of a trilogy.

Sterling, Bruce.  Schismatrix Plus.  1996.  Includes Schismatrix (1985) and other stories all published in early 1980s.  Shaper revolutionaries versus aristocratic Mechanists in Schismatrix World.

Sullivan, Tricia. Someone to Watch Over Me.1997. Surrogate bodies in a near future. Dreaming in Smoke (1998) Worldbuilding and cyberpunk.

Tepper, Sheri. The Gate to Women's Country. HS. In a post-holocaust world women have taken charge and the men live separately outside the walls of Womenís Country. A fascinating vision with a startling twist.

Thomson, Amy. The Color of Distance. 1995. HS. Inadvertently left behind on an alien planet, a young human woman must adjust to a body transformed by the local inhabitants so that she can survive in this world and learn an entirely different form of communication and living. Rainforest theme. Excellent reading

Thomson, Amy. Through Alien Eyes.  1999.  In the sequel to The Color of Distance the rescued Juna returns to earth with her new alien family.

Thomson, Amy. Virtual Girl. 1997 A cyberpunk coming of age novel. Winner of the John W. Campbell award.

Vinge, Vernor. Fire Upon the Deep. 1993. HS Fascinating if somewhat difficult reading. Physics, cyberculture, world building, and you name it. Hugo award winner. A Deepness in the Sky. 1999, Sequel to Fire Upon the Deep. Mixed reviews and long.

Vonarburg, Elisabeth. Reluctant Voyagers. 1995. A near-future Montreal where history has been subtly altered. Translated from the French.

Westerfield, Scott. Fine Prey. 1998. Alien dominated earth; electronic "education(?)"

Willis, Connie. Doomsday Book. 1992. Nebula award winner. Time travel to plague-ridden medieval times.

Zetel, Sarah. Reclamation.1996. Quest for origins in a far future galaxy of human colonized planets. Telekinesis. Fool's War. 1997. Far future colonized galaxy where war is looming. Artificial intelligence theme.  Playing God 1998.  The Quiet Invasion.  2000.