International Students Guide: Science Fiction / Fantasy

Stranded on Mars by a duststorm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Mark Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and environmental challenges that test his ingenuity. (Summary from library catalog.)

Conor has been expecting the monster from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. Apparently, it wants something from Conor. It wants the truth. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, who is unable to complete her writing due to cancer, A Monster Calls is both haunting and darkly funny. This book forces us to face our own monster as well, both real and imagined.

What would one do when a disturbing stranger suddenly arrived on one's doorstep in a dark and stormy night? Meg Murry, her brother, and her mother are in this exact situation. "Wild nights are my glory", the stranger said, "by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract". Back when Meg's father mysteriously disappeared, he was experimenting with fifth dimension time traveling. Now the time has come for Meg to rescue his father. But will she succeed? A heart-stopping journey with Meg Murry, A Wrinkle in Time takes the exploration of concepts of time, space, and the power of good over evil, to a new level.

Shadow, after serving behind the bars for three years, is finally released, only finds his wife and best friend were killed in an accident. At a loss, he takes up with a mysterious character called Wednesday, who seems to know Shadow better and shadow himself does. Agreeing to be Wednesday's bodyguard, Shadow is unaware of what he is signing up to. Soon, the dark road will lead him to many eccentric characters and uncovers the secrets buried beneath the placid surface. Are you ready for the brewing storm to come?

In his lesser-known work, Smith of Wootton Major, J.R.R Tolkien tells a story about an invasion of a dragon to a village that refuses to fight, and a farmer who is chosen to slay it. Perhaps the book itself seems a bit simple compared to his epic work in Middle Earth, but the adventure is beyond expectation. A delightful work that is deceptively simple on the surface, but joyfully surprising in depth.

An orphan, Lyra Belacqua's carefree life at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered when his fearless uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. Now Lyra must help to recuse her kidnapped playmate, Roger who bears an alethiometer. North, where witch and bears rule; North, where the Gobblers steals children; North, where Lord Asriel tries to find a way to a parallel universe. Can Lyra handle the situation? With twist and turns, The Golden Compass is both for children and adult. It continues with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

Inspired by Robert Browning narrative poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, The Gunslinger invites us into the world of Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure on a mysterious journey to track down The Man in Black. On his way, he meets the charming Alice, Jack from New York and begins their friendships. An epic work by Stephen King, The Gunslinger shows its audience that "Nothing ever begins... ...nothing ever ends".

A post-apocalyptical country name Paname, consisted of a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, each year, a man and a woman are selected from each district as tributes to be sent to compete in the Game and, only one will survive. When Katniss' sister is selected as one of the representatives, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and Peeta, her male counterpart are pitted against other representatives. It seems to be a death sentence to Katniss, but she has experienced worse. An unflinching series that reveals human nature and more.

A collection of short stories, The Illustrated Man presents a nameless narrator who meets the Illustrated Man--a wanderer whose entire body is a living canvas of exotic tattoos. Colorful and mysterious, The Illustrated Man counts eighteen different illustrations, each depicting what the Illustrated Man claims to be the future, such as "The Veldt," wherein rowdy children take a game of virtual reality way over the edge. Or "Zero Hour," in which invading aliens have discovered a most logical ally--our own children. Bradbury stretches our mind to an incredible extend, bearing the question, "Will these illustrations become a reality?"

They are walking through burned America. The sky is dark, the wind is chilly and the world seems to be dead. Their destination is the coast, but what is waiting for them? They don't have a lot of things, just a pistol and each other. With a cart of scavenged food, a father and his son must face the uncertainty of their fate. A profound novel that embodies both the best and worse that we are capable of. This is a story about survival and human tenderness in the face of devastation.

Have you ever imagined how our world is going to end? In King's vision, a bio-engineered virus is the answer. After a mistake being made in the Defense Department laboratory, death finds its way to our world. 99 percent of the human population is killed. As for the lucky survivors, it is a matter of making choices. They must choose or be chosen for one side or the other. A 108-year-old Mother Abigail and a man with a lethal smile, what is the story between them? An apocalyptic battle , The Stand explores the end of the world where humanity takes a stand between good and evil.

The Empire of Mask is coming to conquer Baru Cormorant's island, in which its culture, customs, and even Baru's family are on the verge of destruction. But Baru is patient. She will swallow her hate and join the Masquerade. And she will find her way up the rung of power and set her people free. But first, her loyalty is put to test. She must financially manage Aurdwynn, a country full of rebellion and tension between its many dukes -- but somehow, Baru manages. An accomplished debut, Seth Dickinson reveals the idea of imperial colonialism and economic warfare in a new way.