Category: Sci-Fi/Dystopian

by Victoria Aveyard

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

by Neal Shusterman

Scythe

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Andy Weir

I whole heartedly enjoy Andy Weir’s The Martian book and the movie. The book goes into a great deal of science to explain how plausible traveling to Mars and surviving could actually be. It’s also a very comedic/sarcastic book, and Project Hail Mary continues that vibe! This book tends to focus more on the physics side of science & truly goes more science fiction than The Martian does. I still enjoyed it a lot and the book holds a big twist in the middle of the story! This is an adult book and does contain some language, but not as much as The Martian. If you are looking for a good sci-fi, this is a great choice!

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission – and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian – while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

by Bethany Wiggins

Great mixture of dystopian and romance! The startling thing about this book is the recognition that how the world falls apart could potentially happen. It all starts with a vaccine… a vaccine gone wrong. I am looking forward to reading the second book! This one answered some questions, but still left a lot of unknowns. It was a fast paced book that was hard to put down.

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she awakens, her world no longer exists. Her house is abandoned and broken. Her neighborhood is barren and dead. And there is a tattoo on her right hand. A tattoo Fiona doesn’t remember getting…but somehow she must conceal at any cost. Because humanity has been divided.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded, while a select few live protected inside a fortresslike wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

And Fiona has awoken branded, on the wrong side of the wall, and…normal.

by Robinson Wells

I don’t think I have ever read a book that jumps in like Variant! It is fast paced and doesn’t spend a lot of time back tracking. I was hooked within the first few pages! Benson gets accepted to a private school, but turns out their are no adults. Students have job contracts along with their classes to cook meals, do maintenance, run security, and even teach lessons. Despite no adults, the rules are strict, and if a rule is broken, the consequences are severe…. such detention. Detention doesn’t seem that bad, right? Yet no one has ever come back from detention. Lose a game of paintball…. you don’t eat for 2 days. Despite all this, some students have been their for years. Some even seem as if they should have graduated. But can anyone escape?

by S. J. Kincaid

If you like Ender’s Game mixed with Harry Potter (but no magic, just technology) along with a splash of Ready Player One & Hunger Games, then this is the book for you! The author does the diligence in providing enough explanation and detail to really make the futuristic ideas and technology totally possible. There are many parts to this book as well. You have the main character, who is in training for the military to remotely pilot spaceships, living the dorm life and attending classes and simulation practices. These cadets have computers imbedded directly into their brains though! This brings in a whole new level of virtual reality and brains can now be hacked. Imagine a computer virus that made you think you were a sheep and you truly thought you were. The cadets also have to fight to prove themselves in order to receive sponsorships from the leading companies in the world so that the war is continued to be funded. This book is all in and I enjoyed being immersed in this futuristic technological version of Earth’s future!

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid’s fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender’s Game.

The planet’s natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn’t seem like a hero. He’s a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom’s life completely changes. Suddenly, he’s someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there’s a price to pay. . . .

by Ally Condie

Matched (Book #1)

Matched fits the classic dystopian set up: a war that ruined civilization, society has re-built with better technology, better machines, but all out of fear leading to extreme governmental control. Of any dystopian series I have read, this book truly takes the control to an extreme. The government has centers that send food directly to a person three times a day. It is food meant exactly for that person and that person only to fit their specific nutritional needs. There is no choice in what job a person can take or who they will marry. Cassia is about to find out who she will marry, but the program goes wrong for just a moment. It’s enough of a glimpse that she sees another face and now begins to doubt whether the government truly is as perfect as it seems.

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted the Society’s choices. And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, she is certain he’s the one—until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now she is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s ever known and a path no has dared to follow . . . between perfection and the truth.

Crossed (Book #2)

The second book picks up pretty much where the first one left off and just keeps the story moving. Cassia continues to learn how much what she thought was true, isn’t. This book takes a sharp turn from the beautiful city and well polished life that we see in the first book. This book becomes about survival and introduces us to the war that’s been ravaging the world. The paths of Cassia, Ky, and Xander continues as well & how will it turn out between them? Can anyone, even Ky or Xander, be trusted?

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky–taken by Society to his certain death–only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons.  On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life . . . and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game.  On the edge of Society, nothing is as expected, and crosses and double crosses make Cassia’s path more twisted than ever.

Reached (Book #3)

Find out what happens in the final book!!!

Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most—family, love, choice. Her revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion. As an incurable plague sweeps through the Society, Cassia races to save both the lives and freedom of those she loves. With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international–bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.