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Best Science Fiction TV, Movie & Game Tie-In

Ready Player One
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline. And I mean head over heels in love--the way you fall for someone who is smart, feisty, and who can effortlessly finish your favorite movie lines, music lyrics, or literature quotes before they come out of your mouth. Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. Our unlikely hero is an overweight trailer park kid who goes by Wade Watts in real life, and “Parzival” to his best friends and mortal enemies--all of whom he interacts with virtually. Just like the Arthurian knight that is his namesake, young Wade is on a quest for an incredible treasure guarded by mythical creatures. The setup is particularly brilliant, because Ernie Cline seems to have a laser-beam knowledge of (and warm, fuzzy love for) every pop song, arcade game, and giant robot produced in the last thirty years. Seriously, this is a guy who owns and regularly drives a 1982 DeLorean that has been mocked up to look exactly like the time-traveling car in Back to the Future , complete with a glowing flux capacitor. Worse, these corporate baddies are posers with no love for the game – they have movie dialogue piped in via radio earpieces, use bots to cheat at arcade games like JOUST, and don’t hesitate to terrorize or murder people in the real world to achieve their aims inside the OASIS. Our good guy has to leave his X-Wing fighter aboard his private flotilla so that he can pilot an authentic Ultraman recreation. And how do you not grin when someone dons a pair of virtual Chuck Taylor All Stars that bestow the power of flight? Instead, Cline keeps the stakes high throughout, and the epic treasure hunt structure (complete with an evolving high-score list) keeps the action intense. The plot unfolds with constant acceleration, never slowing down or sagging in the middle, to create a thrilling ride with a fulfilling ending. In your debut novel Ready Player One you incorporate literally hundreds of pop culture references, many of them in ways that are integral to the book’s plot. Q) Like the book’s hero, you possess a horrifyingly deep knowledge of a terrifyingly broad swathe of culture, ranging from John Hughes movies to super-obscure Japanese animation to 8-bit videogames to science-fiction and fantasy literature to role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Then as an adult, I worked at a long series of low paying tech support jobs that allowed me to surf the Internet all day, and I spent a lot of my cubicle time looking up obscure pop culture minutiae from my childhood while I waited for people to reboot their PCs. When I get home that night, I accidentally invent a cheap abundant clean energy source that saves human civilization. Cline’s imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe.”-- Booklist , starred review. "This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans… sweet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero.”-- Publishers Weekly. "Fascinating and imaginative…It's non-stop action when gamers must navigate clever puzzles and outwit determined enemies in a virtual world in order to save a real one. " Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. "The pure, unfettered brainscream of a child of the 80s, like a dream my 13-year-old self would have had after bingeing on Pop Rocks and Coke…I couldn’t put it down. Ernest Cline's hero competes in a virtual world with life-and-death stakes -- which is only fitting, because he's fighting to make his dreams into reality.
Reviews
"Really enjoyed this book and I knew all of the 80’s references!"
"As we become more and more obsessed with our devices and less involved in our physical surroundings we could reach a future that is outlined in this book."
"A little too much with old video games and movies."
"Such a fun story that incorporates great 80’s references, fantasy, science-fiction, dystopian futures and romance."
"Cline has imagined an interesting (albeit unfortunate) future world and created a story around several endearing characters."
"Overall, this was an entertaining book, and a good journey back to the heyday of coin operated arcade games of the 80s."
"This book covers the feeling of being hopeful for a future, Dark in the sense of how the future is, Nostalgic with all the references to old consoles and movies, the book can be lighthearted at times, and the book makes you think about are culture and what it could become."
"Im an avid reader and it caught my attention and held it because its a different subject matter then the usual fodder."
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The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga (Chaos Seeds Book 1)
Welcome... to "The Land!" *Starred Review* From Michael Manning , Author of the Mageborn and Embers of Illeniel series ★★★★★ An excellent book *Starred Review* From Terry Schott , Author of The Game is Life series ★★★★★After reading, 'The Land: Founding', you will either want to call up your friends and re-subscribe to your MMORPG, or rush to create an account and begin playing for the first time ! - Matthew R.Waugh ★★★★★ An Adult Version of Sword Art Online if it was a Book! - Connie Hawley Thank you all for spending your precious time reading my work! Please join me in my groups to stay updated on the latest news and to win free swag!
Reviews
"I read over 30 books per year so it could be me being jaded, or just having read a lot of similarly tailored stories, but I usually don't much like most books I find for under $5. Bottom line, I'm glad I clicked the Buy button on this book - I read it in less than a day, found another favorite author and am eagerly awaiting to start on the next book in the series."
"Enough of this : yeah I have fallen for this author must continue book II calling me (write me another book *."
"The prompts showing his skill progression, the way he builds his village, and the main characters wacky pop culture humor make this series a 5/5 for me."
"This is the first LitRPG book I've ever read and I enjoyed reading it."
"The Land: Founding sucked me in from page 1 and held me fast until the end, where I immediately purchased book 2."
"This was a fun read."
"I read this book after reading Edward Brody's Eden's Gate (also very good) and really loved it."
"I know there are several LitRPG's in circulation, but this story is so original because of the gaming effects."
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Star Wars: Thrawn
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this definitive novel, readers will follow Thrawn’s rise to power—uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history. One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. Thrawn’s observations and tactical thinking are utterly captivating.” —New York Daily News. Timothy Zahn is the author of more than forty novels, nearly ninety short stories and novellas, and four short-fiction collections. Zahn is best known for his Star Wars novels ( Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, Outbound Flight, Allegiance,Choices of One, and Scoundrels ), with more than four million copies of his books in print.
Reviews
"There are familiar notes including character and ship names readers of Zahn's Legends material, new material including Thrawn's young protege, and for those who require an Imperial villain, we have Arhinda Pryce and her ruthless climb to political power that also explains a great deal about her character on Rebels and how she and Thrawn became allies of a sort. New-canon only fans may find things like the explanation of the "civilian casualties" on Batonn strange or not in keeping with the so-far almost simple-minded insistence in new canon on black and white morality, but readers familiar with Zahn's work recognize this is a design feature, not a bug."
"It has been well over 10 years since I have cracked a book written by Zahn."
"How does Zahn do it?"
"I have always liked the Thrawn character, since his introduction in the original Zahn Star Wars trilogy back in the early 90s."
"Its been a while since I read the Heir to the Empire novels and I can't remember how Thrown was other than pretty badass."
"This story is so good, it really shows how smart Thrawn is and his relationship with the Emperor makes him pretty much untouchable."
"His skill, so prominently on display, could have been used to properly reset the new expanded universe in a much better manner than what Chuck Wendig dialed in."
"Thrawn was, as usual, the most insightful and intelligent person in the story. The writing immediately put the image of Benedict Cunberbatch as Thrawn and Martin Freeman as Vanto."
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Best Doctor Who Series

Doctor Who: Engines of War (Doctor Who: New Series Adventures Specials Book 4)
The Daleks and the Time Lords deploy ever more dangerous weapons in desperate attempts at victory, but there is no end in sight. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox. GEORGE MANN is the author of the Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery series, as well as numerous other novels, short stories and original audiobooks.
Reviews
"In the midst of this we have the War Doctor, the one between Eight and Nine, the one who ultimately ends the Time War by destroying both the Daleks and the Time Lords. The Doctor (for ease of reference, even though he’s not the same Doctor) and his TARDIS and the Time Lords and their battle TARDISes are engaging the Dalek fleet near the Tantalus Spiral, at least at this point in time. The Doctor reluctantly brings Cinder along to figure out what the Daleks are doing, and then it’s off to Gallifrey to report on the Daleks and figure out how to end this horrific war. Upon reflecting upon the story, I see not so much the transition of the Time Lords to the moral equivalents of the Daleks, but the Doctor’s realization that this transition has taken place, thus showing how he feels forced to make the repugnant decision to destroy the Daleks and the Time Lords."
"This is a much-abridged version of the complete review as it appears (http://ianwoodnovellum.blogspot.com/2015/01/doctor-who-engines-of-war-by-george-mann.html) at my blog dedicated to reading, writing (no 'rithmatic! In severe withdrawal after the Xmas Doctor Who show, I needed a good fix, and this delivered. We don't begin with his regeneration, but at a much later point - several centuries later - when he looks more like he did in the fiftieth anniversary special, and not long before he unleashed The Moment. The Doctor informs her that he has to go to the nearby city to find out what the Daleks are up to, and despite her extreme fear, she accompanies him. On Gallifrey we discover that Rassilon has been resurrected to lead the Time Lords, and he has a few dark secrets of his own. Having said that, of course, the time-lock seems to have failed dismally, since the Time-Lords were indeed tied up by it, but not, evidently, the Daleks - not in the least, given how often they've showed up in the rebooted TV series!"
"This is the first Doctor Who "book on tape" I've bought, and the purchase was based solely on the fact that Nicholas Briggs was the reader. I've been a fan of Big Finish for years, and even though this isn't one of their products, I knew that Briggs would put in the love and the work needed to bring the story alive. But to be fair I originally assumed there would be no special sounds -- just a straight reading --- so there is actually a lot there to sweeten the experience."
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Best Star Trek Series

Destiny: The Complete Saga: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls (Star Trek)
The omnibus edition of an epic crossover trilogy uniting characters from every corner of the Star Trek universe, and revealing the shocking origin and final fate of the Federation's most dangerous enemy--the Borg. No one knows how they are slipping past Starfleet’s defenses, so Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise have to find out—and put a stop to it. Thousands of light-years away, Captain Riker and the crew of the Titan follow bizarre energy pulses to a mysterious, hidden world. At the same time, in the Gamma Quadrant, a new captain and her crew investigate the wreck of the Earth starship Columbia NX-02, missing in action for more than two centuries. The Titan’s freedom hinges on the action of fellow prisoner Erika Hernandez, commander of the long-lost Earth starship Columbia. David Mack is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Reviews
"Troi baby started out quite sad actually won't give any details but get a few tissues."
"The biggest complaint was the Enterprise crew having little to do in the plot, and Captain Picard not being terribly heroic for three consecutive books."
"This is a must for anyone who likes The Next Generation, or Deep Space 9 or Voyager, as it weaves together a selection of characters from these series and pits them against their most fearsome enemy."
"Mack captured the essence of characters I love, believably, but also took them through a journey that was believable for me and pulled at my concern for the characters."
"I strongly recommend this series to any and all who are fans of Star Trek in general, and of the post-TOS series in particular."
"With that being said, it is a wild ride that has kept me wanti g to keep reading til my eyes can't stay open."
"It is worth your time to read, but it is not the best among the Star Trek novels I've read."
"Some of the plot elements require you to already be familiar with the Next Generation characters and remember certain episodes of TNG."
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Best Star Wars Series

Star Wars: Thrawn
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this definitive novel, readers will follow Thrawn’s rise to power—uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history. One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. Thrawn’s observations and tactical thinking are utterly captivating.” —New York Daily News. Timothy Zahn is the author of more than forty novels, nearly ninety short stories and novellas, and four short-fiction collections. Zahn is best known for his Star Wars novels ( Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, Outbound Flight, Allegiance,Choices of One, and Scoundrels ), with more than four million copies of his books in print.
Reviews
"There are familiar notes including character and ship names readers of Zahn's Legends material, new material including Thrawn's young protege, and for those who require an Imperial villain, we have Arhinda Pryce and her ruthless climb to political power that also explains a great deal about her character on Rebels and how she and Thrawn became allies of a sort. New-canon only fans may find things like the explanation of the "civilian casualties" on Batonn strange or not in keeping with the so-far almost simple-minded insistence in new canon on black and white morality, but readers familiar with Zahn's work recognize this is a design feature, not a bug."
"Timothy Zahn returns to the "Star Wars" universe with "Thrawn", a novel exploring the origin of his character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, a Chiss working with the Empire."
"Now that Disney has canonically introduced Thrawn in their Star Wars: Rebels series, I was excited to read Thrawn to see what Zahn could add for the character. His familiarity with the Star Wars universe allows him to fully immerse the reader in the story and setting in a way that honestly makes the reader feel like they are watching a Star Wars movie."
"Tim Zahn has always been one of my favorite science fiction authors, when I stumbled across The Thrawn Trilogy when I was 13 years old back in the bleak Texan midwinter of 1997-1998. Fast forward twenty years, and I find myself watching DisneyXD clips on youtube when I stumbled on the Season 3 trailer for Star Wars: Rebels when who should appear but Grand Admiral Thrawn."
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Best Stargate Series

STARGATE ATLANTIS: Homecoming (Book one in the Legacy series) (Stargate Atlantis: Legacy series 1)
The team members have dispersed and are beginning new lives far from the dangers of the Pegasus galaxy. With the help of General Jack O’Neill, Atlantis rises once more — and the former members of the expedition must decide whether to return with her to Pegasus or to remain safely on Earth in the new lives they enjoy... These all new adventures take the Atlantis team back to the Pegasus galaxy where a terrible new enemy has emerged, an enemy that threatens their lives, their friendships — and the future of Earth itself. Thrusters fired again, tilting the city slightly, increasing the drag. They were wrapping around the world in a high polar sweep, bleeding speed as they went. The planet’s largest landmass was embedded beneath the polar ice cap.
Reviews
"As a fan of all the Stargate TV series, I was glad to finally come across the Atlantis continuation after the unfortunate end of the series."
"The positives are good characterization, the beginnings of a great story arc, and most importantly a fantastic answer to the question, What happens next? The series finale of Atlantis was a satisfying wrap-up of the storylines (don't you hate it when a beloved series ends with major plot lines unresolved? There's also a great new character: Eva Robinson, a psychologist with the Ancient gene. (Personally, I always shipped John/Elizabeth, but that ship sailed when Weir was written off the series.)."
"The formatting (or lack thereof of) in the kindle version made it confusing to figure out when the story had skipped to follow another person or event, but it didn't take too long to figure it out as you kept reading."
"I rather enjoyed reading sensible and involved character histories that made logical sense and held my interest. These things are suppose to be such a great power source, and yet continuously the "Atlantis" story calls for an unbelievable draining of the ZPM's. Planning and deciding to fight at a stargate against incoming Wraith made no sense. There must be a hundred very obvious alternates every reading could imagine when reading that portion."
"When I see a typo of a word it just stops me in my tracks and takes away from the enjoyment of reading the ebook."
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Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Gaming

Critical Failures (Caverns and Creatures Book 1)
What if you and your friends got to live the game for real? After relentlessly mocking their strange new Game Master, Tim and his friends find themselves trapped in the bodies of their fantasy game characters, in a world where the swords, the magic, and the gastrointestinal issues are all too real.
Reviews
"Comedy books can be challenging, but Bevan pulls it off nicely."
"I think there was a movie made like this in the eighties, but they wound up committing suicide."
"Having been a D&D player years ago, I was thoroughly caught up in the details of the game."
"Second is that the characters never really embrace their own sense of peril, you'd think they'd take their situation a little more seriously. This isn't about the trouble with being teleported to a world of actual swords and sorcery, rather the trouble of being teleported to a word were "game balance" is paramount."
"As a fan of the real game (Letter after C&Letter after C), I was interested in reading this series."
"Voice actor Jonathan Sleep brings these characters alive and adds a whole new dimension to these already wonderfully entertaining books."
"If you have spoken by any time with dice and paper games, especially 2nd Generation AD&D, then this is a book for you."
"This is the funniest D&D style of story I've ever read."
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Best Science Fiction Adventures

Ready Player One: A Novel
Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to READY PLAYER ONE as a 'nerdgasm' [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture…But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times “Triggers memories and emotions embedded in the psyche of a generation...[Cline crafts] a fresh and imaginative world from our old toy box, and finds significance in there among the collectibles. It marries the fantastical world of Harry Potter with a touch of Orson Scott Card—where fantasy is reality, geeks are cool, and the possibilities are endless.” — New York Journal of Books “ Ridiculously fun and large-hearted, and you don't have to remember the Reagan administration to love it…[Cline] takes a far-out premise and engages the reader instantly…You'll wish you could make it go on and on.” —NPR.org. “A delirious, crypto-nerd fantasia...Crammed with ’80s nostalgia and sugar-high prose, it's ridiculous and addictive and full of toy surprises.” —Village Voice “A smart, funny thriller that both celebrates and critiques online culture...Layered with inside jokes and sly references.” —San Francisco Chronicle “A fun, funny and fabulously entertaining first novel…This novel's large dose of 1980s trivia is a delight…[but] even readers who need Google to identify Commodore 64 or Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, will enjoy this memorabilian feast.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer “The grown-up's 'Harry Potter’…the mystery and fantasy in this novel weaves itself in the most delightful way, and the details that make up Mr. Cline's world are simply astounding. Grade: A.” —AVClub.com “A preposterously great read and a richly imagined science-fiction world that uses the very idea of nostalgia as a thematic jumping-off point...One of the true geek events of the year.” —HitFix.com “This non-gamer loved every page of READY PLAYER ONE.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I loved every sentence of this book.” —Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing "A 'frakking' good read [featuring] incredible creative detail … I grinned at the sheer audacity of Cline's imagination.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “ [A] fantastic page-turner….READY PLAYER ONE may be science fiction, but it's also written for people who have never picked up an SF novel in their lives…” —Annalee Newitz, io9.com. “I really, really loved READY PLAYER ONE…Cline expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future.” —Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse.
Reviews
"Yes, do read this book."
"Even if you are not a video game player, You will at least remember the video games like Pac-Man that came out in the 1980s."
"This book kept me engaged, maybe it's because I enjoy videogames, but the way the writer actually put me in the story was really good."
"Fun flashbacks to the 80s."
"My husband has not read a book in the 12 years I've been married to him."
"Being only a year older than the main cultural source of the book I was dancing between the story and my own memories. With such a huge cast of cultural references presented it would have been impossible to accumulate them as the characters in this book seem to. The 80s was a huge explosion of geek culture which would take a lifetime to experience, yet these people are able to absorb it in a few years. Even if you are not a child of the 80s, if you have a friend or family member who was this book will provide a great insight into the early days of geekdom."
"The author did a good job of relating how life would be if consumed by a virtual world and how easily humanity would use it as an outlet for everyday life. I believe the author did a find job describing the grandious nature of a world driven my imagination but inhabitted by real people."
"I loved how the real world aspects and cyber world aspect intertwined to create such a dynamic contrast. The adventure, action, and puzzles were all things I looked forward to."
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Best Time Travel Science Fiction

The Martian: A Novel
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Perhaps it’s the rugged terrain, beautiful scenery, or vast natural landscape that appeals to you. Earth’s liquid core gives it a magnetic field that protects us from most of the nasty crap the sun pukes out at us. The easiest way to do that is to bury your base in Martian sand and rocks. The Curiosity probe recently discovered that Martian soil has quite a lot of ice in it. Just think of how much food you eat in a year and imagine how much space it takes to grow it. Mars’s average daily temperature is -50C (-58F), so it’ll be a continual energy drain to keep warm. Make a base with a big death ray so you can address the UN while wearing an ominous mask and demand ransom? Because in the end, Mars is a harsh, dangerous place and if something goes wrong you’ll have no hope of rescue. Remember Man Plus, Frederik Pohl’s award-winning 1976 novel about a cyborg astronaut who’s sent, alone, to Mars? Imagine, instead, that the astronaut was just a regular guy, part of a team sent to the red planet, and that, through a series of tragic events, he’s left behind, stranded and facing certain death. The story is told mostly through the log entries of astronaut Mark Watney, chronicling his efforts to survive: making the prefab habitat livable and finding a way to grow food, make water, and get himself off the planet. Interspersed among the log entries are sections told from the point of view of the NASA specialists, back on Earth, who discover that Watney is not dead (as everyone assumed) and scramble together a rescue plan. There are some inevitable similarities between the book and the 1964 movie Robinson Crusoe on Mars, but where the movie was a broad sci-fi adventure, the novel is a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man’s ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Reviews
"The main character, Watney, presumed dead, is accidentally left by his crew mates when an intense Martian dust storm forces them to abort their mission. What follows for part of the book is a logbook style narrative that describes in great technical detail Watney's efforts to extend his life until the next scheduled mission arrives in 4 years. After reading just the first 20% of the book (my Kindle has no page numbers) one can't help but be impressed by the author's depth of knowledge in this regard. There are no flashbacks of our main character fishing with Dad at the old water hole, or him riding his first bicycle without training wheels. Again, we don't follow our mission control cast of characters back too their respective homes and meet their wives and husbands and get served up cliche insights into their innermost thoughts. I highly recommend this book to people who are into reading hard sci-fi of the not-too-distant future, sci-fi without blasters and ray guns or 9' tall aliens that bleed acid."
"Mark Watney the main character in The Martian will engage you in many life lessons one as such on how to survive on Mars for several years by growing your own potatoes. All jokes aside this book will help your students understand why NASA has put forth the effort towards the research they’ve done on Mars. Since we now know to grow food and live there for years we could start spreading out our world population by sending some people to Mars. This book does teach the perspective audience how to potentially live off the grid and survive if there were a huge life event to happen on earth."
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Best Hard Science Fiction

Ready Player One
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline. And I mean head over heels in love--the way you fall for someone who is smart, feisty, and who can effortlessly finish your favorite movie lines, music lyrics, or literature quotes before they come out of your mouth. Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. Our unlikely hero is an overweight trailer park kid who goes by Wade Watts in real life, and “Parzival” to his best friends and mortal enemies--all of whom he interacts with virtually. Just like the Arthurian knight that is his namesake, young Wade is on a quest for an incredible treasure guarded by mythical creatures. The setup is particularly brilliant, because Ernie Cline seems to have a laser-beam knowledge of (and warm, fuzzy love for) every pop song, arcade game, and giant robot produced in the last thirty years. Seriously, this is a guy who owns and regularly drives a 1982 DeLorean that has been mocked up to look exactly like the time-traveling car in Back to the Future , complete with a glowing flux capacitor. Worse, these corporate baddies are posers with no love for the game – they have movie dialogue piped in via radio earpieces, use bots to cheat at arcade games like JOUST, and don’t hesitate to terrorize or murder people in the real world to achieve their aims inside the OASIS. Our good guy has to leave his X-Wing fighter aboard his private flotilla so that he can pilot an authentic Ultraman recreation. And how do you not grin when someone dons a pair of virtual Chuck Taylor All Stars that bestow the power of flight? Instead, Cline keeps the stakes high throughout, and the epic treasure hunt structure (complete with an evolving high-score list) keeps the action intense. The plot unfolds with constant acceleration, never slowing down or sagging in the middle, to create a thrilling ride with a fulfilling ending. In your debut novel Ready Player One you incorporate literally hundreds of pop culture references, many of them in ways that are integral to the book’s plot. Q) Like the book’s hero, you possess a horrifyingly deep knowledge of a terrifyingly broad swathe of culture, ranging from John Hughes movies to super-obscure Japanese animation to 8-bit videogames to science-fiction and fantasy literature to role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Then as an adult, I worked at a long series of low paying tech support jobs that allowed me to surf the Internet all day, and I spent a lot of my cubicle time looking up obscure pop culture minutiae from my childhood while I waited for people to reboot their PCs. When I get home that night, I accidentally invent a cheap abundant clean energy source that saves human civilization. Cline’s imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe.”-- Booklist , starred review. "This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans… sweet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero.”-- Publishers Weekly. "Fascinating and imaginative…It's non-stop action when gamers must navigate clever puzzles and outwit determined enemies in a virtual world in order to save a real one. " Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. "The pure, unfettered brainscream of a child of the 80s, like a dream my 13-year-old self would have had after bingeing on Pop Rocks and Coke…I couldn’t put it down. Ernest Cline's hero competes in a virtual world with life-and-death stakes -- which is only fitting, because he's fighting to make his dreams into reality.
Reviews
"Yes, do read this book."
"Even if you are not a video game player, You will at least remember the video games like Pac-Man that came out in the 1980s."
"This book kept me engaged, maybe it's because I enjoy videogames, but the way the writer actually put me in the story was really good."
"Fun flashbacks to the 80s."
"My husband has not read a book in the 12 years I've been married to him."
"Being only a year older than the main cultural source of the book I was dancing between the story and my own memories. With such a huge cast of cultural references presented it would have been impossible to accumulate them as the characters in this book seem to. The 80s was a huge explosion of geek culture which would take a lifetime to experience, yet these people are able to absorb it in a few years. Even if you are not a child of the 80s, if you have a friend or family member who was this book will provide a great insight into the early days of geekdom."
"The author did a good job of relating how life would be if consumed by a virtual world and how easily humanity would use it as an outlet for everyday life. I believe the author did a find job describing the grandious nature of a world driven my imagination but inhabitted by real people."
"I loved how the real world aspects and cyber world aspect intertwined to create such a dynamic contrast. The adventure, action, and puzzles were all things I looked forward to."
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Best Superhero Science Fiction

Ready Player One
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. Along with millions of other world-wide citizens, Wade dreams of finding three keys left behind by James Halliday, the now-deceased creator of OASIS and the richest man to have ever lived. Stuffed to the gills with action, puzzles, nerdy romance, and 80s nostalgia, this high energy cyber-quest will make geeks everywhere feel like they were separated at birth from author Ernest Cline. And I mean head over heels in love--the way you fall for someone who is smart, feisty, and who can effortlessly finish your favorite movie lines, music lyrics, or literature quotes before they come out of your mouth. Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. Our unlikely hero is an overweight trailer park kid who goes by Wade Watts in real life, and “Parzival” to his best friends and mortal enemies--all of whom he interacts with virtually. Just like the Arthurian knight that is his namesake, young Wade is on a quest for an incredible treasure guarded by mythical creatures. The setup is particularly brilliant, because Ernie Cline seems to have a laser-beam knowledge of (and warm, fuzzy love for) every pop song, arcade game, and giant robot produced in the last thirty years. Seriously, this is a guy who owns and regularly drives a 1982 DeLorean that has been mocked up to look exactly like the time-traveling car in Back to the Future , complete with a glowing flux capacitor. Worse, these corporate baddies are posers with no love for the game – they have movie dialogue piped in via radio earpieces, use bots to cheat at arcade games like JOUST, and don’t hesitate to terrorize or murder people in the real world to achieve their aims inside the OASIS. Our good guy has to leave his X-Wing fighter aboard his private flotilla so that he can pilot an authentic Ultraman recreation. And how do you not grin when someone dons a pair of virtual Chuck Taylor All Stars that bestow the power of flight? Instead, Cline keeps the stakes high throughout, and the epic treasure hunt structure (complete with an evolving high-score list) keeps the action intense. The plot unfolds with constant acceleration, never slowing down or sagging in the middle, to create a thrilling ride with a fulfilling ending. In your debut novel Ready Player One you incorporate literally hundreds of pop culture references, many of them in ways that are integral to the book’s plot. Q) Like the book’s hero, you possess a horrifyingly deep knowledge of a terrifyingly broad swathe of culture, ranging from John Hughes movies to super-obscure Japanese animation to 8-bit videogames to science-fiction and fantasy literature to role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Then as an adult, I worked at a long series of low paying tech support jobs that allowed me to surf the Internet all day, and I spent a lot of my cubicle time looking up obscure pop culture minutiae from my childhood while I waited for people to reboot their PCs. When I get home that night, I accidentally invent a cheap abundant clean energy source that saves human civilization. Cline’s imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe.”-- Booklist , starred review. "This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans… sweet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero.”-- Publishers Weekly. "Fascinating and imaginative…It's non-stop action when gamers must navigate clever puzzles and outwit determined enemies in a virtual world in order to save a real one. " Ready Player One expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future. "The pure, unfettered brainscream of a child of the 80s, like a dream my 13-year-old self would have had after bingeing on Pop Rocks and Coke…I couldn’t put it down. Ernest Cline's hero competes in a virtual world with life-and-death stakes -- which is only fitting, because he's fighting to make his dreams into reality.
Reviews
"Yes, do read this book."
"Even if you are not a video game player, You will at least remember the video games like Pac-Man that came out in the 1980s."
"This book kept me engaged, maybe it's because I enjoy videogames, but the way the writer actually put me in the story was really good."
"Fun flashbacks to the 80s."
"My husband has not read a book in the 12 years I've been married to him."
"Being only a year older than the main cultural source of the book I was dancing between the story and my own memories. With such a huge cast of cultural references presented it would have been impossible to accumulate them as the characters in this book seem to. The 80s was a huge explosion of geek culture which would take a lifetime to experience, yet these people are able to absorb it in a few years. Even if you are not a child of the 80s, if you have a friend or family member who was this book will provide a great insight into the early days of geekdom."
"The author did a good job of relating how life would be if consumed by a virtual world and how easily humanity would use it as an outlet for everyday life. I believe the author did a find job describing the grandious nature of a world driven my imagination but inhabitted by real people."
"I loved how the real world aspects and cyber world aspect intertwined to create such a dynamic contrast. The adventure, action, and puzzles were all things I looked forward to."
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Best Cyberpunk Science Fiction

Ready Player One: A Novel
Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to READY PLAYER ONE as a 'nerdgasm' [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture…But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times “Triggers memories and emotions embedded in the psyche of a generation...[Cline crafts] a fresh and imaginative world from our old toy box, and finds significance in there among the collectibles. It marries the fantastical world of Harry Potter with a touch of Orson Scott Card—where fantasy is reality, geeks are cool, and the possibilities are endless.” — New York Journal of Books “ Ridiculously fun and large-hearted, and you don't have to remember the Reagan administration to love it…[Cline] takes a far-out premise and engages the reader instantly…You'll wish you could make it go on and on.” —NPR.org. “A delirious, crypto-nerd fantasia...Crammed with ’80s nostalgia and sugar-high prose, it's ridiculous and addictive and full of toy surprises.” —Village Voice “A smart, funny thriller that both celebrates and critiques online culture...Layered with inside jokes and sly references.” —San Francisco Chronicle “A fun, funny and fabulously entertaining first novel…This novel's large dose of 1980s trivia is a delight…[but] even readers who need Google to identify Commodore 64 or Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, will enjoy this memorabilian feast.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer “The grown-up's 'Harry Potter’…the mystery and fantasy in this novel weaves itself in the most delightful way, and the details that make up Mr. Cline's world are simply astounding. Grade: A.” —AVClub.com “A preposterously great read and a richly imagined science-fiction world that uses the very idea of nostalgia as a thematic jumping-off point...One of the true geek events of the year.” —HitFix.com “This non-gamer loved every page of READY PLAYER ONE.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I loved every sentence of this book.” —Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing "A 'frakking' good read [featuring] incredible creative detail … I grinned at the sheer audacity of Cline's imagination.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “ [A] fantastic page-turner….READY PLAYER ONE may be science fiction, but it's also written for people who have never picked up an SF novel in their lives…” —Annalee Newitz, io9.com. “I really, really loved READY PLAYER ONE…Cline expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future.” —Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse.
Reviews
"Yes, do read this book."
"Even if you are not a video game player, You will at least remember the video games like Pac-Man that came out in the 1980s."
"This book kept me engaged, maybe it's because I enjoy videogames, but the way the writer actually put me in the story was really good."
"Fun flashbacks to the 80s."
"My husband has not read a book in the 12 years I've been married to him."
"Being only a year older than the main cultural source of the book I was dancing between the story and my own memories. With such a huge cast of cultural references presented it would have been impossible to accumulate them as the characters in this book seem to. The 80s was a huge explosion of geek culture which would take a lifetime to experience, yet these people are able to absorb it in a few years. Even if you are not a child of the 80s, if you have a friend or family member who was this book will provide a great insight into the early days of geekdom."
"The author did a good job of relating how life would be if consumed by a virtual world and how easily humanity would use it as an outlet for everyday life. I believe the author did a find job describing the grandious nature of a world driven my imagination but inhabitted by real people."
"I loved how the real world aspects and cyber world aspect intertwined to create such a dynamic contrast. The adventure, action, and puzzles were all things I looked forward to."
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Best Video & Electronic Games

Wimpy Steve Book 1: Trapped in Minecraft! (An Unofficial Minecraft Diary Book) (Minecraft Diary: Wimpy Steve)
Previously published as Diary of a Wimpy Steve: Trapped in Minecraft! (Book 1) takes you on a hilarious Minecraft adventure in which Wimpy Steve (a complete newbie) records his experiences while trapped INSIDE the Minecraft game! With charming illustrations and creative storytelling, Wimpy Steve: Trapped in Minecraft! Kids ages 5-12 (even reluctant readers) can't wait to "dig in" to these Minecraft adventures! Minecraft is a registered trademark of, and owned by, Mojang AB, and its respective owners, which do not approve, endorse, sponsor, or authorize this book.
Reviews
"I like these books zdfgsegrgbggbdreythftdfvdkfonelfivndlfnlekfefoivndfvnjvmcjfgkv."
"Lol LoL LoL LoL !!!!"
"I love this book its combines to of my favorite things."
"THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER IN ALL SPACE. TIME!!!!"
"I really liked this book."
"Awesome book sure to make your child laugh."
"I really like this book because it is about adventure very very very very very very very very awesome By matt."
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Best Dungeons & Dragons Gaming

Critical Failures (Caverns and Creatures Book 1)
What if you and your friends got to live the game for real? After relentlessly mocking their strange new Game Master, Tim and his friends find themselves trapped in the bodies of their fantasy game characters, in a world where the swords, the magic, and the gastrointestinal issues are all too real.
Reviews
"Because buying all the books and narrations drained my pocket."
"Comedy books can be challenging, but Bevan pulls it off nicely."
"I think there was a movie made like this in the eighties, but they wound up committing suicide."
"Having been a D&D player years ago, I was thoroughly caught up in the details of the game."
"Second is that the characters never really embrace their own sense of peril, you'd think they'd take their situation a little more seriously. This isn't about the trouble with being teleported to a world of actual swords and sorcery, rather the trouble of being teleported to a word were "game balance" is paramount."
"As a fan of the real game (Letter after C&Letter after C), I was interested in reading this series."
"Voice actor Jonathan Sleep brings these characters alive and adds a whole new dimension to these already wonderfully entertaining books."
"If you have spoken by any time with dice and paper games, especially 2nd Generation AD&D, then this is a book for you."
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Best Role Playing & Fantasy Games

Underworld - Level Up or Die: A LitRPG Series
Elorion has just finished a VR gaming session to find a monster waiting for him.
Reviews
"The reader is learning about the world at the same time as the main characters."
"Very quick read."
"I've read a lot of Litrpg and this is the second book I've found that has group play."
"Fantastic book, with a cool spin on the rpgLIT genre."
"Story is good."
"Fun read."
"Really works as a story and is compelling."
"Great read, I'm excited for the sequel."
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Best Alternative History

Animal Farm and 1984
Animal Farm is Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution -- an account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm--a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. 'I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticsm having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticsm having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York. 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading.
Reviews
"The pigs rewrite history and convince the others that things happened differently to how they remember, and rewrite their '7 Commandments' subtly in their favour and so on. There is plenty of depth if you want to go into the details of the allegory if you are interested, but the main point is pretty obvious really."
"An excellent read which will eternally be applicable to every generation."
"I kept hoping and hoping that the animals would rise up in a second rebellion, or that Snowball would return with some kind of relief force, when I knew very well that this book is based on Russian history and no such thing happened."
"As with any book review, I do not want to spill the plot, but suffice it to say that the (potential future) world Orwell paints in vivid detail is not always a pretty one. At less than 10 bucks for the Kindle edition this set is a true Amazon bargain!"
"My son and I both enjoyed reading this classic George Orwell novel, there are a lot of discussion points to be had at the end of each chapter, and it's a relatively short read - much like this review."
"I loved this, it is one of my all time favorites, and this was a refresher read for next months discussion at the book club I belong to."
"Small print and smaller book than expected."
"Don't waist your time with this printing of such a classic, great the book."
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Best Thrillers

Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell Series Book 1)
A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim’s fiancé, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. Do yourself a favor and give this bright talent a read.” —John Hart, multiple Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road. Barbara Nickless has written a twisting, tortured novel that speaks with brutal honesty of the lingering traumas of war, including and especially those wounds we cannot see. I fell hard for Parnell and her four-legged partner and can't wait to read more.” —Vicki Pettersson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Swerve. Barbara Nickless has fashioned a beautifully drawn hero in take-charge, take-no-prisoners Sydney Parnell, former Marine and now a railway cop battling a deadly gang as she investigates their purported connection to a recent murder. Skilled in evoking emotion from the reader, Nickless is a master of the craft, a writer to keep your eyes on.” —Chris Goff, author of Dark Waters. “Barbara Nickless’s Blood on the Tracks is raw and authentic, plunging readers into the fascinating world of tough railroad cop Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell and her Malinois sidekick, Clyde. Haunted by her military service in Iraq, Sydney Rose is brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help solve a particularly brutal murder, leading her into a snake pit of hate and betrayal. Full of the suspense that holds you on the edge of your seat, it’s also replete with acts of bravery, moments of hope, and a host of feelings that keep the story’s intensity level high. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she has given workshops and speeches at numerous writing conferences and book events.
Reviews
"Here's a quick rundown, without spoilers: THE HEROINE -- At first, it appeared this was going to be another female character who somehow seems to do everything right despite all the angst she has to lug around. Her scene descriptions are vivid, and the attention to the thoughts of her main character Sydney is wonderful. ADDITIONAL WRITING THOUGHT -- The author uses transcripts of the main character's notes, interviews, journals, etc. I don't subtract stars if an author chooses to include language or sex, just letting potential readers know both exist in this book. For me, I enjoy when an author drops clues throughout the book that add up to a strong justification when the murderer is finally revealed, and I personally thought this could have been handled a little better. HOWEVER...even with the "twists" issue, the story is excellent and I found myself really liking the character of Sydney Parnell."
"Since I enjoy reading police procedural novels, I didn’t need to go past the summary description that this one included a K-9 partner to immediately select it as my Kindle First choice. While this is an especially interesting police procedural story since Sydney Rose Parnell and Clyde are part of a railroad police force, it goes much deeper."
"I was hooked from the first chapter - drawn in by the main character, Sydney, who hides her complex and compassionate nature beneath a stoic exterior."
"The story gives you the information about her past little by little, which made me love her character even more. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished the story and the second book popped up."
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