Science Fiction Annotation

Asimov, I. (1990). The gods themselves. New York: Bantam.

Summary: Only a few know the terrifying truth--an outcast Earth scientist, a rebellious alien inhabitant of a dying planet, a lunar-born human intuitionist who senses the imminent annihilation of the Sun.  They know the truth--but who will listen?  They have foreseen the cost of abundant energy--but who will believe?  These few beings, human and alien, hold the key to the Earth's survival (Amazon).

Characteristics of Science Fiction:

1) Speculative fiction, typically set in the future. Explores moral, ethical, or social ideas in a non-reality setting.

2) Setting is crucial to the genre: conjures a different time, place, and/or reality.

3) Offers a range of styles and language crafted to suit the storyline, and add to the speculative nature of the genre.

4) The focus of the story determines the pacing of it: More adventurous, the faster the storyline moves, etc.

5) Science fiction has a wide range of tone, from dark to comic; Tone is often used to highlight the issues discussed.

Read-a-likes:

Clarke, A. C. (2000). The Hammer of God. Bantam Books.

In the year 2110 technology has cured most of our worries. But even as humankind enters a new golden age, an amateur astronomer points his telescope at just the right corner of the night sky and sees disaster hurtling toward Earth: a chunk of rock that could annihilate civilization.  While a few fanatics welcome the apocalyptic destruction as a sign from God, the greatest scientific minds of Earth desperately search for a way to avoid the inevitable. On board the starship Goliath Captain Robert Singh and his crew must race against time to redirect the meteor form its deadly collision course. Suddenly they find themselves on the most important mission in human history--a mission whose success may require the ultimate sacrifice. (Amazon).

Benford, G. (2006). Timescape. New York: Bantam Books.

The author of Tides of Light offers his Nebula Award-winning SF classic--a combination of hard science, bold speculation, and human drama. In the year 1998, a group of scientists works desperately to communicate with the scientists of 1962, warning of an ecological disaster that will destroy the oceans in the future--if it is not averted in the past. (Amazon).

References:

Amazon. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.amazon.com

Saricks, J. G. (2009). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago: American Library Association.

WorldCat. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.worldcat.org