The ListForms of Fiction Class @ Kingston High School, May of 2008

Sci-FiSci-Fi

Note: This database was created with the intention of providing future Forms of Fiction students with a useful and diverse collection of Sci-Fi works and our thoughts on them. Obviously it is really not possible for two high school students to put much of a dent into the vast amount of Sci-Fi books in the world, so we ask you – no – we beg you, to contribute your knowledge to our meager lists and help this simple PowerPoint become something more.

The List Creators,

Jared Rusk & Sara Hedlund

Warning: Many of these works will never, ever be accepted by the school district. We advise you to read at your own risk. If you’re not careful you might learn something.

Interested in Fantasy? Click here.

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Time Travel

Space

Browse by Themes:

Apocalyptic

Aliens

Military/Political

Bio/Technological

Sociological

Sick of robots and technology? Go to the fantasy page.

Time TravelMajor Theme:Major Theme:

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Works Included:Works Included:-Slaughterhouse-five

-Doomsday

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Slaughterhouse FiveAuthor: Kurt Vonnegut

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “A poignant and humorous work…Vonnegut’s imagination is immense, carrying Pilgrim from WWII trenches to being a main attraction at a zoo on the planet of Trafamadore…who coined the phrase: so it goes.

“

Plot: One of the world’s great anti-war books, Vonnegut employs the black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination shown in many of his novels. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we hear most.

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,900784,00.html?internalid=atb100

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Doomsday BookAuthor: Connie Willis

Plot: a student in 2048 who is transported to an English village in the 14th century. The student arrives mistakenly on the eve of the onset of the Black Plague. Her dealings with a family of "contemps" in 1348 and with her historian cohorts lead to complications as the book unfolds into a surprisingly dark, deep conclusion. The book draws upon Willis' understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Its won the awards so technically it is good…not for sci-fi fans who prefer books like Ender’s Game since it switches back and forth between past and future….I still didn’t enjoy, I felt it was missing something….”

“

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue430/classic.html

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Click anywhere to continue to “Space”

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SpaceMajor Theme:Major Theme:

Works Included:Works Included:-Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

-Rendezvous with Rama

-Hyperion Cantos

-Ilium/Olympos

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Hitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyAuthor: Douglas Adams

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “British…hilarious, and slightly twisted ex. whale falls from sky finds out who he is then promptly dies from the fall but done amusingly and so hard to accurately describe…worth every minute though the sequels could be missed (best movie version done by BBC). A satire on pulp SF.”

“It’s hilarious and completely random. Douglas Adams can just go into random paragraphs about some random object with a small part to the story.”

Plot: Hapless Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect, who turns out to be an alien, hitch a ride off Earth shortly before it's demolished to make way for an interstellar bypass.  Don't panic!  They survive a series of adventures including horrendous Vogon poetry, and, against all probability, are picked up by crazy, two-headed, Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian in the stolen secret starship Heart of Gold.  They meet Marvin, a hopelessly depressed android, and smart mice while seeking the Question to the Ultimate Answer of  "42".

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780345391803

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Rendezvous with RamaAuthor: Arthur C. Clarke

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Another of my childhood bedtime stories. Really strange. Definitely a mind blower.”

Plot: Rendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd century, the story involves a thirty-mile-long cylindrical alien starship that passes through Earth's solar system. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers, who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries.

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.sfreviews.net/rama.html

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Hyperion Cantos Author: Dan Simmons

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “This is the most epic series I have ever read. It has everything. Philosophy, War, Sex, Religion anything you could want is in here. However if you were to only read 2 of the four books I would suggest the second 2 (Endymion and The Rise. [Next page]).”

Plot: On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue52/excess.html

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Endymion/Rise Of EndymionAuthor: Dan Simmons

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “These are incredible books. They’ve had a huge impact on my life. Am I a nerd? Probably.”

Plot: As a final genocidal Crusade threatens to enslave humanity forever, a new messiah has come of age. Now her protector, Raul Endymion, one-time shepherd and convicted murderer, must help her deliver her startling message to her growing army of disciples. But first they must embark on a final spectacular mission to discover the underlying meaning of the universe itself. They have been followed on their journey by the mysterious Shrike--monster, angel, killing machine--who is about to reveal the long-held secret of its origin and purpose. And on the planet of Hyperion, where the story first began, the final revelation will be delivered--an apocalyptic message that unlocks the secrets of existence and the fate of humankind in the galaxy.

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.mostlyfiction.com/scifi/simmons.htm

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Ilium/Olympos Author: Dan Simmons

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, splendid, superb, impressive, read it.”

Plot: The series centers on three main character groups; that of the scholic Hockenberry, Helen and Greek and Trojan warriors from the Iliad; Daeman, Harman, Ada and the other humans of a distopian Earth; and the moravecs, a race of literature loving robots, specifically Mahnmut the Europan and Orphu of Io.

Read a review from outside of this class:http://blogs.epicindia.com/kanjisheik/2006/06/series_review_ilium_olympos_by_1.html

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Click anywhere to continue to “Apocalyptic”

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ApocalypticMajor Theme:Major Theme:

Works Included:Works Included:-I am Legend

-Dhalgren

-The Far Side of Evil

-Swan Song

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I Am LegendAuthor: Richard Matheson

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/books/classic/sfw13516.html

Plot: A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employs a stark, almost documentary style.

Peer Reviews:

“I think that I am Legend should be in the Forms of Fiction program. It is a great book that isn’t too ‘over the top’.”

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DhalgrenAuthor: Samuel R. Delany

Plot: Bellona is a city at the dead center of the United States. Something has happened there…The population has fled. Madmen and criminals wander the streets. Strange portents appear in the cloud-colored sky. Into this disaster zone comes a young man who has forgotten his name. Tackling questions of race, gender, and sexuality, the book is also a work of American magical realism.

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/books/classic/sfw7098.html

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Not for the faint of heart, almost 700 pages of sc-fi prose. Details abound, yet for some reason we couldn’t put it down. The plot, not that there is much of one, takes weird unexpected turns. Since it challenges “race, gender, and sexuality,” it is for mature audiences only, so beware of practically anything imaginable.

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The Far Side of Evil*Author: Sylvia Louise Engdahl

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.sylviaengdahl.com/reviews.htm#fsoe

Plot: Elana is sent to a world whose people may soon destroy their civilization. Since not enough is understood about the situation to justify any interference, the Service has no power to act. This passive role proves intolerable to the young, inexperienced agent assigned to the same city as Elana, a city under totalitarian rule. He identifies with the natives and unwittingly endangers the entire world by an attempt to intervene. Forced to assume responsibility for undoing the damage, Elana finds that only she can prevent an immediate war of annihilation.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “I remember this as being good…years since I read it though and since it came out (written in the 70’s)… a YA book simply for writing style though contains psychological and social questions…gripping and dark at the same time but always at a YA level.”

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Swan Song Author: Robert McCammon

Read a review from outside of this class: http://tal.forum2.org/swansong

Plot: An ancient evil roams the desolate landscape of an America ravaged by nuclear war. He is the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a malevolent force that feeds on the dark desires of the countless followers he has gathered into his service. His only desire is to find a special child named Swan -- and destroy her. But those who would protect the girl are determined to fight for what is left of the world?and their souls. In a wasteland born of rage, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, the last survivors on earth have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil that will decide the fate of humanity....

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Another epic, sweeping tale. Pretty intense. Hard to put down. The ending is awesome.”

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Click anywhere to continue to “Aliens”

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AliensMajor Theme:Major Theme:

Works Included:Works Included:-War of the Worlds

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War of the WorldsAuthor: H.G. Wells

Peer Reviews:

“If you can wait till past the first one third of the book you will like it a lot.”

Plot: This is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories, first published by H.G. Wells in 1898. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of a narrator tells readers that "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's..."

Read a review from outside of this class:books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,779530,00.html

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Click anywhere to continue to “Military/Political”

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Major Theme:Major Theme:

Military/PoliticalWorks Included:Works Included:-Dune

-Ender’s Game

-Ender’s Shadow

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DuneAuthor: Frank Herbert

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “A little dry, very political, pretty epic.”

“Dune was by far the best book I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.”

Plot: Tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis. The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides, the product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human, out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. He might be a messiah.

Read a review from outside of this class:blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/10/234037.php

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Ender’s GameAuthor: Orson Scott Card

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Everyone loves this book except Sara. Deals with lots of really interesting philosophical concepts. Fun for Sociological readers and Military fans.”

“Loved it, read the whole series loved those too. Can be confusing but everything works out in the end.”

“Timeless and mind blowing”

Plot: It is set in Earth's future where mankind has barely survived two invasions by the "buggers", an insectoid alien race, and the International Fleet is preparing for war. In order to find and train the eventual commander for the anticipated third invasion, the world's most talented children, including the extraordinary Ender Wiggin, are taken into Battle School at a very young age.

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.sfreviews.net/endersgame.html

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Ender’s ShadowAuthor: Orson Scott Card

Peer Reviews:

“Excellent, make you think”

“I would recommend it to all readers”

Plot: Bean is an orphan living in the hellish streets of a future Rotterdam. Being hyper-intelligent but extremely young, Bean's experiences all center around his need for food. His incredible mind, creativity, and determination bring him to the attention of a nun recruiting children to fight a war against the Buggers. At the training facility Bean meets Ender Wiggin, upon whom the fate of the world has been rested. From hacking through the system's computers, to drafting Ender's famous Dragon Army, Bean becomes Ender's friend.

Read a review from outside of this class: www.curledup.com/endersh.html

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Click anywhere to continue to “Bio/Technological”

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Bio/TechnologicalMajor Theme:Major Theme:

Includes sub-genres like cyberpunk

Works Included:Works Included:-Neuromancer

-Galapagos

-Snow Crash

-I, Robot

-The house Of The Scorpion

-Frankenstein

-Dolphin Island

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NeuromancerAuthor: William Gibson

Plot: Gibson’s Neuromancer is technology based sci-fi story based in a society of shanty towns, dilapidated metropolises, a three-dimensional virtual landscape created by networked computers, through which bandit hackers roam like high plains drifters. When one such hacker, Case, gets banned from cyberspace, he'll do anything to get back in, including embarking on a near-suicidal cyber-assault on an all but unhackable artificial intelligence.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “ A gritty, fast paced read with lots of sex, drugs, violence and metaphors. Creates astounding imagery of a seriously screwed up, corporately controlled America that seems awfully familiar. A truly deserving winner of the top science-fiction awards.”

“

Read a review from outside of this class: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Neuromancer/William-Gibson/e/9780441569595/?itm=1

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GalapagosAuthor: Kurt Vonnegut

Plot: Galápagos is the story of a small band of mismatched humans who get shipwrecked in the Galápagos Islands after a global financial crisis has crippled the world's economy. Shortly thereafter, a disease renders all humans on earth infertile, with the exception of the people on Santa Rosalía. Over the next million years, their descendants, the only fertile humans left on the planet, eventually evolve into a species resembling seals.

Peer Reviews:

“Read it for author study, great read for ‘free thinker’”

Read a review from outside of this class: www.3ammagazine.com/magazine/issue_3/articles/book_reviews_kurt_vonnegut.html

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Dolphin IslandAuthor: Arthur C. Clarke

Plot: Johny Clinton is a stow away on a cargo hovership that crashes in the pacific ocean. He is saved by a group of dolphins and taken to an island off of Australia's great barrier reef. There Johnny becomes involved with the work of a strange and fascinating research community where a brilliant professor tries to communicate with dolphins.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “My daddy used to read this to me every night. Probably my first Sci-Fi. Interesting stuff. Fun read.”

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.amazon.com/review/RFCKLXWVJQ88L?ASIN=042507143X&nodeID=

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Snow CrashAuthor: Neal Stephenson

Plot: Hiro Protagonist is a freelance hacker and unemployed pizza deliveryman lost in a post-lapsarian, hyper-capitalist future America in which the central government has withered away, leaving behind a landscape of gated communities and endless strip malls lined with cookie-cutter retail franchises. When a virulent computer virus (or is it a drug? or a religion?) called Snow Crash gets loose and somehow starts infecting humans, Hiro tries to save both the real world and cyberspace

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “A strange work that combines, cyberspace, thriller, and Sumerian myth. May be graphic from some, but Stephenson portrays a interesting a far too familiar world.”

“

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,800425,00.html?internalid=atb100

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I, RobotAuthor: Isaac Asimov

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “ A seminal collection of Sci-Fi shorts that has helped to shape the genre as we know it. Deals heavily with the ethics and philosophies of artificial intelligence.”

“Very original thinking, deeper meaning and still ‘ground-breaking’.”

“Sometimes dull, sometimes amazingly interesting. It’s not bad.”

“Good book. I’m usually more interested in fantasy and probably wouldn’t have read it if I hadn’t had to, but I enjoyed it.”

“I really liked this book.”

“It’s great though for those that will find it interesting.”

“Best robot book ever, it covers all the bases that I had questions about robots”

“I, Robot is a pretty sick book. I like it, and think it should stay in the program.”

Plot: I, Robot is a collection of nine English language science fiction short stories The stories are woven together as if Dr Susan Calvin is telling them to a reporter (the narrator) in the 21st century. Though the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots and morality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics.

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue88/classic.html

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I, Robot Reviews (continued)

“I’ve only watched the movie, and so far, I don’t like the book,

-boring-.”

“The movie was awesome, and so is the book. Kids will enjoy reading the this because many already know the story.”

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The House of Scorpion*Author: Nancy Farmer

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Though it is a YA novel it’s defiantly a good read for all ages and is guaranteed make you appreciate your life for at least a few short hours. I remember it being riveting, and disturbing but not overly so, slightly detached narrative with a seemingly rushed and simplistic ending.”

“

Plot: Matteo Alacran was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patron, lord of a country called Opium – a strip of poppy fields laying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster – except El Patron. As Matt struggles to understand his existence, a sinister cast of characters threatens him, including El Patron’s power hungry family. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. Unfortunately, escape from the Alacran Estate is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn’t even expect.

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.powells.com/biblio/0689852231

FrankensteinAuthor: Mary Shelley

Plot: A young Swiss student discovers the secret of animating lifeless matter and, by assembling body parts, creates a monster who vows revenge on his creator after being rejected from society.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “A good read but not one of my favorites. For people who can handle the outdated way of writing and long passages. Deviates greatly from the movie versions. Ex. the Creature can communicate, has thoughts, etc.”

“

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.librarything.com/work/8294

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Click anywhere to continue to “Sociological”

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SociologicalMajor Theme:Major Theme:

Includes Dystopian novels

Click anywhere to continue

Works Included:Works Included:-1984

-A Clockwork Orange

-Brave New World

-Fahrenheit 451

-A Handmaids Tale

-The Light of Other Days

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1984Author: George Orwell

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,800425,00.html?internalid=atb100

Plot: an English novel about life in an authoritarian regime as lived by Winston Smith, an intellectual worker at the Ministry of Truth, and his degradation when he runs afoul of the totalitarian government of Oceania, the state in which he lives in the year that he presumes is 1984

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “An engaging read, a fav of mine…and disturbing since many of the ideas outlined in the book seemed to have [partially] come to pass, or are seeable in the near future…giving up of basic rights for ‘safety’…complete with a typical dystopian ending.”

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A Clockwork OrangeAuthor: Anthony Burgess

Plot: In Anthony Burgess’s nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that renders his and his friends’ social pathology. The book is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex to “redeem” him, the novel asks, “At what cost?”

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Powerful and compelling…For very mature audiences only…after all, Burgess creates a world where “ultraviolence” is the narrator’s favorite thing to do….not for the faint of heart, must learn and read in invented slang. If you decide to read it…make sure you have a copy with 21 chapters, some U.S. versions contain only 20 that actually change the book’s message.”

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,829950,00.html?internalid=atb100

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Brave New WorldAuthor: Aldous Huxley

Plot: The novel takes place in a world of tomorrow in which capitalist civilization has been reconstituted through the most efficient scientific and psychological engineering , where the people are genetically designed to be passive, consistently useful to the ruling class.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Pretty much your typical dystopian Sci-Fi, of course it is one of the first. A disheartening look at the capitalist and government, control is exerted on the populace through drugs, sex, and sports. Most often read in conjunction with 1984 and Animal Farm.”

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Read a review from outside of this class: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Brave-New-World-and-Brave-New-World-Revisited/Aldous-Huxley/e/9780060535261#TABS

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Author: Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451Plot: Fahrenheit 451 is a classic novel set in the future when books forbidden by a totalitarian regime are burned. The hero, a book burner, suddenly discovers that books are flesh and blood, ideas that cry out silently when put to the torch. 

Read a review from outside of this class: http://library.thinkquest.org/18802/fahren.htm

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “My mother’s a librarian and I have lived with books, so it hits a little closer to home than others. An intriguing social commentary, that is slightly reminiscent of 1984.”

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A Handmaid’s TaleAuthor: Margaret Atwood

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/03/26/specials/mccarthy-atwood.html

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “A deeply disturbing book… for mature audiences only since there is material that for some ages, could be considered objectionable. I enjoyed the feminist viewpoint of the societies birth next to the average citizen’s viewpoint. A surprisingly “happy” ending for a dystopian novel. Atwood is a master of simplistic yet meaningful writing that kept me reading. Written in the 60’s, many concerns are still poignant (i.e. credit cards, and identification devices).”

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Plot: In the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, far-right ideals have been carried to extremes in the monotheocratic government. Women are strictly controlled, unable to have jobs or money and assigned to various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the reproductive Handmaids. The tale is told by Offred (read: "of Fred"), a Handmaid who recalls the past and tells how the chilling society came to be.

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The Light of Other DaysAuthor: Arthur C. Clarke &

Stephen Baxter

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.sfsite.com/06a/lod82.htm

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “ A seriously awesome book. I’ve got nothing else to say. Just read it.”

Plot: The Light of Other Days follows a soulless tech billionaire (sort of an older, more crotchety Bill Gates), a soulful muckraking journalist, and the billionaire's two (separated since birth) sons. It's 2035, and all four hold ringside seats at the birth of a new paradigm-destroying technology, a system of "WormCams," harnessing the power of wormholes to see absolutely anyone or anything, anywhere, at any distance (even light years away). As if that weren't enough, the sons eventually figure out how to exploit a time-dilation effect, allowing them to use the holes to peer back in time.

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to continue to “Time Travel”Click here

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The List Forms of Fiction Class @ Kingston High School, May of 2008

FantasyFantasy

Note: I hate to say it but Fantasy really isn’t our thing, so this section of The List needs extra help.

The List Creators,

Jared & Sara

Click anywhere to continue

The Hobbit/Lord of the RingsAuthor: J.R.R. Tolkien

Plot: The prequel and subsequent series deals with the movement of the ring from the creature Gollum to the Hobbits of the Shire. Then, when the evil ruler Sauron begins to gain power, it follows the Fellowship of the Rings journey to destroy the ring and thereby free the land from Sauron’s grip. Can be interpreted as an anti-war novel.”

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “It’s the Lord of the Rings, what do you want?”

For the Hobbit:

“This book will be a migraine if you dislike books written with an old-fashioned tone. It is not very action-packed, filled with more gentle humor and such than fighting.”

“I think that readers will like the transformation of Bilbo Baggins from scared and adventure less to confident and heroic/hero.”

“The book was entertaining and always kept me on edge. Kids in the next years will enjoy this book.”

“Read many times before but I still love the book = adventure”

“The Hobbit is okay I guess. Not my personal favorite but oh well.”

“I think the Hobbit is lame…too much explaining, not enough action. I didn’t ‘hate’ it really…but I would have had more fun lighting it on fire than reading it.”

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,800425,00.html?internalid=atb100

Reviews for the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings (continued)

“excellent book and details, makes it come to life.”

“a little boring in parts, but good.”

“I thought it was a little dull and didn’t necessarily enjoy it.”

“Great book, a classic. Haven’t really read a book I didn’t like.”

For the Lord of the Rings:

Nine Layers of SkyAuthor: Liz Williams

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue333/books2.html

Plot: Elena Irinovn’s life changes yet again when she crosses paths with Ilya Muromyets, an eight-hundred-year-old hero turned heroin addict, dreaming of a death that never comes. They are brought together by a strange artifact Elena finds. The enigmatic object offers a glimpse into another dimension, creating a dangerous breach in a world thought she knew... Fighting their own inner demons as well as those from across the breach, Ilya and Elena embark on a harrowing trip between nations and worlds.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “crosses into SF…beautifully written with an “oh so strange” setting (Russia), at least strange for sci-fi or fantasy….and yet, also strangely enjoyable even though I don’t really care for fantasy books that much.”

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His Dark Materials*:The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass

Author: Philip Pullman

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0345413350/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Plot: The trilogy follows the coming-of-age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes against a backdrop of epic events. The story involves fantasy elements such as witches and armored polar bears, and alludes to a broad range of ideas from fields such as physics, philosophy, theology and spirituality. The trilogy functions in part as a retelling and inversion of John Milton's epic, Paradise Lost; Pullman commends humanity for its attainment of wisdom and knowledge rather than condemning it.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “I loved reading these….YA yet many different levels, dust/original sin, physics, and culminating with quotes from great literary figures: Dickinson and Blake. Well-written and gripping and can intrigue beyond a YA audience. Just don’t see the movie…the books are SO much better.”

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Vampire Chronicles Author: Ann Rice

Read a review from outside of this class:www.sffworld.com/brev/si633p0.html

Plot: The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman made into a vampire in the 18th century.

Peer Reviews:

“Good overall story, but I hated how descriptive it was.”

“A heavily descriptive but really good read if you are into Vampires. But you may want to be wide awake when you read, because some parts are very confusing due to her use of vocabulary.”

A Great and Terrible BeautyAuthor: Libba Bray

Read a review from outside of this class: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0345413350/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Plot: A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Peer Reviews:

“Fiction, adventure and magic, I would recommend this book.”

The Thousand Orcs Author: R.A. Salvatore

Read a review from outside of this class:www.fantasybookspot.com/node/

Plot: As always, old enemies and new emerge from the shadows to threaten our heroes. Emboldened by a dark alliance with the deadly frost giants, an orcish horde is massing quietly, waiting with uncharacteristic patience to move against dwarves, elves, and humans alike. Meanwhile, Bruenor, sensing that his adventures will come to an end once he takes the throne, coaxes his friends back onto the road, all the while unaware of the powerful forces gathering strength by the roadside.

Peer Reviews:

“Far into the series. Orcs attack a kingdom and the main character, a dark elf, has to fight them”

“I don’t recommend reading Salvatore. BORING!!!”

“Though I haven’t read this particular novel Salvatore is an amazing author fully capable of describing intense battles, epic landscapes, and ancient lore. As for the review above mine, it helps to read more than the first couple of pages of a novel in order to grasp its full literary merit.

The Iron Tower Author: Dennis L. McKiernan

Read a review from outside of this class:www.sffworld.com/brev/si609p0.html

Plot: An unnaturally long and bitter winter has fallen over all of Mithgar, and there are rumors of Vulg attacks on Warrow farms. So in the Boskydells, all young male Warrows are training to become Thornwalkers and watch over their homeland. Tuck Underbank, Danner Bramblethorn and several others pack up and depart, leaving behind Tuck's dammia (girlfriend/lover) and all their families.

Peer Reviews:

“This is one of my favorite books. It is kinda based on the Lord of the Rings series, it has a bunch of the same elves, dwarves, and hobbit like creatures, but I enjoyed it a lot more.”

The Lies of Locke LamoraAuthor: Scott Lynch

Read a review from outside of this class:http://grumpyoldbookman.blogspot.com/2006/03/scott-lynch-lies-of-locke-lamora.html

Plot: Orphan Locke Lamore is sold into a crew of con artists and thieves on a distant world. Soon, his natural gifts make him an underworld celebrity, leader of the flamboyant Gentlemen Bandits. However, someone is coveting Locke’s talents, success, and very life, forcing him to put everything on the line to protect himself. This debut novel received lavish praise.

Peer Reviews:

“This is the first of the trilogy. It probably wouldn’t be allowed because of language, but it is still a good book.”

The Dark Tower Series Author: Stephen King

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.sfsite.com/07b/gu156.htm

Plot: A prolific series that follows Sir Roland of Gilead, the last Gunslinger, on his quest for the Dark Tower.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Not your everyday fantasy, but it definitely has all the elements. Sort of a modern, magical, Sci-Fi, western. I recommend giving it a try. It’s well worth it.”

Weaveworld Author: Clive Barker

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.amazon.com/Weaveworld-Clive-Barker/dp/0671704184

Plot: WEAVEWORLD is an epic adventure of the imagination. It begins with a carpet in which a world of rapture and enchantment is hiding; a world which comes to life, alerting the dark forces and beginning a desperate battle to preserve the last vestiges of magic which Humankind still has access to. WEAVEWORLD is a book of visions and horrors, a story of quest, titanic struggles, of love and of hope. It is a triumph of imagination and storytelling, an adventure, a nightmare, a promise

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “This is a classic Barker book. Very strange and beautiful.”

The Great and Secret ShowAuthor: Clive Barker

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.amazon.com/Great-Secret-Show-Clive-Barker/dp/006093316X

Plot: Nebraska postal clerk Randolph Jaffe works in the Dead Letter Room, opening and inspecting loads of undeliverable U.S. mail. Soon, through a series of cryptic dead letters, he taps into an ethereal network of mysterious revelations which provides access to enormous power channels. The customary battle of light forces versus dark forces commences, with greedy Jaffe heading the latter, and mad yet philanthropic scientist Richard Fletcher representing the former.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “This is the first barker book I ever read and I was hooked. Not for the faint of heart.”

Galilee Author: Clive Barker

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/1999/dw9907.htm

Plot: The Geary dynasty has reigned over American society for decades; but it is a family with dark secrets, for the Gearys are at war with the Barbarossas, a clan whose timeless origins lie in myth. Now their battle is about to escalate as Galilee, the prodigal prince of the Barbarossa clan meets Rachel, young bride of the Geary's own scion Mitchell, and they fall in love, unleashing long-simmerig hatreds. Brooding, southern gothic epic of the struggle & mutual destruction of 2 familes.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “Though it may not seem very fantastical at first it really is. Just give it time and enjoy.”

Imajica Author: Clive Barker

Read a review from outside of this class:http://www.flowerfire.com/seized/reviews/imajica_cory_l__williams.html

Plot: Beginning with his halting a murder attempt on the life of his former lover, Judith, Gentle (a skilled artist whose greatest talent is in producing forgeries of classic works) is drawn into a journey of discovery, fantasy, sex, and horrors. Along with the assassin Pie 'Oh' Pah, Gentle travels across the four reconciled dominions searching ostensibly for the soul of his friend Taylor, and in the process he uncovers his true character.

Peer Reviews:

Creators: “This is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read. It’s 825 pages but there is no way you can put it down. This is not your average fantasy epic either. There are no elves or goblins or any of that crap, just magic at its most spectacular. Read it if you think you can handle it”

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