4 Science Fiction Novels to Read

by MK French

Check out some of this summer's science fiction offerings.

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Unexploded Remnants by Elaine Gallagher

June 2024; Tor.com; 978-1250325211
ebook, print (111 pages); science fiction

Alice is the last human and discovers an AI personality within an antique data core. She soon discovers it's the sentient control unit of a deadly ancient weapon system, and she has a hard time convincing the warrior that the war is over. If the core falls into the wrong hands, then war might break out all over again.

This novella has amazing world-building and Alice's characterization is fun and appealing. She has gone through a lot before the novella even starts, and we get only a few glimpses of it as she approaches allies while running from those who want the ancient memory core. Unlike those chasing her down, Alice talks to the core and doesn't demand anything, seeking to understand the warrior caught within it. I liked that about her, and how she was able to find connections and a new family out in the universe.

If I have any complaint about the novella, it's that the conclusion felt very sudden. It makes sense, but we don't see the response Gunn makes to Alice's argument, and the main crew chasing her across the stars suddenly goes very quiet and almost passive at the end. Maybe if this was a longer novel, we would have seen just as much detail in the ending as we did in the beginning.

Buy Unexploded Remnants at Amazon

Ghost of the Neon God by T.R. Napper

June 2024; Titan Books; 978-1803368115
ebook, print (128 pages); cyberpunk

Petty crook Jackson Nguyen lives on the streets of Melbourne. After crossing paths with a Chinese dissident, his life spirals out of control quickly. Though he'd much rather mind his own business, her trouble finds him and follows him with prejudice.

This novella is a futuristic dystopia, where most people have implants that allow them to wirelessly access the internet and record memories. It would implicate him and his comrade, so those wireless features are turned off in his own device. The dissident is a wealthy woman with fancy shoes he can sell, so he doesn't realize that she passes him an Earth-shattering technology: the world's first true artificial intelligence, that she and her comrades believe should be free and not shackled to government mandates. With continual surveillance, police on the take, and corporate control, escaping into the desert is Jack's only chance to survive, and even that is iffy.

Technological dystopias often involve government and megacorporation surveillance and manipulation of individuals, and this one is no different. Crime is different, more of the wireless and currency variety than straight-up thefts or drugs, but those still exist. It's in this world of bottom-feeding violence that Jack exists, yet there's still a thread of hope and decency within him. Almost against his will, he's drawn into conversations about individuality, identity, and the rights of conscious beings. Because of that, so are we. There is no easy answer, and the conclusion is surprising given the start of the novella. While it's a quick read, it still brings up significant questions to think about.

Buy Ghost of the Neon God at Amazon

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville

July 2024; Del Rey; 978-0593446591
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); science fiction

There were whispers about the soldier who couldn't die, and he's very much real. B would love to be able to die, and a US black ops group promises they can help him do that. When a mortal soldier comes back to life, it's soon clear that there are more powerful forces at work in the world, and it has a plan of its own.

Yes, you read that right. Actor and singer Keanu Reeves is also a writer. The style of writing here is very similar to China Miéville's other work, with shifting viewpoints and timelines. B was once Unute, a tribal child who was the warrior their peaceful people needed. We are introduced first to the warriors that he fights with now, as well as the disaster of a suicide mission that everyone is too reluctant to discuss. The remnants of the team were commissioned to work elsewhere and had been deemed expendable, but one comes back after being dead. On top of this, B isn't the only creature coming back from the dead.

It was a little difficult for me to get into the text of the story at first, as there are varied viewpoints. The switch from third to second and back to third point of view takes a little getting used to, but it's easier if you're paying closer attention, especially in the beginning. The world is familiar yet not, so these early chapters have to do a lot of heavy lifting to really get you into it. Once you're used to the style of writing, the story flows more easily. 

B is distant, likely from emotional necessity, and doesn't easily discuss problems or issues that he might have. There's a lot of history for him to sift through, complicating things for those who want to understand him. On top of that are other forces that followed him for centuries, trying to put an end to death, taking out any potential allies he has in order to stop him for good. This creates an almost cultlike status for the opposition and difficulties for the military personnel tasked with working with him and understanding him. Amidst the violence is a philosophical question about death, life, change and family. As B tries to find meaning and purpose, hopefully, you will, too.

Buy The Book of Elsewhere at Amazon

The X-Files: Perihelion by Claudia Gray

July 2024; Hyperion Avenue; 978-1368084291
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); science fiction

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are still reeling from the death of their son William, but cautiously joyous about Scully’s unexpected pregnancy. Determined to raise this child together, Mulder and Scully try to find meaning outside of the X-Files and within their relationship. The FBI asks for their help tracking down two mysterious serial killers: one who seems to be able to control electricity, and another who disappears in a puff of smoke. It’s enough for the Bureau to re-open the X-Files—if Mulder and Scully are willing.

I'm a huge X-Files fan, especially of the seasons starring Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Nothing against the later seasons, I just wasn't as enthralled as the earlier ones. This novel takes place after the eleventh season, with the heirs to the Syndicate lurking in the shadows as our dynamic duo investigates. If you forgot about the details of the series, we get a summary of concerns and the conspiracies surrounding Scully's first child William. Her relationship with Mulder is tentative at the start of the book, and each had left the FBI. Mulder works with podcasters and Scully works as a pediatrician at a genetic research facility when they're called back to the FBI. They reference old hurts, lies, experiments, and conspiracies that they were involved in in the 1990s at the start of their careers in the X-Files.

In addition to the investigation aspect of this book, we also see the Inheritors, the new shadow organization picking up where the Syndicate left off. Their killer Robin Vane is the shadow man that the duo is chasing in one plot thread, as he's getting rid of any remaining Syndicate members. He's also spying on Mulder and Scully to report back to the Inheritors, who plan to profit off the chaos left in the Syndicate's wake. The killer able to fry electronics is going after pregnant women, meaning Scully is soon drawn into his crosshairs. Her spontaneous pregnancy was unassisted by modern medicine when she's in her 50s now, bringing up another story thread.

There's a lot of repetition as they cycle through their grief, old conspiracy theories compared to new ones, and the very real fears of being an FBI agent while pregnant. The book carries the vibe of the show, and I could imagine the serial killer investigations proceeding in much the same manner. We have new conspiracies here, and hooks for a potential novel series becoming a twelfth season of the X-Files.

Buy The X-Files: Perihelion at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever. 

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