SFF KIT September: Near Future/Alternate Reality (Alternate History)

September: Near Future Alternate Reality (Alternate History)

What intrigued me by this topic is what if the world was somehow recognizable, but just a little bit off? "Welcome to St. Mary's." That is how I felt when I was first working my way through that series. Turns out after a few books, the series fits the bill on all counts. Anyway! I looked for some list to link for you, but so many had odd choices that I didn't think would fit the bill so I decided to let us make our own odd choices. I'll make a few suggestions.

Near future is a sub-genre of science fiction where the story takes place not too far off when the work is written.

1984 by George Orwell
Locked In by John Scalzi
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

Alternate Reality or Alternate History is a genre of SF, Fantasy or Literature where event or events in history occur differently or alternate reality is where a story leaps out of one universe and into a different one (Superman Bizarro World).

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith It's a stretch, but why not.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I can't wait to see everyone's suggestions! There are so many choices.

I think this might be the month for The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. It was written in 1993 and set in 2024.

I'm considering Dexter Palmer's Version Control for this one -- I'm not totally sure it will fit, but I have my suspicions. :) Another possibility is All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, which does involve hopping between alternate realities.

I am going to read Dark Days by Manel Loureiro, the sequel to his Apocalypse Z, a near-future zombie story.

I think I'm going to listen to Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline.

>1 luvamystery65: I have had Just One Damned Thing After Another on my TBR for so long! Your comment reminded me to get to it quick smart as I know I will love it.
Another series I love is Jasper FForde's Thursday Next series - I think that would fit as well?

I'm tentatively thinking I'm going to read The Warehouse by Rob Hart for this one.

My library just got in Notes From The Burning Age which could be a good fit.

Hmm this will need some thinking about. It's not clear to me whether the book should match _both_ near future and alternate reality or just either one of them?

One book that matches both that I heartily recommend is All our wrong todays by Elan Mastai. (edit: oopsie I didn't see it was already mentioned, it means it must be a good fit :)
I'll need to find something else for me as I've already read it. An easy choice from your opening post would be to read the sequel of The Calculating Stars which I've read in April, The fated Sky.

>3 christina_reads: Version Control is on my wishlist and seems great! I'm trying to focus on female authors this year so I probably won't read it now.

>9 chlorine: >10 chlorine: You are not making it any easier for me to decide which of these books to pick! Maybe I should just read both. :)

Be back later to respond to posts but wanted to say to >9 chlorine: either or. If you do both that is fantastic, but probably more difficult.

>11 christina_reads: Sorry for not helping. :p Reading both seems like a good option. :)

>12 luvamystery65: That's what I thought because indeed combining both constraints seems really hard! :) I'll think about it but reading The fating Sky seems like a reasonable choice because I have many series going on and I should make progress in some of them.

Awakening by Randal Sloan would fit both near future and alternate reality. It's book one of a really interesting series.

After all the Connie Willis love flying around here, I just realised I have another book of hers that will fit the bill for this - Crosstalk.

And I just read that she is the winner of more Hugo and Nebula awards than any other science fiction author, so I better get to all her books.

I have some options;
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (own)
Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (Libby)
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

I mostly likely will do the Underground Airline as I own it and it will count as a ROOT.

For near future: Options (also on my list books) both available through Libby
The Girl With All the Gifts M.R. Carey
World War Z by Max Brook

I just finished one that would fit this theme - A Master of Djinn. It's alternate history/steampunk set in 1912 Cairo, and it is very fun and well written. And it is a mystery. I loved his other two short stories set in the same world The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and A Dead Djinn in Cairo.

I am planning on reading the new GN version of 1984 that comes out September 14th:

I finally read John Scalzi last year and thoroughly loved Lock In. It seems to be a more obscure one of his per several friends, but it is quite, er, timely.

Also recommend Boneshaker by Cherie Priest and Spring Heeled Jack, both heavily in the steampunk genre.

And thanks for reminding me I've got a Naomi Novak sitting on my shelves! I'll add it to my reading for this month's challenge.

I have completed my read of Dark Days by Spanish author, Manel Loureiro. As this was volume 2 of a trilogy, I am now looking forward to volume 3.

Reading The Fuller Memorandum which should fit.

Currently reading Afterland by Lauren Beukes, yet another pandemic novel.

The October thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335234

I'm counting Exit West here because it strikes me that it is set in a very near future. Doors open mysteriously, leading to foreign countries, and suddenly the Western world finds itself overwhelmed with people popping in. But this is only the backdrop for a lovely, wonderfully written story about two young people.

I listened to Lock In and Head On by John Scalzi. I enjoyed the police procedural aspect of the novels. In my opinion, Scalzi excels in this format, near future with a mystery. If you have Audible The Dispatcher is available for free. It's under 2.5 hours and fits this challenge as it is set in the near future with a mystery.

I also listened to And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor along with a couple of the short stories in The Chronicles of St. Mary's. I love the characters, but sometimes the storylines make my head spin.

I just finished Vessel by Lisa A. Nichols, which is near future space exploration science fiction somewhat in the vein of Andy Weir or Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut series, if a bit less hard SF than either.

I think I have enough time left in the month to tackle Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland.

I just finished Elan Mastai's All Our Wrong Todays, which is very clever, and I can't decide if that cleverness was enjoyable or annoying. Possibly a bit of both!

I just finished Nice Dragons Finish Last which was a lot of fun. A comet hits Earth and brings back magic.

Also, just started Lucifer's Hammer.

I finished Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters. I enjoyed it but felt like the ending was a bit abrupt.

>28 christina_reads: I see what you mean! For me the cleverness worked and I really enjoyed the book, sorry it was only a mixed bag for you!

>28 christina_reads: I remember listening to the audio a few years ago (narrated by the author). The main character came off as a beta male which I found only tolerable if I thought of him as being played by John Cusack in the movie in my head! :-D

>31 chlorine: I can definitely see why it worked for you! And even though I didn't totally love it, I'm still glad I read it.

>32 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Ooh, I like that casting...John Cusack definitely has the requisite likability factor! (And now I need to go rewatch "Better Off Dead" or perhaps "Grosse Pointe Blank.")

I read The fated sky by Mary Robinette Kowal, the second book in the series started with The calculating stars. In this alternate history series, a meteor strikes the earth in the 1950s and unleashes a climate change which will render the earth uninhabitable, and humanking speeds up its space program to attempt extra-terrestrial colonies. This second book was as good as the first, with insightful aspects about ambiant racism and sexism, as well as a fast paced and suspenseful stories because let me tell you that space travel is full of hazards!

>34 chlorine: I love that series!

Finally finished Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik which has soooo much alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars! It even includes alternate history of African tribes who use their Dragons to fight against the slave trade. Oh, and a pandemic among the dragons - did I mention that part??