Karen Ostertag's blog

There are certain stories that we never forget.  Fairy tales sleep inside of us, waiting to be rediscovered like flowers that have been dried and pressed between the pages of a book.  No matter how long it's been since we left our childhood behind, these stories lie ready to live and bloom again in our imaginations.  With the smallest reminder, we are magically transported back to a place out of time where anything is possible: serving girls can become princesses, princes can become monsters, animals can speak, true love can break any curse, and one always, always gets exactly what one deserves.  Is it any wonder, then, that the "fairy tale retold" is such a popular motif in fantasy fiction? 

Science fiction is not all alien planets and galaxies far, far away.  Often, the strange new world at the heart of the plot is this one-- Earth.  What unknown terrain could be more fascinating to us than what our own home might look like in the distant (or not-so-distant) future?  What species could be more compelling than the one we might become?  Through science fiction, we can explore how humanity might affect its own future and how that future could in turn affect us. 

But it's not always about looking forward; future-Earth sci fi is often as much a commentary on our present as it is an exploration of our future.  A popular plot concept is to take a current trend or issue, project a future in which it has become commonplace (or has run amok!), and examine how humanity might adapt to the changes it brings about.  Looking at an issue in this way can sometimes offer us a bit of perspective when otherwise we might be too close to examine it objectively.  (Of course, it can also be sheer escapist entertainment, but hey, that's fun, too.) 

New to our shelves:

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (10, Women of the Otherworld) H, R
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe (1, Eddie LaCrosse) F, M
Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe (2, Eddie LaCrosse) F, M
Servant of a Dark God by John Brown (1, Dark Gods) F
Child of Fire by Harry Connolly F, H
An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glen Cook (Chronicles of the Dread Empire) F, H
At Empire’s Edge by William C. Dietz (1, Empire duology) SF
Crystal Nights and Other Stories by Greg Egan SF
Chaosbound by David Farland (8, The Runelords) F
High Bloods by John Farris H, SF

In paperback:

Sliding Home by Kate Angell C
Twilight Magic by Shari Anton (2, Magic trilogy) H, S
Immortal Sins by Amanda Ashley C, S
Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan and Alissa Johnson H
Duke of Sin by Adele Ashworth (1, Duke trilogy) H
The Infamous Rogue by Alexandra Benedict H
Beloved Highlander by Sara Bennett H
A Rogue’s Game by Renee Bernard (3, Mistress trilogy) H
St. Raven by Jo Beverley (7, Company of Rogues) H
Stranger’s Kiss by Mary Blayney (3, The Pennistans) H
Something about Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle (1, Bachelor Chronicles) H

We often look to speculative fiction to take us on journeys to distant galaxies, to transport us to far, fey kingdoms or realms of nightmare.  But there's a strange, lost land hiding much closer than we might suspect-- every day, in cities all around the world, humanity treads unthinkingly over it.  Those seemingly solid streets we drive on every day?  Hollow.  Buildings, sidewalks, even parks stretch over spacious caverns of air.  Although this sounds fantastical, I haven't even gotten to the "fiction" part yet-- read on!