by Peter F. Hamilton (2005)
Peter F. Hamilton's superbly imagined, cunningly plotted interstellar adventures are conceived on a staggeringly epic scale and filled with fully realized human and alien characters as complex as they are engaging. No mere world builder, Hamilton creates entire universes--and he does so with irresistible flair and intelligence. His previous novel, the acclaimed Pandora's Star, introduced the Intersolar Commonwealth, a star-spanning civilization of the twenty-fourth century. Robust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare. Coexistence is impossible with the technologically advanced aliens, who are genetically hardwired to exterminate all other forms of life. Twenty-three planets have already fallen to the invaders, with casualties in the hundreds of millions. And no one knows when or where the genocidal Prime will strike next.Nor are the Prime the only threat. For more than a hundred years, a shadowy cult, the Guardians of Selfhood, has warned that an alien with mind-control abilities impossible to detect or resist--the Starflyer--has secretly infiltrated the Commonwealth. Branded as terrorists, the Guardians and their leader, Bradley Johansson, have been hunted by relentless investigator Paula Myo. But now evidence suggests that the Guardians were right all along, and that the Starflyer has placed agents in vital posts throughout the Commonwealth--agents who are now sabotaging the war effort. Is the Starflyer an ally of the Prime, or has it orchestrated a fight to the death between the two species for its own advantage?Caught between two deadly enemies, one a brutal invader striking from without, the other a remorseless cancer killing from within, the fractious Commonwealth must unite as never before.This will be humanity's finest hour--or its last gasp.From the Hardcover edition.
Orson Scott Card
The Oversoul's chosen people flee the city of Basilica (destroyed in their wake by General Moozh) and travel across the desert wastes, eventually to settle in the hidden valley where long ago the exiles from Earth who founded the colony of Harmony left their starships--and the machines that can make them fly again. HC: Tor.
Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Master the Klingon Way of the Warrior – or suffer deadly consequences – as you undergo Starfleet's holographic training in the language, culture and warface of the Federation's most lethal adversary: the Klingons. Star Trek Klingon – The Ultimate Interactive Adventure, the third in Simon & Schuster Interactive's Star Trek series, is a frighteningly realistic interactive episode that tests your mastery of Klingon phrases, customs, body landuage, and even the proper cooking of gagh. Survive the crucial Language Lab and you may test your new-found knowledge of tlhingan Hol in the double-CD Klingon Immersion Studies. In this holodeck adventure, you are Pok, a young Klingon warrior caught up in the dangerous circles of Klingon clan politics. On the day of your Rite of Ascension, your father is murdered in his own home – and it is up to you, with the help of Gowron (Leader of the Klingon High Council), to find the murderer and close the circle of vengeance. Along the way you will encounter strange aliens, treacherous friends, and even serve aboard the mighty Bird-of-Prey, the Tagana. THINK, ACT, and SPEAK like a Klingon, and you will become a warrior. THINK like a Terran and you'll be dead Ha'DIbaH.
David Niall Wilson & Patricia Lee Macomber
The Stargate Atlantis team discover a city on a moon that's about to plunge into its own sun, but the city which looked as if it had been abandoned turns out to be inhabited by descendants of the Ancients who have fallen into decadence and debauchery. Faced with a dissolute society disinterested in their own fate and unable to escape, the team must fight their way free before being plunged into a fiery death.
Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl is the first of a series of semi-realist novels produced by Eoin Colfer. They document the adventures of a precocious prodigal child of the criminal empire, Artemis Fowl. In this book, accompanied by his huge and loyal bodyguard/sidekick/advisor Butler, Artemis engages in a series of surreal activities; the absence of his missing father and the mental disorder of his mother allow him to pursue the unlikely position of a criminal mastermind. However, Artemis soon encounters more than he bargains for when his attempted capture of a member of the underground 'fairy' civilization goes terribly wrong. Be prepared for a thrilling adventure, with trolls, magic and much more! Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.