The Malacia Tapestry

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Poul Anderson

Essentially a linked group of short stories, it recounts the colonisation of the planet Rustum, a fictional terrestrial world orbiting Epsilon Eridani, by a group of refugees from an authoritarian planet Earth bearing some resemblance to the historical Pilgrim Fathers. Although habitable, Rustum's atmospheric pressure is so great that only its mountains and high plateaus are suitable for human settlement. The novel, like much of Anderson's work, has a libertarian subtext as the colonists flee the oppression on their home planet.

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A. E. van Vogt

Colonel Morton was sent to Diamondia to report on the war between Earth-descended colonists and the guerilla warriors of the inhuman Irsk. Because something was going terribly wrong -- a darkness was setting in, mental confusion was epidemic, and there was evidence of outside interference. The Darkness was impartial, and Morton's encounters with it were the most disturbing events of his career. For it seemed as if the Outside were deliberately stirring up the planetary pot, mixing minds with minds, and personalities with personalities. But when Morton realized that the only solution might be to find and use the incalculable power of the Lositeen Weapon, he realized also that the decision was too great for any one man -- even for all men together -- to make.

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Nick Harkaway

A hilarious, action-packed look at the apocalypse that combines a touching tale of friendship, a thrilling war story, and an all out kung-fu infused mission to save the world. Gonzo Lubitch and his best friend have been inseparable since birth. They grew up together, they studied kung-fu together, they rebelled in college together, and they fought in the Go Away War together. Now, with the world in shambles and dark, nightmarish clouds billowing over the wastelands, they have been tapped for an incredibly perilous mission. But they quickly realize that this assignment is more complex than it seems, and before it is over they will have encountered everything from mimes, ninjas, and pirates to one ultra-sinister mastermind, whose only goal is world domination.

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Alastair Reynolds

The first short story collection by "ONE OF SCIENCE FICTION'S BEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS NOVELISTS"(SFX).With eight short stories and novellas, Galactic North imparts the centuriesspanning events that have produced this dark and turbulent world.Centuries from now, solidarity stretches thin as humanity spreads past the solar system and to the nearest stars. Technology has produced powerful new tools, but lethal risk accompanies each new advancement.