The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken takes place in a world where a virus called Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration wiped out the majority of American children, the ones who survived got psychic powers. The government created “rehabilitation” camps for the children, which in reality were just work camps to hold them in one place. The main character, Ruby Daly, had the power of mind control but convinced the person testing her that she had a different power.
After the Flame Deluge and the Great Simplification, humanity is left with no awareness of its history or scientific achievements. A simple order of monks, worshipping the Saint Leibowitz hundreds of years after his death stumble upon some documents that might bring light as to what the world was like before, and open the door to new scientific discoveries.
Dune by Frank Herbert is an interstellar tale set on the inhospitable desert planet of Arrakis (Dune), a place that holds a substance called the “spice” melange. This substance is highly coveted due to its magical properties, and as a result, many wars have been waged over it. The story follows the young heir of Arrakis, Paul Atreides, after his house is betrayed and his father killed.
1984 is a dystopian novel of a state in which the government, led by Big Brother, controls everything, including people's thoughts and actions. Winston Smith is the protagonist who begins to resist the Party's rule and searches for truth in a world full of lies. In seeking knowledge of the world he is living, he faces the dangers of surveillance, strict laws, and suppression of independent thought. The novel deals with the themes of power, control, and fighting for freedom.
Anthem by Ayn Rand explores individualism, freedom, and the role of the collective in society. The main character Equality 7-2521 is faced with the harsh decision between giving in to the great "We", thereby giving his life to the idea that everyone has a place in society, but you do not get a personal identity or abandoning everything he had ever been taught in the sake of learning about what it means to be a unique person.
Paul Atreides, heir to the house of Atreides, is a nobleman whose father was given leadership of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a very valuable planet due to its vast supply of melange, a spice that increases the lifespan of a human. It also creates an addiction, so people who are addicted to it are forced to continue to use it, otherwise they face a slow and painful death. Paul travels to Arrakis, but a betrayal from the Empire causes chaos, leaving Paul’s father dead and the House of Harkonnen, the previous leaders of the planet, in control.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson is a thriller book that combines two timelines: World War II and the late 1990s. The book explores cryptography, war and the rise of digital currencies. During WWII, mathematicians and codebreakers like Lawrence Waterhouse and soldier Bobby Shaftoe worked to break Axis codes while maintaining the secrecy of their successes.
Katniss and Peeta have just won the 74th Hunger Games with the help of their mentor Haymitch and want to live peacefully. However, they have become targets of the Capital due to their suicide attempt during the games that sparked rebellion in some of the Districts. Despite their efforts, more and more uprisings occur. President Snow decides to have the next Hunger Game tributes be chosen from the current ring of victors. Now Peeta and Katniss are up against their fiercest competitors yet with so much more on the line.
They Both Die at the End is an emotional rollercoaster that explores life, death and the power of human connection. With its beautifully created characters and thought-provoking beliefs, this novel is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The story follows two teenagers, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio who live in a world where people are notified on the day they will die. They both receive alerts on the same day.
A plane, brim full of passengers lands after a bout of turbulence, and everyone returns to their normal lives. A few months later, the exact same plane lands, with all the same people within it. How does this change the lives of the hundreds of people on board?
