Dark ​Force Rising

Jeanne Cavelos - J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon ​5 - The Shadow Within
THE ​DARKENING LIGHT Anna Sheridan has two passions--her husband, John, and the mystery surrounding some intriguing artifacts found during a mission on a distant planet called Z'Ha'dum. Now she gets orders to become the science officer on the follow-up mission scheduled for the spaceship Icarus. Happy, young, beloved, and brilliant, never, has a woman had so much to live for. Or so much to lose. THE SHADOW WITHIN While John, recently promoted to the rank of captain, struggles with his new command on the Agamemnon, Anna begins to assemble her science crew...and makes her first mistake. She signs on Dr. Morden, a highly credentialed translator whose heart hides a weakness that can cost Anna her life...or her soul. Her second mistake is to underestimate the danger on Z'Ha'dum. What is awaiting the Icarus near the rim of known space is an unimaginable horror. What is awaiting Anna Sheridan is an explosive destiny...and a dark future that can crush her husband's dreams and a terror that can come back to haunt us all.

Robert Sheckley - J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon ​5 - Call to Arms
When ​the time comes to choose your target, be sure to pick the right one. Because you will only get one shot . . ." The Shadow War is long over, and the Interstellar Alliance--presided over by former Babylon 5 commander John Sheridan--is about to celebrate the fifth anniversary of peace among its united member worlds. But a planet, annihilated by an unspeakable weapon appears in chilling dreams. And on that world there lies a terrifying promise of Armageddon. For the Drakh, once servants of the bloodthirsty Shadows, are following in the footsteps of their vanquished masters--preparing to launch a devastating interstellar war. Their first target is Earth. This threat will draw Sheridan back to Babylon 5--and into an uneasy partnership with a beautiful and deadly survivor of Shadow genocide. In the desperate race to warn Earth, he must face an apocalyptic showdown with the ultimate war machine--one capable of killing an entire world . . .

Frank Herbert - Dune ​(angol)
This ​Hugo and Nebula Award winner is widely to be considered the most prescient SF novel ever. It tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence. The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privileges, however, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.

Jim Mortimore - J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon ​5 - Clark's Law
DEATH ​BEFORE DISHONOR The Tuchanq, a newly discovered humanoid species, can be an important ally for the Earth Alliance commanded by President Clark. So Captain John Sheridan welcomes their ambassador to Babylon 5, not knowing that among them is D'arc - a mass murderer on the run hoping to escape into the unsuspecting worlds of the galaxy. CLARK'S LAW But the unforgiving rules of space have a different fate in store for D'arc. A terrifying accident wipes away D'arc's identity and his evil...leaving behind a loving, innocent being with child's mind-a being that must die because President Clark, a leader with his own secret agenda, orders his immidiate execition. Now, as Babylon 5 physician Dr. Stephen Franklin begs Sheridan to defy Clark's law, the captain faces the greatest test of his command-and a far greater test of his manhood, which may end his career in shame or become a shining reminder of what being human truly means...

S. M. Stirling - J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon ​5 - Betrayals
BY ​ANY MEANS NECESSARY.. When diplomats from the universe's two warring superpowers come to Babylon 5 for a peace summit, Captain Sheridan and the Earthforce personnel know that security is paramount. But a brilliant con woman is making plans of her own--plans for the ambassadors of both Centauri and Narn--and in the belly of B5 the seeds of rebellion are being sewn.... BETRAYALS A twin brother and sister, equally committed to their cause but divided by strategy, seek liberation for the planet T'll. Then a T'llin exile is murdered, and violence erupts on Babylon. 5, its internal communications hopelessly scrambled. With rebels threatening to bathe the peace conference in blood, and hostile warships approaching, Garibaldi must plot a rescue of Sheridan and the diplomats. But it may be too late. The T'llin have learned the art of destruction from masters, and for them freedom is worth any price: even self-annihilation.

Arthur C. Clarke - The ​City and the Stars
Men ​had built cities before, but never such a city as Diaspar; for millennia its protective dome shutout the creeping decay and danger of the world outside. Once, it held powers that rules the stars. But then, as legend had it, The invaders came, driving humanity into this last refuge. It takes one man, A Unique to break through Diaspar's stifling inertia, to smash the legend and discover the true nature of the Invaders.

Kathryn M. Drennan - J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon ​5 - To Dream in the City of Sorrows
THEY ​CALLED THEM THE FIRST. LINE OF DEFENSE. THEY CALLED THEM RANGERS. Ambassador to the alien world of Minbar, former Babylon 5 commander, Jeffrey Sinclair, is one of the first to learn the truth about the Shadows, the ancient race pursuing the destruction of the galaxy. Sinclair also discovers a startling secret: he is the linchpin in the plan to stop them. Now, Sinclair is asked to revive the legendary Minbari warrior group, the Rangers. But it may cost him his one chance to love... and his life. TO DREAM IN THE CITY OF SORROWS Catherine Sakai, commercial pilot and planetary surveyor, has lost her heart to Jeffrey Sinclair. Not even an attack by the Shadows can stop her from getting to Minbar to join him and the Rangers. As she trains with other pilots, including the mysterious Marcus Cole, the time is coming when their skills will be tested on their first mission. Led by Sinclair, they will venture into deepest space, into a battle of stealth and might, and toward a fate none but the bravest can face...and none but the luckiest will survive....

A. C. Crispin - The ​Paradise Snare
Han ​Solo was a child without a past, a Corellian street urchin, abandoned, foraging for scraps of food, when the cruel Garris Shrike whisked him away to a nomadic band of spacefaring criminals. Now, years later, Han fights his way free. His goal: to become an Imperial Navy pilot. But first he needs hand-on experience flying spacecraft, and for that he takes a job on the planet Ylesia—a steaming world of religious fanaticism, illicit drugs, and alluring sensuality…where dreams are destroyed and escape is impossible.

Jeanne Cavelos - J. Michael Straczynski - Casting ​Shadows
The ​spectacular space epic continues, as the techno-mages face the growing threat of the Shadows . . . As Elric and his student Galen watch with taut anticipation, dragons, angels, and shooting stars rain from the sky, heralding the arrival of the techno-mages on the planet Soom. It's the first time Elric-a member of the ruling Circle-has hosted such a gathering, and if all goes well, Galen and the other apprentices will emerge triumphant from the grueling initiation rites, ready to embrace their roles as full mages among the most powerful beings in the known universe. But rumors fly of approaching danger and Galen and his young lover, Isabelle, are chosen to investigate the dark tidings. An ancient race has awakened after a thousand years, thirsty for war, slaughter, and annihilation. Will the techno-mages be the deciding factor in the war ahead? Or the first casualties?

Jeanne Cavelos - J. Michael Straczynski - Summoning ​Light
The ​explosive space epic continues, as the techno-mages come face-to-face with the devastating evil of the Shadows . . . War against the Shadows is inevitable, and the ruling Circle has ordered the techno-mages into hiding. Many are unhappy with this decision--none more so than Galen, the only mage who has faced the Shadows and lived. But the Shadows aren't Galen's only enemy--he is driven to hunt and kill Elizar, the traitor who murdered the beautiful mage Isabelle while Galen stood by helplessly, his hands tied by the Circle's sacred code he had sworn to follow. Now a new mission awaits as the Circle contrives a plan that may enable the five hundred mages to escape without leaving a trace. Dispatched to the Shadow's ancient capitol to uncover the enemy's plans, Galen will find everything he so desperately seeks--including a shocking legacy that threatens to consume his very soul.

Jeanne Cavelos - J. Michael Straczynski - Invoking ​Darkness
The ​electrifying space epic reaches an explosive climax when one techno-mage battles the ultimate evil As billions die and the flames of destruction rage unchecked, the Shadows seem poised for absolute victory. Soon the entire galaxy will fall to their evil. But the war isn't over . . . not yet. At long last, in a forgotten corner of the universe, Galen has finally won the Circle's permission to leave the techno-mage hiding place. He is the only mage who has faced the Shadows and lived, the only one who possesses the unstoppable Spell of Destruction. Galen's orders are clear. Though the galaxy is being torn apart by bloody conflict–in which his powers might tip the balance–he is to locate only three key enemies and kill them. But Galen has unearthed the Shadows' darkest secret–and discovered a monstrous truth about himself. In this desperate, apocalyptic battle, there's no telling who will be the victor. Or if there will be any survivors at all . . .

Lauren Beukes - Zoo ​City (angol)
WHERE ​NO ONE ELSE DARE VENTURE… Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty online 419 scam habit – and a talent for finding lost things. But when her latest client, a little old lady, turns up dead and the cops confiscate her lastpaycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job: missing persons An astonishing second novel from the author of the highly-acclaimed Moxyland.

J. Michael Straczynski - Neal Barrett Jr. - Babylon ​5 - The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name
THE ​ENEMY WHITIN Babylon 5, designed to be a place of peace in a troubled universe, has erupted into rioting as visiting cultures clash and passions explode. Security chief Garibaldi must use all his skills to quell the violence between races. But the troubles escalate as terrifying nightmares plague everyone on board from Captain Sheridan to Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. It seems as if some "force" is touching them all... THE TOUCH OF YOUR SHADOW, THE WHISPER OF YOUR NAME Then an alien presence appears. A long, twisting band of green light nine million miles long stretches out against the darkness of space on a collision course with Babylon 5. Since it remains invisible to computer sensors, some are calling it an illusion, others are calling it an evil life force. Still others are calling it God. Now, it is up to Captain Sheridan and Garibaldi to find out, risking their lives, and perhaps their souls, to venture forth amond the stars to meet the unknown...

Peter David - J. Michael Straczynski - Armies ​of Light and Dark
The ​Drakh have assaulted Earth with deadly Shadow technology--but the worst is yet to come in this stunning continuation of the Babylon 5 epic adventure . . . Centauri Prime has been infiltrated by malevolent allies of the Shadows, creatures known as the Drakh. While Centauri citizens continue to rebuild their war-torn planet, their secret masters work feverishly toward one ultimate goal: to crush the Interstellar Alliance once and for all. As the Drakh carry out their horrific plans, Emperor Londo Mollari languishes on his throne, a puppet of the Drakh-bred keeper, an insidious creature that monitors his every thought, word, and action. While the emperor broods, the power-obsessed Lord Durla--an unwitting Drakh pawn--follows his own agenda. But Drakh control is not absolute. Vir Cotto--a most unlikely hero--has begun a resistance movement, and Alliance President John Sheridan has sent his most trusted troubleshooter, Michael Garibaldi, to investigate. Yet this move may prove costly, and though the Centauri continue to build a new military machine, the Alliance avoids any overt confrontation, hoping the problem will go away.

Peter David - J. Michael Straczynski - The ​Long Night of Centauri Prime
The ​beginning of an exciting new adventure that continues the Babylon 5 legacy . . . Bombed to the brink of oblivion, the planet Centauri Prime is starting the slow and painful process of rebuilding, under the watchful eye of Emperor Londo Mollari. But Londo is in turn being watched--and manipulated--by the conquest-hungry Drakh. The malevolent beings are reshaping the Centauri Republic into a secret seat of power from which to strike out at their enemies--especially the Interstellar Alliance. All but helpless to resist, Londo watches as his beloved Homeworld is transformed into a ruthless police state. And the Drakh have willing allies, including one of Londo's own countrymen--Durla, a powerful official with his own sinister agenda. As the abuses of the repressive new Republic escalate, the double-edged Drakh master plan begins to unfold. Their goal is to smash the Interstellar Alliance by assassinating its president, John Sheridan, and to obliterate Earth, using a fabled, monstrous Shadow weapon known as a Planet Killer . . .

Drew Karpyshyn - Path ​of Destruction
Once ​the Sith Order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy—and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before. Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape — a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man. On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army, and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy – if he can prove himself truly worthy. As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure...especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival. Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph — and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power.

James S. A. Corey - Leviathan ​Wakes
Humanity ​has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond.Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

John Scalzi - The ​B-Team
The ​opening episode of The Human Division, John Scalzi's new thirteen-episode novel in the world of his bestselling Old Man's War. Colonial Union Ambassador Ode Abumwe and her team are used to life on the lower end of the diplomatic ladder. But when a high-profile diplomat goes missing, Abumwe and her team are last minute replacements on a mission critical to the Colonial Unions future. As the team works to pull off their task, CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson discovers theres more to the story of the missing diplomats than anyone expected...a secret that could spell war for humanity.

Steven Gould - Jumper
Jumper ​is a 1992 science fiction novel by Steven Gould. The novel was published in mass market paperback in October 1993 and re-released in February 2008 to coincide with the release of the film adaptation. It tells the story of David, a teenager who escapes an abusive household using his ability to teleport. As he tries to make his way in the world, he searches for his mother (who left when he was a child), develops a relationship with a woman he keeps his ability secret from, and is eventually brought into conflict with several antagonists.

James Goss - Almost ​Perfect
Emma ​is 30, single and frankly desperate. She woke up this morning with nothing to look forward to but another evening of unsuccessful speed-dating. But now she has a new weapon in her search for Mr Right. And it's made her almost perfect. Gwen Cooper woke up this morning expecting the unexpected. As usual. She went to work and found a skeleton at a table for two and a colleague in a surprisingly glamorous dress. Perfect. Ianto Jones woke up this morning with no memory of last night. He went to work, where he caused amusement, suspicion and a little bit of jealousy. Because Ianto Jones woke up this morning in the body of a woman. And he's looking just about perfect. And Jack Harkness has always had his doubts about Perfection.