NCW Libraries

For millennia, we have looked up at the stars and wondered whether we are alone in the universe, but in the last few years-as our probes begin to escape the solar system, and our telescopes reveal thousands of Earthlike planets-scientists have taken huge leaps toward an answer. "Forget science fiction," author Ben Miller writes. "We are living through one of the most extraordinary revolutions in the history of science: the emergent belief of a generation...

"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he...

The mining ship "El Cavador" is far out from Earth. So when "El Cavador"'s telescopes pick up a fast-moving object coming in-system, it's hard to know what to make of it. Before Ender Wiggin was born, before the Battle School was built, the aliens brought war to Earth in this prequel.

Freddy is nervous about his first day of school since it's big, it's far away, and it's full of strangers, but luckily, he remembers that he has work to do in space and Freddy's space adventures just may get him ready for his big day back on Earth.

Orbital characteristic of key planets, regimental order of the Royal Navy, backstory on the history and drama of the Star Kingdom's birth and early days--you'll find it all here, thoughtfully arranged by the Bureau 9 Weber research group, and overseen by David Weber himself.

On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York's experience...

From the king of modern space opera comes a new adventure in the Prefect Dreyfus series-Machine Vendetta is a thrilling tale of deadly conspiracies and old enemies that refuse to die. Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone. Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply's most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and unarmed...

"The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up. From the planet's formation 4.5 billion years ago, through eras that featured cataclysmic meteor strikes, explosive volcanoes...

"Ten years have passed since the attack on IAS, and it's graduation day for Alex. That's right, he's nineteen and ready to take on the galaxy... if only Knox would trust him. Knox secretly plans to meet with Dr. Amalie Mallet, IAS's predictor. She's foreseen catastrophe is coming, and Knox needs to prepare to keep his family safe. But he doesn't allow any of the crew to join the meeting in order to "protect Alex." The only person risking his life...

Turtle really likes standing in his favorite spot. He likes it so much that he asks his friend Armadillo to come over and stand in it, too. But now that Armadillo is standing in that spot, he has a bad feeling about it . . . This book is a meditation on the workings of friendship, fate, shared futuristic visions, and that funny feeling you get that there's something off somewhere, but you just can't put your finger on it. -- Provided by publisher....