Alastair Reynolds Gets Fresh Rec

Alastair Reynolds' *Terminal World*, first published in March 2010, is a standalone novel praised for its blend of steampunk and far-future science fiction. The story is set in Spearpoint, a colossal, atmosphere-piercing city divided into different "zones" that can only support specific levels of technology. The protagonist, Quillon, is a pathologist and former "angel" from the city's highest-tech Celestial Levels, now in exile in a lower-tech zone. The plot kicks off when a dying angel reveals a threat to Quillon's life, forcing him to flee into the dangerous, technologically-regressed lands outside the city. The social media discussion also brought up Anne McCaffrey's classic *Dragonriders of Pern* series, which began in 1967. This science fantasy series is set on a human-colonized planet where genetically-engineered, telepathic dragons are the primary defense against "Thread," a deadly mycorrhizoid spore that rains down from a rogue planet. Barbara Hambly's Darwath trilogy, starting with *The Time of the Dark* in 1982, is another highlighted series. It follows two Californians, a graduate student and an auto mechanic, who are pulled into a fantasy world by a wizard to help save it from monstrous beings known as the Dark. The multi-award-winning Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold centers on Miles Vorkosigan, a physically disabled aristocrat from the militaristic planet Barrayar. The series, which has won multiple Hugo Awards, explores themes of prejudice and overcoming physical limitations against a backdrop of space opera and political intrigue.