The Three-Body Problem – Cixin Liu (Translation by Ken Liu)
A secret military group in Cultural Revolution-era China sends signals into space in hopes of establishing contact with alien species… and succeeds. Problem is, the alien civilization that receives the signal is on the brink of destruction and as a response to their own problems, readies an invasion of Earth. News of the coming invasion divides humanity between those seemingly willing to accept the alien invasion as a potential remedy to what they consider global, systemic corruption, and those prepared to fight the invasion at all costs. This book is the first book in a trilogy from Liu that continues with ‘The Dark Forest’ and concludes with ‘Death’s End’. Those are next in my queue as the premise Liu sets up in ‘The Three-Body Problem’ is pure sci-fi gold. Liu’s ability to explain advanced physics and quantum mechanics among other next level scientific principles in straight forward language is invaluable here to understanding. Also at play is what happens when two civilizations, at differing points in their respective technological advancement, engage with each other. I’m only one book in, but survival itself would seem the bottom-line priority for all sentient beings. Anyway, make no mistake, Liu’s concept here makes this story a can’t miss page turner. As for Netflix bringing this story to the screen, I’ll cover that later in Hot Stream.
The Devil Behind the Badge – Rick Jervis
The author, Rick Jervis, is a family friend… which caused me to immediately jump from my typical comfort zone over to the genre of True Crime. The journey started when Rick was assigned by his employer, the USA Today, to the case of four slain sex workers in Laredo, Texas. As it turned out, the killer was a Border Patrol Agent and a US Navy veteran. Five years and one pandemic later, the case finally came to rest when Juan David Ortiz was found guilty on four counts of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole… This one’s a page turner and so well researched. Between the pandemic truly disrupting the typical legal process and the fact that so much information was unattainable while the trial was still pending… I can only imagine how hard it was to complete this book. That said, the aspect of this book that left me most satisfied was the attention with which Jervis told the stories of each of the four women who lost their lives. In many ways, they were each doomed from birth as a result of where and to whom they were born. In his thorough, well-researched description of their lives, the author ensured that even in death, each of these women were not one-dimensional characters, but rather human beings with families and friends that cared about them deeply.
Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla eu libero sodales, sollicitudin nisi quis, pharetra ex. Sed non lacinia neque. Cras vehicula, nisl id ultricies semper, lectus enim pretium arcu, a dictum justo nulla at tortor. Vestibulum rutrum dignissim lacus sit amet aliquet. Nulla ac nulla bibendum, suscipit tortor condimentum, accumsan turpis.
Crook Manifesto – Colson Whitehead
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla eu libero sodales, sollicitudin nisi quis, pharetra ex. Sed non lacinia neque. Cras vehicula, nisl id ultricies semper, lectus enim pretium arcu, a dictum justo nulla at tortor. Vestibulum rutrum dignissim lacus sit amet aliquet. Nulla ac nulla bibendum, suscipit tortor condimentum, accumsan turpis.
Harlem Shuffle – Colson Whitehead
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla eu libero sodales, sollicitudin nisi quis, pharetra ex. Sed non lacinia neque. Cras vehicula, nisl id ultricies semper, lectus enim pretium arcu, a dictum justo nulla at tortor. Vestibulum rutrum dignissim lacus sit amet aliquet. Nulla ac nulla bibendum, suscipit tortor condimentum, accumsan turpis.
My Effin’ Life – Geddy Lee
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla eu libero sodales, sollicitudin nisi quis, pharetra ex. Sed non lacinia neque. Cras vehicula, nisl id ultricies semper, lectus enim pretium arcu, a dictum justo nulla at tortor. Vestibulum rutrum dignissim lacus sit amet aliquet. Nulla ac nulla bibendum, suscipit tortor condimentum, accumsan turpis.
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton
Cras erat ligula, tempus ac nunc et, pellentesque rhoncus ipsum. Donec fermentum leo vel massa dignissim aliquam. Vivamus vehicula semper laoreet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis sed purus placerat, sagittis mi sit amet, imperdiet nisl. Phasellus vitae ante accumsan, sodales quam in, placerat felis.
Lock In – John Scalzi
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla eu libero sodales, sollicitudin nisi quis, pharetra ex. Sed non lacinia neque. Cras vehicula, nisl id ultricies semper, lectus enim pretium arcu, a dictum justo nulla at tortor. Vestibulum rutrum dignissim lacus sit amet aliquet. Nulla ac nulla bibendum, suscipit tortor condimentum, accumsan turpis.
The Future – Leslie Alderman
Cras erat ligula, tempus ac nunc et, pellentesque rhoncus ipsum. Donec fermentum leo vel massa dignissim aliquam. Vivamus vehicula semper laoreet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis sed purus placerat, sagittis mi sit amet, imperdiet nisl. Phasellus vitae ante accumsan, sodales quam in, placerat felis.
