10 new science fiction and fantasy books to discover in May

I've picked up two books on the modern state of Star wars recently. The first is Making Solo: A Star Wars Story by Rob Bredow, Supervisor of Industrial Light and Magic. The book is an exhaustive look behind the scenes of the last Star wars The film unites through Bredow's photographs, examining places, actors, props and the process of special effects. Nor was it the exhaustive look of J.W. Rinzler's trilogy of books for original films, carefully avoiding the drama that occurred during production.

The second book is Star Wars After Lucas: A critical guide to the future of the galaxy by Dan Golding. It's an in-depth analysis of the new generation of movies and how Disney has relaunched the franchise, even though it feels like it's a bit early, since Skywalker climb has not hit the halls yet, not to mention Disney's pivot on TV with the next The mandalorian and Thief A prequels. But it is an interesting reading for all those who follow the franchise.

Here are 10 sci-fi and fantasy books that will arrive in stores in the first half of the month. (Check back in May for more coming in the second half of the month).

May 7

Image: Harper Voyager

Western coast by W.M. Akers

In a 1921 New York City as a replacement, Manhattan was split into two parts: the thriving East Side and the West Side, which has fled modern technology and exists as a slum where few people can go. escape. Gilda Carr is one of these residents and she finds a detective job that solves small problems. When an East Side homemaker hires her to find a missing glove, she finds herself at the heart of a larger supernatural conspiracy that could spell the death knell for the end of the city. Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starry critique, claiming that it was a "very readable fusion of mystery, dark fantasy, alternative history and existential horror".

Read an excerpt.

The warship by Neal Asher

The warship is the last installment of Neal Asher in Rising Jains series, which follows that of last year The soldier. At the border of human space is a solar system created by a long-dead civilization known as Jain. It is littered with dangerous technologies that could destroy civilizations, and a being named Orlandine has been instructed to protect him from harm. Human intelligence Polity and extraterrestrials known as praders have sent warships to the system, waiting for a conflict. But the system contains a deadly secret and Orlandine might have been used to carry out other malicious motives. Publishers Weekly gave the book a starry critique, calling the book "overwhelming sequel" and stating that "Asher describes the war as a catalyst for biological and technological evolution while driving the reader into riddles and misdirection".

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang

Ted Chiang is one of the best sci-fi writers at work. He created a new collection of news, Exhalation: Stories, its first since 2002 Stories of your life and others (whose main story was the basis of the movie 2016 Arrival). The book includes seven news for which it has been praised over the years, as well as two new originals. Chiang also included notes on each of the stories. The collection received a starry review of Publishers Weeklywho says that "stories are brilliant experiences, and [Chiang’s] his commitment to exploring deep human issues elevates them to the rank of the best science fiction works. "

Read "What We Expect from Us", "Expiration" and "The Great Silence".

Image: Knopf

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The two authors of the Illuminae Files trilogy have a new series that starts with Aurora Rising. Established in 2380, a group of academy graduates are entrusted with its first interplanetary peacekeeping missions. Tyler Jones is a graduate, assigned to a team of six unsuitable. When they discover a transport ship that has been missing for centuries and rescues a cryogenically frozen woman named Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, problems arise. Kirkus Reviews has given the book a starred critique, stating that "this intergalactic space opera has everything to please: action, thrills, suspense, laughter and sensations".

middlegame by Seanan McGuire

The latest in Seanan McGuire is an independent fantasy unfolding in a new world, after two twins living on both sides of North America in the late 19th century: Roger Middleton and Dodger Cheswich. Roger is good at understanding language and storytelling, and Dodger shares the same abilities in math comprehension. Both share a strange telepathic connection. They are not completely human, and their creator, James Reed, has horrible plans for both of them. Kirkus Reviews attributed to the book a starry critic, stating that he was "satisfying at all levels of the reading experience: exciting, emotionally resonant and cerebral. Escape to Witch Mountain for adults. "

Read an excerpt.

Million Mile Road Trip by Rudy Rucker

Although William Gibson and Bruce Sterling are the names most associated with cyberpunk, Rudy Rucker, a mathematician and writer considered to be one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre, may not be as well known. His new novel follows a group of teenagers who accidentally opened a portal to an alternative universe called Mappyworld. They embark on a journey on the road to prevent the Earth from being invaded by sensitive flying saucers. Publishers' Weekly gives the book a starred critique and says that Rucker "will populate this story with humorous and surreal personalities and environments, and move it at a furious and growing pace," and that "the delirious adventure is a delight for the geek reader" .

May 14

Image: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

We chase the flame by Hafsah Faizal

Hafsah Faizal's first novel is the first of his Arawiya Sands series, which takes place in a world inspired by ancient Arabia. It follows a woman named Zafira, a hunter who disguises himself as a man to find food for his family in a cursed forest, and Nasir, an assassin. Neither of them are happy with their lives, and as Zafira embarks on a quest to retrieve a lost artifact to save the forest world, she finds herself in conflict with Nasir, who has been sent to find the same vestige. Kirkus Reviews says that it is a "seductive appeal of the traditional elements of fantasy".

Read an excerpt.

Last tango in cyberspace by Steven Kotler

In the near future, Lion Zorn is a former journalist and "tracker of empathy". A technology billionaire from Arctic Pharmaceuticals hires him to find the leader of a mysterious cult. He ends up discovering a scene of brutal murder. This sends him on the trail of a plot that leads him into space and back while fighting with assassins and empathic hackers. Publishers Weekly Calls the book "a fun story with lots of SF media references for the fans' enjoyment."

Read an excerpt.

Violation by Eliot Peper

The third and final installment of Eliot Peper Analog the trilogy is Violation. In the near future, large technology companies are manipulating information and shaping global economic policies. A former hacker, Emily Kim, has found a new life as a fighter. She is dragged into a plot to overthrow society, which is hiding behind the world's first social network. As her past catches up with her, she discovers that her friends are dramatically targeted for the future of society.

Image: Orbit Books

Children of ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

One of the best books I read last year was Adrian Tchaikovsky's 2015 novel Children of time, a brilliant space opera about the emergence of a race of sensitive spiders in a distant terraformed world and the descent of humanity into feudalism as it escaped from a broken Earth and found itself in a clash spectacular. Tchaikovsky is back with a sequel, Children of ruin, which resumes after the first moment of contact of humanity. After detecting radio signals, humans and their allies send an expedition to a distant world called Nod, another terraforming experience of humanity, where they discover that something is hidden under the process of terraforming.