Art of Angela DeRiso

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve lost myself in many books over the years. My first love is and always will be science fiction, followed closely by science and biology. Several have left an unforgettable impression on me, and a few have worlds I grieved when I read the last page. Some stories have a way of reaching into you in some way that makes you wish you could stay there. Others leave you with a sense of wonder with what they reveal in the case of biology and science. Here’s a few that have done that for me.

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I’ll start with the non-fiction first.

The Parrot Who Owns Me by Joanna Burger

As a parrot owner at the time of my first reading, this opened my eyes further on how intelligent and emotional parrots truly are. This book chronicles the life of ornithologist Joanna Burger as she navigates the relationship with her adopted Amazon parrot, Tiko. At first, he is sullen and slow to warm to her attention, but eventually their relationship blossoms into a trusting and humorous one. This book has so many moments that show what it truly means to care for a parrot and how our lives change with them.

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Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Drawing on both science, philosophy, and his scuba diving experience, Godfrey-Smith asks what kind of intelligence cephalopods possess and where it originated. This book posits a lot of questions on the evolution of consciousness and that it may have developed not just on land, but in the sea. I’ve always had a fascination with cephalopods and their intelligence, and they can act in novel ways not just in captivity, but in the wild. What’s more, is that while their alien intelligence is higher than most other invertebrates, it conflicts with an often heartbreaking short lifespan.

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Onto the science fiction…

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Far into the future, human consciousness can now be digitally stored in a “cortical stack” and implanted into a new “sleeve” body, thus eliminating death as we know it. Following Takeshi Kovacs, a ex UN Envoy, is dispatched into a new sleeve and assigned to solve a murder in the upper echelon of society who treat existence as a commodity to be bought and sold. The character drives into a conspiracy following the rich and powerful, while witnessing the same injustices that have always existed for those beneath them.

A great story and the first in the series, this book is a high octane cyberpunk detective novel. There are many to follow if you get hooked on the atmosphere and characters.

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The Transformation Trilogy by Neal Asher

We meet Thorvald Spear who died a century before, killed in the middle of an alien vs. human war by an unstable AI. His current mission is vengeance, but little does he know that it’s hardly that simple. A female crime lord, Isobel Satomi, struggles to maintain her position while coping with the results of a deal struck with the AI known as Penny Royal. Spear seeks her out in order to track down the AI, but in the midst of that arrangement, her metamorphosis progresses faster into something monstrous.

Spear picks up a few allies along the way, while dealing with the far reaching implications of past events.

The depth of not only the characters, but ruminations on AI and how human they might become are something I deeply enjoyed. The first book ever read from Asher was Brass Man, and that is also a worthy entry on the list. He is an author I return to year after year. Never disappoints.

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The Final Architecture by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Idris is a remade human, his brain augmented and carved to reach out and fight off enigmatic aliens hellbent on humanity’s destruction. With Earth obliterated, Idris joins a freelance salvage crew on their ship trying to stay two steps ahead of authorities who want him back in the service of fighting. They encounter elite humans designed to fight wars, cults, and seedy governments. One of their salvage hauls attracts more attention than expected, and they must flee throughout the galaxy while trying to find out why everyone wants a piece of it.

Not only are the characters incredibly memorable, the ragtag crew in a ship that’s nearly falling apart is reminiscent of Firefly and makes me feel at home. Never a dull moment, with humor and witty banter among the crew. The plot takes hold, and keeps you turning pages. This is one of those worlds that I actually grieved when I read the last page.

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Jacob’s Ladder Trilogy by Elizabeth Bear

On a dying ship orbiting a doomed sun, a servant girl frees an imprisoned noblewoman, and there starts an impending war. The two must make a dangerous journey through the dying hulk of the ship to a final meeting. The power dynamics between noble houses shifts, and waiting at the top is Jacob Dust. God, or what is left of him.

I’d read other books with the concept of a generational ship, but nothing quite like this. This version felt more ethereal and bigger somehow. The way memories are absorbed through “consuming” was interesting. I also enjoyed the drama of familiar houses and how they interacted. Similar to how Game of Thrones did it, but with a scifi bent.

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These are just a few of the books that really stick out as some of my favorites. If you have any favorite books, please share in the comments! I’d love to hear what others are reading!