Happy birthday to one of our mothers of science fiction! from link
It’s science fiction grand dame Octavia Butler‘s birthday! What better time to celebrate her pioneering works than on what would have been her seventy-first birthday? (Incidentally, Google has celebrated her with a Doodle as well!)
You’ll find a complete list of Butler’s books here. Looking for one to bring home today? You’ll find Kindred, Clay’s Ark, and Seed to Harvest–the complete Patternist trilogy–on our shelves today. Prefer to read eBooks? You’ll find Butler’s works on both Hoopla and Media on Demand. Really want a book–but already read Kindred, Clay’s Ark, and Seed to Harvest? Check the system! You’ll find many more novels–as well as additional formats–there. All it takes to get them is a quick request, and they’ll be on their way to you.
And did you know that Butler’s work will soon come to the small screen? It’s true! Ava DuVernay is adapting Dawn–from the Xenogenisus series–for television. Keep a weather eye out for developments!
join WALL-E in the stars! (and on DVD as well!) from link
We’ve traveled the oceans and hopped through time thanks to books–now, let’s go to the stars! Science fiction has been taking us there for a while now, so we’ll start this voyage with some classic trips to the stars.
Tumble into the galaxy with Arthur Dent, who escapes Earth just before it’s destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Follow the violence and danger of conquest as Earth moves to Mars in The Martian Chronicles, then stumble into a war among intergalactic houses in Dune. A child hero must wage a desperate battle against an alien race in Ender’s Game (you guessed it: that’s a movie too!), while Earth’s ambassador must work through his own prejudices in order to facilitate the planet Winter’s entrance into the growing intergalactic civilization in The Left Hand of Darkness.
Are you a fan of Eurovision (or The Voice)? Take a trip to Galactivisionn in Space Opera, where the fate of Earth rests on the shoulders of two rockers sent to compete, then step into an intergalactic war–and a love affair between enemy soldiers!–in Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples’ Saga series. Follow an astronaut fighting to survive on Mars in The Martian–then check out the movie, too! Join a rebellion as the Reds, the lowest caste on Mars, revolt against their treatment in the Red Rising series, starting with Red Rising, then check on the ultimate in intergalactic rebellions with Star Wars–both the novels and the films. You’ll find a complete list of Star Wars books here; in the meantime, you might want to check out our newest, Last Shot, Canto Bight, and The Last Jedi! Are you more a Trekkie? We’ve got you covered there as well! You’ll find a complete list of Star Trek novels here; you might enjoy checking out The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, or checking out just a few of our Star Trek graphic novels!
imagine being even closer to these solar flares… from link
Colonies move from Earth to space as colonizers hoping for the perfect plant don’t realize that they are being watched in Semiosis, while a young woman returning to Earth from her intergalactic university–bringing a friend from a warlike species that has not visited her planet in generations–must face down both expected and unexpected dangers in Binti: Home. In a world where convicts are sent to Mars to prepare it for habitation, corners are cut and murderers murdered, forcing the survivors to work together to uncover the truth in One Way. Travel through space with an intergalactic sports team in The Galaxy Game, then watch as the survivors of a destroyed world struggle to reach out for help while maintaining their culture in The Best of All Possible Worlds. Aliens and Earth mutually plan to invade each other–and shore up their empires and cultures–in The Three-Body Problem, the first book in a trilogy.
Looking for a quick read? Tara’s world, and her life, change completely after a mirror Earth is discovered inMirror in the Sky, while Adam and his girlfriend Chloe get creative to survive after aliens take over Earth and choke its economies in Landscape with Invisible Hand. Cinderella is a cyborg mechanic coping with plagues, stepsisters, and a deadly lunar world in Cinder, while an artificial intelligence system–and a plague–endanger teens fleeing intergalactic corporations in Illuminae. Check out both Star Trek and Star Wars on Blu-Ray and DVD, then revisit such classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Then delve into some newer renderings of space, from Wall-E to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Go to the wild west of space with Firefly, then hunt for a missing woman–and try to prevent war between Earth and Mars–in The Expanse. Travel beyond Earth for our species’ survival in Interstellar, then fight aliens–and more–with the Avengers. Looking for more? Just ask at Library Services–we’d be delighted to help!
let NASA take you to galaxies beyond our ken. from link
And, finally, did you know that NASA makes all sorts of incredible information, from science to images of galaxies, available right at your fingertips? You can check out the Hubble Space Telescope or follow along with the Mars Rover. Check out what’s happening on the International Space Station, and take a look at all the cool info available thanks to NASA Education! And, most of all–happy stargazing!
the scientifically magical Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley! from link
Today we get a movie not about her unnamed Monster but about Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley herself! How often do we hear anything at all about her (aside from being Shelley’s wife, in Byron’s sphere, and, oh yeah, the novelist behind Frankenstein)? So, to properly celebrate, let’s check out some books and movies about Mary Shelley and her Monster (and that guy Dr. Frankenstein, too).
Have you read Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus? If not–and if you want to get a taste of a book that’s often called the first science fiction novel, as well as the birth of horror as we know it–we have definitely got you covered. You’ll find the novel shelved in our classics section; there are also two copies in our regular fiction, so you can pretty much choose your favorite cover (and why not, right?). Prefer to listen? We have Frankenstein on CD–and, of course, you’ll find the novel on both Hoopla and Media on Demand, as well as in the system as a Playaway. Choose your favorite format and see the drama unfold!
As adaptions often are! (You’ll find this one in our family movie section.) from link
Curious about more modern interpretations? Check out Mackenzie Lee’s This Monstrous Thing, in which a mechanic brings his brother back from the dead–and a community wonders if, perhaps, they inspired Frankenstein. Created daughters of infamous scientists–including Dr. Frankenstein–look to end their parents’ reigns in The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, while the Shelleys–particularly Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, her husband Percy, and her step-sister Claire–emerge in A Fatal Likeness. Follow the Creature after Dr. Frankenstein’s death in Frankenstein’s Monster, then step into Dean Koontz’s re-imagining of the classic novel in the series Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein (you can find the complete series list here). Maybe your kids love the idea of a mad scientist (but aren’t, perhaps, ready for the original)–check out the Franny K. Stein series, available here at Homewood!
Want to watch some Frankenstein–in some (possibly trippy) adaptions? We have you covered there, too. Both Dr. Frankenstein and his Creature are characters in Penny Dreadful; you’ll find seasons one and two here at Homewood, while the third season is available in our system. You can watch Frankenweenie on either Blu-Ray or DVD (both are in our family section). Give Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein a whirl. You’ll find I, Frankenstein here, as well as some ‘70s Frankenstein romps with Elvira. The Frankenstein Chronicles are streaming on Netflix now and will make their way, eventually, to your local library; you can request Victor Frankenstein (it has Daniel Radcliffe in it!)–and, of course, we can always find those classic Frankenstein adaptions, too.
Madeleine L’Engle’s great A Wrinkle in Time, the first book in her Time quintet, is built on more than fantasy: she puts in a lot of science, too! Meanwhile, Ava DuVernay’s film A Wrinkle in Time is not only built on that same science, but had a science adviser. Has re-reading A Wrinkle in Time–or going to see the film!–made you ready for some physics, too? Check out some of our physics books!
Curious about the Mrs. Whos and Mrs. Whatsits and Mrs. Whichs of the galaxy? Check out this book by some of the world’s leading scientists about the quest for–and possibilities of–life beyond Earth.
The universe is vast and, for the most part, unknown–for all we know, there could be planets filled with Mrs. Who and Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which, just waiting out there somewhere. Learn about some the unknowns in PhD Comics creator Cham’s illustrated collaboration with experimental physicist Whiteson!
None of us can see gravity, but we certainly feel its effects–and scientists from Newton to Einstein, one of L’Engle’s great influences, have studied it. Learn more about the ways in which it does–and doesn’t–work in this new book, and figure out how it influenced the Murrys in their studies.
Physics is much more than the big and theoretical (or the fantastical, like A Wrinkle in Time‘s tesseract and space travel and Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit). It’s also how popcorn pops, or why milk in tea looks like clouds, or how your toaster works. Learn about this everyday physics in Czerski’s book, also available through Media on Demand.
Years before L’Engle wrote A Wrinkle in Time, physicists Richard Feynman and John Wheeler were revolutionizing our ideas of time, history, and quantum physics. Learn about their collaboration–and the pioneering science that resulted from it–in this new book.
Can’t get enough of the more ordinary side of physics, from toasters to clouds and motion sensors to touch screens? Check out Kakalios’ 2017 book for even more forays into the most ordinary–and extraordinary–physics out there: that of daily life!
You can’t just fly off to a vacation in the stars (or tesseract to Mars)–but what if you could? Check out this Vacation Guide for a fun, accessible guide to the wonders of the solar system–and some of the things you should look out for on your hypothetical trip.
All A Wrinkle in Time‘s space-travel, and its worlds beyond Earth, are more than just science fiction. Learn about where we’re probably headed as a species (into the great galaxy beyond Earth, most likely) in this New York Times bestseller by acclaimed physicist Michio Kaku.
So maybe you’re more interested in a quick and dirty guide to physics, complete with short answers and lots of pictures. If so, this might be the book for you. Learn about everything from the science behind organic vegetables to light bulbs and white surfaces in this accessible guide.
Learn about really complicated stuff with line drawings and the 10 hundred most common words in the English language with this guide to science and more. You’ll also find this on Media on Demand.
If you came away from A Wrinkle in Time with a host of hypothetical questions, then this might be a great place to start finding answers! Check out the serious science behind such things as the possibilities of fire tornadoes and what would happen if a baseball were pitched at the speed of light. You’ll also find this illustrated book on Hoopla and Media on Demand.
Are you more interested in reality–and quantum theories? Follow the evolution of both as Italian physicist Rovelli takes you on a historical and scientific tour. You may also enjoy Rovelli’s 2016 Seven Brief Lessons on Physics–and The Order of Time, coming in May 2018 to Homewood Public Library’s shelves!
If you’re looking for a really quick introduction to astrophysics–and the universe–then this is the book for you. It’s also available as a CD Book, as well as from Hoopla and Media on Demand. Looking for more on the same theme? You might also enjoy Tyson’s Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour.
Want a quick, fun, and illustrated book that covers everything from the science behind superheroes to finding true love, from fixing pollution to time travel? Check this book out today!
Still curious? Browse the 500s! You’ll find more books on everything from astronomy to physics and beyond. And don’t forget to check out L’Engle’s book! You can download it from Hoopla or Overdrive, read it in any of three editions, check out the graphic novel, or listen to the CD book!
Aliens: The World’s Leading Scientists on the Quest for Alien Life
We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe
The Ascent of Gravity: The Quest to Understand the Force that Explains Everything
Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life
The Quantum Labyrinth: How Richard Feynman and John Wheeler Revolutionized Time and Reality
The Physics of Everyday Things: The Extraordinary Science Behind an Ordinary Day
Intergalactic Travel Bureau Vacation Guide to the Solar System
The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth
The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words 
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need To Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond
On the Shelves at Homewood Public Library 