“Dune” by Frank Herbert – The Spice of Power
Frank Herbert has set a milestone in science-fiction when he penned the great classic Dune, realized once into a movie by David Lynch, and soon to be on the silver screens again under Denis Villeneuve’s direction.
Set on a desert planet where the sole thing of value is the “spice” drug, the story follows a young noble boy, Paul Atreides, who loses his realm as his family is betrayed and destroyed. Thus begins his epic adventure to evolve into a figure of legends.
“Too Like the Lightning” by Ada Palmer – 25th Century Blues
Emerging authors rise up every day in the great world of books, and Ada Palmer has done so recently when she published the first chapter in the Terra Ignota series titled Too Like the Lightning.
Winner of the 2017 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the book transports us into the 25th century where we make the acquaintance of Mycroft Canner, a convict sentenced to wandering the world to make himself as useful as possible, and Carlyle Foster, a spiritual counsellor in a world where religion isn’t for public practice anymore.
Their technological utopia, may soon be destabilized by the discovery of a boy who can seemingly make his wishes come true, and inanimate objects to life.
“Seven Surrenders” by Ada Palmer – The Conspiracy of Global Stability
Ada Palmer has constructed a rather unique and singular Utopia in her book series Terra Ignota, one where the needs of all are tended and none can actually remember a war ever occurring.
A convict by the name of Mycroft Canner sentenced to wander the planet to serve all he meets has stumbled upon a profound conspiracy, one that maintains the careful balance of peace and prosperity in the world through some very careful and selective assassinations.
The balance is about to give way, and the realm starts to teeter on the brink of dystopia.
“The Will to Battle” by Ada Palmer – Death of Utopia; Birth of Dystopia
Ada Palmer has created a veritably complex and engaging utopia in her Terra Ignota series, a society with its own set of rules and morals where virtually no one longs for anything.
Cracks have however begun appearing in this seemingly flawless civilization, and in the third book of the series, The Will to Battle, it all comes crashing down into fire and brimstone.
With the carefully-maintained balance now lying in ruins, all sides must prepare for a bloody war to engender a new age of conflict.
“Awaken Online: Catharsis” by Travis Bagwell – Beyond the Veil of the Villain
Travis Bagwell is a big fan of the LitRPG genre, and with his own additions to it he sought to put a new and captivating twist on an idea that is slowly losing its luster.
In the first volume of the Awaken Online series, titled Catharsis, we are introduced to Jason, a player in an online virtual reality game who seeks to compensate his lack of power, freedom, influence and general importance in the real world.
However, this game is quite different from anything that he has ever played before. Slowly but surely, he comes to the realization that instead of being the revered hero, he might very well be the villain of his own story.
“Awaken Online: Precipice” by Travis Bagwell – Of Rulers and Wretches
Travis Bagwell continues his highly acclaimed LitRPG series with Awaken Online: Precipice, following once again the exploits of Jason as he finds himself obligated to return inside the game to rule his undead city as Regent of the Twilight Throne after having defeated his rival Alexion.
He sets out to explore a dark keep looming over the marketplace, setting in motion things much greater than himself.
Meanwhile, Alex comes back into the game as well and with virtually nothing left to lose he is confronted with some very tough choices as to how he wants to blast his way back to the top.
“Awaken Online: Retribution” by Travis Bagwell – The Bow from the Dungeon
Travis Bagwell brings us back to the fantastic world of Awaken Online, a virtual reality that is, for all intents and purposes, much more enthralling than actual reality.
In Awaken Online: Retribution , we are taking a little detour on a sort of side quest as Riley sets out on a journey after having received a cryptic message from Jason who has mysterious vanished.
She tries to investigate the strange bow she found in a dungeon, and soon finds out that the weapon’s previous owner has some grand plans in store for her, plans of vengeance and reckoning, with an entire city’s life hanging in the balance.