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	Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city--intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began. But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind . . . or the beginning?
	Encounter With Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes Buzz Aldrin, one of manned space flight's pioneers, has helped create a stunning, possibly prophetic novel of the future of space exploration. A radio beacon from an unknown world leads an astronaut to disaster on the Moon -- and his son far beyond that as he searches for the key to the mystery of Tiber, a civilization who left artifacts in the solar system some 9,000 years ago, with sufficient impact on human affairs to explain some odd references in the Bible. The villains of the book are not the aliens, but the benighted politicians with the minds of accountants who won't fund the necessary scientific derring-do to save the world -- apparently an affliction which alien astronauts also have to bear.
	Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh A legend among sci-fi readers, C.J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels, while separate and complete in themselves, are part of a much larger tapestry-a future history spanning 5,000 years of human civilization. Downbelow Station is the book that won Cherryh a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1982. A blockbuster space opera of the rebellion between Earth and its far-flung colonies, it is a classic science fiction masterwork.
	The Faded Sun by C. J. Cherryh They were the mri-tall, secretive, bound by honor and the rigid dictates of their society. For aeons this golden-skinned,golden-eyed race had provided the universe mercenary soldiers of almost unimaginable ability. But now the mri have faced an enemy unlike any other-an enemy whose only way of war is widespread destruction. These "humans" are mass fighters, creatures of the herb, and the mri have been slaughtered like animals. Now, in the aftermath of war, the mri face extinction. It will be up to three individuals to save whatever remains of this devastated race: a warrior--one of the last survivors of his kind; a priestess of this honorable people; and a lone human--a man sworn to aid the enemy of his own kind. Can they retrace the galaxy-wide path of this nomadic race back through millennia to reclaim the ancient world which first gave them life?
	Contact by Carl Sagan It is December 1999, the dawn of the millennium, and a team of international scientists is poised for the most fantastic adventure in human history. After years of scanning the galaxy for signs of somebody or something else, this team believes they've found a message from an intelligent source--and they travel deep into space to meet it. Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sagan injects Contact, his prophetic adventure story, with scientific details that make it utterly believable. It is a Cold War era novel that parlays the nuclear paranoia of the time into exquisitely wrought tension among the various countries involved. Sagan meditates on science, religion, and government--the elements that define society--and looks to their impact on and role in the future. His ability to pack an exciting read with such rich content is an unusual talent that makes Contact a modern sci-fi classic.
	The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber David Weber, author of the enormously popular Honor Harrington military SF series, takes to deep space and the high seas in the opening chapters of Apocalypse Troll. The fateful space battle and resulting spaceship crash that bring together Colonel Ludmilla Leonova and Captain Richard Aston, U.S. Navy, set the stage for another rip-roaring, guns-blazing science fiction adventure. When Captain Aston finds out Colonel Leonova's secret, he eagerly offers his help, then finds himself in the middle of an extremely dangerous military situation. Weber's fast plots, nonstop action, and attention to detail are what makes his books so much fun to read, and Apocalypse Troll is no exception. Richard Ashton is sailing in the middle of the Atlantic when a UFO is shot down. When the crippled alien lifeboat homes in on his sailboat, suddenly his hands are full with a wounded and impossibly "human" alien warrior who also happens to be a gorgeous female.
	Moving Mars by Greg Bear In this 1995 Nebula Award-winning novel, a revolution is transforming the formerly passive Earth-colony of Mars. While opposing political factions on Mars battle for the support of colonists, scientists make a staggering scientific breakthrough that at once fuels the conflict and creates a united Mars front, as the technically superior Earth tries to take credit for it. Backed against a wall, colonial leaders are forced to make a monumental decision that changes the future of Mars forever.
	The Martian Race by Gregory Benford Esteemed Mars guru Bob Zubrin calls The Martian Race "one of the finest novels about human exploration of the Red Planet ever written. "But then again, Bob is a character in the book (albeit in the briefest of cameos), so what else could he possibly say? That notwithstanding, Zubrin's right--he couldn't have picked a better book to show his face in. By popular assent, Martian Race deserves top honors among the millennial wave of Mars exploration tales, propelled as it is by the skillful storytelling of physics doyen Gregory Benford, a Campbell and two-time Nebula winner. Martian Race is near-future SF, set in the twenty-teens (just before Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars saga kicks off), which may contribute to its being a bit of a slow starter; this is realistic, nuts-and-bolts speculation on a mission using pretty basic technology. But the pace picks up considerably as our heroes--the likable Julia and her Russky hubby Viktor and crew, backed by the Mars Consortium and its biotech billionaire CEO John Axelrod--begin to duke it out with a Euro-Sino concern to claim the $30 billion Mars Prize and, of course, get back from the Red Planet in one piece. Benford's work throughout is engaging and thorough, exploring every aspect of why we should make this trip at all (and even a few arguments against it, like Mars Bar marketing tie-ins).
	The Time Machine by H. G. Wells First novel by H.G. Wells, published in book form in 1895. The novel is considered one of the earliest works of science fiction and the progenitor of the "time travel" subgenre. Wells advanced his social and political ideas in this narrative of a nameless Time Traveller who is hurtled into the year 802,701 by his elaborate ivory, crystal, and brass contraption. The world he finds is peopled by two races: the decadent Eloi, fluttery and useless, are dependent for food, clothing, and shelter on the simian subterranean Morlocks, who prey on them. The two races--whose names are borrowed from the Biblical Eli and Moloch--symbolize Wells's vision of the eventual result of unchecked capitalism: a neurasthenic upper class that would eventually be devoured by a proletariat driven to the depths.
	Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle They first appear as a series of dots on astronomical plates, heading from Saturn directly toward Earth. Since the ringed planet carries no life, scientists deduce the mysterious ship to be a visitor from another star. The world's frantic efforts to signal the aliens go unanswered. The first contact is hostile: the invaders blast a Soviet space station, seize the survivors, and then destroy every dam and installation on Earth with a hail of asteriods. Now the conquerors are descending on the American heartland, demanding servile surrender--or death for all humans.
	The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle In the year 3016, the Second Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to the faster-than-light Alderson Drive. No other intelligent beings have ever been encountered, not until a light sail probe enters a human system carrying a dead alien. The probe is traced to the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud, and an expedition is dispatched. In the Mote the humans find an ancient civilization--at least one million years old--that has always been bottled up in their cloistered solar system for lack of a star drive. The Moties are welcoming and kind, yet rather evasive about certain aspects of their society. It seems the Moties have a dark problem, one they've been unable to solve in over a million years. This is the first collaboration between Niven and Pournelle, two masters of hard science fiction, and it combines Pournelle's interest in the military and sociology with Niven's talent for creating interesting, believable aliens. The novel meticulously examines every aspect of First Contact, from the Moties' biology, society, and art, to the effects of the meeting on humanity's economics, politics, and religions. And all the while suspense builds as we watch the humans struggle toward the truth.
	Soldiers by John Dalmas SOLDIERS is not, as one might think, a military science fiction book, although there's a lot of that in the story, with enough action and plot twists to keep one turning the pages. The most interesting and important part of the story is the cast. One develops a real affection for many of the characters, and the wrap-up lets the reader find out what happened to them after the main story is concluded. It's rather like being able to stay in touch with old friends. I do think that the book was poorly served by its cover, which gives no hint of the quality of the writing. I observed that this might be Dalmas' best book yet because as a writer he continues to grow.
	The Lizard War by John Dalmas One thousand years after World War III, Earth is pinned beneath the power of lizard-like aliens. The Lizard War is the story of one band of dedicated warriors who transform their understanding of the martial and spiritual arts--an understanding far greater than our own--into a weapon potent enough to match lasers and paralysis beams! Original.
	The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham The night the sky broke out in mysterious green flashes, all but a few people on Earth were blinded. The world went mad. Ordinary folk became animals, turning on one another in terror and desperation. Bill Masen was one of a handful who struggled to preserve a shred of civilization amidst the chaos. But chaos soon became the least of mankind's problems. Walking plants were appearing -- plants that fed on the bodies of their human prey. The triffids had arrived, and it was up to Bill Masen to stop them!
	Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard A towering masterwork of science fiction adventure and one of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time. L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" opens with breathtaking scope on an Earth dominated for 1,000 years by an alien invader--and man is an endangered species. From the handful of surviving humans a courageous leader emerges--Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, who challenges the invincible might of the alien Psychlo empire in a battle of epic scale, danger and intrigue with the fate of the Earth and of the universe in the tenouos balance.
	Starfarers by Poul Anderson An observatory on the far side of the moon detects strange energy emissions from deep space, which leads to the discovery of space-faring aliens and a drive engine that will power human ships at near light speed. A ship is constructed, and a crew of 10 is chosen to make the trip to try to contact the aliens, even though the ship won't be able to return to Earth for thousands of years. As the explorers reach out to the far side of the galaxy, interacting with three radically different alien races, Earth undergoes a series of radical changes. When and if the crew returns, it is a gamble that they will come back to a recognizable home planet. Master storyteller Anderson uses this backdrop to explore how individuals, cultures, and civilizations react to paradigm shifts and the resulting cycles of expansion and equilibrium. He posits that humanity's desire to explore could ultimately be destructive, but it is integral to our nature. Recommended.
	Starhip Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein Written less than 15 years after the end of World War II, when anti-Communist paranoia was reaching fever-pitch in the United States, this book is very much a product of its time. Originally planned for a juvenile audience, Starship Troopers has become a classic of hard science fiction, albeit a controversial one. Heinlein creates a future society where citizenship must be earned through civil service, and although there are a number of exciting scenes of battle, much of the book is taken up with an exploration of the philosophical ramifications of such a society. The book discusses the necessity of warfare to moral development and the importance of beating children in order to make them into good citizens. Heinlein's political theory is quite unpalatable and occasionally irresponsible. However, the book is frequently exciting, and the details of the society are fascinating. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking book, but it should not be used as a political manifesto. The most interesting feature of Starship Troopers is its fascinating glimpse into America's struggle for a postwar identity, told as a heroic tale of interstellar conflict.
	The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg Seven years from now, huge alien spaceships appear all over the Earth; in California, a ship's exhaust carelessly causes vast brushfires that pilot Mike Carmichael dies trying to extinguish. Mike's weird New Age wife, Cindy, goes aboard the alien vessel, relays a message of peace and friendship, and refuses to leave. All other attempts to communicate with the aliens fail. Meanwhile, Mike's brother, retired Colonel Anson Carmichael III, is summoned to the Pentagon to discuss the situation. The aliens come in three varieties: the dominant squid-like Entities; the balloon-like Spooks; and the huge blue Behemoths. Clearly, the aliens are highly advanced and cant be defeated, but what do they want? The Colonel returns to his California ranch none the wiser, but soon the aliens switch off the world's electricity, and governments, economies, and social orders collapse overnight. The Colonel gathers the Carmichael clan at his ranch and founds a center of resistance to the aliens, who can control anyone by means of the Touch (a telepathic inquisition) and the Push (an irresistible compulsion). Attempts to damage the aliens or their installations are met with devastating plagues and other brutal reprisals. The years pass. Some humans, like computer whiz Karl-Heinrich Borgmann, collaborate with the aliens. The Carmichaels continue to scheme and plotineffectually, but they never give up through more than half a century of aloof occupation.
	Eagle Against the Stars by Steve White Eagle Against the Stars is standard space opera. Which means that you shouldn't read it to try to find trenchant commentary about important social issues or intellectual musings about the nature of man and society. What you should expect is solid writing, an interesting, fast-paced story line, and a modicum of tension. Oh, yeah, and expect the good guys (us) to beat the bad guys (aliens). Steve White is a fine writer, and his books are generally entertaining, and fun to read. In this book, White has penned an engaging and entertaining bit of sci-fi, that accomplishes exactly what it's designed to do, which is to entertain you with a fast-paced adventure story.
	The Artifact by W. Michael Gear In a galaxy on the brink of civil war, the Brotherhood seeks to keep the peace through diplomacy, subterfuge, and control of both technological advances and the carefully gathered knowledge of countless worlds. But now Speaker Archon, formerly a privateer and currently head of the world of Star's Rest, has brought news of a discovery which may prove a great boon to humankind, or a catalyst for its destruction.

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