SF. In this first book set in the Voyagers universe for nearly 20 years, Hugo Award-winning author Ben Bova ties together background from his Grand Tour books and the original Voyagers trilogy. Astronaut Keith Stoner returns to Earth after a century exploring space, and the planet is nearly unrecognizable to him. Its population is exploding and its existence is threatened by disastrous flooding, ultra-conservative religious governments, scarce resources, and impending nuclear war. Determined to save the world that was once his home, Stoner must first escape the wrath of zealots who see his message from the stars as satanic.

Space Opera. In this "must-read for Star Wars fans" (Booklist), Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben, venture into the fearsome Maw Cluster in their quest to determine the reasons behind Jacen Solo's turn to the dark side. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Han and Leia fight to protect mentally stricken Jedi knights from being frozen in carbonite by the Galactic Alliance's Chief of State, Natasi Daala. Abyss is the 3rd action-packed volume in a new Star Wars series penned by various authors, following Christie Golden's Omen.

Military SF. General Michael O'Neal has been charged with war crimes and taken prisoner, and his entire unit is destroyed on the orders of the alien Darhel, with whom humans are supposedly allied against the Posleen. But a previously unknown alien race now threatens the multi-species Federation, and the treacherous Darhel have no choice but to reinstate O'Neal...who knows things that they fervently wish he didn't. Involving a fighting force that includes a revivified SS general and an artificial intelligence formerly subjugated to the Darhel, this strategically convoluted and intrigue-filled 11th volume in the Legacy of the Aldenata series will keep fans of high-tech space battles riveted.

Postapocalyptic SF. In Julian Comstock's "beautifully realized, unnerving future" (Publishers Weekly), 22nd-century America has returned to Victorian technology and ethos following the Efflorescence of Oil, the Fall of the Cities, and the Plague of Infertility. President Deklan Comstock rules the now 60 states of the Union in concert with the Church of the Dominion, but an upstart young war hero called Captain Commongold--who has a secret connection to the President--hopes to bring about their downfall and a return to the doctrines of the Secular Ancients. Alternate history buffs, steampunk fans, and military adventure readers will all be equally drawn to this captivating tale.

SF Short Stories. Adding to author Caitlín Kiernan's "reputation as the inheritor of Lovecraftian creepiness" (Library Journal), these eight tales of very strange futures explore the concept of alien-ness thoroughly and disquietingly. Ranging from the wastelands of Mars to the streets of a late 21st-Century Manhattan and from the moons of Europa and Saturn to an iceless Antarctica, Kiernan's settings are bleak, and her aliens include surgically metamorphosed humans, microscopic beings, and creatures that invade other worlds by possessing their inhabitants. Fans of horror, dark fantasy, and Gibson-esque cyberpunk will feel right at home.

SF/Horror. In this suspenseful story, mitochondria have evolved into intelligent beings who are plotting to take over the planet. A woman dies in a car accident, and her kidney is transplanted into the body of a young girl who then begins to suffer fierce nightmares and depression. Meanwhile, the deceased woman's husband, a doctor desperately in search of a way to rejuvenate her, finds something bizarre taking place in the liver cells he recovered from her body. Fans of Japanese horror novels like Suzuki Koji's The Ring will be drawn to this chilling tale that Fangoria magazine describes as a mix of Michael Crichton's work, Frankenstein, and the movie The Blob.

Horror/SF. What are those strange welts appearing on ex-football player Perry Dawsey's body? They're blue and triangular...and a sure sign that he's been infected! Perry is the latest victim of a new disease that causes ordinary people to turn into paranoid murderers who hear imaginary voices, but the smart, bioengineered parasite causing the epidemic may have bigger plans for Perry... Infected won the author (who had previously self-podcast his books) a publishing deal, and there's talk of a movie. Fans of techno-thrillers and biological horrors should be sure to catch this one.

New York City has become almost uninhabitable when continuous sunlight causes unbearable heat, rationing of water and electricity, and swarms of people leaving, looking for cooler weather further north.

Short Stories. Ranging from high fantasy and a variety of SF themes to abject horror, the 25 stories in this collection showcase Nebula- and World Fantasy Award-winning author Gene Wolfe's talent for "ironic twists of plot and characterization" (Publishers Weekly). Whether featuring an elderly vegetarian dinosaur, an odd dog that fetches very strange things, reality TV complete with live firearms, or a malevolent magician, these masterfully written tales will appeal not just to fans of the genres represented, but to anyone who appreciates subtle, spare fiction.

SF. This anthology from alt-history author Eric Flint collects tales set in a number of different universes--including that of Honor Harrington, of whom Flint has written previously (Crown of Slaves) in collaboration with her creator, David Weber. While Honor's many fans will surely want to read her story "From the Highlands" first, they're also likely to enjoy immersing themselves in Flint's many other well-crafted worlds, including the humorous Joe's World fantasy series; a story from the Rats, Bats and Vats series; and short novels from the Belisarius and Foreign Legions series.

Military SF. This 2nd of four volumes in the Dark Wing series features Commodore Jacqueline Lapierre, an officer comparable in talent and bravery to Weber's Honor Harrington. Formerly enemies, humans and the alien zor join forces to battle a new adversary responsible for the disappearance of entire fleets and the resulting madness of the few survivors who remain. Commodore Lapierre must undertake a zor quest in order to find the key to defeating the telepathic vulh (despite her skepticism about mystic abilities) in this grand space adventure.

Military SF. Recovering from the destruction of her ship in an unexplained accident, Lieutenant Jodenny Scott gets bored and takes a berth on the next ship out, the Aral Sea. Trouble is afoot on this ship full of misfits and malcontents, and its journey to the Alcheringa (an alien-constructed space warp that carries ships between worlds) is plagued with bizarre mishaps, mysterious gaps in inventory, disappearing robots...and a little romance. This fast-paced debut by a former officer in the U.S. Navy creatively incorporates elements of Australian Aboriginal culture.

Military SF. Kylara "Ky" Vatta, daughter of an interstellar transport magnate, dreams of being a military commander...but her dream is dashed when she is disgraced and booted out of the space academy on Slotter's Key. Returning home in shame, Ky is surprised when her father gives her command of a spaceship, albeit one that she's merely piloting to a scrap yard. Entrepreneurial by blood, Ky wangles a delivery deal that might afford her enough profit to purchase and overhaul the ship--that is, if she and her crew can survive the interplanetary war they stumble upon as well as a later attack by mercenaries. Stalwart, intelligent, and creative, Ky is a protagonist that Honor Harrington fans will admire.