Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a classic of science fiction. What happens when Charlie Gordon, a man with an intellectual disability, receives experimental surgery that grants him extraordinary intelligence? And what happens if it doesn't last? Flowers for Algernon exists in two forms, the original short story and an expanded novel. We cover both versions, exploring what each version gains and loses. If you've never read Flowers before, get ready for a real gut punch of a story!

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Contact is the only science fiction novel by Pulitzer Prize winner and renowned science communicator Carl Sagan. Through Ellie Arroway, a radio astronomer who discovers a radio signal from an extraterrestrial intelligence, Sagan draws us into humanity’s effort to decipher a message that could change everything. How does Sagan's scientific background translate into science fiction? Join us and see!

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Redshirts by John Scalzi is Tom's pick this time around. Although we both agree that Scalzi has written better, this is a fun book, more than a parody, that tickles Tom's sense of nostalgia. What happens when the red shirts became self-aware of their role? Can they find a way to fight back? Scalzi explores this with a depth and meta-awareness that really transcends simple satire. Every die-hard Trekkie should read this book!
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Tony has repeatedly claimed that Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang is "the best collection of single-author shorts ever." We decided to put that claim to the test! Chiang has an amazing collection here, replete with Big Ideas, each of which gets explored in depth. All eight stories are remarkable, and neither of us could decide on a single favorite. Maybe you can help us choose?
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The Adolescence of P-1 by Thomas J. Ryan is Tom's pick. This was a hard book to find! It's a fantastic early look at the idea of a sentient AI, and the first ever written at a time when such a thing was plausible. Ryan effectively invents the idea of a computer virus years before the term was ever used, and his exploration of the costs and consequences of sharing our world with an emergent intelligence is insightful and thorough. Plus, if you learned computing on a mainframe computer, the nostalgia factor is through the roof!
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A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori is Tony's choice this time, and our first venture into manga. We read the first two volumes, and to say the artwork is breathtaking is an understatement. The story is delightful, the characters are charming, and the whole experience is something special. Join us as we journey into this remarkable tale.
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Reave the Just and Other Tales by Stephen R. Donaldson is Tom's pick. Donaldson has given us two collections of "short" stories so far, this being the 2nd. The book gathers 8 novellas, mostly fantasy, that showcase Donaldson's range and formidable worldbuilding. Not that either is in doubt! Join us as we explore the volume that won the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection in 2000.
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The Cardturner by Louis Sachar is Tony's pick this week and continues his recent theme of stories with unexpected turns. A first read for Tom, the story follows 17-year-old Alton Richards as he assists his blind uncle in competetive bridge tournaments. There's a lot of family intrigue, some incredibly exciting bridge play, and a surprising helping of the supernatural involved.
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The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert Heinlein is Tom's pick this week. A Heinlein that, perhaps, has not held up as well as we would have liked. Tom picked it because it’s about as close as Heinlein ever came to writing a sequel to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.
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I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells is Tony's pick, and a first read for Tom. What happens when John Cleaver, a troubled teen determined not to yield to his dark impulses, stumbles across a serial killer operating in his neighborhood? Let's just say that this one takes a pretty radical left turn partway through!
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