All Questions
107
questions
15
votes
1
answer
433
views
Science fiction book about a world where bioengineered animals are used for common functions
A novel/book from the 90's. Society used genetically modified animals to perform basic tasks. For example, birds were genetically modified to be large enough to carry passengers like our passenger ...
- 153
3
votes
0
answers
157
views
Trying to identify book I read as a child. With hindsight, possibly politically incorrect
I am trying to find the name of a book I read as a child and thought people here might know. I asked this question here before some years ago, but some more details have occurred to me so I thought I ...
- 109
4
votes
1
answer
146
views
Elf Left In the Humans' World, Came Back To A Magical Farm
I believe there were four or five books in the series, maybe more or less. I remember the protagonist being female. I read this approximately three years ago, and I think it was relatively new then, ...
- 91
5
votes
0
answers
81
views
Book about a girl escaping beyond her kingdom walls
I don't remember much since it was so long ago but there was this girl who lived in a kingdom surrounded by walls. Beyond those walls laid a deserted land of sand which had no life. She escapes and ...
- 51
6
votes
2
answers
188
views
Help identifying a novel about repeated doomed expeditions to a deadly alien structure [duplicate]
Years ago, there was a sci-fi novel that I read about a series of ill-fated expeditions to explore an alien structure in space. It popped into my head for some reason, and it's been driving me crazy ...
- 63
5
votes
1
answer
175
views
Book trilogy about teenagers with superpowers in an industrialization like era
I'm trying to figure out the name of a trilogy of books I read 7 to 10 years ago. I read the books in German and don't know if they where translations or what language they were originally written in. ...
- 111
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Science fiction novel featuring a hillbilly roadside mechanic
I'm looking for an old sci-fi book. It features a hillbilly roadside mechanic who turns out to be some kind of super genius with mechanical things, but has poor money and social skills. He fixes the ...
- 689
6
votes
1
answer
559
views
Help finding the name of a book about/containing a self harming angel?
I come here one more time to help my friend again, she's trying to remember a book she read around 8 years ago.
What she remembers is that it depicted an angel covered in scars, each scar she ...
- 103
4
votes
0
answers
116
views
looking for a 90's fantasy I read it in trade paperback woman falls in love with leader of rebellion (who is actually a prince)
-it was a Fantasy book trade size paperback, I remember it being a light-colored cover, like pink, peach, or light yellow or light green. It had a symbol on the front like a labyrinth I think).
Plot ...
- 81
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
YA novel about a girl in dystopian society who gets surgically altered to be a double for a dead girl
The series is set in a dystopian society where everyone takes a test at 17-ish to determine their “number” which determines their place in society. I think 7 or 8 is the highest but only the founding ...
- 129
2
votes
1
answer
345
views
Book with a unicorn stampede on the cover
I found this book on a shopping website. I know which shop but the problem is that the shop isn't returning the book when I search via the site's search bar when I try to find it again.
The front ...
- 1,107
16
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Looking for the title of a novel about a divine/heavenly being turned into a dog
I read the book about 19yrs ago (2003/2004). I think it was published by Orion books as I seem to remember a dog-looking-at-stars logo.
In it, a being is maybe banished from the heavens...either was ...
- 163
3
votes
2
answers
202
views
Old scifi book title about a woman learning psychic powers from aliens
I recall that the aliens all have telekinesis and use it to unlock their doors. The woman is learning to use that same power. I can't recall why the woman was on the alien planet, but it was ...
- 39
2
votes
0
answers
132
views
Help identifying a young adult book series from the 2000s (closer to 2010-2017) about vampires
I can't remember the title or characters so here we go.
Young adult book series (2000 closer to 2010-2017) with female protagonist in high school who turns into a vampire (missing several days of ...
- 51
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Story about two sisters and a winged lion
I read a book about 7-8 years ago about two sisters. I think it was (kind of) a young adult's book, but I really want to finish the series, so I'm asking for help finding the book I read. Okay, these ...
- 3,098
4
votes
0
answers
67
views
Trying to find book about monster that hides in dreams
I read a book as a child about these kids that find this guy at the zoo who talks about this mystical almost-extinct animal who was hidden inside a secret place which could only be accessed through ...
- 41
16
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is this book about an obsidian pyramid?
Ok I have a very hazy memory of reading a book with an obsidian pyramid. I think I probably read it in the 90's but it could have been in the early 2000's.
There was something evil about the ...
- 1,225
7
votes
1
answer
315
views
Book about those left behind in an over-populated earth that was considered dying and was abandoned
The story starts with a man living in modern civilization as we are about to embark and leave the dying world and there are more people on the planet than seats on the fleet leaving for the new home ...
3
votes
1
answer
356
views
late 90s, early 2000s high(?) fantasy YA trilogy
All I remember from this trilogy was that it was 3 books in 1 giant book, a little over a thousand pages long, and I read it around 2010. It was already somewhat old by then, so it's possible the ...
- 39
23
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Book about accidental robot civilization
I have a memory of a book or short story that I read years ago. It was about a group of human explorers who are investigating an uninhabitable planet. They find that a robotic colony ship had crashed, ...
- 434
14
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Book series about post alien invasion Earth being exploited
I'm reasonably sure this was a book series that I read in the 80s.
It's set on Earth post alien invasion, the planet is being mined heavily and humans now live a very basic existence.
Scenes I ...
- 143
0
votes
3
answers
197
views
Has Sherlock Holmes ever solved a case with Sci-Fi elements? [closed]
In the many novels and short stories that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have solved a variety of cases including supernatural elements to politics but has Sherlock Holmes ever ...
- 8,112
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Identifying the story where the girl doesn't know that she's actually a robot until the very end
The plot
It is an apocalyptic period, the world is overrun by robots, and the girl (female main protagonist, but I forgot her name) is struggling to survive. She has the help of a robot that helps ...
- 49
6
votes
1
answer
501
views
Revolt of Third World; South African gold mines nuked
In the 1980s (or perhaps, not likely, early 1990s) I read a book about a fictional future rise of the Third World. It wasn't well written and I don't remember much about it, but one detail was that ...
- 1,140
5
votes
1
answer
196
views
Late 90's novel about conflict around replicator machines
This book had a strange title, I think it was one of those made up all capital letters titles. Unfortunately I remember none of the plot! Only vaguely that the theme was around conflict about ...
- 51
6
votes
1
answer
181
views
Paperback about an Aboriginal Australian who travels through space via hand signs painted on rock walls
A young Australian Aborigine woman can travel through space via the hand signs painted on rock walls in the outback. A young Welsh [from Wales] woman is jealous of this power and tries to steal it. It ...
- 99
29
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Book Identification: Gas Giant with breathable atmosphere and burning core
I am trying to remember the name of a science fiction book I borrowed from a library in Ohio sometime between the years 2001–2009, though it was probably closer to the end of that period than the ...
- 331
8
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Short Story about Teenagers with Computer Chips Implanted in Their Brains
Maybe I’ve just totally imagined this, but I swear I once read a book or a short story about this group of teenagers who had computer chips implanted in their brains. I keep thinking about it and ...
- 83
4
votes
1
answer
370
views
1980s Science Fiction book with a manta-shaped ship, people who turn into animals and wind
I took out a book from the bookmobile in (1989?), and have never been able to track it down again. Memorable because it was one of the first adult sci-fi books I read, and I've been trying to track it ...
- 41
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
New trilogy about a battle between ancient inhabited spires or towers
About a year ago (i.e. in 2020) I read a book which was intended to be the first of a trilogy about a sneaky invasion by the inhabitants of one giant spire against another. The story is told from the ...
- 119
26
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Sci-Fi book about female pilot in the distant future who is a linguist and has to decipher an alien language/code
This book I read in college, I think it was published between the 1970s to 1990s.
It's about a female pilot (I think her first name began with an R) in the distant future who is famous and is also ...
- 259
16
votes
0
answers
534
views
Book about wooden sailing ships with FTL
I read this book in the 1990s; I'm trying to remember the name. It seems like a the start of a series I'd like to read the rest of now.
It's a space opera about humans traveling our galaxy with giant ...
- 161
4
votes
1
answer
149
views
Book series about a magician's apprentice whose master is assassinated and has to be trained by another master, who can't use magic? [duplicate]
I read this series in 1998 or something, so details are a little blurry. First book was about this apprentice summoning a demon, turned out to be his master's friend, but during the summoning, an ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
203
views
Cyberpunk. Protagonist was cured from Alzheimer's(?) and is learning how to live in "the Future". Flu is used to modify people's behavior
The protagonist finds himself in the future cured from Alzheimer's disease. He lost memories of several decades and now learns how to live in the future (somewhat 2030-2080).
Everyone uses wearable ...
- 609
2
votes
1
answer
169
views
Looking for a book about a man who could change his looks
Back in school I read one book that caught my eye. It was about a man who could change his looks, nothing like werewolves or shapeshifters; he was described as having scars all over his form and would ...
- 29
2
votes
2
answers
635
views
Book about dragons hiding in human society
looking for a book about dragons that could disguise themselves as humans.
I read this around 2012-2014. It was a YA thing iirc, the story started with an orphan (?) who was adopted by a guy trying to ...
- 21
10
votes
1
answer
288
views
Name of YA book involving hedge magic
I remember reading a young adult fiction book some time between 2000 and 2010, where one of the characters was some kind of witch who was hiding out somewhere. She couldn't do very strong magic but ...
- 103
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Looking for a novel about a mysterious sphere/cube shaped object
I read a story years ago that revolved around a mysterious ‘ship’ (it was a basic shape - I believe the name of the book was also around this shape) found in the universe. It had some species worried ...
- 221
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Fantasy novel: magic school, talking rabbit, character bites off another character's fingers
The plotline as a whole is completely lost to me, but it was a big inspiration to my preteen self at the time and has shaped my creative development up to now. I'll list some of the big points that I ...
- 121
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Sci-fi novel from 1980s(?) about colony on Mars
Plot Summary: I honestly don't remember much of it, but here it is... There are some humans who have colonized Mars. Some of them just want to live peacefully on the colony, while there are other ...
user112267
5
votes
0
answers
173
views
Fantasy Novel where the main character could summon shadows
This was a book I read several years ago. It was in the Sword & Sorcery genre, and the main character can summon shadows. He had a connection to the world of shadows and was the child of a human ...
- 51
6
votes
1
answer
302
views
Novel about undead skeletons killing people to create more skeletons
Can anybody help me identify this book? I think it was called Skeletons. It was about the dead rising and coming back as skeletons of themselves and killing the living to make more skeleton people. ...
- 129
5
votes
1
answer
257
views
Novel revolving around genetic engineering
About 20 years ago I read a book that revolved around a future where genetic engineering is so commonplace that people visit genetic engineering parlors much like they do tattoo shops IRL now. At ...
- 51
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
1980's sci fi book series, subspace is a sponge, young man in emergency suit can propel himself by sucking in the sponge stuff
I read a couple of sci fi books in the 1980's from UK library, they were from a series... I don't think I read them in the right order so I've a mish-mash of memories. From the context of romance and ...
- 27.8k
6
votes
1
answer
221
views
Young adult horror novel series where a brainwashed girl turned out to be 100 years old and controlled by some ball lightning creatures
I would have probably read this in the mid/late 1990s or very early 00s, but I'm trying to hunt down a novel I remembered earlier. I'm pretty sure it was part of a series. I was living in Ireland at ...
- 61
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
1970s (?) book where teacher flies in a balloon and crash-lands on mysterious island [duplicate]
Plot: The teacher finds an island with very sophisticated civilization. There is a volcano on the island which causes quakes every so often. I also do recall something about families being lettered by ...
user112267
5
votes
1
answer
77
views
What edition of Scalzi's The Human Division contains all the original artwork?
I am starting to read John Scalzi's novel "The Human Division". It appears to be made up of thirteen distinct chapters named "episodes".
In the acknowledgments, he praises the cover artist:
Cover ...
- 7,542
12
votes
1
answer
429
views
Sci-fi book (no magic, hyperspace jumps, blind protagonist) [duplicate]
I'm trying to recover a book from my childhood:
I believe I read it in 199x, maybe early 200x
No magic. Space sci-fi with hyperspace jumps between stars. The plot is all about jumps. Hyperspace jump ...
- 609
7
votes
1
answer
173
views
2010s(?) book with identical twins who have musical powers
Summary: There are two identical twins who are amazing with music. They are part of a circus and when playing, odd things happen to their audience which starts attracting the wrong attention and they ...
user112267
31
votes
1
answer
906
views
Novel: Woman lives her entire life, then finds out it was just practice
I read this book sometime between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. The story follows the life of a woman, which starts when she is a newborn in a kind of robotic creche that cares for her, teaches ...
- 14k