Shelfology Book Pairing

by Ernest Cline

THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF READY PLAYER ONE Itâe(tm)s just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedomâe"if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks heâe(tm)s going crazy. A minute later, heâe(tm)s sure of it. Because the UFO heâe(tm)s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armadaâe"in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. But what Zackâe(tm)s seeing is all too real. And his skillsâe"as well as those of millions of gamers across the worldâe"are going to be needed to save the earth from whatâe(tm)s about to befall it. Yet even as he and his new comrades scramble to prepare for the alien onslaught, Zack canâe(tm)t help thinking of all the science-fiction books, TV shows, and movies he grew up reading and watching, and wonder: Doesnâe(tm)t something about this scenario seem a little tooâe¦ familiar? Armada is at once a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien-invasion tale like nothing youâe(tm)ve ever read beforeâe"one whose every page is infused with author Ernest Clineâe(tm)s trademark pop-culture savvy.

A Novel

by Andy Weir

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Brilliant . . . a celebration of human ingenuity the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years . . . utterly compelling.”—The Wall Street Journal The inspiration for the major motion picture Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE “A hugely entertaining novel reads like a rocket ship afire . . . Weir has fashioned in Mark Watney one of the most appealing, funny, and resourceful characters in recent fiction.”—Chicago Tribune “As gripping as they come . . . You’ll be rooting for Watney the whole way, groaning at every setback and laughing at his pitchblack humor. Utterly nail-biting and memorable.”—Financial Times