We're deep into our presidential election cycle. The candidates are using the media to try and influence our votes. Will the 24th century prove to be any different? Not according to author L. E. Modesitt, Jr. in his book Flash. Ex-marine Jonat deVrai is hired by the Centre for Societal Research to study the effects of media in political campaigns. The story twists and turns with assassination attempts, political intrigue, and covert operations. You can learn more about the politics of the future in Modesitt's earlier novel Archform: Beauty. It is set on the some world as Flash.

Author Jerry Jenkins tells the story of Paul Stepola set in 36 P3, 36 years after World War III. He is an agent for the National Peacekeeping Organization. The organization's purpose is to root out and stop all religious activity. What happens when Paul sees the truth of what he is doing and how it fits into world events? The series begins with Soon: The Beginning of the End, followed by Silenced: The Wrath of God Descends and Shadowed: The Final Judgement.

How do you think the world will end?

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After years of “issues” and "negotiations", this weekend marks the return of Mulder and Scully in the second X-Files movie, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. It’s been six years since the TV show went off the air and ten years since the first X-Files movie, Fight the Future. The plot synopsis for the new movie is pretty hush-hush with co-writer and director Chris Carter keeping a lid on things so that the fun “doesn’t get spoiled.” He says he likens it to Christmas morning where you may have an idea, but you still don’t quite know just what you’re going to get. He does admit that, unlike the first film, this one is a stand-alone film and moviegoers will understand and enjoy it even if they’ve never seen an episode of The X-Files. If you’re in the mood for more of Mulder and Scully, check out the first two seasons of the show on DVD here at AADL. See you at the theater!

In the not to distant future, you may find yourself jacked into a computer using a Brain-computer interface. In The Century Next Door series, author John Barnes explores the concept in two of the books, Candle and The Sky So Big and Black. The stories come after the MeMe Wars, which take place in the first two books of the series.

What should one do on a rainy day? Can't mow the lawn or go to the beach. You could watch a movie or clean the bathroom. I suggest reading a book. This morning I picked-up a copy of Counting Heads by David Marusek. The story takes place on our lovely planet Earth in 2134. Life is wonderful. The Information Age has given way to the Boutique Age. Instead of items being mass produced, you have have your clothes, food, even medicines made for you right at home with nanotechnology. But, it all comes at a price...

The Campbell Award (and a list of previous winners) named In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan the Best Science Fiction Novel of 2007. The award was created to honor the late editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine (now called Analog). Many writers and scholars call Campbell, who edited the magazine from 1937 until his death in 1971, the father of modern science fiction.

You might remember back in January 2008, In War Times was picked as the best 2007 SF novel by the American Library Association's Reading List Council Genre Fiction Awards. For a list of the major literary award winners, check out our new service : BookLetters.

Iron Man is an action-packed take on the tale of wealthy philanthropist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who develops an invulnerable robotic suit to fight the throes of evil. In addition to being filthy rich, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is also a genius inventor. When Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a diabolical weapon, he instead uses his intelligence and ingenuity to construct an indestructible suit of armor and escape his captors. Once free, Stark discovers a deadly conspiracy that could destabilize the entire globe, and dons his powerful new suit on a mission to stop the villains and save the world. Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars as his secretary, Virginia "Pepper" Potts, while Terrence Howard fills the role of Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes, one of Stark's colleagues, whose military background leads him to help in the formation of the suit. Click on the link to watch the Iron Man Trailer and reserve your copy through our catalog.

Next month the latest retelling of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth will hit the big screens. Fortunately, you don't have to wait that long to experience this wonderful story. In fact, we own the 1959 release starring Pat Boone and James Mason. The movie is one of my all time favorites. You should also check out the book and for much younger readers, we have the Wishbone version. Enjoy!

Michigan native Scott Sigler's previous novels are "free, serialized podcasts that generated a large online following and saw over 4 million downloads".

His print debut Infected* will thrill and chill SF and horror fans with a mysterious disease that is turning ordinary Americans across the country into raving, screaming, homicidal maniacs.

CIA operative Dew Phillips and Center for Disease Control epidemiologist Margaret Montoya race in vain to capture a live victim. Meanwhile Perry Dawsey - a hulking former University of Michigan football star awakens one morning to find several mysterious itchy welts growing on his body. Soon Perry finds himself acting and thinking strangely, hearing voices ... he is infected.

With numerous references to Michigan and the UM, this is definitely a fast-paced and captivating read. Try the podcast just for fun and stop scratching!

* = Starred Review

As the galaxy is on the brink of war, seven travelers depart for the planet Hyperion. On Hyperion in the Valley of the Time Tombs exists the Shrike, a being from the future, able to fulfill their wishes. So begins Hyperion by Dan Simmons, a 1989 Hugo Award winner. It is the first story in the The Hyperion Cantos which includes The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion.