Skip to main content

Branch Manager Reviews: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

Valentine's Day is coming up and while we most often associate the holiday with Romantic love, we know that there are actually many other kinds of love. In How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, Charles Yu explores the love in families, especially love between a father and son. Charles (of Mirror Universe 31), has been barely living since his father time-traveled out of his life. Charles feels that he has disappointed his father, and while they had always had trouble communicating, Charles badly wants to reconnect.

The problem is that Charles isn't going anywhere. He's a time-machine technician and he's given up on his own life. He has no motivation. It isn't until Charles' future self appears and a panicked present-Charles shoots himself in the stomach that his life finally starts to move forward--even if it's into a time loop. The journey Charles takes pulls him backwards in time where he can watch him and his father working on time-machines together. Charles travels many places and through both past and present, but it's a puzzle to figure out what happened to short-circuit his relationship with his dad (and his mom) and where his dad is hiding out now.

The story never takes itself too seriously, even though the breakdown of a family is serious business. Charles is accompanied on his journey by Ed, a dog that doesn't exist, TAMMY, a computer program with self-esteem issues and a book that he apparently wrote in the future, or is writing now...
For sci-fi lovers, this book is heartily recommended in time for Valentine's Day. Read and reconnect with your family!

This book can be downloaded from the El Paso Public Library's eBook Library. Have your library card and PIN ready.

Happy Valentine's!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Today in Westside Library History: Quest to Save Little Library Triumphs

In 2008, the City of El Paso planned to remove the Westside Library. However, hundreds of people came out to support our library and it was saved. Read more here: El Paso Times July 23, 2008
Post a Comment
Read more

You missed it! Halloween fun!

 The Westside library was a spooky place this October! On October 20, the library celebrated Halloween with games, music and scary stories. Kids competed in a "bone bridge" building competition. The library also "raffled" off prizes. People could enter to win the prizes by checking out enough books to put in a raffle entry. Overall, the spookiness was fun for everyone. Hope to see you next October!
Post a Comment
Read more

Branch Manager Reviews: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gughen   March is Women's History Month and while the retelling of the Robin Hood legend in the story Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen isn't strictly history, it's loosely based on history. One of the major reasons I chose to write about this story is that the main character in this Robin Hood legend is a strong woman who makes her own choices in life--not letting anyone, including Robin Hood, tell her what to do. In this retelling of the legend, Will Scarlet, Robin Hood's friend, isn't a boy, but instead is a woman known to most around Sherwood as Scar or Will. Everyone  believes she is a male thief and that's what Scarlet wants them to believe. Only a few folks know most of the truth, including Robin, Little John, Much and Friar Tuck. Scarlet is a strong, moody character. She has plenty of secrets and a dark past. She's also torn about her disguise as a man: for example, the religious Scarlet won't go to church dressed as a man because...
Post a Comment
Read more