On January 20, 1921, Czech Writer, Karel Čapek coined the term “robot.” Čapek is known for his philosophical stories and plays, which address themes of technology, authoritarian governments, and the struggles for human freedom. Čapek’s robots were no exception; the word itself means "forced labor” or “worker” in Czech.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the term, "robot," our librarians have compiled some recommended Science-Fiction readings from their respective areas. Click on the book title to learn more about the book, as well as to learn how to access it.
African Studies: After the Flare by Deji Bryce Olukotun In the dystopian wake of a catastrophic solar flare that has crippled communication and electrical grids worldwide, the geo-political world order is reversed, and what remains of life on Earth is in imminent danger from swarms of disabled satellites hurtling out of control through space. Former NASA engineer Kwesi Bracket and a diverse team of experts at the Nigerian Space Program – the only aeronautic setup still functioning – must ward off myriad threats from biotechnological weapons, cyberhacks and terrorists while simultaneously launching a desperate rescue mission into space. Winner of the 2018 Philip K. Dick Award Special Citation.
African Studies: Moxyland by Lauren Beukes Set in a futuristic Cape Town, South Africa, Moxyland centers on four protagonist narrators, each navigating the ubiquitous presence of an authoritarian government and its intrusive and persistent media apparatus. Blurred lines between tactile experience and augmented reality foster internal conflicts in these characters, but also extraordinary self-preservation instincts and determination when the characters' paths collide. Moxyland was a nominee for the South African Sunday Times Fiction Prize.
African Studies: Lagoon by Nnedi Oxkorafor 17 million human lives hang in the balance in this first-encounter thriller. “Aliens have landed in the waters outside the world’s fifth most populous city [and] chaos ensues. But what will happen to the residents?! Lagoon was a David Gemmell Legend Award nominee, a finalist for the Tiptree Award, and “Best Novel” finalist for A British Science Fiction Association Award, Red Tentacle Award, and SFX Award.
Caribbean Studies: Se alquila un planeta (A Planet for Rent) by Yoss A Planet for Rent, draws parallels between Cuba under Castro in the 1990s and an alternative Earth in the near future that is wracked by economic and environmental problems, then remade into a tourist destination by alien colonizers.
Jewish and Israel Studies: The Golem of Prague: a new adaption of the documented stories of the Golem of Prague by Gershon Winkler The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th century rabbi of Prague who reportedly "created a golem out of clay and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations to defend the Prague ghetto from anti-Semitic attacks and pogroms.
Latin American Studies: Trafalgar by Angélica Gorodischer A charming collection of stories told by an interstellar traveling salesman to his friends during his occasional visits to a cafe in Rosario, Argentina, that blends science fiction with magical realism.
Pacific Islander Studies: Ngā Waituhi o Rēhua (The Chronicles of Rehua) by Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira ---------This multi-award-winning novel follows the exploits of four teens living on Rehua, a planet settled by humans after Earth’s destruction. Written in Māori by a well-known educator and Māori language proponent, the stories were originally published as individual titles (2006-2010) for the Ministry of Education.
Pacific Islander Studies: Polyfantastica by Solomon Enos & Meredith Desha This graphic novel imagines a 40,000-year-old para-Polynesian society in a parallel universe and includes elements of Hawaiian mythology and themes such as ancestry and identity. Story and art are by a Native Hawaiian artist, with words provided by the co-author. An earlier version was published as a serial comic in the Honolulu Advertiser in 2006-2007.
Slavic & Eastern European Studies: Solaris by Stanislaw Lem A classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanislaw Lem.
He gained international fame for The Cyberiad, a series of humorous short stories from a mechanical universe ruled by robots, first published in English in 1974. His best-known novels include Solaris (1961), His Master's Voice( Głos pana, 1968), and the late Fiasco (Fiasko, 1987), expressing most strongly his major theme of the futility of mankind's attempts to comprehend the truly alien. Solaris was made into a film in 1972 by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky and won a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972; in 2002, Steven Soderbergh directed a Hollywood remake starring George Clooney.
Slavic & Eastern European Studies: Andromeda, a space-age tale by Ivan Yefremov Efremov is often called the ‘Father of Soviet Science Fiction’. It was Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale with which he blasted onto the literary scene in 1957. Rumor has it that Darth Vader, one of the central characters in the Star Wars saga, was named after the Dar Veter character from Tumannost Andromedy. (Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale)
A professor of paleontology, Yefremov developed a new scientific field called taphonomy, for which he was awarded the top honor of the time, the Stalin Prize. But in his novels, the people of the future don’t mention the official Soviet ideology, reading books by David Lindsay instead.
Southeast Asian Studies: The Sea Is Ours: Tales from Steampunk Southeast Asia by Jaymee Goh & Joyce ChngAn anthology of steampunk short stories set in Southeast Asia (SEA) or SEA-inspired settings and written by authors from Southeast Asia or of Southeast Asian heritage. The tales combine technology with various aspects of Southeast Asian history, geography, and folklore.
Southeast Asian Studies: Diaspora Ad Astra: An Anthology of Science Fiction from the Philippines by Emil M. Flores & Joseph Frederic F. Nacino A collection of stories that imagines various possible futures for Filipinos, including their place in the world.
Western European Studies: Le cosmicomiche (Cosmicomics) by Italo Calvino These twelve stories, most of which are narrated by a mysterious entity known as Qfwfq, depict unusual perspectives on the evolution of the universe—such as that of the last living dinosaur or beings who could travel by sailboat to the moon.
Western European Studies: Moi qui n'ai pas connu les hommes (I Who Have Never Known Men) by Jacqueline Harpman In this disturbing dystopian novel, forty women are kept in an underground prison and guarded by uniformed men without knowing why. The youngest among them, who has no memories of the outside world, tries to make sense of her captivity.