Author: Ben Bova
Title: New Earth
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: 2013
Number of Pages: 384
Geographical Setting: Beijing, Mars, Moon, U.S. New Earth
Time Period: Sometime in the future
Series: Grand tour of the Solar System, 20.
Plot Summary: A group of 12 scientists left their loved ones on earth to travel to a earth like planet, Sirius C. They were placed in cryonic suspension because the trip takes 80 earth years. They aged 12 years when they got to Sirius C and woke up from their sleep. They went exploring and found there were humans on this planet just like them. They even spoke English. Their technology was much advanced compared to that from earth. Jordan Kell, the leader, fell in love with one of the aliens. His brother, Brandon took over because the others didn't trust Jordan because they thought he was sleeping with the enemy. The rest of the scientists had lots of questions and most were fearful. Their questions are answered in the book. It is great read.
Subject headings: Aliens, life on other planets, space colonies, space exploration, and space flight.
Appeal:
Storyline: Action-packed, plot-driven.
Pace: Fast-paced.
Tone: Dramatic, Suspenseful.
Fiction Read-a-likes by Novelist
A group of explorers escape a nightmarish planet and enters a new universe, where they have a secret that can change everything.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley
Mars entices people from earth, so 100 scientists leave earth to colonize Mars and this is their story.
Non-fiction read-a-likes by Novelist
The making of Middle-Earth: a new look inside the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
by Christopher A. Snyder. This book looks at source material for Middle-Earth, which is another Science Fiction work.
The life and death of planet Earth: how the new science of astrobiology charts the ultimate fate of our world, by Peter Douglas Ward. This book talks about the ending of the earth, which is what New Earth talked about.
The skull in the rock: how a scientist, a boy, and Google Earth opened a new window on human origins, by Marc Aronson. This book talks about evolution, which is also talked about in New Earth as the scientists explore the New Earth.
I love how you included both fiction and nonfiction readalikes in your post. In science fiction readers, there's a ready opportunity for genre crossover into nonfiction, and quite a few science fiction readers will be open to reading interesting nonfiction. However, just as many science fiction readers won't even consider reading outside of the genre (I meet both types at the bookstore all the time). Including both caters to both types of readers - well done!
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