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Leviathan Wakes is an excellent, fast-paced, well-thought-out version of a near-future, space-faring humanity. Full of actual science, realistic characters, and a believable human future, the novel contains some very intriguing ideas about space combat and possible alien life. I'd recommend this book to hard-core science fiction lovers along with just about

I grew up reading classic science fiction — science fiction that included science. Leviathan Wakes is in that same vein. Set the day after the day after tomorrow, when mankind has finally freed itself from the bonds of earth and has begun to colonize the solar system, James S. A. Corey offers a very believable future. He even includes inertia and gravity as the determinate forces in space flight. Leviathan Wakes is simultaneously action-packed and scientific. I'd recommend it to any science fiction fan, and I'd consider it a must-read for any space-loving science fiction

I love this game. I have been a gamer my entire life and I highly recommend Dominion. It has a good combination of things going for it: It's easy to play. Every time you play, it plays differently (thus preventing any "cheap" strategies). It has fairly straightforward but deep rules. It's fun with two players and more. It's competitive but not head-to-head (no seriously hurt feelings). It doesn't require a huge gaming table. It has several expansions that make the game more complex and more fun. It doesn't take 9.5 hours to complete a round.

I would recommend it to both serious gamers and casual

Even five books into the series A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin is still able to produce a complex and interesting tale. A Dance with Dragons offers what all his books do: an amazingly well-crafted story with interesting and believable characters set in a dark yet realistic fantasy world. One can't help but love even the most despicable characters. I can't say enough about Martin's works. This book was worth the five-year wait. I'd recommend it to anyone, as long as you've read the first four books, which you should (and watch the TV show, too)

I have to give it to Joss Whedon. He has rebooted the X-men, again, in a very enjoyable way. Undoubtedly a fan-boy himself, he has attempted to take the X-men seriously. Not to say that the story isn't as outlandish as any other X-Men — it just tries to make those outlandish things seem reasonable. The art in this series is interesting and very well done. Big ups to John Cassaday. I'd recommend these to any fan of comics or Joss

I will freely admit that I love dark fantasy, and this is dark fantasy. If you're looking for a series that isn't G-rated like so may fantasy stories are, this is it. The usual fantasy character types are present, but how they play their roles is very different. From the first magi who isn't a nice doddering old man, to the northern barbarian who is actually a barbarian, to the nobleman hero who acts like a self-centered nobleman, the characters actually act like real people. All the characters are as flawed as anyone. The story isn't what you would expect. The action is fast paced and realistic, and gives you a feeling that the author may have actually been in a fight or at the very least studied a martial path. The book is well written and gives the impression that deep thought went into the moral dilemmas faced by characters. I can't wait to read more by Joe Abercrombie. I would recommend The Blade Itself to any fantasy fan, especially those who like Steven Erikson or George R. R.

The Web of Life is a very succinct explanation for the interstices between chaotic math systems and Gaia theory. This book explains the concepts of autopoetic networks and the theories of AI without becoming mired in the incredibly dense math associated with them. It makes a compelling argument for the emergent idea that previously seeming chaos has an underlying and definable order. He argues that the Earth can be perceived not as a collection of systems but as one unified system. He likens our ecosystem to one organism, and likens its many systems to the organs of said organism. This book will make you think differently about everything, from the weather to how your computer works. Easily approachable for the layman, yet dense in its meaning and implication. I'd recommend this to anyone. It will challenge your outlook and perception of this

Snow Crash is one of my favorites. It's an epic cyber-punk tale that contains elements that are both fantastical and very realistic. The characters are richly imagined, even the villains. It is fast paced and well embellished, containing elements of Sumerian mythology and cryptology combined with very probable future tech and easily plausible events. As with all of Neal Stephenson's books, Snow Crash is dense, entertaining, and thought

I thoroughly enjoyed Dreadnought. It's fast paced, action packed, and filled with believable characters in unbelievable situations. Cherie Priest is a talented writer. She surprised me again and again with her ability to combine tragic humanity and science-fiction tropes, all in an alternate reality that is seamlessly constructed. With head-to-head train fights, giant walkers, six-shooters, and zombies, what's not to love? I'd recommend this book to everyone and

Revelation Space is very good "high sci-fi," written by an author who has a real background in physics and interesting ideas about how our science could progress, especially the possible evolution of cybernetics and post-humanism. The book posits a strange parallelism between digital entities and the use of nano technology. It's also engaging and keeps you guessing till the very end. I would recommend this to any sci-fi head, especially those who like hard