Science fiction legend, philosopher, professor, critic and eassayist Samuel R. Delany will read from his new book, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at the Central Library. Delany is known for his frank, unflinching and often disturbing exploration of topics such as religion, sexuality, philos0phy, love and technology. Here are a collection of his works at the Library that are a must-read for fans of science fiction and anyone who loves dense, cerebral work such as JG Ballard, Murakami or Phillip K. Dick.
Dhalgren
A gritty, hallucinatory and dense story about The Kid and his search for identity in a U.S. city that has turned into a nightmare mirror reflection of a modern urban landscape.
Tales of Nevèrÿon
A philosophical and economic exploration fantasy of a world just learning the barter system, and a man who is equally repulsed and aroused by slavery and how he will change this world forever.
Nova
Spaceship captain Lorq von Ray is hired to fly through a sun that has recently imploded, but his crew soon finds that their leader is more interested in a private revenge than profit. A great introduction to Delany that is a play on traditional pulp science fiction that is pulse-pounding and fun, but 100 percent Delany.
Trouble on Triton
An exploration of various worlds where humans have proliferated throughout the galaxy where sexuality, gender and personal liberty have evolved in interesting and unexpected ways. A character-driven story that is packed full of 10 novels worth of social science extrapolation.
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