13 Space Horror Novels

Space: Where no one can hear you scream…because sound is just vibrating air, space has no air to vibrate, and therefore there can be no sound.

We have 13 science fiction horror novels set in space. Some feature extraterrestrials like SALVAGED and PITCH DARK. Others like HULL ZERO THREE and SALVATION DAY deal with threats created by members of humanity. ALL of them will make your spine tingle.

ALIEN; ALIENS; AND ALIEN 3: THE OFFICIAL MOVIE NOVELIZATION by Alan Dean Foster (DB 104030, BR 04215)
ALIEN COVENANT by Alan Dean Foster (DB 115465)
DEAD SILENCE by S. A. Barnes (DB 107261)
DEATH TROOPERS by Joe Schreiber (DB 70317, BR 18837)
HULL ZERO THREE by Greg Bear (DB 72718)
LAST ASTRONAUT by David Wellington (DB 96204)
PITCH DARK by Courtney Alameda (DB 90442)
SALVAGED by Madeleine Roux (DB 97865)
SALVATION DAY by Kali Wallace (DB 96354)
SCOURGE BETWEEN STARS by Ness Brown (DB 114290, BR 24888)
SHIP OF FOOLS by Richard Paul Russo (DB 51885)
SIX WAKES by Mur Lafferty (DB 87293, BR 21864)
SOLARIS by Stanislaw Lem (DB 82495, BR 21113)

Weird Westerns

What happens when eerie things occur in the west? You get weird Westerns. Here at the Texas Talking Book Program we have creepy cowboys, ghoulish gunslingers, and paranormal pardners of all kinds. So, consider spending some time on the frontier where fantasy meets the wild weird West.

BLOOD RIDERS by Michael P. Spradlin (DB 76040)
BUNTLINE SPECIAL: A WEIRD WEST TALE by Michael D. Resnick (DB 92468)
DEAD MAN’S HAND: AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE WEIRD WEST (DB 79467)
FLAMING ZEPPELINS: THE ADVENTURES OF NED THE SEAL by Joe R. Lansdale (DBC 04855)
GUNSLINGER: THE DARK TOWER, VOLUME 1 by Stephen King (DB 62356)
HAUNTED MESA by Louis L’Amour (DB 26016)
HERMANO by Carmen Baca (DBC 10279) en español
IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN: A NOVEL by Andy Davidson (DB 90852; LB 09283)
MAN IN THE BLACK HAT by Melissa Bowersock (DBC 12879)
OF GRAVE CONCERN: AN OPHELIA WYLDE PARANORMAL MYSTERY by Max McCoy (DC 06565)
PORTLANDTOWN: A TALE OF THE OREGON WYLDES by Rob Deborde (DB 75792)
RAZORED SADDLES (DBC 14471)
SILVER ON THE ROAD: A DEVIL’S WEST NOVEL by Laura Anne Gilman (DB 83792)
SIX-GUN TAROT: A GOLGOTHA NOVEL by R. S. Belcher (DB 76240)
THOUSAND CRIMES OF MING TSU by Tom Lin (DB 104311)
UNBURY CAROL by Josh Malerman (DB 90710)
VERMILION: THE ADVENTURES OF LOU MERRIWETHER, PSYCHOPOMP by Molly Tanzer (DB 84396)

Bibliography of American Scientists

Did you know that the recent Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer was based on a book? Well, it was! It was based on AMERICAN PROMETHEUS by Kai Bird. It even won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2006. This made us wonder, what other great biographies and autobiographies on great American scientists do we have in the TBP collection? So we decided to search the catalog. We even found the autobiography of a scientist who is blind! Here are some of the titles we discovered:

AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER by Kai Bird (DB 61087)
ARBORNAUT: A LIFE DISCOVERING THE EIGHTH CONTINENT IN THE TREES ABOVE US by Margaret Lowman (DB 104556, LB 13833)
ATOMIC WOMEN: THE UNTOLD STORIES OF THE SCIENTISTS WHO HELPED CREATE THE NUCLEAR BOMB by Roseanne Montillo (DB 105401)
AVOID BORING PEOPLE: LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN SCIENCE by James Watson (DB 66912)
FROM IMMIGRANT TO INVENTOR: AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE SERBIAN-AMERICAN PHYSICIST, CHEMIST AND PIONEER OF ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION AND THE LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE LINE by Michael Pupin (DB 98555)
GIRL DECODED: A SCIENTIST’S QUEST TO RECLAIM OUR HUMANITY BY BRINGING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO TECHNOLOGY by Rana El Kaliouby (DB 99895)
HIDDEN FROM HISTORY: THE LIVES OF EIGHT AMERICAN WOMEN SCIENTISTS by Kim K. Zach (DB 58587)
LAB GIRL by Hope Jahren (DB 84436; LB 08952)
POISON SQUAD: ONE CHEMIST’S SINGLE-MINDED CRUSADE FOR FOOD SAFETY AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by Deborah Blum (DB 92502)
PRIVILEGED HANDS: A SCIENTIFIC LIFE by Geerat J. Vermeij (DB 42911, BR 10669)
PROVING GROUND: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE SIX WOMEN WHO PROGRAMED THE WORLD’S FIRST MODERN COMPUTER by Kathy Kleiman (DB 115112)
RISE OF THE ROCKET GIRLS: THE WOMEN WHO PROPELLED US, FROM MISSILES TO THE MOON TO MARS by Nathalia Holt (DB 84440; LB 08653)

Juvenile Nonfiction

ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT: A STORY ABOUT ELLEN SWALLOW RICHARDS by Ethlie Ann Vare (DB 36589)
Grades 2-4.

Explore Music and the Literature That Inspired It in the TBP Collections

By Becky

There are so many books that have inspired musicians. Alice in Wonderland alone inspired everyone from Jefferson Airplane to Tom Petty, Lady Gaga, the Beatles, and others. Check out ALICE IN WONDERLAND; and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll (DB 50842; BR 12746) from the Talking Book Program collections.

Tolkien’s Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion have inspired hundreds of songs, such as Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.” FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: BEING THE FIRST PART OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J. R. R. Tolkien (DB 47486; BR 09745; LB 04282) and SILMARILLION by J. R. R. Tolkien (DB 60367; BR 11510).

And there are many songs that reference The Master and Margarita. Probably the best known is Rolling Stones: “Sympathy for the Devil.” THE MASTER AND MARGARITA by Mikhail Bulgakov (DB 37107; BR 19148).

Andrew Hozier-Byrne (who performs as Hozier) has a new album coming out in August, inspired by his experience during the pandemic. Several interviews mention that Hozier began to reference epic poetry during lockdown.  Some of Hozier’s new songs are based on Dante’s Inferno and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. We have both in our collection: METAMORPHOSES by Ovid (DB 114243; BR 07318); and INFERNO by Dante Alighieri (DB 76353, BR 19903).Hozier wrote another one of the new songs after hearing Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy talk about feminism; it’s called “Swan Upon Leda,” another call-back to myth. In our collection: ONE HUNDRED ESSENTIAL MODERN POEMS (contains “Leda and the Swan”) (DB 65015).

What are some other literary works that have inspired music? We’ve found quite a few.

Kate Bush has been introduced to a new generation of fans because of her song “Running Up the Hill” being used in a streaming show. She also wrote a song called “Wuthering Heights,” based upon the 19th century English novel. WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte (DB 25178; BR 22475; LB 04699).

Basing a song on Fyodor Dostoevsky seems especially impressive—even a novella. There’s a song called “From Under the Floorboards” by the band Magazine. It is based on Dostoevsky’s Notes From Underground–the friend who told me about it says it gets bonus points for condensing the whole spirit of the novella into four minutes! NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (DB 37598).

Of course, I can’t talk about music based on literature without including U2, my favorite band. From their very first album, they were referencing books and poems in the lyrics—”Shadows and Tall Trees” comes from William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES (DB 48388, BR 09480, BR 22324), and in “The Ocean,” they refer to Oscar Wilde. BEST OF OSCAR WILDE: SELECTED PLAYS AND LITERARY CRITICISM by Oscar Wilde (DB 62711; BR 16500). Bono used the Bible as inspiration for many of his songs: for example, taking the 40thPsalm as lyrics for the song “40.” A good half of U2’s song lyrics have biblical allusions.

“Exit,” on their album The Joshua Tree, was inspired by Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song; it is probably their darkest song. THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG by Norman Mailer (DB 13985). Bono also wrote a song with Salman Rushdie. “The Ground Beneath Her Feet” was not just influenced by but directly taken from his novel; he sent a copy to Bono and asked him to set some of the words to music. GROUND BENEATH HER FEET by Salman Rushdie (DB 48279).And their latest two albums got their titles from William Blake’s poetry collections. SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE (BT 03983). For audio: SELECTED POEMS by William Blake (DB 20845).

I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of books that have inspired music, so if you’ve been yelling a title while reading this, put it in a comment below.


Summer Vacations Bibliography

Vacation, all we ever wanted. Vacation, time to get away. But sometimes we can’t get away for a vacation. Yet you can always escape by reading. Here is a list of books where the characters go on vacation. They span all genres: romance, horror, historical fiction, fantasy.

Fantasy

DEATH’S EXCELLENT VACATION edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner (DB 71580)
SHARKS IN THE TIME OF SAVIORS by Kawai Strong Washburn (DB 9895)

Historical Fiction

FRENCH BRAID by Anne Tyler (DB 107336)
FRENCH FOR MURDER by Verity Bright (DB 111302)
LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian (DB 107943)

Horror Fiction

CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Paul Tremblay (DB 92126)
GETAWAY by Lamar Giles (DB 111267)
NEVERLAND by Douglas Clegg (DB 72089)
THIRTEEN DAYS BY SUNSET BEACH by Ramsey Campbell (DB 94701)

Romance

HOW TO KEEP A SECRET by Sarah Morgan (DB 93429)
MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU by Samantha Young (DB 102516)
PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry (DB 103191)
UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren (DB 95304)

Thrillers

GIRL OVERBOARD by Sandra Block (DB 108649)
HOUSE ON FRIPP ISLAND by Rebecca Kauffman (DB 105164)
ISLAND by Adrian McKinty (DB 108002)
RECKLESS GIRLS by Rachel Hawkins (DB 106455)
TAKE ME HIGHER by Pamela Clare (DB 109192)
VACATION by T. M. Logan (DB 100556)

Science Fiction

TROUBLE ON PARADISE by Doug Tisdale, Jr. (DB 105971)

Women’s Fiction

ENCHANTED AUGUST by Brenda Bowen (DB 81867)
SUMMER RENTAL by Mary Kay Andrews (DB 74258)

Staff Pick – WHITE NOISE by Don DeLillo, DB 23512


The recent adaptation of WHITE NOISE to the small screen via Netflix has brought renewed interested in this 1985 National Book Award-winning novel. Stylistically complex, Don DeLillo expertly lampoons modern American late 20th century life in this offbeat comedic masterpiece. Talking Book Collection DB 23512.

NLS Annotation This black comedy zeroes in on the absurdities of life and the fear of death in contemporary America. Jack Gladney, professor at a small Midwestern college, created the discipline of “Hitler studies” even though he knows no German. He lives happily with his wife, Babette, and their children from former marriages. Both share a pervasive dread of death that is justified when a cloud of lethal fumes threatens to engulf their quiet college town. Some strong language. National Book Award for Fiction.1985.

If you enjoy satire of American life and the human condition, you might also like Jonathan Franzen’s book FREEDOM (DB 71329).

Staff Pick – Laura Jean– BLACK RIVER by S. M. Hulse: BR 20669, DB 80695

Do you enjoy psychological fiction with flawed but sympathetic characters set amidst the backdrop of the modern West? You might enjoy BLACK RIVER, by S. M. Hulse. Leisurely paced with a strong sense of place, Black River won the 2015 Reading the West Book Award and was nominated for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize in 2015.

NLS Annotation: Wes Carver has not returned to Black River since he was held hostage in a prison riot while serving as a corrections officer. Now his former captor, Bobby Williams, is up for release, and Wes must consider what he believes and whether he can let Williams walk away. Some violence and some strong language. 2014.

If you have already read this book, or simply enjoy modern westerns told in a lyrical style that delve into the thoughts of the characters, you might also enjoy The Plainsong series by Kent Haruf.

Staff Pick – Laura Jean– AGAINST THE TIDE by Elizabeth Camden, DB 77493

Do you enjoy Christian Historical fiction with a romantic twist? You might enjoy AGAINST THE TIDE by Elizabeth Camden. Winner of both the RITA Award for romantic fiction and the Christy Award for Christian fiction, this suspenseful and atmospheric novel follows immigrant and translator, Lydia as she struggles with her beliefs and the persistent problems caused by her tumultuous childhood. She also wrestles with her growing attraction to Lieutenant Banebridge, “Bane”, a man with a difficult past of his own.

againstthetide

NLS Annotation: Boston, 1891. Lydia Pallas works as a translator for the Navy Yard. When Lieutenant Alexander Banebridge requires Lydia’s skills for a case, she becomes his assistant. As Lydia is drawn deeper into Bane’s mission to end the opium trade, a relationship develops between them. RITA Award, Christy Award. 2012.

Set in Boston during the last decade of the 19th century, Ms. Camden describes the role that the legal opium trade played at this time in the United States. It was a fascinating backdrop against which to set Lydia and Bane’s story.

If you already read this book or simply enjoy gentle historical romances with an independent female lead in an urban setting, you might try the RITA Award winner for 2016, TIFFANY GIRL by Deeanne Gist, DB 83138.

Staff Pick – Laura Jean– BEST TO LAUGH: A NOVEL by Lorna Landvik, DBC 02662

If you like books that have a nostalgic and upbeat tone, similar to FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLESTOP CAFÉ by Fannie Flagg, you may really enjoy BEST TO LAUGH by Lorna Landik.

You can get a sense of Ms. Landvik’s sense of humor and writing style from the Bio and FAQ section on her webpage. She explains how she gets ideas for her books with the following quote: “I buy them from the Idea Man; two for a dollar. Early in my career, he tried to sell me an idea about a girl with a dragon tattoo, but I bought the idea for The Tall Pine Polka instead. When he’s out on the road, selling stuff I declined to J. K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins, I scavenge around and find ideas in roadside cafes, in a whiff of pipe smoke or ripe peaches, in an autumn vista, in a song fading out on the car radio, in the stillness of my monkey mind.”

Ms. Landvik brings this same wit and whimsy to the protagonist in BEST TO LAUGH, Candy, who with the help of an ensemble of zany friends and her personal “life saber”, embraces her new life in 1970s Hollywood.

 

NLS Annotation As a child, Candy Pekkala seemed to get unhappy experiences in Minnesota, so when a cousin called with a Hollywood apartment, Candy jumped at it. Her new fellow tenants include a female bodybuilder, a ruined nightclub impresario, and a well-connected old Romanian fortune-teller. Candy figured if she always lived by her wits here, she would have a chance to live with them. There are game show appearances, temp jobs and the allure of stand-up comedy. For high school and adult readers.

If you enjoyed this book or generally like humorous books with a host of quirky characters, you might try BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani, DB 52742.

Staff Pick – Laura Jean– BOY KINGS OF TEXAS: A MEMOIR by Domingo Martinez, DT 07183

New York Times Best Seller and 2012 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, BOY KINGS OF TEXAS is a memoir about growing up in the rural area around Brownsville, Texas during the 1980s. Written in an engaging and gritty, yet at times lyrical style, Mr. Martinez is unflinchingly and brutally honest about the poverty and abuse he endured during his childhood. However, he is able to see what causes his family’s behavior as well as his own. It results in a fascinating view into the lives of a Mexican American family.

NLS Annotation: Brownsville, Texas. Domingo Martinez lays bare his interior and exterior worlds as he struggles to make sense of the violent and the ugly, along with the beautiful and the loving. Partly a reflection on the culture of machismo and partly an exploration of the author’s boyhood spent in his sister’s hand-me-down clothes, this book delves into the enduring and complex bond between Martinez and his deeply flawed, but fiercely protective older brother. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2012.

If you enjoy this book there is a sequel, MY HEART IS A DRUNKEN COMPASS: A MEMOIR (DB 80854)