SPACEGIVING 2024

Published in 1993, 'Parable of the Sower' is a dark and vivid portrayal of a future where global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos. The story is told through the diary entries of Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl living in a gated community near Los Angeles. Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her feel the pain and pleasure of others. As her community is destroyed by external threats, Lauren embarks on a perilous journey north, developing a new faith called Earthseed along the way. Earthseed's central doctrine is that 'God is Change' and cannot be resisted, but can be influenced. The novel explores themes of survival, faith, family, hope, and community in a world torn apart by environmental devastation, economic collapse, and violence.

The Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel that introduces the world of Roshar, where powerful magical forces known as Surgebinding and Shardwielding shape the destiny of its inhabitants. The story primarily follows three characters: Kaladin, a former surgeon turned soldier who is now a slave; Shallan, a young woman seeking to apprentice under the scholar Jasnah Kholin; and Dalinar Kholin, a highprince troubled by visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant. The novel explores themes of honor, loyalty, and the struggle for power in a world torn apart by war and the looming threat of the Desolation and the Voidbringers. The book is known for its detailed worldbuilding, complex characters, and the slow but intense build-up to a dramatic climax.