RNIB National Library Service Giant Print 24
Fantasy, Horror and Science fiction
Fantasy stories
Bujold, Lois McMaster.
The curse of Chalion. 2003. 6v.
Now humbled and seeking a menial position in the royal household he once served as a page, Cazaril is stunned to be offered the post of secretary to the Royesse Iselle, the beautiful, headstrong sister to the heir to Chalion's throne, but his new assignment brings unexpected dangers when he comes face to face with old enemies and a sinister curse.
Edwards, Kim.
The memory keeper's daughter. 2007. 5v.
The night Dr David Henry delivers his wife's twins is a night that will haunt five lives forever. For though David's son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down's syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only time will reveal, he tells his wife their daughter died while secretly entrusting her care to a nurse.
Evans, Lisa.
Odd one out. 2004. 3v.
Some are born odd, some achieve oddness, and some are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Devon family's a good example: There's 39 year old Glenn, whose main interest in life is rubbish collection; his mother, Bel, who teaches tap steps to eight year olds but acts as if she's running the Kirov; and his sister, Netta, who spent her early life simply being considered mad by association. Which is why she's dreading six weeks back in their company, helping them move house.
Harris, Charlaine.
Dead until dark. 2009. 3v. Fantasy.
Sookie Stackhouse; book 1. Sookie is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, with a bit of a disability - she can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. Along comes Bill: he's tall, dark and handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking.He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting all her life for. But
Bill has a disability of his own: he's a vampire.
King, Stephen
The gunslinger. 2003. 2v.
The dark tower; book 1.In Roland of Gilead's first step towards the powerful and mysterious Dark tower, Roland encounters an alluring woman named Alice, begins a friendship with Jake, a kid from New York, and faces an agonising choice between damnation and salvation as he pursues the Man in Black.
Maguire, Gregory.
Wicked : the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West. 2006. 5v.
A re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all.
Niffenegger, Audrey.
The time traveler’s wife. 2006. 4v.
This is the story of Henry and Clare, have known each other since Clare was 6 and Henry was 36 and were married when Clare was 20 and Henry 28. This is possible only because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he flashes to other points in time.
Contains language that some readers may find offensive.
Patterson, James.
Cross country. 2009. 3v. Thriller.
When Cross is called to investigate a massacre-style murder scene, he is shocked to find that the victim is an old friend. Angry, hurt and more determined than ever, Cross begins the hunt for the perpetrators of this cruel crime. He is drawn into a dangerous underworld right in the heart of WashingtonDC that leads him on a life threatening journey to the Niger Delta where heroin dealing, slave trade and oil and gas theft are rife. At the centre of this terrifying world, Cross finds the Tiger, the psychopathic leader of a fearsome gang of killers who are not what they seem.
Pratchett, Terry.
Going postal. 2004. 4v.
Arch-swindler Moist Van Lipwig never believed his confidence crimes were hanging offenses -- until he found himself with a noose tightly around his neck, dropping through a trapdoor, and falling into ... a government job? By all rights, Moist should have met his maker. Instead, it's Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, who promptly offers him a job as Postmaster.
Pratchett, Terry
The colour of magic. 1985. 2v.
Discworld; book 1. On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle, a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them and, of course, the edge of the planet.
Pratchett, Terry
The light fantastic.1986. 2v.
Discworld; book 2. The singularly inept and cowardly wizard Rincewind, Twoflower, the first tourist, and his remarkable Luggage, were left, falling off Discworld's edge, with no help in sight. In "The light fantastic", the Discworld is moving towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, and it has only one possible saviour. Unfortunately this happens to be Rincewind.
Pratchett, Terry.
Unseen academicals. 2009. 4v. Fantasy.
Discworld; book 32. Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork - not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of UnseenUniversity must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else. The prospect of the Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt (and no one knows anything much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt, which worries him, too). As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed for ever.
Pratchett, Terry.
Witches abroad. 1992. 2v.
The final story in "The witches trilogy" tells of the funniest Grand Tour anywhere, as Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick travel to distant Genua. They intend to make sure a servant girl doesn't marry the prince.
Pullman, Philip.
Northern lights. 1998. 3v.
His Dark Materials book 1. When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her daemon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him. The quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies - and where a team of scientists is conducting vile experiments.
Pullman, Philip.
The subtle knife.1998. 3v.
His Dark Materials book 2. Will is twelve years old and he's just killed a man. Now he's on his own, on the run, determined to discover the truth about his father's disappearance. Then Will steps through a window in the air into another world, and finds himself with a companion - a strange, savage little girl called Lyra. Like Will, she has a mission which she intends to carry out at all costs.
Pullman, Philip.
The amber spyglass. 2000. 4v.
His Dark Materials book 3. For all those who are dying to learn the fate of Will and Lyra, hoping for the return of Iorek Byrnison, longing to know the truth about Dust, and waiting to face the ultimate clash of opposing powers, this book has the answers.
Pullman, Philip.
Lyra’s Oxford. 2006.1v.
His Dark Materials book 4. Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon a couple of years after the end of "The amber spyglass". Sitting on the roofs of Oxford she sees a bird, the daemon of a witch, a storm petrel flying towards her pursued by a huge and angry flock of starlings.
Tolkien, J.R.R.
The Hobbit. (Prequel to The Lord of the Rings). 1998. 1v.
A tale of the adventure of a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.
Tolkien, J.R.R.
The fellowship of the ring. 1999. 4v.
The Lord of the Rings book 1. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
Tolkien, J.R.R.
The two towers.1999. 4v.
The Lord of the Rings book 2. Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Tolkien, J.R.R.
The return of the king.1998. 5v. 3
The Lord of the Rings book 3. As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. And all the while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Cracks of Doom.
Winterson, Jeanette.
Sexing the cherry. 1990. 2v.
In 17th century England,Jordan is found abandoned in the slime of the River Thames and adopted by the Dog Woman. Together they witness the Civil War, the execution of King Charles and the Great Plague. All these events occur alongside an extravagant fantasy where 12 dancing princesses systematically murder their husbands and families live suspended from ceilings.
Horror
Banks, Iain.
The wasp factory. 1990. 2v.
Sixteen year-old Frank has already killed three people, but was it just a stage he was going through? Death and blood and gore fill the pages of this novel, lightened by dark humour and surreal touches.
Contains scenes of violence that some readers may find offensive.
Enright, Anne.
The gathering. 2007. 6v.
The nine surviving children of the Hegarty clan gather in Dublin for the wake of their wayward brother Liam. It wasn't the drink that killed him - although that certainly helped - it was what happened to him as a boy in his grandmother's house, in the winter of 1968. His sister Veronica was there then, as she is now: keeping the dead man company, just for another little while.
Grahame-Smith, Seth and Austen, Jane.
Pride and prejudice and zombies. 2009. 3v.
As the story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr Darcy. What ensues is a comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield.
Herbert, James.
The secret of Crickley Hall. 2006. 6v.
Crickley Hall lies in Devil's Cleave, a large, grim and somewhat foreboding place that is rumoured to hold a secret. Despite some reservations, the Caleighs move in, searching for respite in this beautiful part of North Devon, seeking peace and perhaps to come to terms with what's happened to them as a family. But all is not well with the house. They hear unaccountable noises. A cellar door they shut every night is always open again in the morning. They see things that cannot be real. The house is the last place the Caleighs should have come to, for the terror that unfolds is beyond belief
Hutson, Shaun.
Last rites. 2009. 3v.
Almost beaten to death by a gang of violent teenagers, schoolmaster Peter Mason wants nothing more than to escape the simmering violence of London, his broken marriage and the memories of his daughter's death. The perfect chance comes in the form of a position at a prestigious boarding school in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside. But the past is always lurking in the background. Not just his own past but that of the school and its former staff. Mason becomes obsessed with discovering what became of his predecessor. The man's mysterious disappearance remains unexplained, leaving a chilling legacy behind.
King, Stephen.
Just after sunset: stories. 2008. 5v.
This collection of twist-in-the-tail short stories includes suspense, terror and dark combined. They explore the human experience as ordinary objects assume extraordinary powers and familiar journeys take a different turn.
Shelley, Mary.
Frankenstein. 1994. 2v.
Frankenstein is a young, idealistic student of natural philosophy who, finding the secret of giving life to matter, creates a living being. The monstrous creation, though gentle in nature, inspires fear in those who meet him and must hide away from society. Increasingly lonely and isolated, the monster becomes embittered and cruel, taking a hideous revenge on his creator.
Stevenson, R.L.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. 1994. 1v.
Dr Jekyll, a physician conscious of the duality in his nature, and fascinated by the idea of the advantage that would arise if these elements could be clothed in different personalities, discovers a drug by means of which he can create a separate personality that absorbs all his evil instincts.
Science fiction
Adams, Douglas.
The hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy. 1979. 2v.
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy book 1. On Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun.
Adams, Douglas.
The restaurant at the end of the universe. 1980. 2v.
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy book 2.
Accompanied by his good friend and guide Ford Prefect, Arthur Dent continues his adventures through the Universe.
Adams, Douglas.
Life, the universe and everything. 1982. 2v.
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy book 3. Arthur Dent finds himself hurtling back to Lords Cricket Ground, England, after several million years in a time eddy. He again meets Marvin the Paranoid Android, and the infuriating Ford Prefect with his unassailable philosophy on Life, the Universe and Everything.
Adams, Douglas.
So long, and thanks for all the fish. 1984. 2v.
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy book 4. Arthur Dent is 1437 light years away from Earth, sitting in a Saab. He has just cracked his head on the door while climbing in. He feels stupefied. Maybe it is because he has just laid eyes on the first female of the species that he has seen in years, sitting in the backseat.
Adams, Douglas.
Mostly harmless. 1992. 2v.
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy book 5. It's very easy to get a little disheartened when your planet has been blown up, the woman you love has vanished in a misunderstanding about the nature of space/time and the spaceship you are on crashes in flames on a remote planet. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit and, immediately, all hell breaks loose.
Aldiss, Brian W
Harm. 2007. 2v.
It is the very near future. Paul Ali, a young science fiction writer, who has the perceived misfortune of a Muslim heritage, has been arrested for no compelling reason and held as prisoner B. In the privacy of his mind he writes a science fiction novel set on a planet in every sense a thousand light years away. But gradually, the two worlds start to converge.
Allston, Aaron.
Betrayal. 2007. 5v.
This is the era of Luke Skywalker's legacy: the Jedi Master has unified the order into a cohesive group of powerful Jedi Knights. However, as this era begins, planetary interests threaten to disrupt this time of relative peace and Luke is plagued by visions of an approaching darkness.
Atwood, Margaret.
The handmaid’s tale. 1996. 3v.
The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates she will, like all dissenters, be hanged or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.
Contains scenes that some readers may find offensive.
Banks, Iain M.
Matter. 2008. 6v.
Part of The Culture series. A crime within a war. For one brother it means a desperate flight, and a search for the one - maybe two - people who could clear his name. For his brother it means a life lived under constant threat of treachery and murder. And for their sister, it means returning to a place she'd thought abandoned forever.