Staff Picks
Favorite Reads of The Teen Center Creative Writing Club
- Thomas M.
- Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Collection
Enjoy some fond favorite reads from members of the Teen Center's creative writing club, known as Prompt & Circumstance. Science fiction, horror, fantasy, manga, poetry, Russian literature, and picture books collide in this fun mash-up of influences. You are sure to find a great read or even inspiration in this list.
The Penny Dreadfuls
Tales of Horror
Published in 2015
Blood, gore, murder, and sin-Victorian literature's darkest horrors await you. The penny dreadfuls were cheap nineteenth-century English stories that featured gothic, lurid, disturbing, and tantalizing content. These horror serials cost a penny per issue, hence their name: penny dreadfuls. The penny dreadfuls often paid homage to-and even inspired-many of the more famous narratives of the horror genre. This book pairs three obscure yet influential penny dreadfuls with three of the most notorious literary giants of the nineteenth century: Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dorian Gray, all in one authentic collection of the best Victorian gothic horror ever written. Originally published at a time when dramatic scientific discoveries sparked a cultural fixation on the paranormal, these stories remain timeless in their uncanny ability to prey upon our primal fear of that which is strange, violent, and unknown. This book contains a total of six haunting tales: - Dracula by Bram Stoker - Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker (Dracula's original first chapter, not published until after Stoker's death) - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Wagner the Wehr-Wolf by George W. M. Reynolds - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - Varney the Vampire by Thomas Preskett Prest... Curl up with The Penny Dreadfuls on a dark, moonless night and rediscover these chilling classics.
The Andromeda Strain
Published in 1988
A military satellite launched to collect organisms in the upper atmosphere comes down in Arizona. Within a few hours, almost everyone in a nearby town is dead. A team of scientists is assembled to investigate.
Jurassic Park
Published in 2012
A breakthrough in genetic engineering leads to the development of a technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA, a method that brings about the creation of Jurassic Park, a tourist attraction populated by creatures extinct for eons.
Jurassic Park
A Novel
Published in 2012
On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have created a dinosaur game park. But as always there is a dark side to the fantasy and after a catastrophe destroys the park's defence systems, the scientists and tourists are left fighting for survival.
Micro
Published in 2012
Three men are found dead in the locked second-floor office of a Honolulu building, with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye. In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting.
Micro
A Novel
Published in 2011
Three men are found dead in the locked second-floor office of a Honolulu building, with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye. In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. Trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen MicroTechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier. But once in the Oahu rain forest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. To survive, they must harness the inherent forces of nature itself.
Crime and Punishment
Published in 2015
Drawing upon experiences from his own prison days, the author recounts in feverish tones the story of Raskolnikov, an impoverished student tormented by his own nihilism, and the struggle between good and evil. Believing that he is above the law, and convinced that humanitarian ends justify vile means, he brutally murders an old woman -- a pawnbroker whom he regards as "stupid, ailing, greedy ... good for nothing." Overwhelmed afterwards by feelings of guilt and terror, Raskolnikov confesses to the crime and goes to prison. There he realizes that happiness and redemption can only be achieved through suffering.
Fragments of Horror
Published in 2015
A new collection of delightfully macabre tales from a master of horror manga. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Itō's long-awaited return to the world of horror.
Remina
Published in 2020
"An unknown planet emerges from inside a wormhole, and its discoverer, Dr. Oguro, christens the body 'Remina' after his own daughter. His finding is met with great fanfare, and Remina herself rises to fame. However, the object picks up speed as it moves along in its curious course, eliminating planets and stars one after another, until finally Earth itself faces exctinction. Is the girl Remina the true cause of the catastrophe?"--Provided by publisher.
Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe
Published in 2012
This single volume brings together all of Poe's stories and poems, and illuminates the diverse and multifaceted genius of one of the greatest and most influential figures in American literary history. From the Hardcover edition.
The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe
Published in 2008
A collection of Poe's classic poetry that includes classic poems such as "To Helen" and "The Raven" alongside lesser-known poems such as "Alone."
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Published in 2016
When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone... Inspired by the original Hogwart's textbook by Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. A feat of imagination and featuring a cast of remarkable characters and magical creatures, this is epic adventure-packed storytelling at its very best. Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition for any film lover or reader's bookshelf. The film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will have its theatrical release on 18th November 2016.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Published in 2012
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Published in 1998
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Published in 2017
Offers alphabetically arranged entries detailing the characteristics of such mythical beasts as hippogriffs, blast-ended skrewts, dragons, and unicorns.
The Ickabog
Published in 2020
As the legend of the fearsome Ickabog spreads terror in the peaceful kingdom of Cornucopia, best friends Bert and Daisy set out to discover the truth and bring happiness back to the kingdom.
The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again
Published in 2012
Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return. He becomes a thief for a band of dwarves and soon finds himself in the midst of a war with the evil goblins and wargs, and is forced to make a decision between the call of duty and the pull of the simple life.
The Martian
A Novel
Published in 2014
"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?" -- from publisher's web site.
Project Hail Mary
Published in 2021
A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian . “A novel that would have delighted Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.”?George R.R. Martin, author of? A Game of Thrones “Weir?s finest work to date . . . the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know they?ll love it.”?Brandon Sanderson, author of the Stormlight Archive series Ryland?Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission?and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn?t know that. He can?t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he?s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he?s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it?s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery?and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he?s got to do it all alone. Or does he? An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian?while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
Project Hail Mary
A Novel
Published in 2021
The sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission to save both humanity and the earth, Ryland Grace is hurtled into the depths of space when he must conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
An Elephant & Piggie Biggie!
Published in 2017
For the first time ever, best friends Elephant and Piggie have five Biggie adventures in one book!