Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate? Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave your comment below!

This week I've selected a book none of you have probably heard of, but by one of my favorite authors, Joan Slonczewski. I've been reading her books - feminist hard science fiction, so probably something a bit out there for most of you - since I was a teenager and I've gone through two copies of A DOOR INTO OCEAN. So when I heard she had a new book coming out, of course I was excited. It will be released September 13th from Tor and will be 448 pages long. And if you haven't read any of her books, check out a sample of A DOOR INTO OCEAN here. And order it. A used copy isn't really expensive!

THE HIGHEST FRONTIER
by Joan Slonczewski
Published by Tor, September 13, 2011

One of the most respected writers of hard SF, it has been more than ten years since Joan Slonczewski's last novel. Now she returns with a spectacular tour de force of th e college of the future, in orbit. Jennifer Ramos Kennedy, a girl from a rich and politically influential family (a distant relation descended from the famous Kennedy clan), whose twin brother has died in an accident and left her bereft, is about to enter her freshman year at Frontera College.

Frontera is an exciting school built with media money, and a bit from tribal casinos too, dedicated to educating the best and brightest of this future world. We accompany Jenny as she proceeds through her early days at school, encountering surprises and wonders and some unpleasant problems. The Earth is altered by global warming, and an invasive alien species called ultraphytes threatens the surviving ecosystem. Jenny is being raised for great things, but while she's in school she just wants to do her homework, go on a few dates, and get by. The world that Jenny is living in is one of the most fascinating and creative in contemporary SF, and the problems Jenny faces will involve every reader, young and old.