Annotation #3: Science Fiction

Armada

by Ernest Cline

Release Date: July 14th, 2015

Genre

Science Fiction 

Appeals of the Book

• Likable Characters

• Action-Packed

• Very Detailed 

Synopsis
Zack Lightman is a nerdy young adult who seeks his own adventure. He is a big fan of science fiction games, books, and movies. His favorite game is Armada, an aerial combat game that features humans vs. aliens. He lives with his mother in a small town outside Portland, Oregon. His father died in a tragic accident when he was a baby. Left behind by his father was a journal claiming the United States military is working with video game and science fiction movie developers to prepare humans for an alien invasion. Sounds crazy, right? But one day while staring out his classroom window, Zack sees an alien spaceship from Armada hovering in the sky. Is this just his imagination? Or was his father right all along?


Characteristics That Fit Into Science Fiction:

• Story allows the reader to think about social and ethical issues. The main character and the rest of Earth face deeply troubling issues that are possible only because of the settings, plot, and alien characters present in the story. Because of these aspects, the reader is forced “… to think differently when considering the available possibilities” (Saricks 246). 
• Outer Space is part of the setting. 
• Wide-range of characters having different cultures, race, and sexual orientation. Aliens are also part of the character list. 
• Tone ranges from comical to dark at times. The dark tones featured forces the reader to “…reimagine situations and events in other contexts” (Saricks 249). 
• Contain a “richness of concepts and ideas” (Saricks 246). 
• Technology featured is beyond our understanding. 
• Fast-paced due to the heavy amount of action scenes. 

Read-A-Likes
Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole *
This Is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams *
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu **
After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn **

* Suggested by NoveList
** Suggested by Kirkus Review

Works Cited
Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009.