Michel Faber

Author Michel Faber has said "The Book of Strange New Things" will be his last novel. I hope that's not the case - his writing is captivating, and the world he creates in "Book of Strange New Things" is wonderfully original and enveloping. He builds something profound out of what seems, on its surface, a standard sci-fi plot: Earthling is sent to another planet. He bonds with enigmatic natives and feels estranged from the humans housed with him in a base run by a mysterious company. In this case, said Earthling is a preacher (and former addict) who was brought in to minister to the Christianity-hungry aliens. The heart of the story, though, might be in how his relationship with his wife, who has had to stay behind in the deteriorating world, slowly fractures. I loved dipping into "The Book of Strange New Things" each night and being immersed in a creatively imagined and remarkably realized world. My biggest issue: I certainly don't need every story point to be buttoned up at a book's end, but Faber leaves too many vital questions unanswered.

- KRISTINA DORSEY