11.08: Wonder as a Subgenre

In this sixth book of the Mistborn series and third in the Wax and Wayne series, Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to investigate images and writings that suggest the existence of the Bands of Mourning, mythical metal minds once owned by the Lord Ruler. Along with his partner Wayne, Marasi, and the kandra MeLaan, Wax travels to the city of New Seran to uncover the truth. They face numerous challenges, including the shadowy organization known as the Set and Wax's uncle Edwarn, who seeks to exploit the Bands' power. The novel combines high emotional stakes with a good-natured sense of humor and introduces new elements to the magical system of the Mistborn world.

The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the journey of Harry Potter, an orphan boy who discovers he is a wizard. The series spans seven novels, each corresponding to one year of Harry's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, navigates the magical world, confronts various challenges, and ultimately faces off against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who murdered Harry's parents and seeks to dominate the wizarding world. The series explores themes of friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil.

Set in 2855, 'Ringworld' follows the story of Louis Wu, a 200-year-old human, Teela Brown, a young woman with extraordinary luck, Nessus, a Pierson’s Puppeteer, and Speaker-to-Animals, a Kzin ambassador. They embark on a hazardous mission to explore the Ringworld, an enormous rotating ring with a habitable inner surface equivalent in area to approximately three million Earths. The novel combines hard science fiction with imaginative concepts, including the Ringworld's artificial gravity, shadow squares for night and day, and advanced technologies like hyperspace travel and impact armor. Despite some dated social attitudes and scientific inaccuracies, 'Ringworld' is a classic in the science fiction genre, known for its monumental sci-fi creation and influential ideas.