The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

I hate it when authors make it look this easy. Imagine, 27 short stories, all on different subjects, only slightly related, that tell a complete narrative of the fall of one culture, and the rise and fall of the next. Some of the Martian Chronicles may seem dated - the language, the "future" technology - but the story is timeless. Man, in all his infinite possibility and wisdom, just can't get his act together.

We blunder forth into new territory, planting our flags and recreating our society. Unfortunately, for all of our good intentions, bad news always follows. Murder, destruction, anger. Themes of isolation, desolation, and helplessness pervade. Bradbury is one of the greatest writers of the last century, using science fiction to hold a mirror to our society, one which we never seem to tire of looking at but so rarely use to find our flaws.

My favorite stories of the bunch were "Way in the Middle of the Air", a fantastic look at race relations, and "The Luggage Store", where one man knows what's happening and is happy to accept his fate.

Wizard and Glass: The Dark Tower Book IV by Stephen King

The incredible journey of Roland of Gilead and his trusty ka-tet continues. When we last left our heroes, they were trapped on Blaine the Mono, an insane runaway sentient locomotive bent on suicide. They had to best Blaine in a contest of riddles in order to save their own lives. While it's hardly a spoiler to say they make it, I won't say how precisely. They arrive in Kansas, a slightly different version of our flat state, which has been wiped out by a massive plague. People have fled, survivors are few (and if you need to know what happened here, read The Stand). They are brought to a halt on their journey, and Roland must unburden himself of horrible memories. His next test will be to reveal his past to his ka-tet and see if they remain together.

What follows is an amazing sleepytown Western told as only King can. Love affairs, gunfights, bar brawls, deception, horse-thievery, double-crosses, old witches, broken promises, all here. Roland tells of how he met and fell in love with Susan Delgado, and how his quest for the Dark Tower began. Roland saves the town from the invaders, and stalls the plans of John Farson to take over the country, but the cost is high. This chapter of the quest for the tower came over a decade after The Wastelands, and book V took almost another decade to emerge. But the stories are worth the wait.