“On the Shortness of Life” by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“On the Shortness of Life” is a short essay on what makes life enjoyable and worth living. Written as a letter to Seneca’s friend Paulinus, its core message is to live life for oneself, not for other people or for ambitious pursuits.
“Children of Time” by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Children of Time is an epic sci-fi story following the very last attempt of humanity to survive our dying planet. Facing a race of intelligent spiders—mistakenly came to being because of humans’ technology—the biggest threat to men’s survival will be, unsurprisingly, themselves.
“The Blind Assassin” by Margaret Atwood
“The Blind Assassin” is a story, within a story, within a story. It’s a poignant family drama with no happy ending, just a painful yet poetic conclusion, not unlike life can be sometimes.