this post was submitted on
3 points (66% like it)
6 up votes 3 down votes
shortlink:
to anything interesting: news article, blog entry, video, picture...

reddit is a source for what's new and popular online. vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what's popular, or submit your own!

2
3

I have one chance to convert my friend from hating sci-fi. What would you recommend? (self.scifi)

submitted ago* by red_head_betty

So my friend said she would (finally) cave and read at least one sci-fi book. Having grown up reading it, I feel like my perception of what someone new to sci-fi might like is skewed. It should definitely be a light read, (ie Not like A Canticle for Lebowitz) but I still want it to capture the essence of sci-fi. I was thinking along the lines of Ringworld, or Childhood's End. What do you guys think?

EDIT: Thank you guys all for your suggestions! I think I'm going to get her first with some H.G. Wells, then move on to more intricate SF. Even if she hates it, I just got a great book list for myself! Thanks guys :)

all 81 comments
sorted by:
best
hot
new
controversial
top
old

[–]mobyhead1 16 points17 points ago

Leonard, I think Penny is going to continue to hate Sci-Fi no matter what you give her to read.

[–]reginaldshoe 6 points7 points ago

What else does she like to read? How old is she?

We need more details. There are a ton of great science fiction works, and you've only got the one shot.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 2 points3 points ago

She's 23. Read's a lot of classics like Wuthering Heights and Don Quixote. I think she's a sucker for romance.

[–]dotrob 2 points3 points ago

Romance? Lois McMaster Bujold: Vorkosigan saga (start with Barrayar or Warrior's Apprentice) for sci-fi or The Sharing Knife series for fantasy.

[–]netcowboy 6 points7 points ago*

I'm gonna say Anathem by Neal Stephenson- It's as beautifully written as any classic, and it has a neat romantic moral to it as well. Also, the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe is very atmospheric and gothic, and also as deep and complex as any of the greats. EDIT: OH a favorite of my non-science-fiction reading friends is The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. THIS IS A VERY RELIABLE CHOICE. Has space-Catholics in it. And (spoiler) a planet with two intelligent species, one whom eats the other.

[–]candygram4mongo 3 points4 points ago

I don't think hitting her with a brick like Anathem or a brick house like TBotNS is a very good idea.

[–]netcowboy 0 points1 point ago

Well, if she was reading Wutheringing Heights, it should be par for the course! Why talk down to her?

[–]red_head_betty[S] 1 point2 points ago

Oh Lord I love Neal Stephenson. Anathem was the first one of his that I read. And though it remains my favorite, I don't think she'd appreciate it quite as much.

[–]netcowboy 0 points1 point ago

Fair enough. I thought it was pretty accessible. My favorite too <3.

[–]orlock 0 points1 point ago

I'd suggest Komar by Bujold.

Also, consider Iain M. Banks, such as The Player of Games, if you think she's got the intestinal fortitude.

For lighter reading, try one of Charles Stross' laundry novels. She might get a kick out of the (spoiler alert) inverted James Bond plot in The Jennifer Morgue.

[–]dotrob 0 points1 point ago

I debated starting somewhere closer to Miles' major romance arc, but I'm too much a stickler for starting the story at the beginning. Komar is a great choice, though.

[–]orlock 0 points1 point ago

Komarr is pretty well designed to be a start point to those coming into the Vorkosiganiverse. I think it was deliberate on Bujold's part, which is why I think it's a good start. That and I find the older Miles much more interesting than the younger Miles.

[–]candygram4mongo 2 points3 points ago

Classics? Hell, give her a copy of Gulliver's Travels or Frankenstein. For that matter, Wuthering Heights is arguably SF, in the sense of speculative fiction.

[–]Tokenwhitemale 2 points3 points ago

Get her to read the "The Time Traveler's Wife" or "Frankenstein"

[–]mobyhead1 1 point2 points ago

In the Garden of Iden, by Kage Baker. A young Spanish girl is saved from the Inquisition and rebuilt as a cyborg in the employ of The Company, an organization that has used time travel to place these cyborgs throughout history, recording what really happened and saving priceless works and artifacts--for profit, of course. While on a mission in pre-Elizabethan England, Mendoza falls in love with a tragic hero.

[–]s33k 0 points1 point ago

This is an excellent choice. Loved this book.

[–]amaxen 0 points1 point ago

If so, give her Lois McMaster Bujold's 'Shards of Honor' or 'Cordelia's Honor', which is Shards and the Second book in the series.

[–]malderi 0 points1 point ago

Definitely Forever War, then...

[–]jxj24 4 points5 points ago

Try some Connie Willis. "To Say Nothing of the Dog" is a lot of fun, and should appeal to someone with the tastes you cited.

[–]APeacefulWarrior 1 point2 points ago

He could even start her off on one of Willis's shorter, lighter novellas like 'Bellwether' and then let her work up into the real sci-fi.

[–]CassandraVindicated 4 points5 points ago

I would say some old school Verne or H.G. Wells. A lot of those stories are quick and easy reads but form a pretty fundamental basis for those sci-fi writers who followed. Give her a compilation book but only point her to one story. "Read this story" you tell her. If she reads more, then you've succeeded.

[–]red_head_betty[S] -1 points0 points ago

DUDE I'm totally going to go with some H.G. I think she'd appreciate the writing, while still introducing her to SF. Thanks for the suggestion!!

[–]xavier47 1 point2 points ago

The War in the Air by HG Wells

I push it a lot, cuz it's my fav of his

[–]AngryRedHerring 4 points5 points ago

The Handmaid's Tale.

[–]candygram4mongo 3 points4 points ago

Maybe not that particular book, but that's the approach I'd take. Don't slap her across the face with the genre, ease her into it with something that's undeniably SF but is well respected outside the sci-fi ghetto. And tailor it to her tastes. Maybe some Vonnegut, maybe some JG Ballard, maybe something like Flowers For Algernon.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 1 point2 points ago

Oh Vonnegut is a good idea. I didn't even think of him.

[–]DreamcastJunkie 3 points4 points ago

Sundiver. It's a great book that's:

  • Relatively short
  • More comprehensible to a layman than many other classics.
  • Features little violence.
  • Works as a stand-alone book, but has sequels if she actually likes it.
  • Has a talking dolphin in it. Girls like dolphins, right?

[–]Zhiroc 4 points5 points ago

As much as I like Ringworld, I think it ties in too much with the larger history of the Known Space series that it might not be the best to start with.

I would suggest the Foundation trilogy or Rendezvous with Rama. But then again, I'm a fan of old school.

However, you make the mistake, I think, that I see over in the anime subreddit: treating it as a single genre. I argue that SF is more about a setting that gets applied to the usual types of fiction: horror, romance, comedy, etc. Exposing someone to even good SF that is in form they don't appreciate is doomed to failure.

So: what does your friend generally like?

[–]Malketh 3 points4 points ago

I came here to advise the Foundation books so have a boat instead!

Also, I'd advice sneaking her into sci-fi, as in starting with something that's got it, but doesn't flaunt it.

[–]SinkVenice 2 points3 points ago

Upvote for Rendezvous with Rama.

I would also suggest 'The Stars My Destination' as you say she likes classics and this novel is often portrayed as a Science Fiction version of the Alexander Dumas classic The Count of Monte Cristo.

Both are excellent books.

[–]Humerous 2 points3 points ago

I posted something similar in another thread, but I'd suggest City, by Clifford D. Simak. It reads quickly because it's formatted as a collection of short stories, the prose is fantastic, and humans feature as a object of myth - their mere existence debated by future races. It raises a lot of questions about the development of human society, war/conflict, balance of life, and the fate of Earth. It intertwines a lot of romanticism and emotion for a science fiction work, and reads beautifully.

[–]Brad3000 6 points7 points ago

Ender's Game. That's my final answer.

[–]aardvarkious 9 points10 points ago

I find that this is hit and miss for adults, and always miss for adult females. The people who seem to really love it are men who read it when they were young.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 2 points3 points ago

Lies. I am a female who has read and loved that entire series. I don't think it's the "female" aspect so much as the "adult" aspect.

[–]Brad3000 1 point2 points ago

I have given it to two adult females. Both loved it.

[–]aardvarkious 0 points1 point ago

Huh. I'm just going by my own experience.

[–]Brad3000 0 points1 point ago

I believe you, I just find it weird. I have never personally known anyone who read Ender's Game and didn't like it. Even people I know who dislike Card because of his Mormon craziness begrudgingly admit that Ender's Game is a good book.

[–]aardvarkious 0 points1 point ago

It's your classic teenage angst novel: a powerless person takes on ultimate power violently. This is why it resonates so well with teenage boys. To people who feel empowered, it just seems like a violent revenge novel.

[–]Brad3000 2 points3 points ago

wow, it seems like you missed the point entirely.

[–]aardvarkious 2 points3 points ago

Fine then, enlighten me.

There are certainly several themes in the book. But the big one is the weak overcoming the strong in a devastating, violent fashion. Ender every time he confronts an older bully. And the humans destroying the buggers.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 1 point2 points ago

My favorite by him is The Worthing Saga. I've read the second half of it a gajillion times.

[–]AttackTribble 0 points1 point ago

They're casting a movie of that right now. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731141/

[–]Brad3000 2 points3 points ago

I know. I am terrified.

[–]AttackTribble 0 points1 point ago

They've got some good actors signed up, it might work out. Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford can pick and choose their roles, they wouldn't sign up if they didn't have faith in it. And Ender's being played by the kid from Hugo.

http://www.endersansible.com/p/enders-game-movie-cast.html

[–]Brad3000 1 point2 points ago

It's from the director of X Men Origins: Wolverine. Ben Kingsley was in BloodRayne. Harrison Ford hasn't made a good movie since the late '90s. And they've aged Ender up by quite a few years. I am still afraid.

[–]noneedforname 0 points1 point ago

aging up characters shouldn't really be one of those automatic turn-offs. there is nothing i despise more, than child actors messing up a movie. and it happens, a lot! (this is my opinion of course)

game of thrones series upped the age of the entire child cast. worked out pretty good :)

[–]Godlessmass 0 points1 point ago

Well, I imagine that had more to do with sexual content than anything else. Although the children in the books basically became adults @13-14 so aging them up to modern standards had some logic to it, imo the suspense and shock of certain scenes were subdued by the casting decisions. There's not much that could be done about it, though: Daenerys' early scenes would've been particularly disturbing/illegal to film.

In the case of Ender's Game, I think the reason they're aging him up isn't because of mature themes or sexuality, but because 6 year olds can't play super geniuses convincingly. Even smart kids wouldn't pull it off, since most of the audience would be cooing over how cute the kid was as the young actor rattled off some dense piece of dialogue.

[–]KaneinEncanto 0 points1 point ago

Cameron needs to get in on Enders game, don't bother doing it live action. Use the CG and the. You can cast actors by voice without being concerned with appearance.

Also, would probably give the battle room sequences more possibilities, the camera moves could be something impossible to pull in live action if desired.

[–]ObjectiveAnalysis 1 point2 points ago

I heard Orson Scott Card talking at the end of one of these audiobooks about how he had turned down a lot of people who tried to make this movie specifically because they all wanted to make the characters older. I think I even remember him pointing out how the Harry Potter movies had been successfully made with real children and that gave him hope that one day the movie could be made well. I guess these actors are under 18 so maybe he was referencing the common practice to cast actors in their mid twenties as high school freshmen in shows like Smallville.

[–]hedwig9 0 points1 point ago

But the director did Tsotsi which was really awesome. I didn't see rendition though. And yeah Ben Kingsley is kind of a hack nowadays.

[–]AttackTribble 0 points1 point ago

Ben Kingsley did Bloodrayne as a favour to the director. Harrison Ford I'll grant you has been patchy of late, but you can't deny he's capable and has the money and star power to tell a director to go to hell if he doesn't like the script. I doubt they could have found an actor of Ender's age who could handle the part. Asa Butterfield has shown enough promise that I am hopeful. Plus, I want this one to be good.

[–]ciaran81 1 point2 points ago

I'd be more interested in seeing what rating they give it. Some of the stuff that goes down gets pretty brutal and an attempt to make it more kid friendly is going to kill it.

[–]Brad3000 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, there's no way they're going to have Ender stomp another kid to death but if they don't, it will change the whole character.

[–]ciaran81 0 points1 point ago

Pretty much.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 0 points1 point ago

I really think it could go either way. I'm going to let everyone else see it first, then decide if I want to ruin for myself depending on their reactions.

[–]realneil 4 points5 points ago

Dune

[–]znk 1 point2 points ago

My favorite book. So it gets my vote too.

[–]red_head_betty[S] 2 points3 points ago

I'm not sure Dune is such a great "starter" book. Although I appreciate the choice :)

[–]ClassicalFizz 1 point2 points ago

Sirens of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut

[–]Zhiroc 1 point2 points ago

Come to think of it, I think short stories might be a way to go. They are a quick read, and don't commit you to what might look like a dubious task to someone unsure of diving in.

There are some good anthologies out there. I remember reading in my youth a collection of Hugo winners. That's as good a place as any to start. Niven has a number of short stories in his Known Space series that might also be a good way to ease into that mythos before going with Ringworld or another novel in the series.

[–]sander314 0 points1 point ago

Checked my sister's librarything for you, as she's around the same age, and mostly into fantasy. Favorite scifi (the only 5/5 rated among ~45 scifi read) are:
Vernor Vinge - A deepness in the sky (with A fire upon the deep at 4.5/5)
Dan Simmons - Hyperion
China Mieville - The Scar

[–]swiftfoottim 1 point2 points ago

I'm somewhat partial to "The Forever War" most likely because I just read it. It presents some interesting concepts about time dilation in interstellar travel while also presenting a somewhat light romance interspersed into the story as well. It was an easy, enjoyable read first and foremost for me and that might help your friend appreciate the merits of sci-fi that some of the more laborious reads would not.

[–]metabeing 1 point2 points ago

Contact

[–]swampswing -1 points0 points ago

Dune might be a good pick.

[–]ejp1082 1 point2 points ago

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[–]crlamke 0 points1 point ago

Yes! I like many of the books others have suggested here, but if she likes humor at all, it's hard to beat Hitchhiker's.

[–]sheep_shagger 0 points1 point ago

A Second Chance At Eden by Peter F Hamilton.

A bunch of short stories written as a sideline to the Reality trilogy.

[–]Konisforce 0 points1 point ago

You should get her into some Jasper Fforde! Start with The Eyre Affair. It's an alternate universe that revolves around the classics, and slowly drags you into some nutso sci-fi. She'll never see it coming, and it's the perfect bridge for a classics person.

[–]yogthos 1 point2 points ago

I'd recommend End of Eternity, City and the Stars, or Lifecycle of Software Objects. All of them are easy reads, have engaging stories, and have some really interesting ideas.

[–]lekhi_raza 0 points1 point ago*

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang.

Seriously. Make her read the eponymous short story first; "Stories of Your Life." Then hopefully the mix of humanity,wonder and science will suck her into the other stories in the book.

Read it yourself, if you haven't. He's the Bee's Knees of sci-fi.

[–]thegmx 0 points1 point ago

Does "Time Traveler's Wife" Count as Sci-Fi? Have yet to meet a girl that doesn't like that one.

[–]DrDebG 0 points1 point ago

If your friend is female and enjoys classic romance, some of these suggestions aren't likely to appeal to her.

I'd try Lois McMaster Bujold's Barrayar books - but the first one, which includes Cordelia and Aral, Shards of Honor. (There is also an omnibus edition including Shards... and Barrayar, which completes the two-volume "prequel" to the Miles books.)

This book has it all: SF, space opera, well-developed characters, romance, betrayal...

[–]climber_g33k 0 points1 point ago

I know this is a dead thread, but my first Sci-Fi book was Ender's Game. It's a wonderful book, and they're even making a movie from it.

[–]misterraider 1 point2 points ago

Go with some Isaac Asimov short stories.

[–]Anzai -1 points0 points ago

Try the Time Traveler's Wife. It's a pretty good book, and the scifi is equally as important as the character's.

The people I've met who hate scifi tend to find it all a bit silly, so something like Ringworld, with sentient aliens who look like giant cats is unlikely to impress.

[–]jokkel 0 points1 point ago*

ray bradbury - the martian chronicles

two of my female friends who don't like sf love this book. it is also good for reading it to each other. it contains short stories and isn't long.

the hyperion books are great if she likes mystery/horror. ender s game is worth considering too.

for tv series - bsg

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]intergalactic512 -1 points0 points ago

I am so glad to see someone recommend Margaret Atwood. I recently got into her books and absolutely loved Oryx and Crake!

[–]sloppyrock 1 point2 points ago

If she's classically minded and likes the romantics I would like to suggest Hyperion. beautifully written, complex, great characters some with romantic sub plots.It is a bit heavy duty to start her with but it may appeal on those grounds.

[–]BitterOldPunk 1 point2 points ago

Is the goal to persuade her that the genre has literary merit, or to show her that reading genre fiction is fun and worthwhile?

If you're looking for literary merit, consider:

Stories of Your Life and Other Stories by Ted Chiang

number9dream by David Mitchell

Memoirs Found in a Bathtub by Stanislav Lem

Any early Vonnegut novels

The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe

Valis by PK Dick

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

That Samuel R. Delany book that isn't Dhalgren but whose title I can't recall at the moment

If you just want her to enjoy the simple pleasures of plot and intelligent world-building:

The Foundation Trilogy

The Mars Trilogy by KS Robinson

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Hyperion by Dan Simmons (especially if she's a fan of the Romantic poets, specifically John Keats)

Beauty by Sherri S. Tepper

[–]Aufbruch -2 points-1 points ago

A blow to the head.

[–]thinker99 -2 points-1 points ago

  • Rainbows End - Vernor Vinge
  • Market Forces - Richard K. Morgan
  • Accelerando - Charles Stross
  • Old Man's War - John Scalzi
  • The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
  • Interface - Neal Stephenson + some dude

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. © 2012 reddit inc. All rights reserved.

REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc.

π Rendered by PID 23497 on app-185 running 86c9e1d.