Sci-fi books

SamanthaD1218
SamanthaD1218 Posts: 303 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hi all! I lead a book club, and about half of the members really want to do a sci-fi book for next month. They've been patient through mysteries and dramas and sappy feel-good books, so I think they are overdue for something they love. I always send out a survey with 3-4 choices for group members to choose from and we read the most popular book, so I need some ideas! What are some good books that will cater to the sci-fi fans but won't scare away the non sci-fi people? We only have a month to read it so it can't be too ridiculously long or difficult.

Some books I've had suggested so far are The Handmaid's Tale, Snow Crash, and The Left Hand of Darkness. They should be books no one has read yet (so Brave New World, Catch 22, Flowers for Algernon, Farenheit 451, etc. etc. are all out).

I know it's a random question, but I could use your help!!
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Replies

  • Temporalia
    Temporalia Posts: 1,151 Member
    If I may suggest, Isaac Asimov books maybe not the Foundation series, but it has shorter stories and mostly deals with human relationships vs advanced technology. It's a classic, it's old, but i'm sure not everyone has read all of them.
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
    Blood Music - Greg Bear
    More Than Human - Theodore Sturgeon
    The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    Anything by Philip K. ****.
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    My god, it's censored someone's last name.
    Philip K. Duck, but replace the 'u' with an 'i'.
  • Nigelfightingfit
    Nigelfightingfit Posts: 27 Member
    His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman (Trilogy) first book was made into "The Golden Compass".
  • _Danno_
    _Danno_ Posts: 165
    I know it's just been made into a film but Enders game is a good read or my personal favourite The saga of the seven suns.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saga_of_Seven_Suns
  • CarlaTurc
    CarlaTurc Posts: 32 Member
    Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Timeline by Michael Crichton
    We read 11/22/63 in my book club this past summer. Great discussion! We're going to be reading Ender's Game soon, though I've read it many times. I love to have book discussions to hear other people's take on the same book.

    Oh, and The Handmaid's Tale is great, too. Would make for a great discussion!
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
    Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Timeline by Michael Crichton

    I loved Ender's Game! I'm not much of a sci fi reader (more of a comedy, fantasy, or thriller type myself), but I really enjoyed that one. A little dark, but awesome and engaging nonetheless.
  • _Danno_
    _Danno_ Posts: 165
    I just finished reading WOOL by Hugh Howey and really enjoyed it or maybe the Thrawn trilogy which is rumoured to be the basis for the new Star Wars films.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    "The Jane Austen Book Club" by Karen Joy Fowler is a great recommendation if you have members who are very ANTI sci fi. It's not sci fi itself, but has one character in a book club who loves sci fi and the rest don't, and there's some good discussion of why people like or dislike books. Also it's a good lead in to Karen Joy Fowler -- read her "Sarah Canary" for some "stealth" sci-fi!

    David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas" (the movie was kind of a different animal and I wouldn't compare the two). It's a great mix of sci-fi and non-sci fi (it's several nested short stories that the reader gradually begins to see some narrative continuity through; the first stories are set in the past, but time gradually moves forward until you find yourself in some dystopian and eventually post-apocalyptic futures).

    Random other suggestions:
    anything by Ursula K. Le Guin, but especially "The Left Hand of Darkness"
    "The Sparrow" by Doria Maria Russell if your club can handle some religious issues
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    ....Timeline by Michael Crichton...

    Phenomenal book,

    the movie was possibly the worst thing I've ever had the misfortune of stumbling into. It was like the director scripted the storyboards after overhearing the cliff notes of the book at a party....while drunk. huge plot holes and missing elements integral to the storyline.

    If you've got the time and like Fantasy Epics, take a look at the 'Sword of Truth' series by Terry Goodkind. I'll warn you, its a BEAST. There's 14 books, each one roughly 1000-1200 pages, plus a 400-ish page prequel that should be read somewhere in the middle of the series.

    Also, 'The Name of the Wind' series by Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe one of my favorite 'fantasy' stories ever.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    I just finished reading WOOL by Hugh Howey and really enjoyed it

    Freaking amazing. Have you read any of the fan fiction that goes with it? I think there may be more of that then there is the original story by Hugh.
  • neonemesis
    neonemesis Posts: 74 Member
    dont know if it fits but

    hawkmoon series by michael m o o r c o c k

    ian irvines three worlds cycle series
  • _Danno_
    _Danno_ Posts: 165
    I just finished reading WOOL by Hugh Howey and really enjoyed it

    Freaking amazing. Have you read any of the fan fiction that goes with it? I think there may be more of that then there is the original story by Hugh.

    I've started reading SHIFT now and then DUST will be out soon so I'll have to have a look out for the fan fiction after those.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    I love Ender's Game too, but personally I think Speaker for the Dead is even better. I'm an animal behavioralist so speaker is right up my alley.

    Startide Rising is another favorite by David Brin. (talking dolphins are always fun....)

    These two lean more towards biological fields than "hard core" sci fi.

    Eon by Greg Bear is awesome and I also love Tau Zero by Poul Anderson, but these two are definitely more in the "hard core" sci fi category.

    Seconding other recommendations:
    WOOL
    Sword of Truth (gets repetitive after a few books)
    Left Hand of Darkness
    Anything in the Star Wars universe is fun, and there are some amazing authors working in this universe
    More than Human
    Demolished Man
    Anything by Isaac Azimov

    Suprised Frank Herberts Dune hasn't been mentioned, but I guess that one is pretty heavily in the ponderous Sci Fi tome category....

    Um, Starship Troopers (ignore the movie) is good, presents war propaganda in an interesting light.

    Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (fantasy really)

    The Change series by SM Sterling

    Dresden Files are fun, again Urban Fantasy, but the author has a great sense of humor.

    Ok, I'm going to stop now, I could go on for pages otherwise.
  • StinkyWinkies
    StinkyWinkies Posts: 603 Member
    Piers Anthony "Incarnation" series
    Robert Heinlein "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"
    Michael Crichton any
    Anne McCaffery "Pern" series

    Just to name a few...all write something that would be suitable for a book club sci-fi read
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
    Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear was great. You can't really go wrong with a Greg Bear novel.
  • rosellasweet
    rosellasweet Posts: 163 Member
    I second the Blood Music and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress nominations.

    As well as Phillip K.! Especially Ubik and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?

    Oh and William Gibson's Neuromancer.
  • rosellasweet
    rosellasweet Posts: 163 Member
    ....Timeline by Michael Crichton...

    Phenomenal book,

    the movie was possibly the worst thing I've ever had the misfortune of stumbling into. It was like the director scripted the storyboards after overhearing the cliff notes of the book at a party....while drunk. huge plot holes and missing elements integral to the storyline.

    If you've got the time and like Fantasy Epics, take a look at the 'Sword of Truth' series by Terry Goodkind. I'll warn you, its a BEAST. There's 14 books, each one roughly 1000-1200 pages, plus a 400-ish page prequel that should be read somewhere in the middle of the series.

    Also, 'The Name of the Wind' series by Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe one of my favorite 'fantasy' stories ever.

    This time a thousand.
  • AndyRogan
    AndyRogan Posts: 195 Member
    If you read Enders Game, you need to read Enders Shadow straight after, it changes the entire book.

    Skulduggery Pleasant is a good series
    The Magicians by Lev Grossman
    Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
    The Red Dwarf books are quite funny
    Anything by Terry Pratchett although they are more Fantasy than Sci-Fi

    The Wheel of Time if you don't have high paced action
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Strongly recommend Feed by MT Anderson.

    http://www.amazon.com/Feed-M-T-Anderson/dp/0763662623

    The title refers to the chip that is now standardly implanted in everyone's head which basically provides the Internet on steroids directly wired into the mind. Great book club fodder. Well written and entertaining too.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    bump so I can check these out
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I loved the DragonRiders of Pern series that someone else mentioned. Wool is good. A couple others I read recently that I really liked and/or thought had many points to ponder for a book club type setting would be

    Partials
    Across The Universe
    Human .4
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
    Snow Crash is my favourite book ever so there is my vote :) Ender's Game is good, Speaker for the Dead is even better. Timeline is a good suggestion as well. William Gibson's Neuromancer is a classic (IMO anyway lol).
  • SamanthaD1218
    SamanthaD1218 Posts: 303 Member
    Thank you guys so much!!! I will have to look these all up and choose a few for the group to vote on. AWESOME!
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    I just finished reading WOOL by Hugh Howey and really enjoyed it

    Freaking amazing. Have you read any of the fan fiction that goes with it? I think there may be more of that then there is the original story by Hugh.

    I've started reading SHIFT now and then DUST will be out soon so I'll have to have a look out for the fan fiction after those.

    Dust is already out. I read it on Kindle. Did not disappoint. :drinker:
  • HaggisWhisperer
    HaggisWhisperer Posts: 125 Member
    Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear was great. You can't really go wrong with a Greg Bear novel.

    I second Darwin's Radio as a good choice for a book club. Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress also has some really interesting ideas in it. Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler is another favourite of mine (this is actually a trilogy of fairly short books but I don't think you can get them separately any more).
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Damn, I forgot, one of my coworkers wrote a book "Nanomagica" by Norm LaFave, he's one of the physics teachers at my High School, and it is a really fun read. Everybody at the school is bugging him about when the second book is getting published!
  • GunboatDiplomat
    GunboatDiplomat Posts: 2
    Player of Games by Iain M. Banks or Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan.
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    Game of Universe by Eric S. Nylund is really good, if you can find enough copies (it's older).

    Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds is incredibly thought-provoking and really fun, though a bit long

    To Say Nothing of the Dog OR Passage by Connie Willis; Time travel in To Say Nothing and Near Death Experiences in Passage; very interesting stuff

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