First SF-book

[sanctus]

A very good friend of mine has never read an SF-book, but she would like to give it a try.

 

A few years back I was already in such a situation and gave another friend Snow Crash. It turned out not to be a good choice, not for the content actually (history, philosophy,linguistics, etc. are touched), but for how it is written. She stopped after 30 pages, because she felt she had no time to breath, it goes so bloody quick...if you have read it you know what I mean.

 

About this friend now, she is doing a phd in maths and is strong believing, but really open-minded (so much, that until recently I only guessed it and that only because of where she comes from, but not in the actions). What would you suggest?

 

I would like some kind of mix between space-opera and philosophical SF

 

Books I had in mind are:

• Lem, The futurological worldcongress
  
• Orson Scott Card, but problem is that Ender's game is kind of army like and only the sequels are really cool (like the speaker for the death). Maybe fallen Dragon?
  
• Hamilton, but although I love it, I'm scared it is a bit too much space opera
  
• Iain Banks? Player of Games?
  
• Capek, The absolute at large, but maybe that is a bit hardcore.
  
• ???????
  

Thanks in advance to all of you!!!

[Boerseun]

Well, for Space Opera and Philosophical SF, I think a very good starter should be Arthur Clarke's 2001 & 2010.

 

His writing is very noob-friendly - apart from being just awesome.

 

Besides, if she haven't read those two yet, she should. How else would she understand pop culture referencing HAL? Which it does? In copious amounts? Every day? All over the world? All over the interwebs? Huh? Hmmm? Hey?

[Tormod]

Stanislaw Lem is always a good choice. Peter Hamilton is a master but pretty hard-hitting, particularly in his military novels like Fallen Dragon (and his early Mindstar Rising series). Richard Morgan is also fast and hard. Alastair Reynolds is space opera galore but it's wonderful, and he has some really good short story compilations too.

 

Some ideas:

Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Alastair Reynolds, Diamond Dogs and Turquoise Days (to novellas in one book)

Dan Simmons, Hyperion

Arthur C Clarke, anything really

Isaac Asimov, Foundation series, Robot series, just about anything

Gregory Benford, Galactic Center series

David Brin, Earth

Carl Sagan, Contact

[enorbet2]

Hello Sanctus

Certainly I have to 2nd or 3rd Arthur Clarke (one of my all-time favorites is "Childhood's End" which starts innocently and slowly but builds to a mind-blowing finale), Asimov's Foundation Trilogy and of course Sagan's "Contact" especially since it has a female protagonist and it's theme of bridging Science and Spirituality.

 

Although Heinlein may be a little masculine in many stories "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" covers computers becoming self-aware, the pioneer spirit, and revolution against restrictive authority and is still a great read today for any gender or age.

 

Another possibility for a female first timer is Andre Norton who was actually a female writer (highly regarded within the niche) who published under a few masculine "nom de plumes" since she rightly felt her odds were better for being taken seriously in her time in science based fiction. Despite their age her books are not badly dated at all since they are so character driven and rely so little on technology. She wrote Fantasy as well as Sci Fi, both often chronicling outcasts and misfits rising to their full potential under adversity. If you're interested there are good wikis on both here:

 

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Andre Norton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

enjoy and good luck

[Moontanman]

Wow, first SF book, lots of possibilities come to mind.

 

Stranger in a Strange Land, Heinlien.

Earth Clan , David Brin

Dragons Egg, Robert L. Forward

The Integral Trees, Larry Niven

Drakon, S. M. Stirling

The Many Colored land & The Golden Torc, Julian May

[sanctus]

Thanks all, I think I go for childhood's end because I want to give a book I have actually read as well. But from your replies I have found many books I actually still want to read :-)

[Boerseun]

...you could always go for "Eon" by Greg Bear - one of my all-time fav Scifi novels.

[Tormod]

Yeah! Greg Bear has lots of good books. Eon and Eternity, as well as Anvil of the Gods and Legacy, are among the first great hard core SF novels I read.

[sanctus]

Eon is one of my favorites actually forgot it in the list above.

But as a first SF-book I think it would be good not to have a series of 2 books.

 

I like your combination of the book Anvil of stars (2nd book) and the forge of god (1st book) ;-)

[Tormod]

I like your combination of the book Anvil of stars (2nd book) and the forge of god (1st book) ;-)

 

Hehe...it's been a while since I read them, yes. :)

[charleshudgen]

There are so many astounding science fiction books out there that this has been one of the hardest lists for me to put together. I have read just Brave New World and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It was a good story. Really recommended for readers like me.

 

 

____________________________

Books about Science Fiction

[SaxonViolence]

"Methuselah's Children"

 

"Red Planet"

 

"Citizen of the Galaxy";

 

All by Heinlein.

 

"Star Surgeon"

 

By Allen E Nourse

 

"The Universe Between"

 

By Andre Norton

 

"Half-Past Human"

 

And

 

"The Godwhale"

 

Both by TJ Bass

 

"Starship"

 

By Burgess Aldreys

 

Many, Many--Beaucoup!!!

 

All those books, except for the TJ Bass books, were ones that I read in fourth or fifth grade. (Nothing "Juvenile" about Heinlein's "Juvenile's"--except a somewhat restricted vocabulary, somewhat shorter tales--and a welcome absence of Sex...)

 

Point being--If a fifth grader could follow the plot, Your Friend should also be able to follow it too.....

 

Saxon Violence