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Sci Fi Literature 101?
ohlaadee asks: "My niece (she's 13) wants to start reading science fiction. I do too. I gave us both Asimov's _The Foundation_ for Christmas. We'll read it together. I suppose we could spend the rest of our lives just reading Asimov, but I'm wondering what books and movies you folks would come up with? What does the /. recommended Science Fiction 101 list include?"
"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson, but that almost goes without saying. Definitely one of the best sci-fi books out there. "The Martian Chronicles" and just about anything else by Ray Bradbury. "1984" is a classic. Stephen Jay Gould is another author worth reading.
Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" is a classic.
The first volume contains 6 loosely connected stories, which give a good, broad introduction to the genre. They are all connected in the second volume (_Fall of Hyperion_).
Just a single warning, Dan Simmon is primarily a horror-writer, and some of the stories in _Hyperion_ are very creepy (others are just as touching).
These are my suggestions in a pretty random, off-the-cuff order:
Dune by Frank Herbert (i'd suggest the rest of the series too) This is a wonderfully rich series dealing with the consequences and results of the messiah archetype, conflicts between church and state and the like. Well worth reading through the series.
Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
This is a very unique and well written Hugo award winning set of books. They deal with a strange mix of religion and technocracy, with a large dose of the poetry of Keat's thrown in.
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Distraction by Bruce Sterling
Two books in the forefrunt of the cyberpunkish, dark future genre... well known and must-reads..
there are probably more... but i'm too tired to list them right now =)
Songs of Distant Earth. In addition to being a decent story, IMO, it's a little lighter than Dune, and introduces some advanced physics in a way that makes it seem more interesting and lively. The book has some sex in it, however, which may make it inappropriate for the very young.
Believe nothing, not even if I say it, if it violates your sense of reason -- Buddha
Don't read the followups "Endymion" and "Rise of Endymion", as they're very much sequel material.
Daniel
'nuff said.
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge, and where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"-T.S.Eliot
Favorites that I find I can re-read, all on
...
my SF "must read"
Foundation - Azimov, already mentioned
Dune - Frank Herbert
(later parts of series less and less interesting
for these)
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Protector, Tales of Known Space - Larry Niven
Permutation City, Axiomatic - Greg Egan
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress -
the Robert Heinlein I enjoy
Downbelow Station - CJ Cherryh
Consider Phlebas, Excession - Ian M Banks
... and then personal faves
Icerigger, The Tar-Ayim Krang, Nor Crystal Tears -
Allen Dean Foster
Dragonflight, The Ship Who Sang, Crystal Singer -
Anne Mcaffry - (notice how the first of each
of her sequences is worthwhile?)
"I went to see the pool of wisdom but it was empty. Someone has drained the pool of wisdom." - Todd Jones
Robert Heinlen's "Stranger in a Strange Land" is outstanding, as are most of his other books. He uses Science Fiction to explore the true human nature I think. RonMon
Larry Niven (and especially with Jerry Pournelle) does good hard-science type stuff.
On the Fantasy side, I like Eddings, although he does get a bit repetitions (wrote the same series 3 times).
You will probably need to sample a few books, and maybe come back with a list of authors & titles in the liked/disliked categories. Others can then suggest stuff with a bit more chance of you liking it. (If you liked X, then you will probably like Y, sort of thing).
I'd also recommend asking the same thing on rec.arts.sf.written (after checking the FAQ and lurking a bit ;-) ).
No Sci-fi list would be complete without the masterfull work of Frank Herbert. Dune is as vital as The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by RAH or Crystal Singer by Ann McAfree(sp?). I went so far as vacationing to Death Valley after reading for the first time. Hell, I could stand to kick some Harkonen butt right now. -Toaster
- 'Cordelia's Honor' by Lois McMaster Bujold.
- 'The Moon is Hell' by John W. Campbell. (Although that's pretty hard to find these days)
- 'On Basilisk Station' by David Weber. (A good introduction to SF, and available free online! See the Baen Webscription site. (Free registration required).
- 'A Fire Upon the Deep' by Vernor Vinge
For the slightly older beginning reader (or if you don't mind so much about adult themes):- 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons
- 'Steel Beach' by John Varley
- 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Robert A. Heinlein
Not that any of those will really warp someone's mind, but some people are sensitive. A good place to look for books to read is the list of Hugo winners. The Hugo is the award given for the best Science Fiction novel of the year, and the list is a good collection of the best of SF.Robert Ewing Visit the ANU Film Group home page http://www.anufg.org.au Australia's largest film society.
- The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson
- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
- A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
- The Sentinel by Arthur C. Clarke
- The Humanoids by Jack Williamson
- Heart of the Comet by Gregory Benford and David Brin
- Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward
- The Giants Novels (trilogy) by James P. Hogan
- Voyagers by Ben Bova
- Blood Music by David Brin
Sorry that I don't have time to write any details about these!The best series ever written in my opinion is the series of ten or so books by E.E. Doc Smith called the 'Lensman' series. He manages to keep a coherent and entertaining plot line going thru all ten books.
Orson Scott Card - Enders Game Basically anything by this author is worth reading. William Gibson - Neuromancer Burning Chrome Virtual Light Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash - A Young Ladies Illustrated Primer Daniel Keys Moran - The Armageddon Blues David Brin - The Uplift War Gregory Binford and David Brin - Heart of the Comet There are many, many good science fiction authors out there. These are just a few of my personal favourites :)
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Lucifer's Hammer is my favorite book (by far), I read it a couple of times a year. Also almost anything by Larry Niven or James P. Hogan. (Some of Hogan's books might be difficult for a 13 year-old, but they are a great read.) For an easy quick read, the Star Trek novels are pretty good.
I think you have to start with true classics. War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for example. 2001: A Space Odyssey has to be one of the ones to read. I would read Ringworld first among Niven simply because it is his most popular, which is the sort of thing you typically read first to establish a foundation in just about any discipline. The hardest choice for me would be whether to include Vonnegut. His stuff has a different appeal than most sci-fi. When you get to Heinlein, I suggest starting with Starship Troopers and some of the other juvenile series, then progressing to The Door into Summer and Friday, then to some of the Lazarus Long stuff. Don't even bother with Stranger in a Strange Land until later unless the child is extraordinarily sophisticated.
"Logic . . . merely enables one to be wrong with authority"
Logic ... merely enables one to be wrong with authority. -- Doctor Who
For a 13 year old.... anything that makes you think.
Personally there's a lot of great Lary Niven stories - his short story collections are particularly good for sparking an interest. 'Convergent Series' has a lot of really good ideas that can be explained in a few pages.
Of course I presmue you think that a 13 year old is mature enough to read about sex... since there are a few moments....
And if you think that Independence day is a silly pro-american film then you migh enjoy spending some time with 'Footfall' which does the whole alien invasion business with a bit more of a hard sci-fi attitude.
And while Niven and pournelle may have written "Lucifer's Hammer", one of the better known books about killer impacts. I must say that if you really want to know the science behind the threat of cosmic impacts then you should go and read a book by Bill Napier, called "Nemesis" - not sure if it's available in the US. But it's one of the best books I've read in terms of it's scientific treatment of things - although it spends most of its time closer to teh Tom Clancy school of thrillers than it does to sci fi.
(it even mentions linux....).
I can't beleave no one has mentioned him yet. Piers Anthony has done a LOT more than the just juvinile fantasy.
The "Bio of a space tyrant" series is good,
as is "Macroscope" and also "Ghost". "Ghost" is a bit mature for a young reader, and "Bio of a space tyrant" also deals with some mature themes. I'd suggest you read them first, and decide yourself if she is old enough to read them.
Also, his fantasy work is quite good, often mixing Science Fiction in. Read the Split Infinity series and it's sequels. It's about someone who lives on a world with a "Curtain" that allows him to cross from a Fantasy world to a Sci-Fi world, and its VERY interesting, although I'd say not for an immature audience either. I read them when I was 13.
And I have to agree with the people who have mentioned Robert A. Heinlein, whom never published a bad book in my opinion, and also John Varley's "Steel Beach" which is one of the best books I have ever read, Sci-Fi wise. Nice tribute to Heinlein in the book.
Hey Rob, Thanks for that tarball!
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." - Jed Babbin
Man's unique agony as a species consists in his perpetual conflict between the desire to stand out and the need to blend in.
72656B636148206C72655020726568746F6E41207473754A
Great polish master Stanislaw Lem would be my favorite, with books like "Solaris", "Fiasco" etc... ... well away form computers.....
Of course this would lead you to another big artist
rusian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky... and meditation after this could lead you
-The Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy, even though it's not traditional sci-fi, it's a must read.
-Any short story(or collection thereof) by Philip K Dick. Not the novel's though, they are generally not worth the effort, short story's are what he's good at.
-Vurt, by Jeff Noon.
-Dreamsnake, by Vonda N Mcintyre.
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Although the first Science Fiction I ever read was a collection of short stories intended for adolescents, which may have been entitled "Way Out!", the first actual novel I remember reading was Ray Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles".
It's a collection of unrelated and loosely-related short stories and novellas about mankind's initial exploration of, colonization of, and eventual abandonment of Mars.
I also find myself often re-reading E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensmen series, which is currently available from the Science Fiction Book Club in a two-volume set that I highly recommend.
Mainly classics; by date of publication. Not all are fit for 13-years old people.
The links are to detailed reviews of the linked books.
- Tal Cohen
In addition to those already posted...
Stranger In A Strange Land - R. A. Heinlein
Childhood's End - A.C. Clark
If you can find it, there was a collection of short stories entitled:
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1
I recommend it highly.
I'd recommend the Enders Game series :Enders Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind -- I haven't read the new 'parallquel' yet.
Unlike Asimov, Card can really write about people. Asimov is very good at producing scientifically believable scenarios, whereas Card deals with philosophical issues.
(Warning though, I started various people in my house on the series and we've started having clashes as people wait for the next book to be available)
Timothy Zahn is also one of the good ones, at least IMHO.
the 2001, 2010 ... series by Arthur C Clarke.
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Before you go off and fill your little Neice's head with Sci Fi, make sure she gets a healthy exposure to the classics.
Sci Fi is a great way to get childern into reading, however, they may fill up only on it, ignoring the classic readings that makes up her/your culture. For example, if she is an American, reading a couple of these: Animal Farm, 1984, Catch 22, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Of Mice and Men, and anything from Egar Allen Poe (Little heavy for the young) would be a good start. I only say this since I meet to many people who have not read any of the American classics in America.
Remember that the Classics are the foundation that most of todays readings are build on.
Linux O Muerte!
My favorites:
Asimov,
Iain Banks,
Terry Pratchett -- yeah he's more popular for pounding out one Discworld novel after another, but he's written some SF as well.
And let's not forget the venerable Arthur C. Clarke.
Also, our reading list would not be complete without sci-fi *short stories* the "Year's Best SF" anthologies are excellent.
Well, I just started reading Sci-Fi this past summer and started with the Foundation series too. Fantastic series. By the way, read Forward the Foundation last. Chronologically it's second, but gives away a lot. Definitely last.
Dune by Frank Herbert is good stuff, but you probably don't want to bother with the whole series - I quit around the 4th book because it was getting too repetitive for me.
William Gibson is great as far as visualization and the worlds he creates go. A few of the scenes are a bit more than you might want your 13 year-old daughter to read, but there's nothing that bad. By him, I've read Idoru (his best, in my opinion), Neuromancer (classic, you'll want to "jack in" too), Count Zero (pretty good), and Mona Lisa Overdrive (not fantastic, but still decent).
Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon. READ.
Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451. Good stuff.
Heller's Catch-22 is great. So is Burgess's Clockwork Orange, but that's almost definitely more mature than you want to read with your daughter.
Then there's George Orwell. I don't know if he's really Sci-fi, but he's definitely worth reading. Animal Farm, 1984, and Coming up for Air are all really good.
Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is one of the best books I've ever read.
If you've got a while to spare, and you're in the mood for some fantasy reading, there's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but those are pretty hardcore.
Hope this was helpful. Have fun reading.
I never did like to do anything simple when I could do it ass-backwards. - Neuromancer
Another classic of scifi is "A Canticle for Leibowitz". It has been a long time since I read it, and I wonder how it would hold up, now that the cold war is over. I wonder if youth is still being scarred by the potential for potential nuclear anihilation at any moment. I imagine that post-nuclear holocaust fiction is loosing its appeal.
"The Stars My Destination" (also called Tiger, Tiger), and "The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester. Faranheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, "Lord of Light" by Roger Zelazny. All Classics, all suitable for 13 years olds.
Leo
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Here we go:
"Ender's Game", and all the sequels, by Orson Scott Card.
"Dune", by Frank Herbert. Don't bother with the sequels, they only get worse.
"Foundation", like you said. The sequels on this one are actually pretty good.
"Citizen of the Galaxy", by Robert A. Heinlein. My friend's dad read this one 27 times as a kid.
"Tunnel in the Sky", by R. Heinlein. This one is one of the coolest things that guy ever wrote, IMHO.
The Lord of the Rings ("The Hobbit", "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers", "The Return of the King") by J. R. R. Tolkien. Yes, I know it's not really science fiction. Sue me.
"Watership Down", by... um... Moving right along, this one's not really SF either. Read it anyway.
"Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes. Last I checked, it's a short story, but I heard it got made into a novel and a movie, too. I've never seen those, but the short story is great, even if it's really sad.
**An Author Review:
(just 'cause I feel like it)
Asimov: This guy's great. Read everything he ever wrote.
Tolkien: Ditto. What can I say?
Niven: Comes up with fascinating and bizarre premises for his stories, but they all end up kind of boring. That's not the right word. You can easily read them all the way through, they're just never that exciting.
Arthur C. Clarke: This guy's pretty good, but the beginnings of his books tend to be incredibly boring. If he wrote it himself, it's safe. But if he coauthored it with Gentry Lee, it's not necessarily appropriate for children.
Robert Heinlein: There's some ok stuff in there. His earlier stuff is better than his later stuff. Also, he has a tendency to make the beginnings of his books way more exciting than the endings.
That's all...
...for now!
(cue ominous music.)
Try Stanislaw Lem. He is one of the classic authors with a very philosophical view. F. Herbert - Dune G. Orwell - 1984 A. Huxley - Brave new World D. Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide There should be a law to read these 4. I personally also like 'Andromeda' by M.Crichton.
Surely you could throw in at least 2001 and Childhood's End.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
Podkayne, mentioned a few other times, is DEFINATELY the place to start. My dad started me on science fiction with this very book when I was about 10. Heinlein had a few other ones that were of this length and maturity level for the reader... The Rolling Stones (Space age family Stones, travelling, stranded.. didn't appeal much to me) The Beast (very good... boy has a pet sentient dinosaur. gets him in lots of trouble) there was another series of books, can't recall the author, about a small number of humans on a planet populated by sentient teddy bears who sincerely believed that they were the characters of whoever they'd read in english lit. One ofthe books opened with "Casey at the Bat" there was sherlock holmes as well... For some reason I associate Niven with this... Also get Dangerous Visions, a collection of stories... or Dangerous Visions, Again.
For a young reader I would definately reccomend Asimov's Robot series. These really explore the funadamentals of science fiction very well and are also great introductions to logic problems, too. I, Robot is a set of short stories that explore the theme of the Asimov's rules of robotics. The Foundation series is a must, but is probably a little more advanced than the Robot stuff. Those are more politically oriented, IMO, but still excellent novels. Finally, The Gods Themselves is a little-known Asimov favorite of mine. It's about scientists discovering an unlimited energy source. It also teaches a little about atomic physics (though there is a reason why it's called science fiction :) )It has some mature-ish themes though (sex and stuff) so you might want to read it before your daughter.
The Gap Story is simply some of the best Sci-Fi around. The series consists of 5 books, and is an extremely enjoyable and thoughtprovoking read.
Iain M. Banks
- particularly his Culture books are exquisite. His prose is excellent, his humor even better, and his universe immaculately built. Without humans being at the center of everything (Earth is considered contacted in a short story of his, and that's it), it is simply brilliant. My favourite.
-- As long as the answer is right, who cares if the question is wrong?
If you want to start reading science fiction I can't think of anything better than to start with some short story anthologies. You get a wide breadth of sub genre's, in bite size chunks. Maybe start with a collection of hugo award winners......
Possibly the finest science fiction novel Robert Heinlein has ever read :-)
I'd try Snow Crash first, personally.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
It's interesting to see that the books/authors listed so far, fairly well cover my entire book collection. I guess geeks have similar tastes.
The author nobody has mentioned so far it Terry Pratchett. His books (in the main) are very much comic fantisy rather than SF but seem to appeal to the geek crowd.
Start with the diskworld novels (23 of them at the last count) with The Colour of Magic[1]. Be warned however that once you have started one book you are likely to go on to read all the rest. Be also warned that his books will make you laugh out loud which can be rather embarrasing if your on the train at the time.
Diskworld is a flat pizza shaped world that flies through space balanced on the back of 4 elephants which are in turn on the back of a rather large turtle. It gets weirder from then on. (For the nerds, there is a computer called hex that is powered by ants. To give it more power, the local Wizards have been trying to get More bugs into it!)
[1] Note the spelling of Colour.[2] He is an English author.
[2] Terry Pratchett[3] likes to put notes at the bottom of his pages.
[3] His notes are a lot more funny than mine are.
wot no sig
Since I'm a more classic SF fan, I recommend Robert Heinlein. I've always enjoyed his imagination (of future scenarios) and his plotlines, although sometimes his characters may be a little lacking. Asimov is of course very good, and the entire Foundation series is a masterpiece along with all his robot novels. Arthur C Clarke is another master of SF, but he barely needs mentioning. Of course there's the elusive Douglas Adams, but you can't call yourself an serious SF fan until you've read some of his Hitchhiker trilogy. If you're looking for other funny SF, try Harry Harrison.
:)
Well, that was a short selection from my bookcase. I have tried reading some of the more recent SF authors, but they seem to be either only action or endless political drivel, which both get boring quickly.
Oh, nearly forgot to mention William Gibson, but he needs no mentioning.
Cheers
Costyn.
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I have to say that my favorite science fiction books are written by Dan Simons. I know he has written many horror stories, but his Hyperion books are some of the best I know. They include Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion.
They can also be somewhat hard books to read because they include many different characters, time-periods and worlds. The list of different topics, subjects and themes covered in these books is huge. Cloning, nanotechnology (no kidding :), interstellar travel, AI (a lot!), philosophy, religion, the Internet (in it's future form), love (you asctually get a technically description on what love is, as seen with a physicists eyes. No I won't even try to explain, but it's very interesting) and much(!) more.
Endymion
is mostly short stories mixed together in a bit confusing plot... just to give you some insight in the characters' backgrounds. The stories are great and varied. One of my favorites is the one about a private detective, who has to figure out why her client was nearly killed. It turns out that her client isn't a real human, but a part of the kernel (or whatever it's called), and that the kernel was trying to eleminate it's own creation.
The Fall of Hyperion
has the same main character nearly all the way. He's a cybrid - a part of the kernel. All his dreams are about what happens on the planet, Hyperion, where the first book took place. He's the only one who knows what's happening down there. But everyone want to know whatøs going on - especially the main administrator, Maina Gladstone, because it'll have influence one the outcome of the war between humans and the others (don't remember what they're called=). I turns out, that Hyperion is the only factor, that the UI (Ultimate Intelligence) can't calculate, and therefore no one knows how the outcome of the pilgrimage on Hyperion will affect the rest of the universe.
The end of these two books is nicely done and gives all the answer you've been waiting for ever since you began on the first book. That's one of the things that keeps you reading. The curiousity. But it also gives you new questions to think about... which are answered in...
Endymion and The Rise of Endymion :)
are somewhat different from the two first books. They take place 100 years after the end of the last hyperion book. Personally, I think The Rise of Endymion is the best of them all, but it'll be hard to tell about it without telling what happened in the end of The Fall of Hyperion, so I'll leave that to you to find out
I must say I enjoyed all the books... well... execpt for the first 50-60 pages of the first book maybe, but after that... ;)
Pretty Good saga. Very good literacy. It really kicks ass.
Roger Zelazny's Amber series might be good for that age as well
HG Wells: Definitely a father of the genre. A man with a very sharp and accurate vision, as well as a great understanding of human nature. Much of what he wrote actually accurately predicted the social events and technical achievements of the 20th Century.
Titles to check out:"The Time Machine", "Childhood's End", "The Invisible Man".
Philip K. Dick: A writer who examines the ideas of artificial life and questions the fundamentals of reality.
Titles to check out: "The Electric Ant" (a short story), "We Sell Dreams Wholesale" and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" (from which the movies "Total Recall" and "Blade Runner" were taken).
Once you are familiar with the themes and attitudes of the genre, treat yourself to:
STANSILAW LEM: A brilliant and humorous writer, who may be a bit over-technical at times, but performs fun mind stunts and presents some good brain teasers. He's entirely hilarious. His material was originally written in Polish, but most of it has been translated into English. :)
Titles to check out: Anything you can find
And of course everything by:
Douglas Adams: Again, a very humorous story teller, whose characters and scenarios are entirely unforgettable.
Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series (all have SSR in the title) is great, and funny, and 12yog-safe.
The Xanth series (Golem in the Gears, Question Quest, Demons Don't Dream, The Color of Her Panties, Vale of the Voles etc) was actually aimed at/near the 12yog market.
If you like "Space Opera", most of EE "Doc" Smith is 12yog safe (Lensman series, SubSpace Explorers, SkyLark).
Recommend visiting a library and browsing.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
I have spent the last few months reading the chungkuo series by david wingrove, and it was amazingly good!
But do not give it to your young neice cuz it is loaded with violence and sexual activities. It is a bit too much for a young heart.
Read all of the Heinlein books for children. I wouldn't recommend the following RAH books to a 13-year-old:
Farnham's Freehold
Sixth Column
Stranger in a Strange Land
Number of the Beast
I Will Fear No Evil (actually, I don't recommend this stinker to ANYONE)
Time Enough For Love
To Sail Beyond the Sunset
Pretty much everything else (including the "adult" The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and all of the short stories) would be suitable for children. Depending on the maturity of the child, Stranger and Sixth Column would be OK. The others should wait a year or two.
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I am quite a fan of Carl Sagan's Contact. Yes, the characterizations are horrible, and the book is not really literature.
But Sagan really spices up the book with tidbits of science, and other tidbits of speculation about alien intelligences. For instance, until I read Sagan's book I had not understood the importance of radio astronomy. I sort of thought that astronomers just peeped through telescopes like Galileo.
Marjo Wycam, Master of the Programming Arts
nt
Did people forget the incredible
"hitchikers guide to the galaxy" by Douglas
Adams?
By the number of posts in response to your question it's obvious you have hit a resonant chord with the /. readers. What does that mean? Good sci-fi, like the books on these lists, makes you think. It opens your mind to new possibilities. The best of it even permanently alters the way you perveive your surroundings. I know this happened to me when I read "Stranger in a Strange Land". I would never think of religion in the same way again. The /. readers are a pretty free-thinking lot. Many of them were probably shaped in adolescence by the books on these lists. The question then becomes, are you ready for your daughter to think for herself and ask you some very uncomfortable questions? I have a 13 year old son who has read some of the books listed here. He asks difficult questions which I try to answer with as much candor as possible. I would rather have a curious, free-thinking child that occaisionally makes me uncomfortable than a bland conformist. You must however gauge your daughter's readiness as well as your own. Some of the books people have listed deal with subjects most 13 year olds are not ready for yet. "Cryptonomicon" for example is an excellent book but has very mature sexual themes. I have suggested to my son that he wait a few years before reading it. Note that I said _suggested_. At this age ordering him not to read it would only make it more desirable and defeat the whole purpose of opening his mind to think for himself. I guess my advice would be to take the many excellent lists presented here and condense them into a reading list for yourself. As you read them, create an ordered list for your daughter of increasingly mature themes. Then sit back, watch her grow, and look out for some tough questions and brilliant new ideas!
"Shredded cabbage and mayo go good together." Cole's Law
selfexplaining.
"Neuromancer" by William Gibson is a must read for sure.
I am not too sure if it is the perfect material for a 13 year old though.
Thomas Schmid athschmid@gmail.com Skype: athschmid
Science Fiction is a bit of a dirty word when it comes to the mainstream, just look where the books are usualy sectioned: at the back, barely lit and poorly kept. Just look at the movies (or don't even). It's mostly seen as the fodder of spotty teenage buys which is a shame.
To digress, what needs to happen is an image makeover much like Country music made some years back (dropping the "Western" stigma).
The best SF IMO is the soft stuff, something that happens to have an SF element, but isn't out and out hard core with lots of pseudo techno-speak.
Book-wise that'd be a lot of stuff by P.K. Dick, The Man In The High Castle, Time Out Of Joint, Counter Clock World and, A Scanner Darkly.
Pulp fiction also makes worthwhile reading, so Robert A Heinlein's classic Starship Troopers and the whole EE "Doc" Smith series.
On film you simply must see Tetsuo: Ironman, Akira and the two usual suspects, Blade Runner (directors cut of course!) and 2001: A Space Oddysey
I'd also name check The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham - haven't started it yet though.
I'd agree with most of the other replies, there's one that I loved as a teenager that I haven't seen listed yet. The first book in the trilogy was 'The White Mountains' by John Christopher, the other two in the series are 'The City of Lead and Gold' and 'The Pool of Fire'. I first read this series when I was in elementary school - and loved it. The main character is young, although he's almost old enough to be capped (when you read it you'll understand).
As far as the other suggestions - Piers Anthony is great (definately review bio of a space tyrant before you read it together), Asimov, Heinlein, and Dune by Frank Herbert.
Start with "On Basilisk Station" and work your way through them - excellently written space war with a strong political and social angle.
-
sig sig sputnik
As a young reader I remember enjoying Heinlin immensely as well as the "Flinx and Pip" series of Alan Dean Foster. I think all books in Foster's Commonwealth universe are a great kick. The concepts in the '40-'50s scifi novels are easy to grasp for young readers, more cowboyish, less quantuum physics. My books are all boxed up now, Clifford Simack (unless I've mangaled his name) was another author I enjoyed a lot.
My recommendation would be to head to a used book store and start of with the tried and true favorites!
There have been a lot of good books mentioned. But you said "books and movies", and no one has mentioned movies yet.
Movies are hard. Hollywood has not had a lot of luck translating SF themes into film. Films tend to rely on F/X rather than good story when trying to do SF.
But here's my off-the-cuff list of reasonable SF movies, in no particular order:
SF-stories:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Destination Moon
Brazil
Alien
Twelve Monkeys
The Truman Show
The Terminator
SF-Setting, but not so much SF stories:
Aliens
Star Wars:
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Phantom Menace
Forbidden Planet
Terminator II
Fantasy:
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Dark Crystal
Labyrinth
The Last Unicorn
I'm sure others can come up with more.
The whole Shanarra line of books is classic, as is the Magic Kingdom series... Ender's Game, without question one of the best books that I've ever read. Anything else by Orson Scott Card is great as well. The new book Ender's Shadow is AWESOME! Probably the best book in the ender series since Ender's Game. The only thing that could've made my 25 hour flight from Bali to NYC bearable!
Asimov was my first step into sci-fi and Iain M. Banks has recently been my favorite "hard" sci-fi, but I would also have to mention:
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Snow Crash, The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Stand on Zanzibar - John Brunner
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, VALIS - Philip K. Dick
Ringworld - Larry Niven
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
The Cyberiad, His Master's Voice - Stanislaw Lem
Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Earth Abides - George R. Stewart
"What thou shalt not, I shalt did!" -Bart Simpson
- The Heinlein juveniles (duh)
- Anything in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (I'd start with one of the earlier books, like Mort or Equal Rites). This is fantasy but still funny and accessible
- My wife recommends Pratchett's juvenile series (starting with "Only You Can Save Mankind") but I haven't read them yet. You might also check out "Good Omens," which he wrote with Neil Gaiman
- Short story anthologies, especially older ones. I would look through them first just in case, so you can recommend some stories she might want to skip for a year or two.
- R. A. Lafferty is one of my favorites, even though he's definitely not in the major pantheon of SF gods. This guy thinks different even for a science fiction writer. Try finding an anthology called "Nine Hundred Grandmothers." One of the first stories that got me hooked on science fiction was "Slow Tuesday Night," and if you really want a hoot try reading "Hog Belly Honey" out loud.
--
Someone you trust is one of us.
I'd also suggest, especially for a 13-year old girl, Madeleine L'Engle's wonderful series of books for young adults; I don't remember all of the titles, but "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Arms of the Starfish" were two that my kids devoured with pleasure when they were about that age (and that I read with no less pleasure).
Finally, and again with an eye to the youth and gender of the reader, I'd recommend almost anything by Ursula LeGuin. My personal favorite is "The Dispossessed", in which she presents a very believable contrast between a world poor in resources but rich in the character and strength of its people, and a world like Earth, whose people are blind to the riches bestowed upon them. LeGuinn's Earthsea series is aimed particularly at the young adult market. Again, I enjoyed those thoroughly, reading them as an old adult.
What a wonderful thing to contemplate, being 13 and just beginning to dig into such a sumptuous feast. Enjoy!
Everything possible to be believ'd is an Image of Truth - Wm. Blake
Others have mentioned many fine S/F series but I would definitely include Julian May's Saga of the Pliocene Exile series amoung the best.
Her series starts off with "The Many-Colored Land" and consists of 4 volumes and a follow-on series called Intervention. It examines the consequences to society of the development of telepathy in humans coupled with how society might react to contact with a large organization of advanced aliens who offer much if humanity can demonstrate an ability to coexist peacefully with them.
This summer, a bunch of friends (at a summer program) who were all really big readers wanted to share with each other their fave books. Thus was created the 4A booklist(fourth floor, building A)... I hung out with the girls a lot, and had made some recommendations to one of them, and she said "Just write them all down, and we'll put them on the booklist." This thing is pretty big, thanks to Jodie's love of sci-fi, SF, and fantasy. Somehow she distinguishes between the former two. Here's the site, run off my box.
A Wrinkle in Time, Starman Jones, Farmer in the Sky, and of course The Time Machine. Start in the past, work to the present. If you do it the other way around the classics seem cliched.
-- Crutcher --
#include <disclaimer.h>
Agreed! Although I do feel the need to sound a warning here: Do _not_ start with Starship Troopers. It was the first novel by Heinlen that I read, several years ago. I was thoroughly shocked by the book, and decided that I would never read anything by that !@#! fascist again. Several of my friends have expressed the same sentiment. I was, of course, severely mistaken. While I still don't think that ST is his best book--not by a long shot--I have read numerous others, and I am know firmly convinced that he is not a fascist.
Your opinion about ST might differ, of course. Just make sure you have a look at it first.
I don't entirely agree. The first three Foundation novels were _very_ good, but the two latest ones (in the timeline) were not at all that good. They're easy to spot because they are much thicker than the other two. The plot in those two books is simply much more susceptible to Asimov's weakness: cardboard cutout characters.
Another author that I believe bears mentioning is Joe Haldemann. 'Forever War' and 'Forever War' are both masterpieces. Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series is also very good. In fact 'To your scattered bodies go' is the first book that I read in English, way back when I was about the age of your niece. 8-)
--
Big Gaute (not to be confused with LG)
"There was a time when a guy who died at forty was revered as the toughest
and most doggedly ancient son of a bitch in Cow Ass Clearing, Shitoleshire,
Engalond, back in the year dot." - Spider Jerusalem, Transmetropolitan #25
I won't mention most of the books I like, but one that I did not see mentioned was "Minds, Machines, and Evolution" it's a collection of short, I believe by James P Hogan. Most are very thought provoking stories, and easy to read in a night.
It's the 21st Century Do you know what your government is doing
I read The Martian Chronicles when I was 12, didn't understand a thing, and avoided him for years. Lately, I just "fall over" _The Illustrated Man_ and some other Ray Bradbury collection, and loved them. Similarily, I read _Ubiq_ when I was young, and my impression was that it was "too weird". Back then I much prefered the straight-forward stories of Asimov, Clarke or Niven. My guess is that most people will need to age before they can read and appreciate the multiple layers of Bradbury or Dick's work.
Dan Simmons, on the other hand, is very straight forward in comparison. He might be some weird universes he builds, but they still make sense in a more obvious way. Or maybe it is just because I did read _Hyperion_ as an adult.
Arthur Clarke's "2001"-books. I enjoyed the first books when they were out when I was a kid.
Like someone already said, anything which makes her think is good. Stanislav Lem, Bradbury, Gibson.
I'm afraid you're mistaken. In 'God Emperor of Dune', Leto talks about various dictators from the past, mentioning Hitler and how many he killed. His majordomo remarks that 'that's not very impressive'.
Also, most of the religions are very clearly base on contemporary ones. In 'Chapter House Dune', a group of jews play a pivotal role.
There were other signs as well, such as the scattered having revived 'ancient military ranks' such a Field Marshall etc. but I don't remember them all.
--
Big Gaute (not to be confused with LG)
"There was a time when a guy who died at forty was revered as the toughest
and most doggedly ancient son of a bitch in Cow Ass Clearing, Shitoleshire,
Engalond, back in the year dot." - Spider Jerusalem, Transmetropolitan #25
Some suggestions that I didn't see posted yet (includes fantasy - you won't be able to separate them a lot of times!): 'Hardwired', 'Aristoi', 'Ambassador of Progress' - Walter Jon Williams 'Damnation Alley', the 'Amber' series - Roger Zelzany the 'Moreau' series - S. Andrew Swann the 'Dorsai' series (and others) - Gordon R. Dickson The 'Saga of the Exiles' series - Julian May the 'Deverry' series - Katherine Kerr 'The Fionavar Tapestry' (and others) - Guy Gavriel Kay the Chanur/Merchanter/Alliance books - C.J.Cherryh the 'Berserker' books - Fred Saberhagen 'Santiago' - Mike Resnick the Greg Mandel books and the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy - Peter F. Hamilton 'The War Against the Chtorr' series - David Gerrold the 'Deathworld' trilogy - Harry Harrison As always - read them first yourself; some of these are pretty hard edged and may not be suitable for your child. They've been mentioned already, but I'll recommend them without reservation as _must-reads_: the 'Honor Harringtion' series - David Weber the 'Vor' series - Lois McMaster Bujold and Anne McCaffrey is perfect for a juvenile audience. That lot should get you hooked! (Remember, the first taste is free....)
C.M. Kornbluth
Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore
Frederic Pohl
Harlan Ellison
C.S. Lewis
Octavia Butler
Stanislaw Lem
Stanley Weinbaum -- A Martian Odyssey
Many great SF books are out of print. A used SF book store is worth visiting for a wider selection of books.
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
Not really 8-) MC is very heavyily an allegory. It's about the white man's conquest of America, McCarthyism and a whole slew of other things. It is one of the very best books that I have ever read.
My copy is called 'The Silver Locusts'. I believe this is because the book was renamed for the British market, or at least the old Corgi edition was. Just something that's nice to know if you want to go looking for it...
I think this is a good idea, if only because the Lensman series and Martian Chronicles are very much at opposite ends of the literary spectrum. It's a very good way to show of the range of science fiction.
--
Big Gaute (not to be confused with LG)
"There was a time when a guy who died at forty was revered as the toughest
and most doggedly ancient son of a bitch in Cow Ass Clearing, Shitoleshire,
Engalond, back in the year dot." - Spider Jerusalem, Transmetropolitan #25
I would recommend _I, Robot_, by Isaac Asimov, a collection of short stories chronicling the development of robots from the 20th century onward. more: _Citizen of the Galaxy_ and _Have Space Suit, Will Travel_ by Robert Heinlein _Childhood's End_ by Arthur C Clarke _Ender's Game_ by Orson Scott Card although not purely sf, i would recommend the Wrinkle in Time trilogy from Madeline L'Engle: _A Wrinkle in Time_, _A Wind at the Door_, and _A Swiftly Tilting Planet_.
Everything by:
Fritz Leiber
Philip K Dick
Clifford D Simak
Iain Banks
Alfred Bester
Greg Egan
Neal Stephenson
Rudy Rucker
John Barnes
Samuel Delaney
Greg Bear
Something by dumbass William Gibson just to understand why he's an idiot.
Robert Heinlein (not everything but at least The Beast, The Rolling Stones and some of the other novels targeted towards the younger audience - this is where heinleins storytelling really shines)
What else...
Robert Holdstock
Alan Garner
Ursula K LeGuin
Mostly brit fantasy but has had an impact on the sf scene as well
The weirdo that wrote Lanarch is readable as well as is Chris Priest and a bunch of others I guess.
I've had a wonderful time, but this wasn't it -- Groucho Marx
Being way more of a book-geek than a computer geek, I have some advice: Choose sf books that aren't just great books, but great books that also serve as "gateway art" to other horizons-broadening material, eg:
Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 is a good sf book, but Kubrick's film version is big-G Great; likewise Lem's Solaris and Tarkovsky's film version. Get 'em hooked, then you can introduce all the other great Kubrick and Tarkovsky movies that would have seemed boring to them before, and pretty soon they'll be begging you to take them to Godard retrospectives instead of the arcade. Phillip K. Dick's, Alfred Bester's, and Robert Anton Wilson's sf+ styles are influenced by/reminiscent of the big-G Great literature of guys like James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, Samuel Beckett, Donald Barthelme, and William Burroughs (to name a few)--and kids hate that stuff, because, without context, it just seems "difficult"; likewise Neal Stephenson is a kind of lightweight, more-entertaining version of Thomas Pynchon or William Gass. Etc, etc.
If you can use kids' interest in sf to get them interested in other, related, more "arty" art (made more accesible thanks to experience with similar, but less haughty stuff), you're doing them a great favor. I basically did this for myself when I was that age--chased "links" around the library and video store, instead of the internet--and I turned out to be a real smartypants because of it. The more of us the better, IMNSHO.
Your mouth is like Columbus Day.
Although it is more fantasy than Sci-Fi, I've found that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien is a classic.
I read Orwell's 1984 in 6th grade (is that 12?). I wasn't even an advanced reader. I had friends reading much harder stuff. Don't allow her to shun the whole genre just because the first book she read was to simple. I wouldn't worry about mentioning sex; may be avoid too much of a description. At 13 she knows the mechanics, you just don't want to spark too much interest.
;-)
Recongnize that there are many styles.
1. Fantasy (I don't like, so there is just one fantasy style
2. closed end SF -- Asamov is my favorite example. More questions are answered than asked in his stories.
3. open end SF -- Brin is my favorite example. At the end of the book, you have more questions than you started with (My favorite style).
4. cyberpunk/highly stylized -- BladeRunner (a movie), Snowcrash, Idoru.
5. good books that aren't SF like Willis's Dooms Day Book and Stephenson's Zodiac.
Then realize that some writing styles challenge more that just your imagination. I am reading Difference Machine for the second time in two months and am having problems putting the whole story together. I would toss Asimov in with the easy readers and Gibson in with the tough readers.
The best book ever written is Earth, by David Brin. My father who only reads Clancy style fiction loved the wealth of ideas presented in the book.
Joe
Joe Batt Solid Design
Cyberiada by Stanislaw Lem is a masterpiece. Actually, it is the reason that I am now learning polish, so that I can read it in the original language. Be reading it.
There are other excellent SF reads such as short story collections and magazines. Try the best of year,Hugo awards or nebula awards collections . I also used to enjoy reading Analog and Issac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine .
Awright, moan, this is a NICE thread!
:)
:)
:)
:) but do read the three first Foundation books.
:)
:)
First of all, Sci-Fi probably is the most underestimated, and over-estimated genre at the same there is.
Underestimated by the people who do not read (SF) an think SF is about Princess Leia and the seven lightsabre's. Over-estimated by the people who think Neil's Cryptonomicon is a bible. Highly over-estimated by Sir Arthur C. Clarke who does not let an oppurtunity go to point out he more or less invented sattelites in geostationary orbit, in a science fiction novel. Or me, having to agree with Neil and Arthur
But Science Fiction is a big name.
Fantasy, Gothic horror even, and other genres are often intermingled.
So here is my list of workable genres, all more or less related to the Big S and F.
Historical
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851. Frankenstein
IMHO not only the first SF, but also a Great Story. The plot of man-created machine revolting against his creator, is still a main motiv. Consider Asimov's Robots.
Jules G. Verne 1828 - 1905
Voyages Extraordinaires
Jules Verne wrote a whole slew of fantastic travel stories, including travel to the inner of the earth, the moon, 20.000 miles under the sea and lots lots more. Thou most of his technical ideas he got elsewhre, a must read. A major changer of views in the world in his days.
Fantasy
Lewis Caroll 1832 - 1892
Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass
Again, bordercross, but.. but..
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
`Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jujub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
Nuff said.
J.R.R. Tolkien 1892 - 1973
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
I admit. I'm border crossing here. But am I? Look around you on th net; we have trolls, flames, rings, wizards, the hi tech world is full of magic
40's 50's American SF
All of Asimov
R.A. Heinlein
Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harch Mistress
A controversial but highly interesting author. This is a Geek with Guns awright.
F. Herbert 1920-1986
Dune
A Masterpeice, good movie too
Modern Stuff, Cyberpunk
Clive Barker
Books of Blood, Weaveworld, Imagica
Perhaps 12 y/o is a little early for Clive, but his fantasy/horror stuff is unmatched.
Walter Jon Williams
Voice Of The Whirlwind, Metropolitan, City on Fire
Some very well written modern Science Fantasy cyberpunk adventure. I admit, my own definition, but this is what it is!
William Gibson
Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic
Last but least king of Cyberpunk Gibson. fast paced, ultra realistic, prophetical hard core SF. Boy I love it
I dont pretend to be the least complete, there are many lists, but this list is mine.
HugZ SlashDread
Its funny som many people are mentioning if the books talk about sex at all, I am sure she see more sexual material on MTV than are in any of these books, except some of Heinlein's. Anyway I was reading these books when I was 13 and aren't girls more mature?
I can't believe no-one's mentioned Heinlein's classic "Stranger in a Strange Land" - although maybe a bit heavy on the religion side.
Also, one of the best intros to William Gibson is surely "Burning Chrome" - short stories, so excellent for the kid.
Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" is good, but for a better Sci-Fi vision read "The Diamond Age", which deals with nanotechnology and is pretty relevant today. Also, the main character is a little girl, so your neice will probably be able to relate more to it.
-- /. ID is lower than Bruce Perens'!
Barry de la Rosa,
public[at]bpdlr.org
My
I used to like Heinlein, but then I read "Farnhams Freehold". All the black people in it are evil, and most of the white ones stupid, except the 'hero' and 'heroine'.
Heinlein said it wasn't racist, it was just a story. He got a lot of abuse over it. He then went out of his way in *all* later stories to have something to annoy civil liberties people.
Was he racist? maybe not, but he certainly had the same enemies racists have.
Read any Heinlien before FF (circa 1968-70), but accept that eveything after will appear to be racist in places IMHO.
A great pity he went that way.
Books
- Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun: Although Foundation has been brought forward (a book/series that I love) Caves of Steel was Asimov's first foray back into fiction after taking a many (~10) year hiatus. You'll notice that all the books writen after Caves of Steal are novels, where all those before are for the most part novellas. Plus he eventually wraps this storyline into foundation.
- Stranger in a Strange Land: This is probably my favorite book, period. From my meager readings of Heinlein's life, the character of Jubal Harshaw (my favorite character ever created) is as close to himself as he ever puts in his books. The fact that grok has found it's way into many english dictionaries says something for how influencial this book is.
- Dune: Much has been said on this list about this book, so I'll just leave it with the fact that because Herbert wanted to get the precience right and consistant, he wrote the first three books simultaneously. Dune is so strong that the following books don't quite hold up to it, UNTIL Heritics of Dune (Book 5), which I think is as good as Dune itself.
- Battle Field Earth: Ok... I know that the second L. Ron Hubbard is brought up, many people turn off their ears. Battle Field Earth has NOTHING to do with Dianetics or any other of the various reasons people don't like Hubbard. It is a really good (really long) stand allone story about a fairly likey outcome with an alien species who was advanced enough to show up here. (IMHO) They are also turning it into a film this spring (the first half actually), and I really dug the trailer for it.
- Red Mars: Kim Stanley Robinson writes really good sci fi, in the vain of Auther C. Clark. (i.e. Real science, no faciful explanations of things). The whole series gets you thinking about what it would be like to walk on the surface of Mars, and gets you thinking in Kelvins for tempature. It's a brisk 264 outside right now. If you ever wanted to go to space as a kid, this is really the next best thing
- Ender's Game: I finally read this, and it really was as wonderful as everyone said. It makes you start looking at ordinary things in different ways, like what does "down" mean in outer space. Very wonderful, and very good for younger audiences as well, as it tackles the idea that gifted kids are really just grown up minds inside kid bodies.
Movies- 2001: This is one of my all time favorite films. Kubrik and Clark really bring this together in a wonderful way. They wrote the book and script simultaneously, but reading the book afterwards is good to get some further explanation to the last 15 minutes.
- Forbidden Planet: Ok, so you've got Lessley Neilson as a strapping young space lieutenent, the introduction of Robby the Robot (later to get great fame in Lost in Space), and basically the story of Shakespeare's Tempest done in space. What more can you ask for.
- Close Encounter's of the 3rd Kind: Speilberg's first forray into the idea of alien life. This actually is my favorite movie. The original (1977) cut was a better story that the "enhanced" version (1980) cause it keeps you guessing longer. Do these things really exist, or is this guy just going nuts and playing with mashed potatoes. Can't wait for this one on dvd.
- Blade Runner: The only problem with this film is that you can't find the original cut anywhere. Once you've seen it once, you'll want to watch the directors cut exclusively after that, but the voice over by Harrison Ford (in the original cut) adds a lot to your understanding of the story.
TVAs I didn't want to be writing this thing all day, I definitely left out a lot of worthy books, films, and tv shows. There really is so much good sci fi out there, which makes me a happy person. Again, all of the above is IMHO.
There is no silver bullet. Plus, werewolves make better neighbors than zombies or vampires anyway.
You of course have to read the hitchhiker series.. Its a must read.
L Ron Hubbard has only 1 good book, which I do not have any more and will not buy again because of his scumbag religion Scientology, but the book is Battlefield Earth.
The Dune series by Frank Herbert is a must read..
Pretty much anything by Arthur C. Clarke is a good read.
Most of my books are Fantasy, but this list will get you started quite well... from there you can see what you like and go from there. If you get into fantasy, Drop a note and I'll give you a huge list.
Just three more hours seapeople and you can finally take me away from this crappy God Damned planet full of hippies
I've found a lot, lately, that I treat my reading the same way I treat my web-surfing (and my music-listening, for that matter). I let myself see links between one thing and another.
For instance--if you start with Asimov, you'll notice that there's a science fiction magazine that's called Asimov's. As it turns out, Asimov's is an excellent magazine, and makes a great introduction to the world of science fiction. All the greats started by reading pulps, and these days, the good pulps are really good.
While you're reading Asimov's, there's a book-review section in the back of the magazine--go read it. Norman Spinrad and Baird Seales are both good book reviewers, and very rarely do they miss the mark--at least, I find myself agreeing with their reviews more often than not.
Oh, but if you want a specific recommendation from me, I'll just list one of my recent favorites (and last year's Hugo award winner for Best Novel): To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.
--Dave
With that in mind, I'll mention a few that I think may be appropriate for a younger reader, and then mention a few that she may want to investigate as she gets older, or if she proves to be a precocious reader. I should note that some of these books have serious literary value, while others are genre "fluff" that I would include in any (more) complete overview of "science fiction".
Books for now:
Out of the Silent Planet - C.S. Lewis
Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey
To Ride Pegasus - Anne McCaffrey
Shockwave Rider - John Brunner
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
His Master's Voice - Stanislaw Lem
Engine Summer - John Crowley
Impossible Things - Connie Willis (short story collection)
The Bloody Sun - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
Battlefield Earth - L. Ron Hubbard
Moonflash - Patricia McKillip
1984 - George Orwell
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Tiger, Tiger - Alfred Bester
The Trial - Franz Kafka
Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
Doorways in the Sand - Roger Zelazny
The Postman - David Brin
The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson
Books for later:
Replay - Ken Grimwood (explicit sex)
The Gap series - Stephen Donaldson (rape, torture, violence)
To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis (plot complexity)
Split Infinity - Piers Anthony (explicit sex)
Glimmering - Elizabeth Hand (complexity)
The Books of the New Sun - Gene Wolf (complexity)
Beauty - Sheri Tepper (rape)
Stand on Zanzibar - John Brunner (complexity)
The Sheep Look Up - John Brunner (complexity)
A Fire in the Sun - George Alec Effinger (sex, drugs)
Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand - Delaney (sex, complexity)
Hyperion - Dan Simmons (sex, violence, complexity)
Both lists are woefully incomplete, but I'm sure that within a few hours there will be hundreds more messages naming books it would have taken me hours to recall. Besides, after you and your daugher read a dozen or so books off the many lists that have been posted here, you'll have a better idea of what you like and what you don't, as well as a better idea of where to look.
Good luck!
These are the books we covered in Comparitive Literature 342: Introduction to Science Fiction. (Who decided to abbreviate that as CLit, anyway?)
- Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
- The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells
- assorted Asimov short stories
- We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin (inspired 1984, but was better)
- Neuromancer, by William Gibson
- The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
- The Futurological Congress, by Stainislaw Lem
- Ubik, by Philip K. Dick
- Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
- R.U.R., by the brothers Capek
- Last Human, by Doug Naylor (a Red Dwarf book)
The following books should have been on the list, but weren't:
- Ringworld or Protector, by Larry Niven (I prefer Protector, but Ringworld is easier to understand if you haven't read other Niven books in the Known Space series)
- anything by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide or Dirk Gently)
- The Stainless Steel Rat books
- Dune, but that might want to wait until your daughter's a bit older.
- W. Blaine Dowler
http://www.bureau42.com
I found it was great for me when I mixed some of the better science fact books, like Asimov's Chronology of Science & Discovery. That gave me a good sense of how very plausible a good scifi story is. If you totally put reality aside, you might as well read fairy tales (not that that's bad!).
It also taught me that much of real science is waaaaay ahead of scifi technology.
Is there anyone else out there who just doesn't like old science fiction? I think the problem I have is when they use gimicks. For instance, it is quite obvious that Snow Crash and even Neuromancer are gimicky. The technological changes they predict, while interesting, are unlikely to come true in the form written. But at least for now, we're not quite sure, and it seems reasonable, even highly entertaining.
But then look back at Martian Chronicles, and what do you see? Sure, it may be a deeply allegorical bookk, but that doesn't mean it's not free of its own gimicks. Pointy rocket ships and nuclear generators as the most amazing thing in the world? These things hamper my willing suspension of disbelief. I just can't believe the story when I hear about men in big bubbly space suits riding in giant pointy space-ships. I'm sure the same thing will happen if I try to read Snow Crash 20 years from now.
The only old science fiction I can stand is the kind that doesn't rely on gimicks. More specifically, the kind that doesn't read like it was written in the 1950s. The Stars My Destination. A Canticle for Leibowitz. And to a lesser extent (because their age is more obvious) Foundation and Dune. My biggest obstacle in Foundation was getting over the fact that everyone had names like they were from 50s sci-fi B movies. Other than that it's pretty age-clean (other than the fact that chaos theory shoots giant flaming holes in its underlying premise).
Don't get me wrong, I love gimicks, and I think they are great supplements to the plots of modern novels, but they are fleeting. Look at Hyperion for instance. I bet half of it will seem incredibly stupid in 20 year, and the other half will still seem as engaging and brilliant as ever. Ender's Game on the other hand, strikes me as though it sacrifices gimicks to concentrate solely on human beings. I think this is a good sacrifice to make.
Any other recommendations for sci-fi that's old but doesn't seem like it?
Try "the man in the high castle" and short stories. Later, you may want to try "a scanner darkly" for it's super confusing flow. If she finds his style interesting, throw in a few non-sf, the one I particularly liked was the typewriter salesman story (it's name escapes me right now).....
The 2001-3001 series of four books make a really interesting read from a historical point of view. The first installation, 2001, was written as an adaption of a screenplay from a 1968 movie, and 3001 was a relatively recent work, published in 1997. Aside from a relatively intruiging storyline, I think one of the most interesting aspects of the series is the evolution of ideas that Clarke has pertaining to his view of the near future. As we close in on 2001 in real life, we note that very little of his view of the then-future has come to fruition, not due to a lack of technology, but from a lack of direction. As 2001 in the real world is just around the corner, and 2010 is just beyond the horizon, it's an interesting time to dig these out and read (or re-read) them. One of the universal truths that he depicts quite well in the series is how he portrays the ability of The Suits to never be able to conceptually grasp a Good Thing and ultimately mess it up. 2001 is the only one of the series that "reads" a bit poorly, compared to the others, I would suggest renting the movie as well, Stanley Kubrick does an amazing job; keep in mind this is a 1968 film.
NO CARRIER
Douglas Adams - the increasingly inaccurately named "Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy" trilogy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul
Larry Niven - Ringworld, The Ringworld Engineers
Off the top of my head...
Of course, you can't go wrong with the classics, Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke, LeGuin, etc... Keep a bunch around for culture...
Remember to counter-program Heinlein's Starship Troopers with Harrison's Bill The Galactic Hero series to balance out viewpoints.
The Adventures of The Stainless Steel Rat by Harrison should be on the bookshelf...
Hmmm... Some of Keith Laumer's BOLO stories, and the franchised storiess...
Anything by Robert Forward,
Everything by Larry Niven, (Dream Park...)
Most Jerry Pournelle,
David Brin -- Uplift Novels... The Postman (Don't let Kevin Costner's movie get in the way...)
Regarding Terry Pratchett, The out-of-print early discworld novels are being reprinted. I understand that the first (?) (The Colour of Magic) is due out next month (I Think!), as well as the paperback release of The Last Continent.
I need to build bookshelves and get these books out of the boxes I'm storing them in!!!
peace
Mike
Technology -- No Place For Wimps! Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Chatroom -- http://www.wemissjerry.org
There are alot of short stories that are writen by Ray Bradberry that would be good for anyone from 12 years old and on. Also I would However sometime down the road Getting the full Hitch Hikers Guide to the galaxy and reading it. But if you can't wait, there is a big picture book (that has the full story in it, it's just lots of cool eye candy and kind of a big font. Well thats all I got's to say.
Even though Shelley's criticism of man's attempts at harnessing power he should not have are still jermaine to what's going on today with genetic engineering and cloning, Frankenstein is ridiculously plodding and uneventful at the beginning. Some argue that this is a deliberate attempt to demonstate complacency and repression in Victor, who then finds a voice for this in the guise of the monster. I don't buy it. Just like Windows NT, Frankenstein is great in concept, but the implementation sucks.
Well I find it kinda strange that everyone is giving reading advice to a 13 year old no-one has met
How do you know she's not into Nancy Drew or Dragon Z or BackstreetBoys or Insync?
What about SF books FOR 13 year olds and not for 18-55 Geeks?
The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
Robert Anson Heinlein is about the best pulp scifi author i've ever read. There's precious few other authors in the genre worth readin, but I've found Kevin J. Anderson to be worth reading every now and then, even if his writing is a tad juvenile. I've heard that there are other worthwhile authors in scifi, but I've yet to see hide nor hair of them. T.A.N.S.T.A.A.F.L. !
David Weber's Honor Harrington series is good for the 13yg crowd, It's Horatio Hornblower in space, with a Female protagonist. Elizabeth Moon's stuff is great too. Keith Laumer is good, but scan it first, some stuff is pretty far out there. Some mike resnick anthologies, and the first 3 Callahan's novels by Spider Robinson (last 2 get a little mature)
Ok, here's the books that I like the most:
:)
The Illuminatus! Trilogy and Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson (watch out, sex and violence)
Connie Willis' Bellwether
Stephen Brundy's Rhinegold
Larry Niven's Ringworld
Armor by John Steakly
The Space Trilogy by CS Lewis (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength)
Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun
Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion
Tolken (duh)
Patricia A McKilip (anything by her is great)
The Dune series by Frank Herbert
Neil Gaimen's Neverwhere
The Gunslinger series by Stephen King
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series
Anything by J V Jones
Tad Williams' Otherland
Avaryan Rising by Judith Tarr
Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, and Crown of Shadows by C S Friedman
Smoe Dragonlance is OK
The annual short story sci-fi compilations are usually of good quality
Neuromancer or Idoru by William Gibson
Havn't read him, but I hear Neil Stephenson is great
Ursula K LeGuin (pretty much anything, I like the Left Hand of Darkness the best)
Douglas Adam's Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (his Dirk Gently books ain't bad either)
The first book of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (I view the rest as utter crap)
Clive Barker (Imajica and Weaveworld are great)
The Myst books aren't so bad
Anne McCaffrey (pretty much anything)
Orson Scott Card (anything)
H P Lovecraft (anything)
Well, I know I'm forgetting a ton but there's a preliminary list... hope you like it
If you think you know what the hell is going on you're probably full of shit. -- Robert Anton Wilson
If you think you know what the hell is going on you're probably full of shit. -- Robert Anton Wilson
jdube is who
Read anything by James P. Hogan. He writes great hard-core sf.
I'd recomend anything by Elizebeth Moon. "Once a Hero" is one of her more current titles. I
Although probably not be very suitable for a thirteen year old, it's a must read for the rest of you.
"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance" - Derek Bok
Isaac Asimov
Arthur Clarke
Ray Bradbury
Robert Heinlein
C. J. Cherryh (sp?)
Roger Zelazny (Amber series in particular)
Kurt Vonnegut
Greg Bear
Ben Bova
Robert Anton Wilson
Enjoy
-- Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong. - Dire Straits
A lot of the books mentioned have very strong themes of sex and violence - I'd stay away from them simply because there's really _great_ stuff out there without it.
1) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - excellent for adults and 13 year olds alike. Even better if you both like it, the sequels explore the same themes on more mature and in-depth levels.
2) Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time series (which I'm suprised no one has mentioned) Absolutely marvelous, and has a young girl as a heroine, as opposed to most of the rest of SF.
3) More "fantasy", but great for a 13 year old is Ursula LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea and its sequels. Again, great for kids and adults alike.
4) Read the classics as well - Farenheit 451, Animal Farm, Brave New World, 1984 etc. Personally I think Heinlein is a bit too mature and has a real nasty streak of misogyny in most of his works - maybe not the best for a 13 yr old girl.
- Nate
Red Dwarf all the way, baybee!!!!!!!!!!
I'd suggest some sci/fi like Greg Bear, Asimov, RAH, Kim Stanley Robinson, and a dash of fantasy from Terry Brooks. /(Slant), The Forge of God, Anvil of Stars
Greg Bear- Moving Mars,
Asimov- anything dealing with robots, I believe Gold was his last collection of sci/fi short stories, Foundation also, Magic is a collection of fantasy
RAH- I've only read Stranger in a Strange Land, but I loved it, might not be appropiate for a 13 y/o though
Robinson's Red Mars trilogy is a rather dry read, but it does offer insight towards are society in the future
Terry Brooks has a wonderful collection of fantasy starting with the Sword of Shannara. I believe there were 8 books in that series. Last was released a few years ago.
Phone fraud, reckless misuse of advanced technology, theft of intellectual property...and the list keeps growing.
The greatest Sci-Fi author IMHO is without doubt Stanislaw Lem. He wrote over thirty books, most of them surpassing anything I've read so far by anyone. Try: 1. Solaris 2. Peace on Earth 3. The tales of Pirx the pilot 4. The Cyberiad 5. Eden 6. Invincible 7. Fiasco There's many more but these are the ones that stand out. However I should warn you the stuff is a little more complex than Asimov.
Absolute Magnitude
All in One Universe
Century of Science 1950-1959 : The Greatest Stories of the Decade,
Don't Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear (especially for your niece)
Far Horizons : All New Tales from the Greatest Worlds of Science Fiction
The Good New Stuff : Adventure Sf in the Grand Tradition
The Good Old Stuff : Adventure Sf in the Grand Tradition
The Sfwa Grand Masters
Women of Wonder : The Classic Years : Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s
Women of Wonder : The Contemporary Years : Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s
Use your local library!! Check out new authors on the cheap!
Finally, three specific authors to try, IMHO; Robert A. Heinlein (for you) Anne McCaffrey (for her) Ben Bova (for either) Enjoy!
This has been a test. If this had been an actual Sig, you would have been amused.
Most of these books are the initial books of a trilogy or series. If you enjoy a book, then you will probably enjoy the series. One exception: Don't waste your time reading Rama the XXIX Meets Godzilla or any of the other horrible sequels to Rendezvous.
If you read Heinlein's Starship Troopers then you must read Haldeman's Forever war to get a balanced perspective.
I've listed a large number by Heinlein. These books are mostly targeted towards the youthful reader.
After you've read some of each and gleaned all you can from them... The ultimate Sci Fi summary (rather like that ultimate Country and western song 'You don't have to call ne Darlin' Darlin') You must read 'Venus on the Halfshell' by Kilgore Trout (Kurt Vonnegut) But then everyone should read a lot of Vonnegut...
morturii
don't have 100, but in no particular order, books that affected my life: Dune by Frank Herbert. The rest of the sequence is not nearly as good, I got bored. BUT, DUNE is a masterwork Almost anything my Heinlein. Methusalah's Children, Red Planet, Star Beast for younger or early reading, Starship Troopers (forget about the movie, read the book) a fascinating discussion of how things maybe ought to be. Stranger in a Strange Land and Time Enough for Love, for older readers with more challenging concepts. Old stuff by Theordore Sturgeon, Cliffard Simak, really great shorter novels that are really still quite wonderful to read. Piers Anthony wrote significant sci/fi before going to Xanth. Macroscope, Ominvore, there are more. He's an entertaining read. Arthur Clarke: 2001 space oddysey, etc. All very good. The Rendezvou with Rama books, all good. Classic and classy stuff. Ray Bradbury, I don't care for his sci/fi for some reason. But, get and read Dandelion Wine. A simple and deep treasure. venturing away from sci/fi, but justifiable I think, Moorcock and his Eternal Champion Multiverse can be read and left and revisited etc. Elric of Melnibone is fascinating. Also, The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. Read The Hobbit first. Glorious reading. And, The first and second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Sweeping prose, action so intense sometimes you have to throw the book down and splash your face with water and just pant a while. Hope you enjoy. My list does not do service to the genre. But, I enjoyed all the above immensely. Good Reading. msc
"Hey ya'll, hold my beer and watch this!"
-- Last 5 seconds recorded on black boxes installed in SUV's in Texas...
It's possible that Snowcrash, Steel Beach and the Ian Banks books are a little deep for a thirteen year-old. Look also at the Wrinkle in Time series by Madelaine L'Engle and the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper In the "if she's ready" category the Gregory Benford series starting with Across the Sea of Suns. She's lucky to have an Uncle who can help...
Orion Publishing have recently issued a reprint of some classic works which I am reading through at the moment. I have not yet go to the end of the list but have not been disappointed by anything I have picked from it yet, my only fear is that they will go back out of print before I can buy them all!
My favourites from this list are:
(in fact, any Philip K Dick is great)
I would also suggest any amount of HG Wells, there is a good set of his SF in two Omnibus editions. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy cannot be missed and it is always nice to stray into the fertile fields of fantasy writing (Tolkein always a good one to begin with). I have always been disappointed by series tie-ins like Star Trek and Star Wars books, they end up being far too formulaic and lack the real beauty of good Sci-Fi.
Always try to remember that the best thing about Sci-Fi is not the inclusion of high tech wizardry or new life forms but some big idea, a slight difference in the universe to the one we live in and a journey of discovery by the author and the reader to find what that difference might entail.
There is no conspiracy
My thought on the Hitchhikers Guide is that it makes fun of a lot of common themes and specific ideas in science fiction, so you will get more out of it after you've read your way around the genre.
Just picking it up as one of your first science fiction novels would be kind of like moving in from a very foreign country (no American TV... if such places still exist) and watching Simpsons: it would still be kind of funny, but not nearly as much as if you recognized all the pop-culture references.
I think Robert Silverberg is being unfairly excluded from this discussion. Sure, he spans the range from ignorable hack to overliterary, but there are some real gems in there. I think, especially for a younger reader, the Majipoor trilogy would be an excellent choice. Perhaps followed up by "Born with the Dead".
Seeing that the potential SF reader is 13, a great place to start is Heinlein's Juvenile novels. Quick reads, not too complex, without dark overtones that a lot of modern SF has, which could turn off younger readers. For example
Star Beast
Podkayne of Mars (original version, save the version with the updated last chapter for later)
Red Planet
Most of the novels Robert A. Heinlein wrote in the 50's were Juveniles. He wrote them on contract, and while they may not be his best work, it is a good lead in to his later novels, which are the true classics of Science Fiction. You'll have to guage the maturity of the new SF reader as to when to introduce her to his more "Adult" novels, such as Stranger in a Strange Land.
Harry Harrison's books can also be a lot of fun, especially the "Stainless Steel Rat" series, which was great entertainment for me when I was that age (and younger).
Short stories are also a good place to go- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction has a wide variety of new and established authors in every issue. Heinlein's "Future History" series of short stories and Larry Niven's "Known Space" are also great because they give a sense of continuity to the collections of short stories.
David Gerrold, especially the war against the chtorr series(though not for young people). This is the best all time books I have ever read. I will give you a clue. David Gerrold wrote the trouble with tribble episode for Gene Roddenberry way back when and that episode still ranks has a number one choice For star trek. These books are outstanding in their range of topics covered.
Enjoy,
Joe
I don't think Adams plays in the same league with Asimov or Verne for example. Just like Terry Pratchett is not really a fantasy writer, Adams is not really about SF. I still enjoyed the series when I read it of course, and it's probably the right thing for his 13 year old niece.
Someone is wrong on the Internet!
This is a troll, but...
Egad. Don't kill your 13-year-old's interest in scifi forever! Foundation is one of the most boring, political series I've ever tried to read. Go for some better (or simply, more lightweight) stuff like _Positronic_Man_... that's the (awesome, lighthearted) book that the Robin Williams movie "Bicentennial Man" was based off of. I've never seen the movie, but the book is very good, I read it many times over.
Starship Troopers is one of my favorite books. This is not to say that I think it depicts the ideal society. The book is not a manifesto, propaganda, or a poorly executed satire (as some well-meaning fans think). It's more like The Republic -- it's supposed to make you think, not tell you what is right. The questions it raises are valuable in themselves.
As for my opinion on the most controversial bit: in the context of the U.S., I don't think the vote should be limited more than it already is. (Young people and some felons cannot vote) But this is mainly because voting restrictions would quickly turn into a political tool, like the tax code, or redistricting. It is a shame that most people don't care to vote, and it is tragic that those who do tend to vote selfishly. Although people are basically good, in any large democracy there seems to be a problem with a lack of civic-mindedness.
In any case, I highly recommend the book to any child or adult old enough to reason for themselves. The opinions in it are strong, but unlike TV commericals, it does not try to brainwash you. (The movie, on the other hand, is a grievous insult to any sentient being.)
I myself am not into science fiction, or fiction of any sort at all. I'm into historical accounts, both past present and future. That's why I prefer Star Trek; both the the television series' and the books. So, no to science fiction, yes to future history.
Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings
Jordan - The Wheel of Time (10 books, 8 of them available, the author writes the 9th now)
Asimov - all of it
Terry Pratchett - all of it
Roger Zelazny - the Amber series (11 books)
and so much more;-)
How could you all have left these out -- from the master of sci-fi himself... The Road Ahead and Business @ the Speed of Thought : Using a Digital Nervous System by Bill Gates (Spanish editions are also available)
The Foundation series is awesome but I was younger I really loved Lord of the Rings, another awesome series. I think both would be great. It gives a little of the future and a little of the past (kinda).
One of the first science fiction writers, and arguably one of the best (though I admit to not having read too many science fiction works). His works provide a different perspective on technology and human history in that they often speak of things which have already come to past- one gets the chance to see science fiction fulfill itself. Good reading for any person, child or no.
I have read many "Sci-Fi" books and I would have to say that hands down the best Sci-fi book i have ever read would be "1984" by orwell.
- Cold as Ice
- The McAndrew Chronicles
- Borderland of Sol
- Godspeed
Much of the McAndrew Stories should be reissud as "The Compleat McAndrew" - well worth a read.you have moved your mouse, please reboot to make this change take effect
Walter M. Miller, Jr: A Canticle for Leibowitz, it is probably my favorite Sci-Fi novel of all time. A true classic of Sci Fi.
Okay.. neat thing about Heinlein is you can read his adult stuff (Friday, Time Enough for Love, etc) while your niece? read his younger audience stuff (Have space suit will travel, podkayne of mars, The Star Beast).. and then there are some that you can BOTH read, together, like Troopers, etc.
Now.. on to what I consider a MUST HAVE list for any self respecting science fiction librarist:
Heinlien.. pick a few threads you like and follow them.. or dont. *grin* but you should have SOME heinlein.
Asimov.. not just Foundation series, Robots Series.. read some of his anthologies too.. he had a knack for putting together some REAL good authors you would otherwise not have heard of.
A.E.Van Vogt (rest his soul) anything you can find by him.
E.E Doc Smith: the Lensmen.. foundation for some of the best space opera stories ever written.
Spider Robinson: do you have a sense of humor? she does.
Robert Howard for the more fantasy oriented, the L. Sprague DeCamp Conan novels are pretty good, Robert Adams..
I think one of the main problems today is there are VERY few "Science Fiction" authors left.. the dude who writes the Ender books and Greg Bear come to mind, but the rest of em all write Fantasy, and the only thing new I can find in science fiction at Waldenbooks is "STar Trek:TNG".. I think this is a problem.. we need to get this genre back, and NOT just for those of us who eat sleep and live IASFM and ANALOG....
THanks for your time.
Maeryk
Feminine Protection? What is that? A chartreuse flame thrower?
As a bed time story. He loved it.
Some of the best science fiction I've read has got to be written by Peter F Hamilton... give The Reality Dysfunction a go, it's excellent stuff!!
Warning, these books are based off of reading level, not content. Books may contain violence, sex, lots of gay people, or christianity.
A wrinkle in time. by Madeleine L'Engle
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - (Note: get a copy of The AQnnotated Alice by Martin Gardner
The hobbit. by J.R.R. Tolkien
Anything by Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein, Alan Dean Foster, or Piers Anthony
Darkover (any of the books) by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orsen Scott Card
The Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.
A decent collection of Science fiction, mostly suitable for children
Also, Please attend the Worldcon, this year it's in Chicago followed by Philadelphia, PA, then San José. We have a lot of things for you and your children.
of course, our little one is only 6 months old. Mostly he's an excuse to reread Harold and the Purple Crayon
I aplogogise for any redundancies. This list took awhile to compile and find the links, especially as the co-author was breastfeeding at the time...
-----
No Zen is good zen
Here's a good resource for anyone looking for the most popular Sci-Fi, determined by weekly voting.
1 00.html
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/6113/top
These books are all GREAT. You should thoroughly enjoy them, I know that I have.
--
I've gone and got lazy over the past 20 or so years, so I don't read that much anymore.
But, at about that age, I recall not being able to get enough of John Wyndham's stuff. The Chrysalids, Day of the Triffids, Chocky, The Kraken Wakes, Consider her Ways and others that I can't recall at the moment. Certainly not "pure" science fiction, and possibly a little bit UK-centric for a US reader, but a good read nonetheless.
Ahh - My eye!
The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!
Sometimes a book will win two or three of these, in which case it is a must-read. A lot of the books already mentioned, like Ender's Game, Left Hand of Darkness, Neuromancer, and Ringworld fall into this category. Happy reading!
/joeyo
2^5
I started reading JOHN WYNDAM books when I was 12 or 13. I'd recomend "the crysalids" or "day of the triffids". I still have fond memories of these books decades later.
Mi list will be something like:
Orson Scott Card: "Enders Game"
Dan Simmons : "Hyperion", "The Fall of Hyperion", "Endymion"
Clarke: "Rendezvous with Rama", "The end of the childhood" (maybe not for a 13y person)
Cj Cherry: "RimRunners"
Kim Stanley Robinson : The full series of the mars novels.
Jules Verne: From earth to moon, The experiment of Dr. Ox
HG Wells: evrithing, specially The war of the worlds.
David Zindell: "Neverness" and "The broken God"
Carl Sagan: "Contact"
Gregory Bendford: The cicle of the galactic center (5 novels)
Neal Stephenson: "The diamond Age" and "Snowcrash"
Asimov: The robot series, specially Bicentennial Man
The strugasky brothers. "The power of god"
Alice in wOnderland.
You want to boor this kid out of her mind?
It's better to wait to read the difficult, deep, classics.
For example, I read 1984 last summer, and it pissed me off because it was so slow and booring, but I got thorough it, and I think I got the point the author was trying to make.
At the same time, a friend of mine who was 14 was also reading 1984. When he finished and I asked him about it, he replied "It was booring and political, I don't really see what makes it such a good book."
Modern (Well, back at least to the 40's) SciFi is a wonderful genre because it forces the reader to think about deep philosophical questions, while they think they're just reading a fun story.
-- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
Anything by Niven and Pournelle (especially Footfall and The Mote in God's Eye)
Hyperion by Ian Simmons
The Chanur books by C.J. Cherryh
The Rama Series by Arthur C. Clarke
Contact by Carl Sagan
2001 and 2010 by Arthur C. Clarke
The Heechee books by Frederick Pohl
The Trigon Disunity triology by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Anything by James P. Hogan
Glory Road by Alan Dean Foster
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Friday, Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Steve -- If you have to call it a system, you don't know what it is.
Dune
-study of aristocracy, religious engineering and the creation of a messiah, rejection of computers in favor of the development of human potential resulting in continued relevance of human traits, race memory (though now discredited, it is still a fascinating idea), consequences of reliance on performance-enhancing drugs, the potential failures of perfect "prediction" of the future, the dangers of breeding humans
The Dosadi Experiment
-an incredible system of adaptive law, development of societies under pressure, the dangers of psychological experiments, underlying nature of human interactions stripped of pretext and niceties, the nature of bureaucracy, the illusion of democracy, sideline on manipulation through addictions, interesting ideas about controlling runaway progress
Starship Troopers
-jump engines, powered armor, a military-based limited democracy, a tribute to the infantryman of past and future, and a simple biologically motivated clash of intelligent species
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
-an anatomy of a revolution, the unexpected emergence of an AI, rational anarchism and the redeeming traits of criminals, realistic lunar colonization
Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars (3 books)
-despite the naive politics and silly interpersonal plots, the random details create an incredibly rich and plausible potential future that is extremely relevant to our time
Ok, the only science fiction book I would warn against because of possible sexual content would be Robert A Heinlien's _I will fear no evil_.
But then, I read that when I was 12, and I don't seem to have been harmed by it...
-- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
Asimov - "I, Robot" is a collection of short stories about the robots, little bite-sized entertainments. Asimov's at his best when he doesn't have to do character development, and only has to spin a tale. See where Star Trek's Data got his positronic brain, and the origin of the Three Laws of Robotics that just about every SF author uses.
Bradbury - "The Martian Chronicles" is a delightful slice of mid-20th century sensibilities, projected into the distant future. No hard science to speak of, these are stories of lonely people, homesteaders, soldiers, salesmen, racists, and the occasional native Martian. Bradbury has made an art form out of the bittersweet short story: look for "Kaleidoscope" and "I Sing the Body Electric" in the anthologies.
Card - "Ender's Game", as everyone here will tell you. Oh, and check out Uncle Orson's official web site.
Clarke - "2001" and "Rendezvous with Rama" were good stories with enough credible science to make it all seem plausible. "Childhood's End" is also good, but he lapses into some metaphysical crud that I found a little farfetched, if not tedious in places.
Heinlein - don't think anyone has mentioned "Time Enough for Love", which I've worn out a couple copies of. (Some sexual content, though no more than you'll see on the Fox network on any given night.) "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is wonderful, and I remember being entertained by "The Door into Summer" when I was a babe.
Niven - others have already mentioned "Protector" and "Ringworld". Niven does aliens really well, I was impressed by the Pak.
Niven/Pournelle - "The Mote in God's Eye" has a great description of an alien culture and ecology, very different and very believable. "Footfall" is an old-fashioned invasion-of-Earth-by-aliens romp, a lot of fun and no social value whatsoever.
Stephenson - I found "Snow Crash" vaguely entertaining, but a little bit of cyberpunk goes a long way. (I expect this won't do much for my moderation here.)
Tolkein - LOTR, of course. Don't pay your child's allowance until she finishes it. Two-thirds of all root passwords are place names from this book.
When I was in the 5th - 9th grades I remember I couldn't get enough of Madeline L'Engle Books. Especially A Wrinkle in Time. Loved them all...
- "Yeah man, I tell ya what, man...That dang ol' Internet, man...You just go one there and point and click...Talk about
I class some of the stuff in there among the greatest moments of science fiction, like the robot designers who learned the purpose of boredom.
Realizing why the stuff is absurd is as deep a lesson as you'll get from any sci-fi.
The Heinlein juveniles are a great place to start. Nothing you wouldn't want a 13 year old to read (I love Stephenson, for example, but not sure I'd recommend him for anyone under 16 or so.) /Have Spacesuit Will Travel/, /Podkayne of Mars/, /Citizen of the Galaxy/ are all excellent.
/Starswarm/ was pretty good.
Also consider Clarke--/Rendezvous with Rama/ has one "questionable" seen for children at the end, but is very thought provoking.
The Danny Dunn series of books (probably long out of print, but you might still find them at the library--I don't know who the author is) were a favorite of mine at that age.
Jerry Pournelle has started a new "juvenile" series.
Remember that "age appropriate" choices aren't just about being prudish--it also has to do with a kid's interests at that age, and identifying with the characters. Books with young heros/heroines may appeal to her more.
/. should set up a vote for favorite SF book (or story) of all time. Anything that hit the top hundred list is probably a pretty good read. I would also like to see the same list for fantasy, or maybe just a combined list as sometimes its hard to place a book in one or the other category. Here are my picks, trying to stay with things I didn't see very often. SF Picks: Anything by Alfred Bester Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois Bujold Gordon R. Dickson (stick to his SF not fantasy) Battlefield Earth (Ghost Written for L. Ron Hubbard, the man is a loser, but whoever wrote this story for him did a good job) Fantasy Picks: Anything by Anne McCaffrey Anything by Elizabeth Moon Anything by David Eddings Anything Robert Jordan (five stars!!) George R. R. Martin "Game of Thrones" Series
I love science fiction and devour it massively. Being a teenager myself (I'm but a young tyke) I figured I'd toss on my list as well. Most of these books, I'd read before I was 15, so although some material is Not for Kids (TM), smart teens tend to handle stuff better than some would believe.
;]
--Startide Rising by David Brin. Probably my first taste of sci-fi.
--The Hobbit --JRR Tolkien. I HAVE to find time to read the Trilogy of the Rings too.
--Dune --the whole series. I don't recall the author's name, but it's fascinating, intricate reading that goes fast.
--The Man-Kzin Wars --Created by Larry Niven. I found The Children's Hour fascinating. I love felinoid aliens.
--The Pride of Chanur --The entire series by CJ Cherryh. More felinoid aliens.
--Perelandra, Out of the Silent Planet, and That Hideous Strength --C.S. Lewis. It's a little dated, but Lewis is an excellent author, and these books are like candy. Check out The Chronicles of Narnia as well. They're aimed more for kids and are fantasy, but still, excellent, tasty reading.
--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --I nearly died. Killer British comedy. Hilarious. All five books of the trilogy.
--The Harry Potter series -- JK Rowling. This is aimed more for kids, and it's a little more at fantasy, but still hilariously British. Think a combination of Hitchhiker's Guide and The Hobbit.
--A Wrinkle in Time --Madeleine L'Engle. Quite possibly one of my favorite books. Very deep.
--Sphere --Michael Crichton. Get ANYTHING Crichton.
Happy reading, and good luck.
Angry IT woman in big clompy boots. And talking lint!.
- George R. Stewart: Earth Abides: A melancholic, but neither explicit nor scary story about the last human survivors of a disease. The grandfather of many post-apocalyptic stories. Very readable.
- Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (all parts): An incredibly funny story about life, the universe, and everything. The book begins with earth being destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial express route. Don't panic -- it's only the beginning
.. You can find all parts on the net for previewing. - George Orwell: 1984: Not much to say about that. Tell her about DoubleClick after she's finished reading it. You'll also find this one on the net.
If you're also interested in the science part of science fiction, get some of Carl Sagan's books, especially Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot (great space pictures in both). Many kids have become scientists after reading Sagan. He writes in a way that even clever 11-year-olds can easily understand, which is why so many Americans like his books--
Origins of Violence
--
A 13-year-old mind is mature enough to handle any reading material. In fact, the more time a person has to be exposed to wildly varied viewpoints, the better they will be able to deal with them. As for graphic sex, all it will do is teach them not to giggle at a younger age.
Expose a 13-year-old to Marx and they'll think their way out of it before they do anything stupid. Restrict their access until they reach 18 and you might have a revolutionary on your hands.
I have been trying to read my way down this list:
http://www.geocities.com/Ar ea51/Cavern/6113/t100189.txt
The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy list as ranked by 2,641 voters. It also ranks some of the more popular series and the individual books WITHIN that series.
I can't say that I agree with all the choices, but it is a good place to look for inspiration before visiting a bookstore.
Definitely Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. The Diamond Age by Neal Stepehson, but perhaps not right off the bat. Tea From An Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan. Aristoi by Wlater John Williams A Canticle for Leibowitz eventually some Ursula K. LeGuin and, although it's fantasy, I would recommend The Mists of Avalon. Neverwhere by Gaiman is also great, but only if your teenager is precocious.
Sci Fi is a great way to get childern into reading, however, they may fill up only on it, ignoring the classic readings that makes up her/your culture.
"Our myths, the myths of Tolkien and Homer, of Heinlein and Mallory are eternal; they exchange one name for another, cast off one mask and assume the next."
-- J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5
I'm not so sure I agree with your assertion that what academia says are "classics" are "must reads" just because they are classics. Even ignoring the circular logic, you have to understand that as JMS has so astutely observed, stories repeat themselves; it is simply the dressing, the flavor, that changes.
I don't think the "our culture" argument holds, either. I know I didn't relate to anything in any of those works you listed as well as I related to, say, Ender's Game. Niven, Heinlein, McCaffrey and Tolkien had far more influence on my life then anything pushed on me in school.
If I can be so bold as to speak for those other then myself, I suspect a lot of the Slashdot readership's "culture" is science fiction and fantasy before "traditional classics".
Now, keep one thing clear: I am not saying one should not read those works. Frankly, I think they are all very good. But the reason for reading them should be "Because they are good reads", not because they define some arbitrary cultural tradition that may or may not fit anyone personally.
Remember that the Classics are the foundation that most of todays readings are build on.
True, but you don't have to sleep on the foundation to enjoy the benefits of a well-built house. If someone wants to study the "classics" because literary history interests them or whatever, then fine. But it should be the reader's choice, as only they know what they like. Far too many teachers I've had in the past assume that they can like a book for me. It simply isn't true.
dragonhawk@iname.microsoft.com
I do not like Microsoft. Remove them from my email address.
--- Hot Shot City is particularly good.
I've also found that short story collections on particular themes can be fun, I remember loving, Machines the Think edited by Isaac Asimov when I was a kid, "A Logic called Joe" was prophetic! I wish I could remember who wrote that story, it might've been Henry Kuttner.
Oh, and of course read lots of Heinlein, Asimov and DeCamp, they are both good for you as well as entertaining.
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
Everyone's giving lists of specific books. I tend to think that's a bit too specific. (Also, I don't want to have to go find the name of all 200 good novels that Asimov wrote =P)
These are the best three sci-fi authors ever (IMNSHO), I reccomend everything they ever wrote (almost):
These authors have written their share of crap, but they've also written some gems:
I probably left out some important authors, but the wrightings of the authors listed above should give you enough reading for the next 10 years...
-- The act of censorship is always worse than whatever is being censored. Always.
I started off (admittedly a bit earlier than 13) on stuff like Harry Harrison, Douglas Adams, Doc Smith's Lensman series. It was only later I started getting into Frank Herbert's Dune, and Iain M Banks' Culture.
Good lord, it's like saying War and Peace makes a good reading primer! (ie. worthy, but no way is it gonna be read)
Can't believe it took 48 posts before someone mentioned Stephen Donaldson - the man is a genius, altho his stuff might be a bit harsh on 13yo's, but then that depends upon the individual 13yo as always - never make presumptions :P SF is great but should be enjoyed with its twin brother/sister (at least as far as me, and all the other geeks i know think), Fantasy... In general collections/anthologies of SF/Fantasy stories (especially the yearly Contenders for the Hugo/Nebula prizes, not exacly sure what they are called tho) are full of gems, and require a lot shorter attention spans than full-fledged books. Also, another author that no-one mentioned yet is Kim Stanley Robinson - his Mars trilogy is the most realistic I've read in a long time.... Also, Stephen Baxter writes good contemporary/realistic SF, and he seems to know a bit more about how PEOPLE (as opposed to machinery) operate compared to the writers whom he resembles in style, Clarke and Asimov.
-------------------------------------------
"Cheops' law: Nothing ever gets built
on shedule or within budget."
The Notebooks of Lazarus Long, by Robert A. Heinlein
Try this: read "1984", "Brave New World", then "Make Us Happy" in that order. There is a clear progression that is absolutely hilarious.
I'd recommend "Shatterday" by Harlan Ellison. He might be a little much for your daughter's tastes, but you'll probably like it. Also, "The Martian Chronicles" or "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury. "Martian Chronicles" is probably the best sci-fi book ever written. I'd really recommend it. Other good ones are the first three books in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCafferty, "Dune" by Frank Herbert (again, probably more for your tastes), and The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, which are technically fantasy, but great books anyhow! Captain Atom
The Guide is an excellent book for an aspiring sci-fi fan, especially because she can go back and read it again. But it gets better: /.er who has not read Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's hilarious and magical book about the Apocalypse, Good Omens. It's marvelous.
The Guide is not hard sci-fi. It is an excellent way to get readers interested in other grandmasters who blur the line between sci-fi and fantasy, like Terry Pratchett, whom I strongly recommend.
Pratchett is well-known in some circles for his marvelous Discworld Chronicles (see above). Premise: The world is flat and disc-shaped, and sits ont he backs of four giant elephants, who ride on Great A'Tuin, a gargantuan interstellar turtle (gender unkown). In the begnining, it made of fun of conventional 'trash' fantasy (hack-and-slash, wizards and swords, you the style). But now the fantasy is in the background, and it only serves as a vehicle for some of the greatest wisdom and insight of nay science fiction book.
Pratchett has also written some marvelous sc-fi, which is unfrotunately a wee bit hard to find, at least in the US. Strata, an unrelated precursor to Discworld is a wonderful book about a 200-year-old woman who creates planets and who discovers a disc-shaped world. It's like a comedic, sexless version of Ringworld. Intentionally, though. Niven apparently loved it.
Shame on any
I am still in the process of tracking down Pratchett's other, older sci-f books, such as The Dark Side of the Sun and The Carpet People. If you live in the UK, this might be a bit easier. *deep breath*
Lerry Niven is very good too, though possibly for someone just a bit older. Certainly one of his greatest books, Ringworld has a bit too much sexual content. But Protector is excellent as well.
I would highly recommend Arthur C. Clarke, especially the Rama books. But only the first one, Rendezvous With Rama. They go completely downhill after that (my theory: Clarke writes an excellent sci-fi book. He gives it to Gentry Lee, who takes out the best parts and puts in a lot of silly sex.)
That's all for this post...
===
-Ravagin
Karma: T-rexcellent.
The link I posted in the first message is rather outdated. Please use this address instead to visit the list as of 1/27/00:
http://www.geocities.com/Ar ea51/Cavern/6113/t100196.txt
Anything by Asimov is good, especially for a kid that is 13. I can't recall a single thing that I've read by Asimov that wouldn't be appropriate for someone that age.
Try to read Asimov's books in more-or-less this order:
Of course, Asimov's unrelated books and short stories (like The Gods Themselves, Azazel, etc.) are all quite good. Also, I highly recommend his non-fiction (especially Beginnings) if you enjoy his writing style and are interested in science, math, history, literature, or about anything else. :-)
My other favorite author is definitely Robert Heinlein. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much of his stuff is appropriate for a 13-year-old. Perhaps the best way to judge is to see when he wrote the book. Everything published after Stranger in a Strange Land gets more and more sex-oriented.
Off the top of my head (since most of my library is in boxes now), a few of the other authors I always liked are Poul Anderson (especially the Time Patrol books), Arthur C. Clarke, Fred Pohl, and Fred Saberhagen (good old-fashioned sci-fi in the Berserker series, weird sci-fi/fantasy mix in the Swords series).
Especially since they eventually tie together :)
If you think you can find enough Asimov to read it forever, I encourage you to do so. I always thought they were good scifi, but then I took a social science class and realized that the Foundation and the Robot series were presenting sociological theories that directly respond to and explain at least Emile Durkheim's writings. (Am I recommending Emile Durkheim's Division of Labor? I dunno. Maybe. Certainly isn't scifi though.) I found that to be pretty cool. Also, anything by David Zindell is pretty awesome. See my Slashdot review of The Broken God by Zindell.
Andrew Huntwork a-huntwork@uchicago.edu
Dune sucked! I'm serious here. I'm not baiting flame.
Read it again. "Ornathopters?" Come ON, Frank! I read Dune, and I was so turned off by Frank Hurbert that I've never read another one of his books.
Yeah, there was a good story there, but Frank didn't tell it!
Don't you think it's time to start communicating?
Asimov is good, but you want to try a few incredible classics as well.
"Starship troopers" by Heinlein, as well as his "A door into Summer", "The cat who walks through walls", and a few others involving Lazarus. Though beware that Heinlein's rather peculiar sexual tastes seem to come out in the later Lazarus series ("To sail beyond the Sunset" amoung others).
I must also strongly recommend "A Canticle for Liebowitz" which is an amazing book. It takes a while to slug through, but it is a wonderful story, more along the lines of a cautionary tale.
I also am a big fan of Niven's work, and would recommend that to anyone. I like his short stories, my favorite being the "Convergent series". His novels are good, but require a little patience as he introduces things that he thinks you know about (and you would had you read his earlier books). The "Integral Trees" is an interesting book, and I like the "Known space" collection of stories.
Frederick Pohl's got some interesting work, though some of it is inappropriate for younger readers. There are others as well, and I tend to pick up the ones I like by reading the large anthologies of sci-fi.
As for fiction, I cannot stop reading Tom Clancy's series about Jack Ryan. The book "Without Remorse" is an incredible read immediately after "Executive Orders". Beware, this is well over 2000 pages in total. It will take time. "Executive Orders" takes about 600 pages to set up the story, and the remaining ~758 are incredible. I do not like his recent Op-Center stuff, nor his Net Force stuff. The "Rainbow 6" was a dissapointment to me as well, in that it feels a great deal like episodes out of Op-Center, as compared to a real Clancy work.
I also just read Paul Hoffman's book "The man who loved only numbers" which is a biography of Paul Erdos (without the umlauts, sorry). This is a wonderful book, and a bright child (an epsilon) will enjoy it tremendously. I also cannot get enough of Richard Feynman, and I heartily recommend the "Surely you are joking Mr Feynman" as well as some of the other accounts, such as Paul Davies "Genius". The latter book is a harder read, but Feynman was such an incredible character that it makes it worth it.
I've been reading SF since 1958, when I was six. I started with A.E. Van Vogt's "Voyage of the Space Beagle," a book upon which some sort of TV series was based many years later. I remember the book clearly - and far more fondly than Star Trek, which was a pallid thing by comparison.
By age eight I was a major Heinlein fan, to the point where my great fictional childhood role model was "Kettle Belly" Baldwin. (My "real life" role model was a friend of my grandmother's named Ray Bradbury, who put the idea into my head that I might one day be able to earn a living as a writer.)
Back to topic at hand:
My offbeat SF reading suggestions are Mark Twain's "Letters from the Earth," "Adam's Diary," "Eve's Diary," and "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven." These works are often packaged into a single volume, and are all worth reading not only on their own merits but also because they are where RAH got many of the pithy quotes he put into the mouths of characters like Lazarus Long, Prof. Bernardo de la Paz, Jubal Harsaw, Hugo Piniero, Sgt. Zim, and the other "wise but tough father" figures he used in almost all of his books and stories.
Yes, Heinlein plagiarized Clemmens. Frequently. I don't mind, but I think it's nice to know the original source wherever possible.
Indeed, much of the "theology" in "Stranger in a Strange Land" and later Heinlein books is somewhat derivitive of Twain's satires on Christian behavior. I often got the feeling that Heinlein had read Twain's beautifully ironic short story, "The Man Who Corrupted Hadleysburg," even more times than I had.
Some other Twain SF recommendations:
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
- Tales for Good Old Boys and Girls
- Tom Sawyer, Aeronaut
These books may not be suitable for TV-raised teeners. 19th century writers tended to move slowly by today's standards. But they're excellent works and well worth the time of an adult who wants to delve into "science fiction" that was written long before Hugo Gernsback coined the term in the 30s.
- Robin
There has been good advice given for literary reasons, and I'm sure you found the names of all the most famous authors you know anyway, (Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Heinlein, etc.). You can't go wrong with those, if you read up on what to read from each of them. (The web has resources for this sort of thing, I just don't happen to remember where. Check up on their fan pages).
A lot of what has been rocommended is fairly heavy stuff, and pretty dark too. (Donaldson is very dark. Reading should be accompanied by Pink Floyd's Meddle and Obscured by Clouds). Maybe you and your niece don't want to read for literature's sake. Maybe you're rally into Star Wars, and Star Trek (hopefully the old stuff), and other fairly light sf. In that case, I'd recommend what Heinlein classified as the "Fantasists". Still of literary quality, but less (or no) doom and gloom.
To find a some of the origin of popular sf, trace back through Star Wars, and Star Trek into the pulp sf of the fifties and early sixties, that the greates sf writers grew up on. See what inspired them. Get the Lensman series by E. E. Smith. Keep a dictionary handy. His style requires good reading comprehension.
I can't believe nobody's mentioned Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom stories. A 13-year old niece might really enjoy those. Still of literary quality, but full of princesses, and heroics, all that good stuff. Speaking of which, READ THE PRINCESS BRIDE. Not sf, but you'll certainly not regret it if you enjoyed the movie. And if we're going to venture out of sf into fantasy, Lord of the Rings should be required reading (but not in school).
A short story in an anthology can be a good way to get a preview of an author. In fact, I'd recommend "The Road to Science Fiction," by James Gunn. Sort of a historical anthology with commentaries, in chronological order. You'll get some notions of the history of sf, and a taste of each author. Very usefull.
You can't go wrong with sf. Even though the name doesn't describe the genre very well. Sf is the only genre that can explore absolutely any topic, because absolutly anything can happen to anybody, in any setting. All of the other genres exist in sf. There are sf mysteries, drama, love stories, fantasies, ...everything.
You will eventually find the stuff you like. Fan pages and anthologies can give you a hint of which authors you might like. Even though there are so many opinions of what sf to read, I have never heard of anybody who didn't think Ender's Game was great.
So go get some Orson Scott Card. I don't know your niece, she may not pick up on all the nuances. I wouldn't have at 13. But she could easily be sharper than I was back then. She may not get it all, but she will be entertained. Mugen P.S. I'm posting anonymously because I lost my password the last time I shattered Windows. Maybe the time before. And I don't have time to wait for my password to be mailed back to me and filter though my ISP way out here in the sticks.
Everyone else on the Internet has chimed in; I might as well, too.
:-)
:-) Cheers!
Must Reads
Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Bradbury. They still pack more ideas into a small space then any truck-full of cyberpunk.
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit should be read as young as possible, as kids can enjoy that sort of story much better then adults. Later on, they can try out The Lord of the Rings, but that requires some work to appreciate it fully, so go easy early on.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Quite simply one of the best books I've ever read.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Follow up with the sequels if you like (you will).
Personal Favorites
The Dragonriders of Pern series, by Anne McCaffrey. A pleasant mix of sci-fi and fantasy, with excellent characterization in relatively light reading. And you'll fall in love with the dragons, too.
Larry Niven. One of my favorite authors, his stories pack an education in the human condition and physics into the same space. I recommend his two short story collections, N-Space and Playgrounds of the Mind. If you prefer something longer, Ringworld is great. I also recommend The Mote in God's Eye, an excellent First Contact novel, and as Robert A. Heinlein (yes, him) said, "Possibly the best science fiction novel I have ever read."
C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia is an excellent series of fantasy, in the classic tradition of the fairy-tale. If the reader hasn't lost that childlike sense of wonder, they are excellent books. (There is also some Christian allegory if you like that sort of thing, but you don't have to get that part if you don't want to.)
I'm going to stop now, before I list my entire library.
dragonhawk@iname.microsoft.com
I do not like Microsoft. Remove them from my email address.
...is definitely Timothy Zahn.
No, he is not just a Star Wars author! Some of his best work has been non-Star Wars. *ahem* My picks:
+ The Conquerors trilogy: Conquerors' Pride, Conquerors' Heritage, Conquerors' Legacy.......First contact has gone horribly wrong. Mathematics are supposed to be universal, right? So why do the aliens - dubbed the Conquerors by a slimy race called the Mrachani - open fire seconds after the First Contact vessels begin transmitting the FC Package? In the first book, Zahn constructs a picture of a human civilization attacked in cold blood by an indestructible alien force. In book #2, he builds the picture again...of a sophisticated, complex alien civilization attacked in cold blood by a powerful human force. In book #3, we find out why both pictures are accurate. It's a bit weak on characterization, and lacking in romance where any author would have put some, but it's a very powerful saga with a rich universe and one that I personally feel everyone should read.
+ Triplet.......There's that old saying - Clarke's Second rule? - that sufficiently advanced technology looks like magic. And this book proves it. Swords that shoot lighting, flying carpets, demons...The world of Triplet is actually three worlds, literally right on top of each other, linke dby mysterious 'Gateways': Threshold, a barrren wasteland just emerged from nuclear winter, Shamsheer, a medieval world of hidden high technology, and Karyx, where everyone can summon spirits to do their bidding. But the spirits don't have to like it...
+ Cobra.......I laugh every time I read this book, and its sequels (Cobra Strike, Cobra Bargain). Zahn let me down here: There are these soldiers who have lasers impanted in their limbs, servos in their muscles, and armor over every bone. They are....Cobras!....hee hee hee....it reads like a comic book...and yet raises some good points. If you can track down a copy, read it. Please.
+ The Icarus Hunt......Zahn's latest work. Marvelous! I can't tell you anything beyond the premise (a down-on-his-luck smuggler gets hired to carry a mysterious cargo, which every person in the galaxy is after), 'cause it'll ruin the book and its ending, which is borderline deus ex machina. But prods some serious buttock, as Terry Pratchett says.
Well, enough melodramatic reviews out of me. Enjoy!
===
-Ravagin
Karma: T-rexcellent.
Millennium books has a great series called SF Masterworks that has very nice titles such as Philip K. Dick's "Do androids dream of electric sheep?", Richard Matheson's "I am legend", James Blish's "Cities in flight", Olaf Stapledon's "Last and first men" and the absolutly fantastic (IMHO) "Lord of light" by Roger Zelazny which I really recommend. You can send a mail to smy@orionbooks.co.uk for info on the series.
For those of you who don't have a permanent connection or prefer being able to save your game, here's the actual game .
I am the only one who thinks that 'Foundation' is a bit much for a 13 year old?
I admit that might have been about when I read it, but I barely got through it. I could be wrong about that, but there are plenty of good Sci-Fi books that aren't nearly so demanding, so why take a chance? If you try to teach someone to swim by throwing them into a whirlpool you are likely to teach them that swiming sucks. Start with a wading pool. Baby steps.
Sigs are awesome huh?
I recently read A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge. It was an excellent novel. Probably not the greatest thing for a 13 year old, but older readers (I'm 19, I don't mean that old :) would definitely enjoy it. It is a bit slow in the beginning, but once it gets going it is a very gripping novel that explores many new (or at least new to me) ideas, and puts an interesting spin on ideas that others have touched on before.
Has anyone else here read it? I'm horrible at giving a good idea what a book is about without spoiling it. Someone else want to provide a non-spoiler synopsis?
-Matt
-Cheetah
While she is largely known for her fantasy and witch world novels, Andre Norton wrote some excellent (IMHO) sci-fi novels, which I remember as being great when I was a kid.
Try the Solar Queen series, along with the Zero stone series, and Forerunner books. Most of the ones I read were written before 1980, so they may be a little bit hard to find. She just started writing for the Solar Queen series again, so looks like I may have to visit a bookstore.
Also, while people generally abhor Pournelle, King David's Spaceship was excellent. And no-one appears to have mentioned Niven/Pournelles Oath of Fealty, The Integral Trees series, and The Legacy of Hereot (try reading a good translation of Beowulf first).
While he writes fantasy, anything by Guy Guvriel Kay is also worth reading. Try A Song for Arbonne.
Darren Schlamp
Slashdot - the place where you can look like a genius by restating the obvious
There's a collection of short stories and novellas called the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Volume 1 is edited by Robert Silverberg, Volume 2A and 2B edited by Ben Bova, and I believe there's a Vol 3.
Vol. 1 is short stories. Vol 2A and 2B are novellas. The stories in this collection are excellent (most if not all are considered classics) and it's a good way to sample many different authors.
That's what I used to do, and it served me well since different authors have very different styles.
I also think that some exposure to different types of fiction is useful for a fuller understanding of all reading, not just sci-fi, however "the classics" (which vary depending on who you're asking and for what age group) are useful since they speak to the human condition in some way (a writing prof I had once said "all good stories are everyman stories"). In junior high I had to read Shakespeare (which I didn't understand until later), but also Catcher in the Rye and The Chosen, which made more sense to me then. Not that people must read "classics" first, but if you want to read, reading a variety of material is a good idea as your life progresses so you can compare the works you've read.
The Bene Gesserit breeders produced House Harkonnen and House Atriedes as experiments in pure evil and pure good (in appearances, at least), culminating in the Baron and Duke Leto. Paul was balanced because he was a cross between the two.
In any viable culture (that I know of, at least), true homosexuality is accepted, tolerated, ridiculed, or outlawed, but never generally praised. In the balance of things it's considered wrong, or at least wierd and deviant. Given one fresh Dunclone's reaction to Fish Speaker lesbians, I'd take it that it was considered a foul and evil obscenity in the ruling culture of the period. Harkonnens (especially the ultimate evil floating fat man himself) would be drawn by the perversity of it.
I think it would be pretty sad if they fudged the cultures of the Dune universe to make more politically correct novels.
Verne should definitely be on your list. The books aren't too long, and they are still entertaining more than a century after they were written. In particular I liked The Time Machine which was requires some knowlege of the social classes of the time.
Plus, after you read the book you can watch the movies.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
I think there's also supposed to be a good calculating explanation for the Baron's... preferences... in the upcoming House Harkonnen (I don't want to ruin any surprise, but some B.G. breeder did manage to sneak at least one offspring out of him - Jessica).
It depends on your child.
I liked the Ender Trilogy (anything after Xenocide wasn't worth reading, I don't normally say that about Orson Scott Card. but "Children of the Mind" didn't float my boat.)
Douglas Adams books are always good. But some younger teens can't quite grasp the humor. I could, but my cousin who read them at the same age I did completely disliked them.
Asimov is good for younger readers. I even began to read the Foundation Series to my 8 year old at night. Asimov's style of writing seems to appeal to younger readers more than others.
Those are good starters. After these you can gauge which direction your child will take and buy (and/or borrow) effectively. There are also so many good picks above although some are a little too much to chew for a 13 year old.
"Never wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it."
"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madelyn L'Engle
"Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson.
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" et al, by Douglas Adams.
"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Heinlein.
The Honor Harrington series and the Armageddon Inheiritance series, both by David Weber.
"Ringworld" and the other known space books by Larry Niven.
"The Andromeda Strain" by Micheal Crichton.
Read a couple of those "All time best Science Fiction" short story collections - something to ground her in the old classics.
"Hardwired" (which might be a little sleazy for a 13 year old girl, but I read it when I was younger and loved it) by Walter Jon Williams.
"Virtual Light" and the "Neuromancer" books are excellent.
"The DragonRiders of Pern" by Anne McCaffery
Not forgetting Fantasy, the first eight or 10 Xanth Books by Peirs Anthony are nice for young people, as are the "Theives World" and "Myth" series by Robert Asprin. Anything by Tad Williams is wonderful, as are the "Dragonlance" books by Weis and Hickman.
There are thousands of others I really enjoyed when I was young, but these are the ones off the top of my head.
-- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
I definitely agree with the standard answers of Heinlein, Herbert, Asimov, Niven, Stephenson, Gibson, etcetera. One book I really enjoyed recently was The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter.
This book claims to be a sequel to H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, and has a similar feel.
Baxter's books tend to take on a cosmic scale which may be overwhelming to some readers. He also likes to use a LOT of science in his SF - if you find yourself leaning towards SF with multiple timelines, quantum mechanics, nanotechnology, evolution, dyson spheres, and quotes from Godel, this might be something you would want to check out.
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
A very good series and, IMHO, well-suited for teens. The main characters are young, and easy to identify with.
Also, I recommend Paul Hogan for hard SF (Code of the Life-Maker or the Giants series to start, I think). Also, my personal favorite is Spider Robinson. Decidedly not *hard* SF, Spider focuses on the *people*. TOR has started reprinting the early Callahan's books, so the best one to start with is available now. Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.
RAH was writing from the viewpoint of someone who believed in that society. He didn't try to insert any message other than 'this is what it would be like' and by doing this he let you think about the pros and cons of a fascist society.
- "I'll probably get modded down for this."
Ducks and runs
How about John Christopher (The White Mountains), Alexei Panshin (Rite of Passage), John Wyndham (Chocky, The Chrysalids).
In particular, "Lyonesse," which I read and adored as a 13-yr old. Actually, anything Jack Vance writes is bound to be good.
Also recommended:
The Squares of the City -- John Brunner
The Anubis Gates -- Tim Powers
and the short stories of HP Lovecraft.
Many other excellent suggestions here, including some that I'd forgotten.
(jfb)
To spur "enterprise Linux," Big Bang, the distributed two-phase commit.
I first read Ender's Game aged about 12, loved it, and to this day it still remains my favourite book ever. The rest of the ender trilogy/quartet are OK too, and some other classics like Hitchhiker's come close, but Ender's Game is still the best. They're also making a film of it at the moment, so now would be a good time to read it!
Nick Waterman, Sr Tech Director, #include <stddisclaimer>
Well, I started with the Foundation series by Asimov, read Tolken's Lord of the Rings books, Dune gotread very early, but my favorite books were, and still are, the Phoenix Legacy Trilogy by M K Wren. They are out of print and getting rather hard to find, but are well worth the effort. The books are in order: The Sword of the Lamb, Shadow of the Swan, and House of the Wolf. In these great books you will find a politically charged story about the fall and resurection of humanity akin to the Foundation series with beautiful character development like you find,,, well no where else I can think of right now. Definately start with Foundation though, it'll get you and her thinking in the social sci-fi mode. If you are worried about sexual exposure, well there is some in both a recreational and relationship sense, but then again she is 13 and could probably use exposure to the difference instead of 'pop' cultures reliance on recreational sex. Oh and dont forget Mists of Avalon (ok, so its really long I know) when she is a bit older (although those descriptions of sex were just great for me at 15 :).
Ben
I just finished the Hyperion series (all four):
Hyperion
Fall of Hyperion
Endymion
Rise of Endymion
And so far I think it's my favorite series. Each book is better than the previous. I don't know if I would worry too much about Simmons being a horror writer, the Sci Fi is very good and when I was 13, all I read was horror... I matured into Sci Fi.
Ender Series
Next I like the Ender's Game series. The first book is excellent, and probably really easy to get into for a 13 year old because, well, the hero is a child and never older than 13 in that book. The later books in the Ender series get more serious and involve a lot more complex ethical dillemas... 13 year old may or may find them boring, I loved them though.
Dune
Dune was a very good book, I read the second one and was less impressed and am reluctant to continue with that series.
Neuromancer
William Gibson I think is mandatory reading for any Sci Fi enthusiast. I loved the Neuromancer series, but there is a strange property about Gibson books. You can finish them and think "Wow, what a great book" but (and this is just my perception) you can't ever remember what they were about.
Mindplayers
I enjoyed this book by Pat Caddigan... it's a short Sci Fi that I read when I was in high school. I don't remember much about the story but I did like it, but it might just be my nostalgia for high school that leaves me with a high opinion of it. It's not my favorite book though.
Snow Crash
Gotta like Snow Crash. An excellent book by Neil Stephenson.
Diamond Age
She might also like Diamond Age because the hero starts out as a young girl and matures... but I was kind of left empty with this book at the end. My impression of the ending was "That's it?" Then again, I got married while in the middle of this book and had a lot of long breaks from reading it... so I might have liked it better if I could have read it a little faster.
I have the entire Foundation series, but have yet to read them. I started on Prelude to foundation but got sidetracked. I will pick it up later maybe.
One thing that always upset me as a child was reading SF without any female characters; all these colonies being founded supposedly without women, not even a cleaning lady or wife to go home to. Nobody every talked about the little green women from Mars. So, presumably your neice would be interested in at least a few books with strong female leads. I would definitely reccomend (although it's more fantasy) _So You Want to Be a Wizard_, by Diane Duane, nearly anything by Anne McCaffery or Mercedes Lackey (again more fantasy). For more strictly SF, try Vonda McIntyre or Joanna Russ.Some of the later Foundation books have female leads, as do various other Asimov books.
Consider Phlebas is what I reccomend to get people started on Sci-Fi. It has worked every time I've tried it (that's on three separate occasions) - it's classic widescreen space-opera, with ringworlds and three-hundred-kilometre long starships, but one can tell it was written by a modern writer: Banks' concept of a post-scarcity society is a giveaway that this book was penned in the eighties. Phlebas has to offer the most believable future I've seen to date, even if it is a few thousand years off.
Excession , which takes place a thousand years after CP in the same universe, has only a handful of human characters - and they're all minor ones. All the main characters are artificial intelligences, which is fitting considering they're the ones who run the Culture. Excession is nearly as good as CP.
Neither of the above are too advanced for a thirteen year old with an above-average reading capability, nor are they too easy for an adult.
The City and the Stars is perhaps the greatest classic science fiction novel. It's touching and powerful on a literal scale and yet is also a metaphor for the progress and awakening of our race: a young boy is born with a new mind into a city whose inhabitants never 'die'; their consciousnesses are simply transplanted into new bodies. Alvin, the boy, becomes obsessed with revealing what is outside his hermetically sealed city of ten million... and when he does, the reader's mind begins to reel.
That's enough for now. I may make another posting with further reviews of my other favorites, A Fire Upon the Deep and Glory Season - the latter especially being great for a teenager.
I know, big war, lots of dead people and misery, not a laughing matter, but the reference had a certain humor, something like:
God Emperor: This Hitler guy killed like 60 million people.
Lackey: Wow, he must have had some really great weapons.
God Emperor: No, no, not with his own hands, he just ordered his armies to do it, like I do.
Lackey: Well, that's not too impressive, then, your track record totally blows his out of the water. Isn't that about par for you on a good day?
There's a great series of books dealing with advanced physics (no, really!) for kids around 10-13, called the Uncle Albert series.
They basically involve a girl called Gedanken (German for thought-experiment) visiting her Uncle Albert (Einstein), and he can 'transport' her into his thought-experiments, where she does interesting stuff like try to travel at the speed of light, see what it's like living on a 2D surface, explore black holes and more.
You've be surprised at how well they explain difficult concepts like general and special relativity, quantum mechanics and so on. They're written by Russell Stannard, the Professor Emeritus of Physics at Open University, UK.
or, A Young Lady's Illustrater Primer
That's probably the first book that olaadee should read, just because it's about the proper way to bring up a little girl. And I think it's mostly right.
Snow Crash was more revolutionary to Sci-Fi, I know I would have loved them both at 13, but Diamond Age is custom designed for his purposes.
--
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
I cut my teeth on heinlein. My most vivid reading memory was reading _have spacesuit, will travel_ in the 5th grade.
Required heinlein is spacesuit (sentimental), time enough for love (lazarus long is my favorite character in all of SF), Job: A comedy of justice (possibly his best), and the moon is a harsh mistress. Skip stranger unless you like his style, and skip the later stuff (the cat who walks through walls, # of the beast, etc.) unless you really like his style.
One of my favorites that I've not seen mentioned is david gerrold (infamous for the "tribbles" episode of star trek). His "war against the chtorr" series is amazing. Irritating at times, but huge, epic, thought-provoking, and sometimes downrigiht amazing.
I just wish he'd get off his proverbial ass and finish the 5th book. I read the first two, waited a year for #3, then waited about 4 years for #4. It's been about 6 since that one. His website says Real Soon Now, but he's been saying that fora while.
One more drink, and I'll move on. --Dave Matthews Band
I would recommend the first few books of the Uplift Series, specifically Startide Rising and The Uplift War, by David Brin. They are complex stories that affirm good values, but they also make fun of the clueless adults (the other "patron races" in the five galaxies). The importance of the latter to a teenager can't be overstated, nor the fact that not all 'adults' are their enemy.
:-)
The first book in the series, often overlooked, is Sundiver. It has some interesting concepts and lays the groundwork, but it's a bit more adult. (Or hyper-adult, since most adults I know would be "probates".)
The last three books in the series, actually a single work split for market reasons, follow the Streaker's attempt to get home. They are not light reading, but by the time she get's through everyone else's list she'll be a HS senior or in college and can appreciate these books.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
I'm 37 now and I still think it rules.
I'm going to Saint Patrick's cathedral again next week. It's downright eerie to walk in there and think of what it will become in Gully Foyle's day.
And unlike certain other grand masters of SF, Bester didn't publish a lot of crap in his declining years.
I still gotta go with Heinlein for a 13 year old girl, though. I think the girls in his stories are excellent healthy role models.
I remember a lot of books that have been mentioned here from my Dad's bookshelf. I was Pretty much weaned on Clarke, Heinlein, and Asimov, so I would definately recommend them. I also liked anything that Douglas Adams wrote - Dirk Gently, and the Hitchhiker's "trilogy".
:) ), but it was a good adventure novel for a young person. Might be a little young for a 13 year-old, but I remember reading it two or three other times through my teenage years and still enjoying it.
There were a couple of others, though, that I remembered reading. Tom Corbett: Stand By For Mars!, authored by Carey Rockwell was a book that I enjoyed. Apparantly, it is based on a Heinlein character from a short story. It was a bit pulpy (I remember a the Mercury Ball Soccer match...
I also remember liking Red Dwarf by Grant Naylor. I can't remember if I read this in my first year of university or in high school, but I know that several of my friends read it in their teenage years and really enjoyed it. (Plus, the TV series is hilarious!)
My first post... I hope that this is helpful or informative!
shane doucette.
mah na mah na.
The Research Triangle Science Fiction Society has a list of recommended books online at:
http://rtsfs.org/topbooks.html
The list covers speculative fiction, so you'll find some fantasy and horror titles in there as well.
Full disclosure: I am member of RTSFS.
Sirens of Titan, The Player Piano, or at least Welcome to the Monkey House.
And don't forget Stanislaus Lem.
-- What you do today will cost you a day of your life.
Almost forgot this one. It's a male dominated story but an excellent story about overcoming anything when faced with terrible odds.... and other issues that I can relate to some employer's I've had that I won't mention. :)
:)
The book has a great ending... you might call it the "triumphant super hero ending"
The Shockwave Rider
Stand on Zanzibar
The Jagged Orbit
The Sheep Look Up
He has a bunch of others too, but these are his best.
Canticle for Leinowitz is one of the most powerful and moving books I've ever read, but I don't know if a 13yearold nowadays would understand much of it without a pre-Vatican II Catholic to explain parts of it. Heck, I'm 20, was raised Catholic, and specialize in knowing something about everything, and I still had to ask my parents on a couple of things. That said, given a basic understanding of that to which Miller is referring, Canticle is one of the most chilling, terrifying books around. I would actually rank it above Fahrenheir 451 and 1984, because those depend on the evil of government for their scare power, but Canticle depends only on the stupid ability of people to shoot themselves repeatedly in the pedal extremity. Without spoiling it, I will tell those of you who don't speak Latin that the main section headings mean. "Let There Be Man", "Let There Be Light", and "Let Thy Will Be Done". Considering it's set as humanity recovers from nuclear war, just the section titles alone were enough to chill me.
Note that there is a sequel, published posthumously from Miller's notes. My dad read this and said it was tolerable, but not really worth reading. Lots of publisher's errors in it too, email me at clouti11@pilot.msu.edu if these annoy you as badly as they do me.
Anything at all by Ray Bradbury. The man is the greatest short-story writer of our time, and any of his works are suitable for any age of reader (what a bargain, eh?).
Piers Anthony. While I can't stand his writing anymore--he's getting lazy in what should be his prime writing years--his older stuff is great for younger readers. Recommendations: Macroscope, the Incarnations of Immortality series, the Tarot series, Orn, Omnivore and Ox, the first few books of the Phaze series, Dead Morn (co-written with Roberto something and highly recommended), and of course younger readers seem to love his long-running Xanth fantasy series, although the first three are definitely aimed at an older audience. There are tons of old Anthony books that I'm forgetting here, but go look him up and choose anything written before, say, 1993. :)
Stephen Baxter. Anything. This man is an SF god.
And the obligatory SF cadre in the order I think of them: Asimov, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, Alfred Bester, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke, George Orwell, Fred Saberhagen, the Wild Cards series of books edited by George R.R. Martin (and written by several different authors per book) for when she's a bit older, Harry Harrison, Greg Bear. Hope that gives you a decent start.
-Legion
It's out of print now, but borrowing this series from the library was one of my fondest memories as a child. These are the books that taught me to love reading. They're definitely lighter reading than most of the suggestions here, but depending on whether or not your daughter can get in to something like Foundation, maybe she could try this too. I'm pretty sure they're written for teens. They're like Piers Anthony but sci-fi instead of fantasy.. except I hate Piers Anthony :P
I'm in the minority, but I found the later Dune books far *more* interesting than the first book.
The original trilogy (which was really one book, but split due to market constraints) was the classic Hero's Journey, as discussed by Joseph Campbell. The hero has divine birth (Royalty, Bene Gesserit genetic experiment), is unjustly deprived of his rightful position, successfully fights to regains it, then ultimately fails due to his hubris.
The fourth book is the necessary conclusion of Leto's story.
The last book (published in two pieces, due to market constraints), is the first book outside of the Hero arcs set in motion by the first volume. That leaves most people used to the first book feeling a bit put out, and the other people who would prefer the more contemplative nature of these books are unlikely to read them after the poor reviews from Dune fans.
For anyone interested, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune are set 1500(?) years after Leto's death. Our heroes are the Bene Gesserit - *very* different than what you would expect from the first few books. They are locked in mortal struggle with the "Honored Matres" - a distorted echo of the BG returned from the scattering. The surface conflict mirrors the inner conflict faced by all affluent societies - when is it enough?
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
I'm rather appaled at the lack of mention of Kurt Vonnegut here. I know he doesn't write typica science fiction, but his works are written in very much the same spirit as science fiction. Interestingly enough, I don't think that Slaugher House 5 (probably his most famous book) is necessarily his best or the best one to start with. I would reccomend reading "Welcome to the Monkey House", a collection of short stories, or possibly "Cat's Cradle" to start. I think the first Vonnegut book I ever read was "Cat's Cradle", and within something like two days, I read three more of his novels. BenC
Ben
Not if you don't mind the gradual progression from science fiction built around an epic plot of imperial intrigue to being built around the plot of a porno movie.
(start cheesy 70s porno guitar)
Entrenched aristocracy gets lazy, hires bureaucrats, are eventually taken over by superbabes with ultraorgasmic powers sleeping their way to the top. Having reached the top, they sleep their way across the galaxy, holding entire planetary populations in sexual bondage until they meet our hero:
Dunclone Idaho! The sex-zombie with hyper-fuckadelic powers superior to those of the superbabes. Wait until their paths collide, and watch the arm-pit nibbling action that will decide the fate of the universe!
^_^;; (I don't care how funny you find this, don't moderate anything with "spoilers" in the subject so it's visible without clicking)
I'd like to add to The Dull Blade's insightful comment about censoring your kid's reading. I agree with him almost completely:
This worked wonders for me. My parents showered me with books beginning when I was four; I'd read all of Asimov's famous stuff by the time I was your daughter's age. My mind hasn't been perverted in the least. And I still haven't ever giggled at sex, having been completely clued in about it through books prior to puberty.
The concern that a book is too advanced (conceptually or linguistically) for your child is a valid one. I am having to reread some books that I read ten years ago and didn't understand, now that I'm eighteen. But be careful - by reading works above her reading level, your child can improve her reading level, and she can grow to understand the world through sci-fi allegories in ways a history class could never teach her.
The school systems today make this mistake. Very few other people my age that I know in real life can read much above the level of a ninth grader - they were taught to read phonetically, and have a Pavlovian association between "reading" and "book report". I still get laughed at when I haul in a three hundred page book to read during a free period... but the laughter stops when I clip through fourty pages by the time the bell rings.
Bless my parents for teaching me to read themselves, and excusing me from the first-grade "huked awn fonix" classes.
I haven't seen this book mentioned yet, when it deserves to be on list of the best science fictions: Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World By Haruki Murakami Also absolutely anything by Harlan Ellison is great, whether it be his sci-fi or not. Also Masamune Shirow could be noted for his comic books Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell.
I would suggest _Rite of Passage_ by Alexi Panshin. The surface story should still appeal to a young teenager, which gives time for the deeper themes to sink in. The result is not only a book that is good to read, but an understanding of how SF can dig into the structure of societies (current as well as future).
sPh
Does anyone know if Snow Crash is available on CD or tape and if so, where ? I have the bok and it is awesome but I think it might be cool to listen to on CD for long drives.
If you don't understand anything I post, please accept that I ate paste as a small boy...
I read nothing but Sci-Fi as a kid, until I got my hands on "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", after which I haven't gone back since. I can recommend the following selection of books, for various reasons.
1. The Hitch-hiker's trilogy. [Douglas Adams] I first read them when I was 12, and they were a wonderful read for me then. I've gone through them several times over the years- short enough to keep my young attention span and funny enough to keep me interested.
2. The Dune Cycle. [Frank Herbert] Read at least the first one- the other five are optional and the prelude that just came out doens't count. [Unless you're a VERY serious Dune buff, in which case it fills in a lot of gaps.] Very powerful concepts, and a very complete universe- this man has done his thinking.
3. The following novels by Robert Heinlein are so important to me as to be almost required reading. They all say something about the human condition as it is, and as it could be:
Citizen of the Galaxy.
Job: A Comedy of Justice.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Starship Troopers.
Stranger in a Strange Land- this one's a MUST.
4. 2001: A Sapce Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke. I also more than recommend the wide-screen cut of the film.
4.5. It's not exactly sci-fi, but most people have a tendency to enjoy Fantasy as well- the Xanth books by Piers Anthony are aimed at a younger audience and seem to hit the spot, particularly if you're up for puns. IMHO, the best book the man has written is "On a Pale Horse".
For more mature audiences....
4.5.1. "Moon Child" by Aleister Crowley. It's not Sci-Fi so much as Fantasy, but it's worth the read, and a great deal of fun for both those interested in the occult and those who could care less for it.
5. Nova and Dhalgren, two books by Samuel R. Delaney. Dhalgren's about a thousand pages, Nova a fifth of that. The important thing about this guy is the style with which he writes- it takes some getting used to, but it works like nothing I've ever seen.
6. The Gap series, by Stephen Donaldson . Fascinating reading, but NOT for young minds, even if I WAS in high school when I read them. These books are adults-only fare, but worth the trip to the library.
Most importantly...
You would do well do subscribe to "Analog" and "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine"- I've piles and piles of these magazines- I refuse to give them away, as they gave me no end of reading plesure as a child. Some of the material is adult, some of itis good for all ages- they should be available from th local bookstore, in theory. Most of the memorable short stories I've read have come out of the annals of Anaolg, IASFM, or Fantasy and Science Fiction. Were you to take any direction in the search for reading, I would most heavily recommend a subscription to one or both of these magazines- a bunch of new stories delivered monthly, spanning the sub-genres from straight sci-fi to humor to mystery to suspense, all of it sci-fi and nearly all of it good.
These are novels I am comfortable recommending to anyone, for they are of outstanding quality [in my opinion] and have cuased some change either in my perception of reading or my style of writing.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
The Eye of Argon
Go read it. You are guaranteed to regret it.
When I was younger I used to have a subscription to Analog Science Fiction and I was introduced to many authors who I would otherwise have never heard of. It's definitely a good investment. Alas these days I only have time to read technical reference manuals :-(
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
...if she reads nothing else, get her to read Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. This sci-fi book is also great literature, and doesn't assume the reader is too stupid to pick up on themes, as Ray Bradbury often does.
I would also recommend the following:
2001, Arthur C. Clarke
The Forge of God, Greg Bear
Great Sky River, Gregory Benford
Sundiver/Startide Rising/The Uplift War, David Brin
Mars trilogy, Kim Stanley Robinson
Chung Kuo, David Wingrove
Basically, look at the Hugo award list and choose some books. They're all going to be both science fiction-y but will teach her something at the same time.
--
Kyle R. Rose, MIT LCS
[ home ]
I recently read the first book of "The Norby Chronicles," a buncha short stories that Janet and Isaac Asimov wrote for kids -- compiled into book form. The first story was good. The second, okay. I'm much past 13 now, but it seemed a little sappy. This is a "don't expect the quality/depth that you usually do from Asimov" warning/alert.
I LOVED most of Asimov's stuff (essays, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, etc.) and would gladly welcome a giant all-of-his-writing anthology. Unfortunately, I don't quite have room for an OED in my current apartment...
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Well for good hard SiFi, you cant go wrong with Benford, Brin, Pournele, Niven, and Hienlien. They are all masters of not only story but the tech. It's neet to see on the old storys how some of the things we take for granted were not even mentiond. I recomed earth by benford and brin, read in it their description of the web, then look at the first publishing date. gtp
Cards most famous work, deals with characters that are about her age (13ish). Enders game is a brilliant peace of work, and I would recomend it over anything else listed here. the rest of the enders series (speaker for the dead, Xenocide, and children of the mind of christ) are some of the best books ever written
"The clay can become a bear, but not while it lays cold and wet on the riverbank." -Orson Scott Card, Children of the m
Plus, if she's reading Cryptonomicon, that's a week and a half that she can't read any of the other stuff! As in, Foundation! I would suggest that she read all 14 books or whatever, starting with the beginning of the Robot series, chronologically in the universe of Asimov. Then again, I'm sure they're quite rewarding individually, too.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Ender's Game. The rest of the series went from OK to bad, but Ender's Game is one of the best Books I've read. It changed my approach to how I thought about ppl, and I read it when I was 17.
Niven is also a great writer. Untill I read him, I never seriously consider the implications of technologies on society, etc. etc. His "Mote In Gods Eye" and "The Grabbing Hand" where both good.
--Cam
All jocks think about is sports. All nerds think about is sex.
I finished the Dune series, the whole thing, by Frank Herbert. It may seem repetitive after the first couple, or a bit confusing. Keep reading, it makes sense later. The new prequel series by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson poses to be wonderful, at least from the first book,House Atreides. There are some sexual themes, tones of religious antagonism, and political antipathy, but it's balanced and useful reading. For a pre-teen or young teen, this is probably more tame than many of their choices on their own.
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is more modern, but is a great story. If anything, it whetted my appetite for more Gaiman. There's very little sexual content, and excellently disguised moral lessons, which are NOT pedantic or preachy.
Asimov's whole dang Foundation series. Like Dune, it can get a bit repetitive, but once completed, it's one of those mind-melting door-openers to understanding.
um... Cryptonomicon, anyone?
A Canticle for Leibowitz. Here here... so much sci-fi refers to this novel, it has to be read. Elements of Babylon 5 even refer to this! Not to mention the fact that it's a great read.
The Princess Bride. fantasy satire. It should fit right in with the sarcasm and irony so beloved by a large number of teenage folks. Funny for adults too.
A series for later, The Vampire Chronicles, from Anne Rice. Sexual content, sexual fantasy, or at least the undertones of them both, are part and parcel of the story. Mostly, it's very beautiful eroticism, with occasional flashes of violence. Also, there are religious undertones, including some thoughts of how to handle the Satan Problem, in Memnoch the Devil. It's worth reading however, to allow doubt to strengthen faith, or simply to allow people to think for themselves. While you're at it, I really enjoyed Servant of the Bones when I picked it up last fall too.
Not a classic, but fun reading, especially if you're fans of the show, but the novelizations based on JMS's outlines, which became "The Psi Corps Trilogy" are really fun, and quick reads, with lots of things to go back to later. Events leading up to Bester's birth, his early and middle life, and finally, how it ends. Good story construction, beginning, middle, end, with lots of twists, and good reading level. I also highly recommend To Dream in the City of Sorrows which deals with Catherine Sakai, Michael Sinclair, and Marcus Cole, as well as a few other remembered characters from the show. It stands alone from the series very well, and is perhaps my favorite B5 novel. None of these are based on a particular episode, but place the characters in the story at different points of time in the "B5 Universe." This is fun reading while stuck at home during a saturday snowstorm.
Doesn't really fit with Science Fiction, per se, but Ayn Rand's fiction focused on reason, particularly, Anthem, Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead are worthwhile reading. There is some sexual content, including a rape, but it's crucial to the story's development, and offers a great chance to discuss the implications of everyone's actions in the web of living. It's probably better reading to allow to simmer for a few years while you read all the other suggestions.
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."-Tennyson
Still, there is one problem, which is this: the girl is the guy's niece. He might want to check with her parents before giving her sci-fi or fantasy with themes or scenes that he KNOWS might conflict with any beliefs that they have. They, after all, are the ones who are raising her and are the ones who have the final say.
Hey, and don't forget to teach her a role-playing game or two! I wish I'd started a long time ago. I'd be a cool D&D chick, not the poser I am now.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Yeah, I think Asimov did write a few not-so-worth-reading books. Some of his 'children's' stuff. Norby Chronicles, maybe (tho' I haven't read them) the Lucky Starr books (I think he himself didn't like them). But those are the exceptions. Knock yourself out.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
You might want to try Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin. Kind of a sf coming-of-age novel. Perfect for a 13 year old.
The fundamental nature of the ordinary man is to go on out and do the best you can. -- John Prine
- Contact by Carl Sagan. This one was way down the page, but I want to point out that the movie left out the most wonderful ending. I felt completely ripped off by an otherwise awesome movie. I guess they thought it was too technical for people to understand. (I disagree of course.)
- Double Star by Heinlen. It's a pretty light read, but very fun, especially when you keep in mind when it was written.
- The Puppet Masters by Heinlen.
- Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress. This book has some excellent insight into what might happen when people start fiddling with genetics on a large scale. The rest of the books in the series didn't appeal to me as much.
- Interface by Stephen Bury (which is a pseudonym for Neal Stephenson and his uncle). With the presidential election coming up, this is a really entertaining read.
- The Final Reflection by John M. Ford is an excellent Star Trek book and I do not usually enjoy series-style books. It only obliquely references the Star Trek characters from the TV show.
- The Princess Bride translated/edited by William Goldman. I know this was mentioned below but I couldn't resist. It's perfect.
- Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff is an excellent fantasy.
- Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman isn't science fiction, but it reads like it. It communicates Feynman's fascination with the way the universe works and his rather quirky approach to living in it.
--I will make you shorter by the head. -- Elizabeth I
When I went to college, I was lucky enough to actually take an english course on science fiction. It's still offered at the University of Illinois and has a homepage complete with a syllabus, which includes the list of texts used throughout the course.
CVS is teh suck. Use Vesta instead.
The above is intended as an introduction to Sci-Fi. Here, in my opinion, are the best of the lot.
/Herbert /Orwell /Huxley /Solzhenitsyn [Not Sci-fi but so horryfing it COULD be.] /Comic book by Matt Howarth /Comic book by Matt Howarth /Manga by Masamune Shirow /Pohl [I believe] /Donaldson /Chalker [his best work, IMHO] /Clarke /Manga by Shirow /20+ book series by "Jack McKinney", a novelization of Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada, plus the Sentinels [unproduced] and a few extra books to tie it all together. The books are light years beyond the Robotech TV series and make for a very, very entertaining read!
01. Dune
02. 1984
03. Brave New World
04. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
05. Those Annoying Post Brothers
06. Savage Henry
07. Appleseed
08. The Heechee saga
09. The Gap books
10. The Rings of the Master
11. 2001 and subsequent digits
12. Snow Crash / Neal Stephenson
13. Neuromancer/ gibson
14. Dominion: Tank Police
15. Robotech
For a child that is just starting out, some of the 'raw' science fiction that has been mentioned here may be a little rough. While all the suggestions here have been great (and admittedly, I've read many of them) my personal opionion is that you may need an approcah vector that isn't quite as steep.
Personally, I'd start off with some of the novels that are based on popular Sci-Fi movies and television programs. The subject material will be a little more familar and easier to grasp, and they often don't push the envelope to the extent that you may find yourself explaining some unconfortable themes to your 13 year-old (as opposed to something like "Bio of a Space Tyrant" - please).
By the same token however, be advised that this same lack of an edge means that the books are often pablum. They often are the Sci-fi equivalent of Harlequin Romances, or Mack Bolan: Executioner books. Bu that doesn't mean they can't be enjoyable to sit together and read through.
From a personal perspective, around the age of 10-12, I recall devouring all the "Star Trek" anthologies that populated the school library. Mostly filled with short stories based on the Original Star Trek episodes. Light stuff, quick reads, easy to get into. Eventually, I ventured into 'harder' sci-fi (Asimov, Harrison, and then Gibson), and I was pretty much hooked.
So take an easy approach, and you might find you stay longer, rather than hitting the wall right away, and completely zoning out due to some god-awful ACC novel.
--sugarman--
Other books that influenced me as a young teenage girl? the Pern books, especially the earlier ones (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, the White Dragon, the Haper Hall trilogy (actually intended for younger audiences)) Lessa and Menolly are, in particular, great role models.
Other of McCaffery's work: I liked "The Ship who Searched" over "The Ship who Sang", again, I'm sure, because I identified more with Hypatia. I remember "Sassinak" to be a good book, although I seem to recall a bit of sex (but then again, I think I was 14 the last time I read it...) Also, "The Rowen" and "Damia"... the later books in this series are, I think, not as good...
Anything by Isaac Asimov, but I particularly recommend his short stories. They're mostly fairly light reading, and great for when you don't have a lot of time on your hands... He also wrote a series for kids under a pen name -- something Starr, I think. Or maybe Starr is the name of the central character... Although the science is now out of date, the stories are still entertaining...
For an odd and somewhat disturbing read, try "Sunwaifs", by Sydney J. Van Scyoc. I read this when I was 13-15 (it's sad, isn't it, I can't remember and I'm only 18 now...) and recall being disturbed. There are bizarre, bizarre themes, but I keep being drawn back to it. Definately preview first.
Terry Pratchett: I've only read a few of the Discworld books, but I've liked them. I would recommend, however, not to start with "The Colour of Magic", as it can be a bit dry. "Mort" has been my favorite so far...
Two of my fav Asimov books are: ;) Movie was a very close adaptation with only a couple changes that were necessary to move the plot line that in my mind were acceptable. Really good read!
The Positronic Man: Basis for the new movie Bicentennial man with that Williams guy
Nightfall: A world with 5 suns...They never experience darkness and use it as a thrill/danger thing. Many interwieving characters all closing in on the realization...Darkness is coming, how will the world react. Very gripping.
Others that I have also enjoyed:
"Why do you care what other people think"
"Surely your joking Mr. Feynman"
Both by Richard Feynman, nobel prize winner who worked on the big bomb and many other things. People think scientists have to be geeks, but these stories are both tremendously funny and intelligent.
The Fifth Profession - David Morrel
Although I'm still a bit heartbroken, my X-GF suggested this read and it is truly a good book. Long for 13 years, but thought provoking.
Variant - Alan Engel
If you have seen the TV show Now & Again (becoming one of my fav's along with Traders) there are some uncanny ressemblances in this book. Some low romance in it as I recall but I would think acceptable for age bracket in question
I'll stop there for now, but even anybody those books are good ones in my mind. I know I've pulled some names from this list that I'll try to read. I don't htink people do enough reading anymore, SF or otherwise. There is something to be said for "reading a good book"
I'm disapointed but not surprised to see that nobody's mentioned Sturgeon yet. In my opinion, the best SF short fiction author of the 20th century -- quite possibly the best American short fiction author, period. Certainly the best "underappreciated" one. :) And -- you're in luck -- his material is not only suitable for 13 year olds, but it's being re-issued as The Complete Works of Theodore Sturgeon. Volumes I to VI so far out of X. :) Read them. No kidding.
Dick has a lot of other amazing works out there which not only explore the realms of sci-fi but also twist and turn your mind into a gelationous mush. UBIK, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkley (more of a look into dick's life) are 3 of my favorites of his.
I've read most of the postings for this article, and I've tried to suppress it, but I feel a rant coming on. I've always wondered why there is so much crappy scifi in the world, and why its not taken seriously as a genre, and I think I know now. There seems to be no distinction in anyone's list between 'trash' scifi and what I consider 'true' scifi. Now I personally enjoy both types, but I would only recommend the real stuff to another. Allow me to elaborate...
;-)
CJ Cherryh, Robert Heinlein, Robert Silverberg, David Brin, Alan Dean Foster, Anne McCaffrey, Madeline L'Engle, and the like are excellent excellent examples of trash scifi. I consider most of their work to be on a level with supermarket romance novels. Don't get me wrong, I've read a number of books by all of them, and I did enjoy them, but I'm not proud of that fact. They do, however, have relevance in a list that is designed for a 13 year old. Foster's Spellsinger and McCaffrey's Dragonriders are particularly good for kids. But when I see these authors randomly interspersed in a list with Herbert, Dick, Asimov, etc... it just makes my blood boil. Its like using the names Jean-Claude VanDamme and Bruce Lee in the same sentence as if they were equivalent.
While I'm on the subject of trash novels, why not throw in some Robert Jordan - that's some of the most popular and enjoyable fantasy garbage to come out in a while.
Heinlein may seem an bad choice, but I truly wish that I had read fewer of his books. If I had stopped after 'Stranger in a Strange Land' and 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" I would still consider him to be a scifi great. Most of his books are garbage, though. The basic premise of most of them is that in the future, everyone will live long enough that having sex with your mother will be no big deal. Yeah, great scifi...
For the record, here is my (short) list of truly great, must-read, scifi authors. Very little of it is appropriate for a 13 year old, though.
Frank Herbert- the later Dune series gets pretty cerebral, but still very engaging and profound in many ways. His Voidship books, The Lazarus Effect, The Jesus Incident, and The Ascension Factor are some of the most overlooked masterpieces of scifi. Someone else mentioned the Dosadi Experiment, which is also very good.
Phillip K. Dick - My absolute favorite. Too many good books to list here. A number of people have listed "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?". While this may be appropriate to a 13 year old, I consider this to be one of his weakest books. Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle are what real scifi is all about.
Kurt Vonnegut - He's so good, the establishment refuses to classify it as scifi. Vonnegut has something profound to say about humanity, and he just happens to express it in a scifi context every now and then. He also has an incredible sense of humor. IIRC, there are a number of short stories in 'Welcome to the Monkey House' that would be suitable for a 13 year old. Just be sure to screen them first
Asimov - duh
Tolkien - Yeah, I know its fantasy, but it spawned the whole friggin' genre. This should be an obvious choice.
There are a few others, like Clarke, Miller, and Card, but I feel that the four I listed truly stand out. They had a big impact on me, at least.
I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts on the distinction between great and trash scifi, so flame away. I have a nagging feeling I've forgotten someone...
PS- This is all supposed to be recommendations for a 13 year old, yet not once has anyone mentioned Tom Swift. What is the world coming to?
The Heinlein Juvi's (Have Spacesuit Will Travel, The Star Beast, The Rolling Stones, etc) and... ah heck, all Heinlein is OK for kids. Pournelle's "High Justice" Pournelle and Niven's "The Mote in God's Eye" + "Ringworld" H Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy" Andre Norton's Witchworld series L 'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" L Neil Smith's "The Probablility Broach"
I read Catch-22 when I was in 9th grade, so, 13 yrs old, and I liked it. It wasn't too difficult.
As for Ulysses, well, I read part of that this year, and hated it. Boring, tedious, etc. Perhaps I should try that one again in 10 years.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Pournelle's "High Justice"
Pournelle and Niven's "The Mote in God's Eye" + "Ringworld"
H Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy"
Andre Norton's Witchworld series
L 'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time"
L Neil Smith's "The Probablility Broach"
This is probably the thread LEAST likely to incite a flame war. :-D
:-D
Piers Anthony was a favorite of mine when I was that age. OK, this is more "Fantasy" than sci-fi, but it's a GREAT series and the author didn't lose that imagination that people do when they stop being kids.
Terry Brooks also writes great fantasy books.
Fantasy is not Sci-Fi, but it makes sense to me that there's a lot of spill-over in the genres, and if you like one you quite possibly will enjoy the other.
Also, download the Zork interactive fiction from activision.com. They're not true books, but the old Infocom games were the reason I bought my first disk drive in 1983 (a whopping 90K per disk side!).
What classic lit reminds us of Slashdot?
Of course, thanks to suggestions, I now must add Beowulf, The Great CmdrTaco, and Chicken Soup for the Geek's Soul.
To get the essay to which the article refers, email me.
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Please, PLEASE ignore any suggestions of "Dune." It may be a good SF book (although I'm not a fan), but it's long, heavy, and hard reading for a 13yo.
My first SF was a collection from Scholastic, called "STARSTREAK! Stories From Space!" Yep, complete with a cheesy picture of a rocket on the cover.
Inside were such gems as, "Does A Bee Care? (Asimov)," "Who Goes There? (the short story which got turned into the movie 'the thing')," and um...lots of others.
The first SF story I read with the knowledge that it was SF was in Asimov's SF magazine: "Press Enter:" by John Varley. Possibly the best living SF author period. (Another Varley story everyone has to read at some point in their life is "The Persistence of Vision")
Pick up copies of the pulps (Asimov, Analog, On-Spec if you're in Canada) and read 'em all. There's good, bad, and (in?)different, but there's a great variety no matter what.
Oh, and of course, I, Robot.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
Many people have listed their favorite SF books of all time. Here is a subset that I believe would be of interest to a 13-year-old girl new to SF. (Having once been in that category, I feel qualified to make recommendations.)
I didn't see these one mentioned yet, but I consider them essential SF/F reading (and very appropriate for 13-year olds):
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
Flatland, by Edwin Abbott
Also very good, but perhaps a little challenging for a young reader, is the Riverboat series by Philip Jose Farmer.
As for movies, it is harder, because many of the best ones (Bladerunner, Total Recall) have very adult situations that may not be appropriate for a young viewer (use your discretion).
Peace and love, y'all
My Sci-Fi list would have to be..
The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
Asimov of course
Star Wars TALES (hey, Star wars is Sci-FI!)
The Recluse Saga by L.E. Modesitt (A few of the books are sci-fi), and his Hammer of Darkness is a must!
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (Its humor, but its still kind of Sci-fi!)
Anne McAffery (A lot of people like her, I don't.)
For a 13 year old Dune might be a bit advanced. The First book is the easiest to read, but even it deals with a lot of socialogical (sp?) ideas. Its still one of my favorite books though. Any Star Wars books are always good, although Star wars is practically a genre in itself, not just sci-fi. I prefer Fantasy myself, but a lot of Sci-fi and fantasy mix fairly well, like in Modesitt's Recluse Saga.
Xian_FluX
When I cut my finger, it is a tragedy. When you fall into an open sewer and die, it is comedy.
Subscribe to Analog or Fantasy & Science Fiction. Kids that age deserve to get mail. It serves to remind them they really exist.
Remember, most sci-fi is subtly mysogenistic, esp. older writers like Heinlein and Asimov.
One book that's fun to read aloud is Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics
What's the Golden Age of Science Fiction? Thirteen
Lots of posts here recommend Heinlein, and he is an icon of sorts, but the easy sexism of his age pervades his books to an extent I find it impossible to tolerate. Other writers of his era manage to avoid being quite so offensive, but usually only by having no female characters at all.
There are a number of new female science fiction writers -- Connie Willis, Pat Murphy, Suzette Hadon Elgin all are good. Many of the men mentioned by others here are great too, of course. One method we found led us to some great writing we'd missed is to get hold of a list of Hugo and Nebula Award winners and go from there. We've also discovered favorite authors in the "Year's Best Science Fiction" series edited by Gardner Dozois.
One of the great ones (IMHO) who I didn't see mentioned is Samuel R. Delaney, and I think his earliest stuff is probably good for a 13-year old; his later writing, while great, can be pretty strong. Same is true of Phillip K. Dick. As others have mentioned, it's probably a good idea to at least skim through any book before passing it on to a child. There's a short story by one of those women that was so horrifying I still wish *I* hadn't read it.
Titan, Wizard, and Demon by John Varley. These books are amazing, and you will realize why when you read them in order. All three books have seperate but yet related storylines, and when you read them in order, you suddenly realize how good they are, and how each novel is related to the one previous. Do yourself a favor, and read them. Also try Enders Game. That would be a good one for someone 13 yrs old. I myself started off with Tad Williams novels.
Sorry! I didn't mean that as a serious criticism. I'm just not very good at the throwaway, non sequitur style of humor. I do find the movie rather heavy-handed, but that is a matter of personal taste. Its parody of recent culture (in particular, I am thinking of ID4 , and CNN's coverage of Desert Storm) is quite on the mark.
Moving Mars by Greg Bear - the best of the Mars books, with a awesome plot and a female lead character.
Shockwave Rider by John Brunner - a Classic about the net before the Internet existed.
Nova by Delaney - a classic science fiction retelling of Moby Dick, but better.
The Flinx books by Allen Dean Foster - good series of classic adventure type tales.
The Door Into Summer, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Have Space Suit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein - three must reads by the grandmaster of science fiction hackery.
The Giants Novels by James Hogan - good believable science fiction from a good author.
The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem - the ultimate in android humor, the only book which has gotten me in trouble for laughing out loud in public.
N-Space by Larry Niven - one of the masters on the short story.
The Humanoids by Jack Williamson - must read for all humans. This book and series are the closest thing to the truth about do-gooders(from Wing IV) that you will find. Classic tales of how the quest for security kills the human spirit. Not for hard core members of either main political party.
You're not a heavy reader, aren't you ?
Unless you include non-scifi in what you want
to read, Asimov's work is not going to keep you occupied for more than a measly few years at most.
Something between 100 and 200 books, not that large a list...
Of course, if you want to teach your daughter about good taste and good litterary style, you *might* wish to includes lots of other authors as well.
I've noticed a number of references as to the age of the girl in question and why this book wouldn't be right for a 13 year-old or would be too complicated and above their level to comprehend. Think however, back to when you read most of these books for the first time. Most likely you were around her age if not younger and understood them perfectly. As for the books deemed inappropriate due to age we really ought not to determine what is or is not appropriate for a 13 year-old. Don't delude yourself into thinking that you never read that sort of thing at that age or that she wouldn't already know of them by now. The only thing we can have to gain by pretending otherwise is a delay in teaching her to be an adult and act like one in a mature and dignified manner. Give children and teenagers the ability to make their own decisions and you just might be surprised.
I thought "Contact", both the book and the movie, were very good reading and I'd absolutely recommend it.
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Much has been said already about Frank Herbert's Dune series, but I'd like to add that he wrote some brilliant work *outside* that series, as well.
The Dosadi Experiment
Whipping Star
The Santaroga Barrier
The Jesus Incident
Eye (a short story collection)
The White Plague
I'd recommend them all. "Eye" is probably the best choice for a 13-year old, but I don't think "The White Plague" is too much.
Alan Dean Foster: Anything. Really. I have to say I've not read his Alien series books or The Last Starfighter or Krull, but Slipt, Glory Lane, Jed the Dead, and To the Vanishing Point are all excellent books.
Orson Scott Card: I'm sure everyone's already named him, and Ender's Game is mandatory. I also read The Songmaster, which is more fantasy-based, but also a very well-written book.
Steve Vance: I don't think anyone's mentioned this author yet. I read a book called The Asgard Run about a large group of fairly well-developed characters who race to escape an alien ship before it takes off. Probably the only novel that ever really gave me a sense of time, suspense, and impending doom. Must read.
William Gibson: Just like Card, you need to read The Neuromancer. I've been meaning to get around to the rest of the Sprawl series...
Short Stories: I love science fiction short story collections. One of the best I've found is called Where Do We Go From Here?, edited by Isaac Asimov. My copy was hardcover with a picture of (I think) some kind of green stone idol on the front.
Boy, looking at the responses here I believe I need to read more.. =)
Lime
Without getting into an argument of nature/nurture, the SF works most 13 year old girls would find *interesting enough to read on their own time* is a more limited category than the *every SF book I ever liked even after reading in the field for years as an adult*, which is what most of the posts here have appeared to degenerate into.
Remember, we can't assume this 13 year old girl has read *anything* in or out of the field, and it's supposedly our intention to make her into a lifelong SF reader.
With that in mind, my own initial suggestions to get her started would be as follows:
(1) the Heinlein short story "The Menace from Earth" (young female protagonist with flying scenes in the Moon and problems from an entirely unexpected direction);
(2) the Anne McCaffrey novella "Weyr Rider" (young female protagonist with flying sentient dragon - but SF, not fantasy and one of the earliest Pern stories);
(3) the Madeline L'Engle novel "A Wrinkle in Time", which won the Newberry award and still has one of the best emotional pay-offs of any juvenile, and which (yes, again) has a young female protagonist;
(4) the Heinlein novel "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel", with a wonderfully clueless teenage male protagonist dealing with a much smarter, braver, more able preadolescent female hero (Peewee) and a gradually expanding scenario from small town to galaxy-spanning adventure before returning us literally to Earth and that most serious of problem, picking the right university. Connie Willis says this is the one book she'd give anything to have written, and I've successfully (starting in grade 6) sucked in eight people into reading "that SF stuff" by the simple expedient of reading this novel out loud to them;
(5) Clarke's novel "Childhood's End", which sneaks up on genuine pathos in a quite unexpected way and involves probably the best female characters in Clarke's SF (not exactly saying much) as well as the best of the early SF attempts at transcendence;
(6) Asimov's short story "Nightfall" and novella "The Ugly Little Boy", which are about fear and love respectively and are two of Asimov's most emotionally affecting short works;
(7) Daniel Keyes' short story "Flowers for Algernon", which works better at short length than does his expansion to novel length, "Charlie" and is the single most accessable classical SF work for someone never exposed to SF before;
(8) Roger Zelazny's SF novella/ novel reworking of Greek myth to dramatic and ironic effect, "...And call me Conrad", which is not at all what it first appears and includes a delightfully ambiguous (anti)hero (is he Pan?) and a bookend of scenes involving a very competent woman who saves the hero;
(9) Heinlein's novel of growth and responsibility, "Citizen of the Galaxy", which as subtext involves the Frog Prince hero developing from a very frightened slave child to a maturing newly adult Prince of Industry (metaphorically speaking) and along the way having gradually more mature involvement with and comprehension of the people, including the women, around him;
(10) Andre Norton's "The Zero Stone" and its sequel, which is a rollicking good juvenile adventure and ends with a very strong subtext of dawning sexual maturity from a character that up until then is nearly genderless and which has been very popular with young girls when I've introduced them to SF in general or Andre Norton in particular;
(11) Vonda MacIntyre's classic (and award-winning) short story of a young woman healer, "Of Mist and Grass and Sand", named after the snakes she uses to heal (paging Dr. Freud), which is a wonderfully poetic post-apocalyptic tale that I like to give people of all ages who hate that "SF stuff";
(12) Ursula K. LeGuin's award winning SF novel "The Left Hand of Darkness", which clearly and wonderfully distinguishes and contrasts gender as opposed to humanity and caused me to be a helluva lot more tolerant of differences between people, even people I thought were dead wrong; and finally
(13) Joanna Russ' SF classic short story "When it changed", about a human colony centuries after a plague killed off all of its males reencountering standard two sexed humanity. Most SF is written from the point of view of the majority, dominant culture. This story works on a whole bunch of levels and is very understated with a very strong "payoff".
It's not as though there aren't many other choices to infect her with the SF bug, but these should keep her interested *now* and I've used all of these to good effect with young girls before. Remember that most SF is still more of interest to males, not females, at least in this culture, and talk with her about each of them at the level she wants to talk about them... and *don't be condescending*.
This was a good book, but I have to rate it down some - very good storyline (10/10), but there are several places in the book where story elements are redefined to make room for the story. Also, some weird changes in point-of-view during writing (not 1st/1st, but 3rd limited/2nd/1st/3rd omniscent in the same paragraph). For an example, check out Hiro's leaving from The Black Sun - at first, it says he and Juanita quit, then changes it later to Da5id firing him). The storyline redefinies itself rapidly after the first couple/4 chapters - The opening wasn't very good, IMHO.
All-in-all, I give it 8 1/2 out of 10 - just wish continuity would have been paid a little more atte ntion to
Sorry to break it to you guys but you're not giving nearly enough credit to an advanced 13 year old. When i was 13 i read 1984, Brave New World, and WE (which if you havn't heard of it is in fact better than the two previous, and chronologically first) in addition to Stranger in a Strange Land and the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Admittedly i didn't get *everything* out of these, but i doubt very many adults *ever* get everything out of 'em. As for what i would reccomend: absolutely anything by Heinlein before 1970. IMAO he never should have written anything after The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; take Job as a case in point. Also, be sure to read DUNE. Dune is one of my favorite books of all time and could be considered the best SF ever. The sequels, while at times good, never approach the sheer scope and majesty of the original. Ender's Game is great for some fun reading. It's sequel, Speaker for the Dead, is also incredible but in a completely different way. The two sequels to this, Xenocide and Children of the Mind, are good ideas in many ways but not well executed. Avoid his recent 'Parallel Story,' Ender's Shadow, it's just a money maker... David Brin's 'Uplift' Trilogy's are incredible as well. And don't forget the required reading: Douglas Adam's Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It is not only a brilliant and hilarious book; it will also help you understand many of the classic hacker jokes.
Checkout taccom my worl war II simulator
Every half-decent public library I've been to yet has several collections of Asimov's short stories. I, Robot is of course a must-read... but it's not alone. All of the 3-laws mind games were loads of fun. The Elijah Bailey (sp?) mystery series was great, too.
I'd wait on the Foundation (somewhat heavier reading, not as much fun IMHO), though it sounds a little late for that.
Eric Frank Russel's _Wasp_ - the one book I never lend anymore - and of which I have three copies after the one I DID lend was "lost" and I couldn't find it again for ten years. Also by Russel: _The Space Willies_, _And Then There Were None_
Russel and Ian Flemming worked together in the British Department of Dirty Tricks during WW II. This is the think tank that designed the spy techniques and equipment, along with the same for escape from prison camps. (I think they were also responsible for the British Home Guard manual - the difinitive text on guerilla warfare in a modern occupied city.) After the war they both became fiction authors and used their experience in their stories. Flemming went straight to spy fiction, modeling "M" in the James Bond series after himself. Russel did Science Fiction, with a heavy socio-political bent. But some a few of his works draw directly on his war experience, _Wasp_ the most of all. It's his unimplemented plan to drop a saboteur into WW II Japan, recast into an interplanetary war (with the Japanese secret police only lightly disguised...)
_And Then There Were None_ - one third of the collection _The Great Explosion_ - is the origin of MYOB and TANSTAAFL, and dear to the hearts of Pacifists and Anarchists everywhere. The three stories in the collection show how three different hypothetical cultures successfully resist an expansionist empire.
_The Space Willies_ is a hilarious romp where a lone man wins an interstellar war between two multi-species empires. From a prison camp. By making a joke, and then refusing to admit it was a joke. (_Hogan's Heroes_ is a pale shadow.)
Try to get the originally published versions of _The Space Willies_ and _Wasp_. Russel had (or was?) an excelent editor, and the modern reprints of the unedited manuscripts show it. The unedited _Wasp_ is only slightly awkward and still excelent, but _The Space Willies_ was edited down to a half-Ace-Double from a novel, and improved significantly by the tightening, pacing, chaff removal, and even the title change - from _Next of Kin_.
Leinster does fine yarns with with moral and social as well as technical concepts playing key roles, and does them with a vocabulary that makes them accessable to a child (if occasionally annoying an adult). His "Med Ship" series in particular is an excelent introduction to "Golden Age" Science Fiction.
Also from the Golden Age: George O. Smith. Read his _Venus Equilateral_ collection and you'll want to resurrect vacuum tube technology and hunt down the discoveries that got lost when it was abandoned for silicon. (Then go do a web search on "Farnsworth AND Fusion"... B-) ) Or try _Highways in Hiding_ / _The Space Plague_ for a marvelous superman/chase/conspiracy story set in a future where two Psi powers are commonplace and an accepted part of the background! (How do you do secrecy when about half the population are telepaths, and most of the other half clarivoyant? Poker is interesting... B-) )
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
If you can wait a month and a half, Baen Books is reissuing a collection of stories by James Schmitz. The first volume, Telzey, is due in April, which in the publishing world starts in March.
Telzey Amberdon is a teenager on vacation from college when she finds the she can communicate telepathically with other species.
Schmitz was one of the first science fiction authors who used strong female characters, but unfortunately he has been out of print by mainstream publishers for years.
If you want more information, go to http://www.white-crane.com/Schmitz
Some of my favorites:
Red Planet - Robert Heinlein
The Wizard in the Glass series - Stephen King. I think that's what the series is called.
Of course, you can never go wrong with Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, all five of them. His others, revolving around Dirk Gently - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul - are pretty good too.
For Fantasy, I highly recommend Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon, and just about anything from Piers Anthony.
----------
I'm sick and tired of being responsible for the preservation of the universe and its outlying suburbs.
The only Science Fiction I know of with a decidedly female perspective, and invaluable for that reason, is:
Marge Piercy - Woman on the Edge of Time.
GATTICA--I haven't seen this mentioned yet. It is one of the best SF movies of the past few years. Clever, provocative, and somewhat creepy.
13th Floor--Similar theme to The Matrix, but more cerebral and with great twists. Essentially a murder mystery in a SF setting.
-M
Read: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 1984 by George Orwell
Robert A. Heinlein: Door Into Summer, Tunnel in the Sky, Starman Jones, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, Red Planet (Willis!), Space Cadet, Rocketship Galileo, Time for the Stars, The Star Beast, Between Planets, Citizen of the Galaxy, The Rolling Stones (fantastic bio of the band), Farnham's Freehold, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love. Oh, okay, ANYTHING by Heinlein. He arguably had the most influence on the SF genre of anyone, and for the better, too.
Isaac Asimov: the 'Lucky Starr' books (very Heinlein-ish), I, Robot
Arthur C. Clarke: Islands in the Sky (very Heinlein-ish), Childhood's End, City and the Stars, Rendezvous with Rama
Raymond Z. Gallun - The Planetstrappers (rare but very good and VERY Heinlein-ish)
James Blish - Welcome to Mars (same comments as above)
Anne McAffrey - The Pern books (especially the Harper Hall trilogy, and 'White Dragon'), The Ship Who Sang (& sequels), To Ride Pegasus (& sequels), The Rowan (& sequels), Coelura
Mercedes Lackey - Arrows of the Queen (& sequels), Magic's Pawn, Born to Run (& sequels with and without other authors), The Oathbound (I & II)
Andre Norton - the 'Solar Queen' books
James Schmitz - Witches of Karres (a total classic! hard to find), the Telzey Amberdon books
Joan D. Vinge - Psion & Cat's Paw
Robert Lynn Asprin - the 'Myth' books - very funny
Piers Anthony - the Xanth books and the Apprentice Adept books
Harry Harrison - the Stainless Steel Rat books, The Daleth Effect
Joe Haldeman - The Forever War
James White - the Sector General books
F Paul Wilson - Healer
EE "Doc" Smith - the Skylark series, the Lensman series, Subspace Explorer & Encounter, Spacehounds of IPC, the Vortex Blaster
Edgar Rice Burroughs - the John Carter of Mars books, the Venus books
Poul Anderson - the 'Flandry' books
Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame series
Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy & the next 2 books - skip the rest
Robert Silverberg - Across a Billion Years
Steven Brust - the Vlad Taltos books - great stuff
Elizabeth Moon - the Deed of Paksenarrion books, also some good recent SF novels
David Eddings - The Belgariad, the Malloreon, the Elenium, and anything related to any of these. Great characters.
Marcia J. Bennett - if you can find anything by her like Shadow Singer, Beyond the Draak's Teeth,
or Seeking the Dream Brother
Ann Maxwell - the Fire Dancer books - hard to find but worth it
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
Orson Scott Card - the Ender books
Frederik Pohl - the Heechee books
C. J. Cherryh - Merchanter's Luck
L. Ron Hubbard - Battlefield Earth
Roger Zelazny - the Amber books
David Brin - The Practice Effect
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World (mmmmm...soma)
That's all I can think of right now. There's LOTS more...
I would also add Gateway by Pohl to that list, the first of a series and a winner of Hugo and Nebula Awards. The Left Hand of Darkness was a great book, glad to see you have mentioned it. You should give a quick look here , not so much for purchase but for other suggestions of vintage/classic SF.
A lot of the lists here are definately good but very long. Probally more then one person can read in a year. Here at UCSB they actually teach a Sci Fi class and here is what they teach (I want to add more but I will restrain myself so as to not make this list too big)
Texts:
Shelley, Frankenstein
Wells, The Time Machine Asimov, I, Robot
Dick, Bladerunner, or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Gibson, Burning Chrome
Films:
Gilliam, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Lang, Metropolis
Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Scott, Bladerunner
Longo, Johnny Mnemonic
I know there is also another class known as Psy-Fi. ITs not being offered this quarter so I cannot post a syllabus but if I remember correctly it has to do with Psychological aspects of Science Fiction.
"However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
especially snow crash and the diamond age
and anything else by him. Chocky is great for a child as the protagonist is a child contacted by an alien...
An interesting side note is that this book taught me to count in binary (the alien teaches the kid). It is explained in a very simple way; by the time this topic came up in math class, I had it under my belt.
Lots of people are recommending Neuromancer, etc.
I would shy away from such high-tech stuff and recommend some of the classics from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. This is highly imaginative writing that by its very removal from the technology of today is more conducive to creating a fantastical other-world.
Some of my favorites from childhood...
;)
The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher-
Good for a young reader, I first read them in elementrary school. Rather Post-Apocalyptic, and really interesting. Wrote on a level anyone can understand.
The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis-
Also a lot of fun, and at a easy reading level. Definately a more 'classical' sci-fi (more fantasy-like) than others.
Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams-
Read it twice or three times so you can get all the inside jokes
Have fun!
Still not dead.
Some of the best books I ever read, and 13 is the best time to start reading them, were C.S. Lewis', "Chronicles of Narnia". The first of seven is called "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".
Of course, Tolkien's "The Hobbit" has to be included. Those are fantasy more than SciFi so...
I'd recommend a lot of Heinlin, especially ones like "Red Planet" and others with a young teenager as the protagonist.
Another relatively unknown (thus hard to find at times - I always dug through used book stores) but fantasitic short story writer is Robert Sheckley. He wrote a few stories that became Twilight Zone episodes so he obviously likes to put a twist in his stories. They're also usually very funny and a quick read. His books are normally collections of short stories although he has a couple of novels as well.
There are, of course, a great many worthy books as well but that set should keep one busy for a good part of a year.
Carl Sagan's book "Contact" is probably better for a 13 year old. It's down to earth (kind of) and has some really interesting ideas that aren't too hard to understand. I find it amazing that the book is so old. It reads like it was written yesterday.
"There's no secret. You just press the accelerator to the floor and keep turning left." -- Bill Vukovich
These are personal favorites, some of which may not be particularly appropriate for a young teen (but then again, I first read most of them in junior high ;-). I've probably left out some essentials, but off the top of my head that's about it.
You can't be called a true SF reader until you've read the classics. These include:
;-)
Asimov's Foundation Series
Asimov's Robots Series
Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land
Clarke's 2001 (the rest of the series is a wash to me)
Herbert's Dune Series
Adam's Hitchiker's Guide To the Galaxy Series
I'd throw in Heinlein's "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" but not everybody agrees that's a classic.
Then there's a couple of modern books that make sense:
Gibson's Neuromancer
Stephenson's books, read at least one of Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, and Cryptomnicron
After that, you've established your SF credentials and are free to persue other works of the genre.
sigs are a waste of space
This is definately something a 13 year old girl should read, but only if someone explains a few things like Nixon, Watergate, Viet Nam and the JFK assassination first, as well as the history of comics and quantum physics. However, since no other graphic novel comes close to its quality, I'm worried she'll be disappointed with every other graphic novel/comic book thereafter.
Alexi Panshin's Rite of Passage is my first reccomendation. It is a novel that can be enjoyed by both parent and child. A Nebula winner from 1968 you should pick this up if you can find it. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is also a good introduction for young people to the world of science fiction. Good Luck! and enjoy.
I'd recommend checking out Alexandria Digital Literature. They have a really cool service, where you rate books you've read, and it matches you to neighbors and recommends things you might like. And, unlike Amazon, it really works well. That's what's convinced me to read Bujold, and boy was it right!
They also sell electronic stories, mostly short stories, which is sort of interesting. You can get things in a format to put them on your palmpilot immediately, which is useful for trips and stuff. Is this the future of publishing? I don't know.
Definitely worth checking out for anyone who likes to read as a hobby, which most people reading this topic probably do.
-- Kate
I waited several hours to see what was posted in response to your querry. Most of the time I find that someone else says what I would have said so much better than I would have. That has pretty much happened here but I'm posting anyway because a young friend of mine recently asked me about S.F. and I will share the recommendations I made to him.
I got the impression you and your neice were taking this little adventure together. I think that is great. An adult companion might be a good thing through some of the material suggested and you get the benefit of a more youthful perspective.
My list.
Alan Dean Foster - Lifeform, Jed the Dead, Trilogy of the Damned, and Codgerspace. Codgerspace might be the best place to start with a 13 year old.
Harry Harrison - Bill the Galatic Hero. A series of very funny short books. A few light and comical sexual references. The Planet of Tasteless Pleasures and The Planet of Bottled Brains were my favorites.
John Bruner - Stand on Zanzabar and Shockwave Rider. Bruner's early work was standard fare spaceship and alien encounter and the last two new books I read were too fatalistic and depressing for me.
Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep
I have shared this one with everyone I know who reads S.F. and they all gave it a thumbs up. It is a complex story and I would recommend doing this one together. There are several sub plots. The most interesing involving wolf like creatures where each sentient individual is a small pack.
Pol Andersen - The Boat of a Million Years
A good history and anthropology lesson as well as a good story.
Happy Reading
I didnt see any mention of Startide Rising or The Uplift War by David Brin, so I had to mention them. They are both epic novels in (the same) universe - tangible, fascinating, beautiful. Much more than simple action or mind-blowing techonologies...Brin can craft a story on many more levels.
"Comet" by Sagan is a wonderful read...much better than the movie, as books always are. Also, while Im on the subject, I highly recommend other (nonfiction) books by Sagan...such as "Dragons of Eden", "Cosmos", and "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark".
For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love. - Carl Sagan
Uuuhm, sorry if I seem incompetent, but what am I supposed to do with a .z5 file?? (is it compressed or what?)
Mikael Jacobson
Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
My favorite sci-fi books would be: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Adams Hilarious start to science fiction Ringworld 1/2/3, Integral Trees/Smoke Ring by Niven Great ideas in well thought out, entertaining novels Martian Chronicles by Bradbury Quozl by Alan Dean Foster
I'd have to recommend anything by Heinlein, with exception of Number of the Beast and things of that time period, basicly nothing writtin in the 80s. Stranger in a Strange Land is a great messiah story, but that gets into a religious argument that can be as silly as ways of indentation. The Ender's Game Quartet, by Orson Scott Card, (now 5 actually) is petty good, although the third and fourth books arn't wonderful.
Here is a list and some comments about books that I have enjoyed over the years. There's a lot of good stuff out there which I haven't even gotten close too.... Asimov: Foundation, Caves of Steel, Nightfall. Asimov is great at taking an idea and running with it. They might not be the most realistic stuff out there, but they're good. Heinlein: Citizen of the Galaxy- Great Juvenile aout slavery and adventure, Have Spacesuit will Travel-Juvenile, fun Tunnel in the Sky- Juvenile, fun Starship Troopers- Great, thought provoking book, political ideas and thoughts about duty and civic responsibility abound The Moon is a Harsh Mistress- Allegorical book about the American Revolution, more politics. The Puppet Masters: Entertaining cold war tract about Communism, in the vein of Invasion of the Body Snatchers He has many more books, like Stranger in a Strange Land that I also liked. I feel his later work is a little weaker than his early stuff. Arthur C. Clarke: Never really got into Clarke, but Rendezvous with Rama is great. H.G. Wells: Utterly classic stuff, and unbelievably prescient in many of his predictions. Books I consider must reads: The Island of Dr. Moreau (Genetic engineering, humanity and barbarism) The War of the Worlds (Colonialism, for an interesting study, try reading this and Heart of Darkness back to back) The Time Machine (Socialism) Frank Herbert: Dune. Classic. Must read Octavia Butler: Bloodchild and other stories. Wonderful stories. This is the only thing I have read by her, but on its basis I would highly recommend her. William Gibson: Burning Chrome, Neuromancer, COunt Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive. His early stuff is great, later stuff is weak as far as I am concerned. George Alec Effinger: When Gravity Fails, A Fire in the Sun, The Exile Kiss. Maybe not for a 13 year old, but give it a couple of years. Entertaining Cybperunk in an Arab milieu. Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash Great, funny, thought provoking cyberpunk. Anything with a main character named Hiro Protagonist is the bomb. David Brin: Sundiver, Startide Rising, The Uplift War. Great series of intergalactic chicanery, hijinks, complete with dolphins. Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game. Great book about a young boy training for war. Some people liked the rest of the series, I wasn't a fan. Joe Haldeman: The Forever War Total classic, heavily influenced by Vietnam Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination Great story of a shipwrecked nebbish who is left to die by a passing ship and dedicates his life to vengeance. The Demolished Man is also supposed to be good. James Tiptree Jr.: Brightness Falls from the Air Wonderful story about a strange planet with rumblings of a holocaust in the air Phillip K. Dick: Great author, rare insight, sometimes a little addled. Would recommend: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (made in to Blade Runner), The Man in the High Castle (What if Nazis win WWII?), We Can Remember it for you Wholesale (Story, made into Total Recall), Flow my Tears the Policeman Said. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc.. Funny stuff. David Feintuch: Midshipman's Hope. Fun updating of Horatio Hornblower to deep space. Larry Niven: Ringworld. Great idea, great hard SF. Niven and Pournelle: The Mote in God's Eye: great idea, great hard SF. HP Lovecraft: More horror than SF, but I have to give him a plug for being an inventive bridge betwween Poe and Stephen King. Lois McMaster Bujold: Miles Vorkosigian series is good stuff. You should also definitely check out Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light. This is fun!
Here at Rice University they actually had an intro to science fiction course. Some of the books definitely were way out there and probably not appropriate for small children, but a lot of the scifi scene has graphic parts, so a proper introduction might include them. Anyway, some of the notable books in the class included: Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash Octavia Butler's Dawn Douglas Coupland's Microserfs (slighly eclectic but good) I'd personally recommend "A mote in God's Eye", "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Cryptonomicon", and "The Rowan". BTW, if anyone's horribly interested, I've got a small short-story of my own up under "Persephone's Song", check my main page for a link to a friend's response.
1. All of the Books in Larry Niven's
Known Space series.
2. Most anything by Philip K. Dick.
There are others, but that's all I have time for at the moment...
ti_dave
One of my favourites as a kid was Clifford Simak. He tended to write stories that focused on people and their reactions to unusual situations. Not a lot of hard science, some very creative ideas, and most of it's based in a believable sense of reality. I think that most early teens interested in SF would find Simak both interesting and readable.
I still enjoy his short stories (which frankly are better than his novels,) although I recognize that they're more candy for the mind than deep thoughtful stuff.
His Riverworld series is lots of fun, and almost... (whisper) educational.
Someone who offers a very interesting philisophy is W. Michael Gear in his "Spider" trilogy. (renota@nucleus.com)
I'm not sure about the 13 year old, but I started reading Vonnegut at about that age, and I'm not too bad off. (In my forties) Some of his humor may seem a little dated, but it's very thought-provoking stuff.
One of my very favorite SF books. Combines semi-hard science with real characterizations and a riveting story line.
Of his later works I think Time Enough for Love, Stranger in a Strange Land and especially The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are real eye openers. Be prepared for serious questions after that.
Dune. What else is there to say?
For Cyberpunk fiction I would highly recommend Stephenson's brilliant "SnowCrash" (has a young teenage heroine) and what I believe to be his masterwork "The Diamond Age". The computer's tutoring of the teenage girl in that story will be particularly relevant. Neuromancer is, of course, considered the touchstone of Cyberpunk and I loved it. Some people find Gibson's writing a bit too strident and characters cold.
To even begin to talk about fantasy you must read Tolkein's "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings".
To top it all off I would heartily recommend the enchanting and mysterious "Wizard of Earthsea" trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin. The teenage priestess Arha and her relationship with the young superwizard Ged is touching and romantic. Chalk it up as one of those "didnt think I'd like it but was pleasantly suprised."
For some really mind-bending stuff try Phillip K. Dick. And don't forget one of the masters of SF that even Heinlein said he couldn't match -- one who loved mankind and wrote stories that asked the hard questions -- Theodore Sturgeon. Check out Sturgeon's novel "GodBody".
Enjoy. Substitute every hour you watch TV with an hour of reading and she'll discover a whole universe of ideas that she has isolated from.
Good luck!
Jim Burnes
jburnes@earthlink.net
The Narnia series is probably the first books not related to the hardy boys that I read. It is great for 10-14 year olds, I think. These books are so great because there are many levels to the stories: the fantasy world, social relations, and ethics are all part of the stories.
Anything Heinlein has ever written is great, in particular _Strnager in a Strange Land_ and _Starship Troopers_.
Likewise, or the fantasy side of sci-fi, anything Weiss and Hickman have done together, such as _The Dragonlance Chronicles_, _The Darksword Trilogy_, _The Rose of the Prophet Trilogy_, and _The Death Gate Series_.
All are excellent, and all are suitable for teenagers.
--jim
~ I would like to apologize in advance to those of you whom I may one day kill.
so much science fiction is escapist, or, if it contains some actual substance, naive and clumsily heavy-handed in its examination of 'issues'. Many people seem to like "ender's game"--i can't see why. well written, yes, in the style of one of those popular thrillers that keep you turning pages. but otherwise empty, poorly thought out, and one is beaten over the head with what little 'philosophical' content it has--though it may be a good read for a young teenager. as for my recommendations--teenagers should enjoy: sheri s. tepper (the gate to women's country, grass, raising the stones, beauty) ursula k leguin cj cherryh (cyteen) storm constantine (hard to find but worth it: wraeththu trilogy, sign for the sacred, hermetech) tanith lee (fantasy, but still) gene wolfe (there are doors) and, of course, tolkien. --once you've read tolkien, you've read maybe 90% of the fantasy that's out there. and children's books that never cease to enchant: diane duane--so you want to be a wizard john bellairs--the face in the frost
Current Favourites: Orson Scott Card, Robert Sawyer, Neil Gaiman
Classics: Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula K. LeGuin, Isacc Asimov, Douglas Adams, Tolkien
Obviously too popular to be SF (or won't admit it): Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy, Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale)
Don't Forget Short Stories: Asimov's is the best, On-Spec from Canada is very good. Analog's editorial spin is "Hard SF" and the writing suffers to my taste because of it. SF is probably the most vibrant genre to find current short stories in.
Starting points:
Illegal Alien, Starplex, and Factoring Humanity by Sawyer
NeverWhere, and Good Omens by Gaiman
Ender's Game and Shadow, and Alvin Maker books by Card
Starship Troopers by Heinlein - when buying Heinli en you may find it useful to measure the thickness, and the date of the book - the thinner earlier ones are often "Juveniles" - good stories, but he had to write them with kids, and kid's librarians in mind. The other thing which is odd is how quickly people get married in his books. Super Prolific writer.
If you can't get enough of "Lets fight bugs in space books" then try Armor by John Steakley. Remember- it's a metaphor
The Left Hand of Darkness by LeGuin. This one is current but her books are excellent and worth looking for in used book stores.
McCaffery - All the Pern books are fun.
Hobbit then LOTR by Tolkien
Many of these are Fantasy more than SF. I can't decide if I'm smug at how smart I am to like SF, or if it is just fiction and entertainment...
In no particular order:
Ender's Game (Card)
Ringworld, Integral Trees, Smoke Ring (Niven)
Snowcrash, Cryptonomicon (Stephenson)
Foundation and Robot series, Nightfall, basically everything he ever wrote (Asimov)
Starship Troopers, Methusela's Children, Stranger in a Strange Land, most of the stories, few of the books (Heinlen)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, etc. (PK Dick)
Red/Green/Blue Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson)
Neuromancer, Burning Chrome (short stories) (Gibson)
Watchmen (A. Moore, D. Gibbons)
Dune (first only) (Hebert)
Moving Mars, Anvil of Stars, Forge of God, Eternity, etc. (Greg Bear)
Postman, Uplift series (Brin)
Contact (Sagan)
Battlefield Earth (Hubbard)
Psion/Cat's Paw series (Vinge)
Falkenberg books (Pournelle)
Dorsai books (Gordon R. Dickinson)
Stainless Steel Rat series (Harrison)
2001 series (AC Clarke)
Hitchhiker's Guide (Adams)
HG Wells
Ray Bradbury
You just have to read some H.G. Wells. I picked up a book of all of his short stories and novellas (It's a >1000 page collection), and have finally finished reading all of it. All I have to say is WOW. It's kind of like having listened to Led Zeppelin all your life, and then having someone hand you a stack of Delta Blues ablums ... both are very entertaining but there's nothing like the true original.
RFC2119
The suggested readings I've seen in postings so far have all been excellent, save for one missing notable.
Where's Kurt Vonnegut?
For my buck, essential reading includes:
Slaughterhouse Five
Breakfast of Champions
...and my personal favourite:
The Sirens of Titan (probably a good start for someone younger)
You really can't go wrong with these titles, IMO.
--- I shall always be wherever I've been. - Winston Niles Rumfoord
I recently read Neuromancer (I'm 14 btw) and agree with you that it is a bit too mature for maybe even some highschoolers. That notwithstanding, it is a very good book. One thing:
What happened in the end?
The book was *extremely* confusing and I was lost by the time I finished reading it. I have a funny feeling that something monumental happened... but what was it???
void recursion (void)
{
recursion();
}
while(1) printf ("infinite loop");
if (true) printf ("Stupid sig quote");
Friends don't let friends misuse the subjunctive.
Hey, and don't forget to teach her a role-playing game or two! I wish I'd started a long time ago. I'd be a cool D&D chick, not the poser I am now.
Bah. To the underworld with D&D. Teach her Shadowrun. Sci-fi, cyberpunk, AND fantasy in one world and a game engine that doesn't require advanced calculus to know if you can climb a tree.
-Lx?
I really liked the Space Trilogy series (Out of the Silent Planet, Paralandra, haven't gotten to the thrid book yet) by Lewis.
-- Erich
Slashdot reader since 1997
It's a must! :)
BU arthur C. Clarke, I believe, this book's among one of the classics of Sci-Fi, though it's sequels don't fare well. I'd also reccomment most stuff by Heinlein, Niven, Clarke, Pohl, and McCaffrey....
I don't see a single book in that list which is not fit for a 13 year old person. I have read many of them at that age and earlier. As I read through the lists people post here I keep seeing comments about what is or isn't fit for a 13 year old and it simply makes me sick.
I have been reading science fiction without any selection by an adult since the age of 8. I can't think of a single SF book which I would not let a younger person read because it is somehow "harmful". The only thing these books may cause harm to is to your twisted image of what it is like to be 13. Have you all really forgotten what's it like? It was almost two decades ago but I still remember.
----
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
Never be afraid to get rid of a book you don't enjoy. If its not fun, don't read it. I give books 5-10 pages. If I'm not into it by then, no further. Many of the suggestions on the list are going to be tough, i.e, boring to the average 13 year old out there. I struggled through most of Philip Dick's stuff when I was too young to appreciate it.
The Star Wars Trilogy (duh)
Bladerunner
Sneakers
Contact (also make her read the book, by the man himself Carl Sagan. I can't believe no one mentioned this one!)
Alien/Aliens (Any other in the series is up to you, but these two are great.)
Dark City
Twelve Monkies
The Nightmare before Christmas (not strictly SciFi, but if she's never seen it, the issues it deals with are very SciFi)
Metropolis (oldie but goodie)
The Even numbered Star Trek movies. (2, 4, 6, and First Contact.)
2001 and 2010.
Brazil
Finally, if she's interested in Science Fiction, she May dig Anime as well. Some anime titles which are good n' healthy for someone her age:
My neighbor Totoro
Princess Mononoke (Coming to Video from Miramax "real soon now"
Ghost in the Shell
Ranma 1/2 (a tv series)
Any of the above titles you can find in both subtitled and dubbed formats. I personally prefer subtitles, but whatever she wants.
Hope that helps.
The Star Wars Trilogy (duh)
Bladerunner
Sneakers
Contact (also make her read the book, by the man himself Carl Sagan. I can't believe no one mentioned this one!)
Alien/Aliens (Any other in the series is up to you, but these two are great.)
Dark City
Twelve Monkies
The Nightmare before Christmas (not strictly SciFi, but if she's never seen it, the issues it deals with are very SciFi)
Metropolis (oldie but goodie)
The Even numbered Star Trek movies. (2, 4, 6, and First Contact.)
2001 and 2010.
Brazil
Finally, if she's interested in Science Fiction, she May dig Anime as well. Some anime titles which are good n' healthy for someone her age:
My neighbor Totoro
Princess Mononoke (Coming to Video from Miramax "real soon now"
Ghost in the Shell
Ranma 1/2 (a tv series)
Any of the above titles you can find in both subtitled and dubbed formats. I personally prefer subtitles, but whatever she wants.
Hope that helps.
David Webber's Honor Harrison books are exelent. The first 3 or 4 are a little repetitive, but after that the series comes into it's own and is quite enjoyable. For a more intense read, there is always Tad William's Otherland series, although the books are very, very long, he keeps the pace moving nicely and, because the majority of the novels are set in virtual reality, there is plenty of fantasy like action as well as strong sci-fi underpinnings
norp norp bzzt fzzzzt
I quickly scanned the list, and found all my favorites (plus a few that I'd forgotten.)
However, you missed Ender's Game by Orson Scott card. It's one of my highest reccomendations. The rest of the series is good too, but become very philosophical, and 'out there.'
(series is: Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind,...) Also, I don't know if it counts as sci-fi, but Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglass Adams) is great.
--Welcome to the Realm of the Hawke--
...all rolled into one.
:^)
See if you can spot the themes in these choices that seem to be the basis for Star Wars (okay, I'll do it)
Asimov - damn near any book, since he used "Forward The Foundation" (good book, BTW) to tie in a *large* amount of his stories/books together, but especially the Foundation line. I'm thinking rather specifically about Trantor, the city-planet capitol of the Empire. Hmmm...Coruscant, anyone?
Frank Herbert-Dune series-The Bene Jeserit, with special powers over mere mortals, and Paul Atriedes, the supposed only male with that power...okay, back on topic: The one thing that gives navigators and the Bene Jesserit witches their power is spice, gathered from the desert planet of Arrakis. Is it my imagination, or does everything in Star Wars seem to revolve around Tatooine? (Heh...funny name...I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the Tatooine scenes were filmed in Tatouin.
Anyway...
Stating on Slashdot that I like cheese since 1997.
I've seen a lot of good books I know and even more (possibly) good ones I'm going to have to find for myself.
A few I've not seen (explicitly) mentioned would seem quite appropriate for a 13 year old (I think):
Glory Season - David Brin
Eon - Greg Bear
Eternity - Greg Bear (sequel to Eon)
Songs of Earth and Power - Greg Bear (fantasy)
The soprano sorceress - L.E. Modesitt jr.
http://slashdot.org/articles/00/01/09/128257.shtml #186
:)
We discussed this earlier
-- Ender, Duke_of_URL
With all due respect, you must not have read very widely if you think that SF "movies, almost without exception, deal with issues more advanced and "adult" than" SF books, unless the last SF book you read was published in 1930.
This is not a derogation of SF film, but most of the classic SF films were *based* on books or short stories.
However, someone here suggested the graphic novel "WATCHMEN" by Alan Moore, which is not a film, but uses (among many other things), cinematographic techniques to masterful effect.
I'd put up "WATCHMEN" against anything SF has otherwise created in *any* medium, whether 2001, Quest for fire or The Day the Earth Stood Still as film, Dahlgren, A Fire Upon the Deep or Lord of Light in novels, The Book of The New Sun in series or Babylon 5 in television.
But, with all due respect, I think your opinion is based on a very limited and skewed data set.
Start with short stories. They let you find favorite authors and styles of writing, all while reading the very best SF has to offer. Few authors write novels than are better than their short stories, so discovering what you like through magazines and anthologies gives you both a more concentrated experience as well as more authors to discover. Start with:
"The Year's Best Science Fiction," Gardner Dozois (ed). Title says it all, and the front essay also covers the best novels from that year. They go back to the mid-eighties. Usually has the Hugo and Nebula nominees (except the novels, of course).
"The Science Fiction Hall of Fame," three books found in libraries and collections everywhere, including many school libraries. (No sex, so librarians think its not dangerous for growing minds. Ha! Reading it around age 11 was my "first sample is free...") The Weapons Shop. It's A *Good* Life. (Shudder) The 9 Billion Names of God. Algernon. Twilight. The Cold Equations. Good stuff, and the drawbacks of early SF is less apparent- far less annoyingly stereotypical female characters, for example- than the era's novels.
Magazines: Try both Asimov's and Analog to find which one you prefer: each publishes for a somewhat difference audience. My parents gave me a subscription to Asimovs when I was 13, and its where I discovered most of my favorite modern authors: Egan, Swanwick, Willis, Marusek, Robert Reed, W.J. Williams...
Analog is known (stereotyped) for a hard-sf, idea carries the story style, while Asimov's for a more literary, idea-is-necessary-not-sufficient style (for example, social sciences count (think Arneson or LeGuin's anthropology)). I'd vote for Asimov's because it carries more types of writing and gets more Hugo / Nebula awards, while Analog is for a more specialized audience. I think of Analog as the fast-fun read, Asimov's for the 'can't stop thinking about it' (can't fall asleep afterwards, sometimes) who knows whats next read. Yes, I'm biased. Try at least 3 issues of each before giving up on either, though.
"Best of..." anthologies. Expand out from the SF Hall of Fame. Frederick Brown, Jack Vance, Alfred Bester... not as well known today, but still a good read.
I'm in the minority, but I found the later Dune books far *more* interesting than the first book.
I would agree with you there.. I read the book when I was about 15. And I still occasionally get mental images from it.
The God Emperor of Dune.. I think that was the name.
I would agree, except with LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness, which starts off *way too slow* and then proceeds to rewire your brain.
Speaking of Gene Wolfe's rule, Gene Wolfe himself wouldn't be a good place to start for a 13 year old girl reading SF but would be terrific two or three years later, particularly with short stories and The Fifth Head of Cerberus.
one of the best of a HUGE list here
I really like that you're starting with Azimov's "Foundation". I read that book in 6th grade and it hooked me on SF for life (and Ike is still #1 for me).
---
--
If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.
One of the things I most enjoy reading is Gardner Dozois' yearly anthology, The Year's Best Science Fiction, now in it's 20th(?) year. Dozois is the editor for Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, so he sees a lot of fiction cross his desk. In addition, many of the Hugo and Nebula candidates and finalists are published in his magazine.
These anthologies have about 25 stories of varying length (from short stories to short novels), and cover a wide variety of sub-genres. He also includes a lengthy run-down of the year in science fiction -- the publishing industry, new authors, cons, and always a long list of obituaries. In short, it's a wonderful, broad introduction to the genre.
One word of caution, though. The stories are often not light, and while usually not inappropriate for a thirteen year-old (that's something for you to decide!), they may be difficult going. You'll probably want to talk about them together.
Another note is that although they go back twenty years, they only go back twenty years. :) Science Fiction has been around for over two hundred years (going back to Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde), but I'll leave you to all the other posts for more suggestions there.
Have fun!
Danek
here's my quick take:
I think it's worthwhile to create a canon of sci-fi literature...I think it should be arranged in the basic setup of the origins, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, with classics like The invisible man, the time machine, journey to the center of the earth, war of the worlds, and 20,000 leagues under the sea...the next group are pulp/50's writers...asimov's foundation series, heinlein's moon is a harsh mistress, stranger in a strange land, etc...alfred bester, invisible man, stars my destination, and his short stories...ray bradbury...and then the cyberpunk/80's writers...william gibson's neuromancer and burning chrome are both incredible...neal stephenson of course...orson scott card's ender's game...
There are many more, of course. Also, I think everyone should check out vonnegut...his short stories, welcome to the monkey house, as well as cat's cradle and slaughterhouse-5 are all incredible literary works.
....oh my gosh...this is the toughest question ever. I could suggest so many things, and sci-fi has so many connections and subtleties. Sci-fi literature has been intensely alive for the last hundred years or so, and it's only going to be more important in the future. I think that the canon will be developed at some point, when these works are recognized as the vastly important works of literature they are...the importance of their insight into our society will only be realized when people see exactly how good their insight is, and has been...the writers that we hold up as the best examples of literary science fiction have incredible readings of the future of media and its implications throughout our society...their insight has and continues to be SO valuable. Our media is slowly dealing with the questions cyberpunk posed in the early 80's...only now has a good cyberpunk movie come out, and a lot of tv and movies are based on '50's sci-fi. This stuff is great...it's intelligent literature, and it's conversant with the canon of western literature going back to the origins of greek and latin thought, while at once defining the modern novel. Sci-fi is where our culture is alive.
One of the best authors of both fantasy and scifi is Tad Williams. For SciFi check out the Otherland series. So far there is three of them. It is about the future Internet, for Fantasy of his read the Dragon bone chair series. Also the DeathGate Cycle Series is very good. Written by Margret Weiss and Tracey Hickman. The Drangonlance Series are good too. But if you read anything read Tad Williams.
I think it depends on the kid. Some people can and do enjoy some Shakespeare when they're teen-agers, or can read stuff like 1984. I read 1984 when I was 15, and absolutly loved it. It's one of my favorite books. But there are some kids in my class (even in honors) who find books boring, and would find 1984 to be pointless and stupid. It really boils down to the kid. Hopefully the daughters father will know enough about her to decide what kind of books she'd be interested in and what level she would enjoy.
Heinlien is one of my all-time favorite authors, but I feel compelled to say that his last few books (specifically _The Cat Who Walks Through Walls_ and _To Sail Beyond the Sunset_) were a waste of the paper and ink consumed in printing them and should not be read under any circumstances. _I Will Fear No Evil_ was pretty bad as well.
OTOH, _Stranger in a Strange Land_ and _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ are two of the finest sci fi novels I've ever read.
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, The Fabulous Riverboat (w/Sam Clemens), and the rest.
"What thou shalt not, I shalt did!" -Bart Simpson
It is tough to find something not already mentioned on someone's list! You might want to consider Patricia McKillip's "Riddle Master of Hed" trilogy, though that's (excellent) fantasy - and speaking of fantasy, Gread Bear's "Infinity Concerto" and "The Serpent Mage" are great fantasy by a great SF writer. At 13, she might be just a bit too young for it, though.
What else that I didn't see mentioned... Jack Chalker's "Well of souls" series, of course; Anything by E.E. Doc Smith, if you can find it; Julian May's "The many colored land" series (wonderful mixture of aliens, psi, high-tech and time travel. Some mentioning of sex, though nothing explicit).
Any Jack Vance (planet of adventure... the dying earth... the demon princes). Gene Wolfe is probably too hard for a 13 year old. So is David Zindell (the Neverness series). Both are a must read later on...
Got it! The perfect SF book for a 13 year old! "Rite of passage" by Alexei Panshin (about a teenage girl growing up in a spaceship - thought provoking issues about morality, growing up, some adventure, and general fun).
And nobody mentioned Cordwainer Smith! Go today and get "the rediscovery of man" - that's all the short stories - and "Norstrilia". It simply doesn't get any better. Trust me. Or, rather, don't - ask anyone who has read him. It really doesn't get any better.
Speaking of Smith, someone mentioned "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. That's also an all-times great one.
Whow, and that's besides the great books on other people's lists. I guess you are swamped. Trust me on "Star beast", "Rite of passage" - they are just perfect for her age, and are easy reading.
You could, of course, just get her a library card and the sum of all responses. That should keep her busy and out of trouble until she's 21
No, a z5 file is a file that should be read by a z-machine, a virtual machine Infocom came up with to make porting text adventures easy. It would be too difficult to list all the platforms it is on, so I'd reccomend rummaging through here. The first folders to look in are frotz & zip, BTW, though the emacs folder looks worthy of attention...
o comXinterpreters.html
e sXzcode.html
http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinf
It should be noted you can run it on almost anything out there. Your Palmpilot, Acorn,Amiga, Gameboy, Apple II, OS/2, and all your mainstream OS'es. (Yes, including Linux, BeOS, and even Dos & Windows)...
Also, yes, the source is available for the majority of the interpreters...
If you're going to download a whole interpreter, you may as well get a couple more text adventures for it, so hunt around in
http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXgam
Recommendations include:
Jigsaw
A time travel game interweaved with romance.
So Far
Very, very sureal.
Tangle(Spider & Web)
A rather interesting spy adventure game where most of the game is what you are telling an interrogator you did...
minister(Christminister)
You go to visit your brother, and find that he is missing...
anchor(Anchorhead)
A wonderful piece of Lovecraftian fiction...
Delusns (Delusions)
VR at its best in a text adventure...
Anyways, explore around there and have fun!
--Arcum
My taste in sci-fi runs more to the military genre, but these come to mind quickly as the cream of the crop of what I've read: Greg Bear - "Hammer of God", "Anvil of Stars" ... "Foundation and Chaos", Greg's contribution to the estate-commissioned extension of Asimov's Foundation trilogy is a pretty good read too. Heinlein - Starship Troopers (ignore the film, read the book), Stranger in a Strange Land. Frank Herbert - the entire "Dune" series, although the ones after "God Emperor of Dune" get kinda strange Clark - the "Rama" trilogy Asimov - anything and everything, but especially the "Robots" series (especially, "Caves of Steel" and "I, Robot") and the "Foundation" trilogy-plus Orson Scott Card - the "Ender" trilogy (read them in order, please ... ) Gordon Dickson - the "Childe Cycle" (all of them, if you can find them) David Weber - all the Honor Harrington books ... especially since you're reading them with a young girl ... good role model ... start with "On Basilisk Station" and follow her career through in sequence Jerry Pournelle - the "Falkenberg's Legion" books ... "Falkenberg's Legion," "Prince of Sparta," and "Go Tell the Spartans" in that order Spider Robinson - all the "Callahan's" books (funny, although they might be a little risque for the young lady) Spider and Jean Robinson - the "Stardancer" trilogy Vernor Vinge - A Fire on the Deep William Gibson - "Neuromancer", "Burning Chrome", "Johnny Mnemonic" (ignore the movie), "The Difference Engine", "Virtual Light" Movies? Try "Forbidden Planet", "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (with tongue in cheek), "Dune" (AFTER you read the book, NOT before), "Blade Runner", "The Abyss", "Terminal Man", "Firestarter" and "The Matrix"
utter rubbish
at first, i thought that recommending some of these books to a thirteen year old was a bit irresponsible... but then i thought about some of the stuff that i read when i was thirteen, and i realized that having her read these books is infinitely better than having her watch junk-tv all day long. so here is my list...
Gibson- Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties, the Difference Engine.
Dick- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Philip K. Dick Reader (a compilation of some of his best work, like We Can Remember It For You Wholesale)
Sterling- Holy Fire
Stephenson- Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash
Heinlein- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Starship Troopers.
Matheson- I Am Legend (i know this fits more into horror, but it's just such a cool story... until chuck heston got his grubby paws into it, anyway)
Orwell- 1984, Animal Farm (i know it's more of a parable than anything, but it's still a dystopia, so i put it here)
Clarke- 2001-3001
Bradbury- Fahrenheit 451
Rucker- Software/Wetware/Hardware
hope that helps a little bit. if i had more time, i'd probably be able to come up with more.
"How it infuriates a bigot, when he is forced to drag out his dark convictions"-- Logan Pearsall Smith
Besides, you might save her life: it contains "The Cold Equations". Nobody reading this story will pull a crazy dangerous stunt without at least one second thought.
_Tunnel Through the Deeps_ by Harry Harrison (originally published under another title in the UK and may currently be in print under that name, which I don't know). Lighthearted and amusing introduction to alternate history with Gus Washington trying to redeem his family's name by building a railroad tunnel from England to the American colonies around 1980.
_Under Pressure_ by Frank Herbert (also has another title which I can't remember - I am getting old). The pyschology of technology - or is it the technology of psychology? Somewhat heavy on the military theme. But really pushes the idea that how people interact as they use technology is more important than the technology itself.
I used to have an anthology of George O. Smith's "Venus Equilaterial" stories. Somewhat 1950's, but a good set of engineering mysteries mixed with space opera.
Isaac Asmimov edited a lot of anthologies of 1930's - 1970's SF short stories. Various anthologies of Hugo winners, etc. are also good. Short stories can be less intimidating than novels, and reading the 1930's stuff can be good for a laugh and an intro. to the genre at the same time.
As to the various comments on what is appropriate for a 13 y.o., I would make three observations:
1) At the ripe old age of 38, I can't imagine what it is like to be a pre-teen/teenager today. But based on what I see on VH-1, network television, and the teen section of the magazine rack, there isn't anything in any of the books listed in this discussion that will be corrupting, or even news to, a Western 13 y.o.
2) By the age of 14, certainly, I had read 75% of the books listed that had been published at the time. I suspect most of the people reading this had done the same. No significant damage done and possibly a lot of benefit.
3) Isaac Asimov once compared SF to a technical candle: expose a 12 y.o. to a good selection of SF, and if he (she) has an inborn desire/talent for technology, he will be drawn to it as a moth to a candle. Pretty accurate in my estimation.
sPh
I said:
_And Then There Were None_ - one third of the collection _The Great Explosion_ - is the origin of MYOB and TANSTAAFL, and dear to the hearts of Pacifists and Anarchists everywhere.
Actually, it was MYOB, F-IW, and the basic use of "initial slang", i.e. acronyms, as shorthand for homilies. TANSTAAFL showed up in Heinlin's _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_, another Anarchist utopia story (though a bit more diverse, rather than Russel's more homogeneous Ghands - Ghandi-influenced pacifist anarchists).
There's a story behind TANSTAAFL, too, beyond the one in which it appeared...
Seems that Milton Freedman was attending an economics conference, and went out to lunch with another economist. On their way and during the lunch they continued an old economics debate: "Are there any universal rules of economics?", with Uncle Miltie taking the pro-rules side.
Upon leaving the restaurant Milton said ~You know, that was a marvelous lunch. And the restaurant had excelent service. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was free?~
Of course his dinner partner said "There's no such thing as a free lunch." And Milton pointed out that he'd just stated a universal rule of economics, destroying his own argument and winning the debate for Milton. B-)
And just incidentally creating a beloved homily for Libertarians and other capitalist-anarchists the world over.
Which reminds me... Don't forget to turn them on to L. Neil Smith's "North American Confederacy" series, starting with _The Probability Broach_ and continuing with _The Venus Belt_
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
The Book of the New Sun series (4 original books + 1 added later) is sort of a combination sci fi/fantasy (it won both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards I believe). Wolf uses a combination of modern and archaic english to paint an incredibly vivid and detailed picture of a society that is set so far in the future that the Sun is burning out, yet resembles Europe of the Middle Ages.
Simply put, his works would be worth reading just to marvel at his use of language, nevermind the story and the ideas he explores. (Plus you'll realize where my slashdot nickname comes from :-)
Well, the question is quite interesting, but my question is more about the limitation : is SciFi limited or can it be extended to Fantasy and such other books.
... as well as glad to hear of other great books). I will order the authors alphabeticaly, and precise genre when possible.
... yet)
... the four book that I very deeply recommend to people. It is about "existence" of species ... but much more. (Btw, a 5th one was released recently)
... Great "semi" autobiographical work in "High Hunt" also.
... but other of his books also speak of such subjects (in the star and the whip series : "The Incident Jesus").
... as well as Salomon Kane ... plenty of Fantasy heroes are born from this mind.
...) which is the story of the epic of survival/discovery of the princess of a small country surrounded by poisonous forests ... A must read (this description can not begin to engulf the beauty of this piece of art).
... time being the only factor that prevent me from speaking at length of all those masterpieces.
Here are presented some of the authors I think are quite relevent to read (but then again that is my opinion and I am ready to discuss it with whoever desire
- Isaac Assimov (Space/Robots) : Well, maybe one of the best complex novel writer I can think of. I do recommend the entire Robot collection (it is always good to have to think), as well as Nemesis and Azazel. (sorry have not read foundation
- Ann Mc Caffrey (Epic Fantasy/Space) : well her most famous set of books are about the planet Pern and its Dragonriders, and I can only tell that it is quite normal due to the real epic presented here. The story introduces space fiction (later in the set of books) combined with human/dragon stories. A gret piece of art and it seems that a TV show is coming (I hope it will match my expectations).
- Orson Scott Card (Space/Alien) : here I want to speak of the "Ender" series
- Philip K Dick (Fiction/Fantasy) : author of the book that became later Blade Runner. The book I really enjoyed here is Ubik.
- David (& Leigh) Eddings (Epic Fantasy) : well, simply my favorite fantasy authors, with a way to put clearly "annoying" characters together, and with such pleasant ways to interact that you really care about the characters. The Belgariad and the Malloreen are two set of 5 books each (plus 3 extras). The Tamuli and the Ellenium 2 sets of 3 books. To put it blunty (I will scare some people off here) : I could never go past the first book of any Tolkien book, and now I am afraid I will not try again
- Neil Gaiman (Fantasy) : for his book "Neverwhere" about a parallel universe in london. We can also talk about his works with Terry Pratchett : Good Omens (or of Terry Pratchett works : The Discworld)
- Frank Herbert (Jihad/Conquest) : well the description tells it all, Dune and other books in the same series are about conquest through religious jihads
- Robert E Howard (Epic Fantasy) : Conan, Kull and Red Sonja
- H P Lovecraft (Horror/Fantasy) : Well, if you ever heard of "Cthulu" you have heard of the legacy of Lovecraft.
- Michael Moorcrock (Epic Fantasy) : Elric and Stormbringer are a few examples of the the tragic heroes created by this writter.
- Ann Rice (Fantasy/Horror) : Best known for her work on the book which became the movie "Interview with the vampire", she has a very poetic way of describing vampiric needs and life.
Then, if I may present one classic (often read while in school) : 1984 from George Orwells; the Big Brother story.
Finally, if one may introduce another Sci fi writting art form in the subject, comic books :
- Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind) by Hayao Miyazaki (Laputa, Mononoke Hime
The Sandman written by Neil Gaiman, a fantastic piece of "Endless" fantasy (another "must read").
Plus many more, that I can not present here because of time
I hope this little list is going to be useful, and if you want to contact me to talk about it (or present me with other master pieces (I am always interested)), please e-mail me at :
martial@users.sourceforge.net
Sincerely,
-- Martial MICHEL
I suggest any by Asimov, A.E. Van Vogt is also good, Clarke, Heinlein, also Stephen Baxter is very good, classics are Brave New World - Aldous Huxley, Ape and Essence - Aldous Huxley, 1984 - George Orwell, I was 14 when I read them, 2 years ago, and although I didn't quite get the politics at the time, they are both very good stories.
Frankly, most of the good stuff has been hit. Here are some others that I've enjoyed quite a bit (I'll try not to repeat anything from the above).
Some "special" books.
Again, this list was merely intended to supplement the one above, not replace it. There's really too much great stuff to list. I haven't even mentioned Silverberg, or Dick, or Gordon Dickson, or William Tenn. Others may disagree, but as a general rule of thumb, I've found that the most profound works in sci-fi were written back in the Golden Age of Sci-Fi, and I would suggest sticking with that (I'm not putting down Gibson or Stephenson, they are amazing, but a great deal of the modern crap is just atrocious.)
I'll stop the library listing now. Hope this helps.
--
"Insert Random Profound Quote Here"
I would probably add both of those to the list as well. Although, I read Friday first as a HS freshman, so I was 14 or so.
Job is a little harder to classify. When I first found the book in a used book store and started reading it, I kept checking the front cover to make sure it actually said "written by Robert Heinlein". The style and storyline are just so non-(book)-Heinlein--at least in the first two-thirds. If it weren't for some of the slightly more adult "succubus material" near the end I'd have no problem giving it to a 13-year-old.
I thought IWFNE had a good idea, but there were two main problems:
1) "Eunice" is about the ugliest name I can think of.
2) Considering the range of topics covered (one) there were too many pages (600?).
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I can't help but notice many of the suggestions are particularly good books, but not the best for a teenager to start with. I love Orson Scott Card's "Saints," but I wouldn't recommend it to a young woman without knowing how she would take the tougher scenes. (Although when the book was first sold, it was marketed under the title "Woman of Destiny" in the historical-romance genre. I have no idea how the teenage girls who buy most of those books reacted to some of the more extreme scenes in the book.)
From the classics, look to the Winston juveniles from the '50s. This was a series which was written by the top sci-fi writers of the day for teenagers, often using teens as heroes and heroines and often dealing with issues of interest to the younger set.
One of the main purposes of Winston as a publisher was to produce hardback science-fiction for libraries. So, you can still find many of these in public libraries.
Almost all of them are good, but not all are being reprinted. Most of Heinlein volumes from the series are still in print: "Tunnel in the Sky," "Have Spacesuit Will Travel," "Podkayne of Mars," "Red Planet," "The Star Beast," "Starman Jones," "The Rolling Stones," "Space Cadet," and "Rocket Ship Galileo."
"Pstalemate" by Lester Del Rey is currently out of print, but has been reprinted from time to time. Likewise, "Rite of Passage" has been reprinted, but is not currently available from a publisher (a campaign seems to be under way at Amazon to get it back in print.
In more recent times, of course "Ender's Game" is a classic tale of teenagers being taken advantage of because they are young and idealistic. And "Angel with a Sword" is a much better recommendation for a young person than the C.J. Cherryh stories which have been suggested (as much as I like them). There were a series of Merovingen Nights stories published as sequels to this novel, but they tend to be hard to get (if you ever have the chance, snap them up as the best shared-world tales ever).
From Jerry Pournelle's work, "West of Honor" is a great choice. A lot of people have been suggesting Anne McCaffrey's work and I would second that with particular emphasis on the dragonriders of Pern (these books have repetitive themes involved outcast teens with redeeming qualities best seen by their dragons, but until a kid gets bored with it this is a good theme for them to be interested in).
I'm sure I'm missing some obvious choices, but those are my first thoughts.
Eternal vigilance only works if you look in every direction.
www.audible.com has the entire hitch hikers guide series in audio format, but they wither want you to use a wince device ar their own player to make it portable, you can also stream it off as realmedia
I can't beleive many of the suggestions posted. While all the books are good, I noted younger women who read sci-fi don't often go for stories dominated by deus exmachina, instead going for character motivated plots. So my suggestions, lean towards books with detailed characters and plots not dominated by technology. Many young women enjoy McCaffery's Pern books, especially the Harper Hall series. Both Bujold and Brin have engaging characters. Brin's Startide Rising is fun. Two greats would have to be Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I've also noticed a lot of women like the Edding's elgeriad books. (Never read them myself.)
Space opera (for younger readers)-
E.E. Doc Smith (Lensman/Skylark series), Asimovs Space Ranger series
For 'hard' scifi-
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement (truly outstanding)
for atmosphere and good writing-
"Who goes there?" by John W.Campbell
(exceptional often in lists of best ever sf short stories)
For humour-
Eric Frank Russell (Wasp, Next of Kin(aka The Space Willies) in particular),
Lloyd Biggle Jr,
Fredric Brown,
Harry Harrison (esp. Stainless Steel Rat series)
OTHER-
Clifford D.Simak
Poul Anderson
Frederic Pohl
Olaf Stapledon - inspired Arthur C.Clark
Arthur C.Clark
Ray Bradbury (not just sci-fi, everything good)
Isaac Asimov esp. short story collections
DON'T FORGET SHORT STORIES especially
Astounding/Amazing/Analog etc
I've left out mainly fantasy authors (although some of the above wrote this too)
-----------
Movies- if you like 50's sci-fi (and I can't get enough):
Forbidden Planet,
The Day The Earth Stood Still,
Destination Moon,
Them!,
The Thing (from another planet) '51 version,
Quatermass,
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (56),
This Island Earth,
The Creature From The Black Lagoon(?),
The Day Of The Triffids,
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea,
Alien (et al),
The Day The Earth Caught Fire,
Star Wars,
Star Trek
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Hey, you forgot Heinleins early (first?) books that is just right for teenagers: Rocket Ship Galileo. Great book, just right for that age. I can't believe I have seen no one mention that one!
"Drug related crime" is a misnomer, "prohibition related crime" is the more accurate and correct phrase.
Great list so far but it's missing one of the most offbeat SF books of all time.... Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers by Harry Harrison...very hard to find though. Any one else read this??? Here are a few more.... - Hobbit / Lord of the Rings -nuff said - All Heinlein...some of the later stuff is kinda wierd though...all his works really had an effect on my Political/Social mentality.....awesome - Asimov's Robot stories...Foundation sucked - Alan Dean Foster...Flinx books are good and others - Stainless Steel Rat series...again Harry Harrison God is this all I can think of???....sheesh
Tim Powers, The Anubis Gates
Nicola Griffith, Slow River
Michael Swanwick, The Iron Dragon's Daughter, Stations of The Tide.
Jonathan Lethem, Gun With Occasional Music, or anything else
Philip K. Dick, Ubik
Stanislaw Lem, Solaris
for short stuff, The Modern Classics of Science Fiction, edited by Gardner Dozois contains 24 excellent stories and 2 kinda dumb ones.
BTW, some highly-rated poster said that "To Say Nothing of the Dog" was too complex for a 13 year old, but didn't say that about "The Trial". This individual has his/her priorities reversed.
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Just read the book its awsome.
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Good call on this one. For some reason it's one of the Asimov stories that really stuck with me. It's too bad that the movie (apparently, I haven't seen it) wasn't quite up to snuff.
Well, everyone who got to this article before me has mentioned just about all the greats, with the curious exception of Brian Aldiss and Cordwainer Smith.
:)
Brian Aldiss has written tonnes of stuff which varies greatly in style and subject matter. I recommend the Helliconia trilogy. The first book may be a bit difficult to get into, but once you've gotten into it, it will blow you away.
Cordwainer Smith produced SF regularly but sparsely, and left the world one novel and a lot of short stories set in the same fascinating universe. A number of the short stories were recently re-published.
Have fun!
"The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination." -- Garak, ST:DS9
It might be helpful if you seek out books with good female characters. Several females I know site the paucity of female characters as one of the reasons they don't read more sci-fi or fantasy.
There are, of course, many examples of well-written females in sci-fi. One that springs to mind is the "Beggars" series by Nancy Kress. (Beggars in Spain, Beggar's Ride, Beggars and Choosers.) This series is my wife's favorite sci-fi, and Kress her favorite author of any genre, and have been since her teens. The series features several excellent female characters of different stripes, including a pretty good teen prodigy.
Other suggestions:
"A Wrinkle In Time" series by Madeleine L'Engle
"Wizard of Earthsea" series by Ursula K. Leguin
I, Robot (short stories) by Isaac Asimov
Any of the Pern books by Anne McCaffery
You might also consider Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, which is somewhere between sci-fi and fantasy. It's probably too advanced to start with, but it has some of the most engaging characters I've read anywhere. It's also the most popular sci-fi/fantasy series I know of among both men and women I know.
Finally, Piers Anthony does some good juvenile work, but most is very juvenile in my opinion. I would suggest reading these yourself before passing them on, as there's a wide range of quality among them. Also, every series of his that I've read degraded as it went on, some heavily. The Xanth series is immature fantasy, but is also quite funny and light reading. The Split Infinity has some sci-fi and fantasy, and a bit more intelligence in general. Most of his work deals with sex on occasion, usually in an immature, junior-high sort of way, which is probably fine if your niece is already educated about such things. The Incarnations of Immortality is perhaps my favorite of his work, but there isn't much need to read the series unless you adore the first book. If you read any of these, I would suggest alternating with books of greater consequence or intelligence.
Probably the best thing you can do, you are already doing. Reading with her and discussing the works periodically are excellent gifts that would serve any child well. Good work.
(Apologies if I've erred on any names or titles.)
joe fusion
joe fusion
anarchitect
This is a good one that most libraries seem to have. Basically, like it says, ALL of Asimov's Robot short stories bundled together in one volume. I remember it being a good read. It's also somewhat newer than most librarie's copies of I,Robot, and therefore in much better shape.
His World War series is pretty good, even if the plot sounds cheesy (Aliens invade in the middle of WWII). I read them at 13 - 14, but they're probably not too appropriate for someone of that age...
Justin Ingersoll
She's probably best known for Kindred, which is about a young black woman who is spontaneously transported back in time to the Antebellum South.
My favorites are Mind of my Mind (very short, about power struggles between mind readers and other superhumans) and Parable of the Sower (a later, more mature work about a young woman who starts a new religion after a greal deal of societal decay brought about by bible thumpers in the government and "activists" who burn down most things worth owning).
It's not a link to Amazon or something. You can go read it right now.
Now these are three books (+ a prequel) that would give you spleepless nights until finished: - The Reality Dysfunction - The Neutronium Alchemyst - The Naked God and the "prequel" - A Second Chance At Eden Sometimes heavy but *never* boring. MUST READ.
I consider Huxley's work, specifically Brave New World, to be close to the pinnacle of science fiction writing. Not only does it involve a fascinating plot, but it suggests advanced philosophical ideas without being needlessly blunt. Though other similar dystopian stories have similar features, I find Brave New World to be less directly philosophical (as opposed to, say, 1984), and thus more suited to younger readers.
While many of the themes discussed are quite mature in nature (sexuality, drug use, etc.), a 13 year old should be quite able to deal with such content, and would most likely profit from early exposure to these issues in an objective context.
Also, be sure to read Huxley's Island if you enjoy Brave New World. It explores a more "positive" Utopia, though still one heavily reliant on drug use.
I had read many of the things that are found on everyone else's lists, but in my opinion, I think the 1950s era juvinilles should be skipped (If you've read both the adult and juvinille publications of a given author you would see why-- the juvinilles frequently had the least imaginitive and least important of a given author's output.) I found it condescending to think that authors and publishers would market this substandard material to me just because I was under the age of fifteen. If a book is truly good, it should be read by anyone with the reading skills. I think a 13 year old girl can handle the sexual content that appears in some of the mentioned books-- I most certainly had been able to do so when I read them-- the problem is the uncle's ability to deal with it. A note on Heinlein though: I find him utterly unreadable; His characters (especially his female characters) are utterly unconvincing and uninteresting and the few times I have ever been able to finish a novel by him, I found it utterly unsatisfying.
Howard Phillips Lovecraft wrote the 'weird' fiction that inspired many of the authors that have been recommended each post. The Call of Cthulu At the Mountains of Madness Herbert West, Reanimator These tales as well as others in the sciece fiction/fantasy category are detrimental to one really grasping those who were influenced by Lovecraft. Also, by reading Lovecraft, one can more easily read and understand Poe. Lovecraft wrote a very good essay on the history of Supernatural/Weird fiction called Supernatural Horror in Literature. Weird Fiction has more in common with modern sci-fi than the pulp scifi of Lovecraft's day. For children, Lovecraft's fiction is more thought provoking than the philisophical or political ideas of Heinlein. A child's imagination runs more wild trying to imagine the matter 'From Beyond.' Lovecraft's fiction prods us to use our own minds to ponder what horror provokes the statement, "Have you ever SEEN a shoggoth?......" Perhaps, the imagination of a child is best suited to give essence to the mysterious shoggoth or the mysterious Nyarthotep. Those who still fear the dark can picture cosmic horror much more than we older quantitative thinkers. I think Lovecraft is probably best enjoyed by the young.
By the way, this book brought me one of the most interesting moment's I've had in my short life. I was rereading this book in junior year of high school, and a stupid chick in my first period class saw me with it. After discovering that I was REREADING the book because I had enjoyed it so much, she asked in bewilderment, "Why would you read a book twice?"
I still hope a little bit that Amber was joking.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
It was pretty great (I read it when I was about 8). There is a teeny-tiny bit of sex in it if that bothers you (like one short scene).
chuk
I recommend anything by Greg Bear, he is a very exceptional writer who handles science and people equally well. Clarke's 2001 Space Odessey series and his Rama series would also be strong recommendations. Many have mentioned Dune, but Herbert's other works, like The Jesus Incident, are excellent reads as well. You might want to go to some of the used bookstores and pick up a variety pack for you and your niece, there is just so much excellent Sci-Fi out there it would take several lifetimes to read it.
If you're looking for the best of sci-fi humour, you should definitely read "Tales from the White Hart" by Arthur C. Clarke.
It's the only humour novel I've found that is also real science fiction (as opposed to Douglas Adams works, which aren't really based on scientific ideas). It's also an interesting read in that it's the only venture into humour by Clarke and has that it has a heavy influence of form the Cold War (when it was written).
** Sig-a-licious **
I also reccomend Kurt Vonnegut. Cat's Cradle is a lot of fun, though if I had read it when I was 13, I wouldn't have gotten it at all. Vonnegut is entertaining even when you don't get it. Most of the stories in Welcome to the Monkey House are easy. Anyway, if you can read Foundation, you can read anything else on this list.
"Aren't you going to get into costume?"
"I never get out of it."
"Aren't you going to get into costume?"
"I never get out of it."
-- Tom Stoppard (R&G Are Dead)
Surely someone besides me has fond memories of the Lensmen series by E.E. "Doc" Smith?! They're fun and not as goofy as Heinlein's kiddie books e.g. The Rolling Stones. aem
-a.e.mossberg
That book is part of a great series, that I think started with "I Robot". The only SF that carries through so many books and all the people are decendents of humans from earth. Hope you enjoy his books. Gary
Does it bother anyone else that in Tolkeins world, you have to be born to greatness?
Huh? What about Bilbo? Frodo? The other hobbits of the Fellowship? Did I miss something here? Or did you miss one of the main themes of the story?
And what's more, all the great people are tall and fair. The only evil humans are short and swarthy.
Oh, come on. First, again: The Hobbits. Second, Tolkien is neither the first nor the last to equate good with light and evil with darkness. It is a classic metaphor, and one that works very well.
The Hobbit is a marvelous story. I really like The Silmarillion. After trying to reread Lord of the Rings, I gave up.
They're really all part of the same story, you know.
There is better fantasy out there. Much, much better.
You're entitled to your opinion. Personally, I think The Lord of the Rings is the best fantasy ever written.
Anyway, some things are not easy or enjoyable, but are good to read.
Yes, but that does not mean easy and enjoyable stuff is necessarily bad. Tolkien's stuff is enjoyable, IMO, but not easy to read. Another of my personal favorites, Anne McCaffrey's works, I find both easy and enjoyable. Personal preference.
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These are more fantasy than scifi but when
I was in middle school, I couldn't get enough
of
Madeleine L'Engle - A Swiftly Tilting Planet
and others in that series
and
C S Lewis' Narnia chronicles (allegory aside, it
was full of adventure).
...and more recently I just read Philip Pullman's
The Goldan Compus, and The Subtle Knife. I
can't recommend them enough. I would say he
is on par with L'Engle and perhaps better.
Other fantasy juvy's I recommend are Ursula
K Leguin's Wizard of Earthsea books (except
Tehanu is more adult than juvy) and Patricia
McKillip's RiddleMaster of Eld series. Patricia
McKillip is a wonderful prose stylist.
Robin McKinley's Damarian books are also
fairly decent fantasy that a girl would probably
enjoy.
as for scifi at that age, I read Bradbury,
Clarke, Andre Norton, Heinlein, Asimov, and
anything else that caught my fancy at the library.
But since I was 13 there have been a lot of
great new authors, especially in the 80's and 90's
so check them out.
Take her to the library and browse the sf
section...
I also recommend checking out a list of the
nebulas and hugos for high quality book
suggestions.
Hyperion is an excellent book, possibly my favourite SF novel (or second favourite, after Gene Wolfe's "Fifth head of Cerebus").
Its main drawback are the string of sequels. Fall of Hyperion is a good novel in its own right, but not nearly as good as Hyperion and taints the original by association.
The thrid and fourth books are just plain bad.
You might argue that Hyperion would be incomplete without the explanation in the sequels, but frankly, the mystery it engenders is what makes this novel so good. Sadly, everyone I loan Hyperion insists on making up their own mind about this, and reading the sequels.
YMMV, MHO, etc
I have to heartily second the recomendations for the Hyperion novels by Dan Simmons. These books got me into Romantic poetry(ie Keats) and religious studies, which is quite impressive for a science fiction book imho. especially since they both figure in as main topics and are quite important to the plot. I would also like to recommend Kurt Vonnegut(sp?). especially Slaughterhouse 5 and the Sirens of Titan. He discusses many interesting points of the human experience, and he has the bizarre ability to make even the funny and ridiculous sad, he can have a very dark view of human existence, but definitely worth reading, esp Slaughterhouse 5.
The earlier stuff - Lord of Thunder, Star Guard, Galactic Patrol, Beast Master, Catseye.... they all have an eerie, Earth-against-the-enemy feel to them. Generally good reads.
There is just so much to reccomend. Luckily so much has already been mentioned that I'll just try to fill in some blanks. Cordwainer Smith: Mixes Chinese story telling techniques with wonderful SF themes. He wrote the book on Military Intelligence. Norstrallia is highly recomended. Harry Turtledove: I really like the Lost Legion and other Videssos books, not as crazy with the WorldWar books and less so with the Guns of the South. But he gives good versions of Byzantine history spiced with an alternate universe. David Weber: I love the Honor Harrington books. I sure don't agree with his politics, but he is a good story teller. Honor is a female Hornblower in space, but very well done. Richard McKenna: His Sand Pebbles is a book about China or is it? I find that it is excellent Anthopological SF. Read like a SF novel this is a wonderful book of an alien in a strange society. I second those who mentioned Terry Prachett, Ursala LeGuin, Heinlien, Asimov, and Bujold, but I dislike Herbert. Dune is little more than propagana and poorly done propaganda. And the series got worse the more he wrote. but YMMV. De Gustibus. I would recomend that you head to a good second hand bookstore with high SF content and read and learn. Don't forget those who wrote in the Golden Age, or the those who changed the genere in the '60s, nor the newer writers who are changing it now. As your daughter gets older, you may want to explore Harlen Ellison, Philip Dick and Phillip Jose Farmer. do so and enjoy the different story and writting styles. I would urge you to avoid the endless fantasy series that grew from the Tolkien craze of the '60s. Read the master and leave the dross behind. Bubba
Sheri S. Tepper: A bit preachy, but very interesting worlds and characters. Start with the Awakeners (Northshore/Southshore) or Raising the Stones.
Samuel R. Delany: Mind-expanding in several dimensions at once. Preview for sex before giving to kids. Start with Triton or Stars In My Pocket Like Grains Of Sand.
Henry Kuttner, aka Lewis Padgett: Generally excellent. Read his short story collections, eg. The Best Of Henry Kuttner (don't miss Mimsy Were the Borogoves). Also a novelette, Vintage Season.
Alfred Bester: The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination (original title: Tyger Tyger). TDM is the reason the head of Psi Corps in B5 is named Bester.
John Varley: Consistently excellent novels and short stories. Don't miss The Persistence Of Vision.
Thomas M. Disch: Fun With Your New Head, 102 H-bombs (especially the title story).
Tanith Lee: The Silver Metal Lover (warning--bites deep).
Edgar Pangborn: The Freshman Angle, a hard-to-find short story in Ten Tomorrows.
Ask me about Nanotechnology, Dyslexia Correction. Tell me about A.I., robotics, infrastructure.
Ender's Game, and the whole series is very good. Also, Clarke's Rama series was interesting and enjoyable. Someone else posted about "The Lord of the Rings," and I agree - even though they're not really sci-fi, I think they are must reads.
Salsa Shark. We're gonna need a bigger boat.
I could go on and on. There is two or three lifetimes of thought-provoking, interesting, entertaining writing out there in the guise of "Science Fiction". So many authors asking so many relevant questions, hidden as fiction about future times. You could add such classics as "Gullivers Travels", "The Time Machine", "Walden Two", the list goes on.
Welcome brother. Grok the moment and join us.
"values of beta will give rise to dom!"
Charles Sheffield
Robert Heinlein
Larry Niven
H Beam Piper
Orson Scott Card
David Brin
I strongly prefer so-called hard sci-fi, so keep that in mind when getting books by these authors. I particularly reccomend Sheffield. He's really good, but I haven't noticed his name anywhere else on this thread so far.
While Heinlein is my favorite sci fi writer, most of his heros are male (understandable, considering the time that they were written). "Podkayne of Mars" and "Friday" are the exceptions that immediately spring to mind. Anne McCaffrey is definitely the way to go for female heros...
What's best for a 13 year-old girl depends on her reading level, but here are a few that I feel that people are forgetting...
-James Schmitz I haven't seen a single mention of him, am I the only one who likes his stuff? Well, "Witches of Karres", ummm.. was it called "Legacy"?, and the Telzey stories...
-A. C. Crispin the "StarBridge" series
-David Weber the Honor Harrington stuff, starting with "On Basilisk Station"
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff. Any other female main characters?
Kirsten
I'm trying to address what the daughter may be like as far as reading. While many of the books listed I havn't read personally about I have heard very highly praised by friends and my dad (who's stash of sci-fi books i'm in the process of raiding).
If your daughter is already reading alot most of the books that have been posted would probably would make a good choice.
I highly reccommend the Ender's Game series by Card to anyone, especially in that age group. It was reccommended to me by my math teacher in 6th grade and I just reread it and read the rest of the series. Definantly a good book.
Heinlein is also another choice, some of the books can be hard to get through if she's not an avid reader (Stranger in a Strange Land comes to mind..) I don't recall seeing it posted, but Red Planet is what brought me back to reading after a lapse of a few years. A relativly easy read and quite enjoyable.
Ofcourse Tolkein, the Hobbit series should be required reading in schools. More of a classic than some of what we read. I dont know when I read those, sometime in elementry school. A good read for anyone.
I've seen 1984 popping up quite a bit also. We read that in 9th grade honors english. A good book to read, at some point. It may work well to read it now together and when she gets older perhaps she'll reread it on her own and get even more out of it.
Another author being batted forth is Piers Anthony. While I havn't read any of the more sci-fi oriented stuff by him, I have read all but the last few novels in the Xanth series, most of which i read the summer after 7th grade. I actually loved those books. All dependent on maturity i guess.
for good Sci-Fi, i highly recommend the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Start with Ender's Game, then Ender's Shadow (a parallel novel to the first one), then Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and last Children of the mind. besides that, i find all books by Card to be excellent
for (i = 0; i < ALL_CHICKS_I_KNOW; i++) { ask_out(); if (get_laid) break; }
a little bit of a drop in the pond. someone's child says to their parents, offhand perhaps, that they would like to read science fiction books. the parent then takes it seriously upon themselves to find good literature for their child. so, the parent messages slashdot. the entirety of slashdot (600 comments!) replies. now the poor child will be reading until they are 80. its kinda of interesting how this all got here, neh?
Gee - some interesting titles being mentioned here. Don't forget Eric Frank Russell he wrote a good book called "Sentinels from Space" which was fun to read & thought provoking...Think it was James H. Schmidt (not sure of that at all) but the book was " the Witches of Karres " again a good read. Olaf Stapledon - I first heard of him in a book review in "Analog" magazine. Starmaker is a great book as were "Sirius" & the rather lengthy but good "Last & First Men". So much depends on taste
Yeah. Alfred Bester - "The Stars my Destination" somebody do a script & turn this into a movie..... How about a Slashdot poll on who should play Gully Foyle. Bester did some clinkers too ie. "Prometheus Man". Frederick Pohl's "the Marching Morons" series were good short stories with some relevance to the rising GDP...for fantasy beside the many mentioned, there is Fletcher Pratt's "the Well of the Unicorn". Fred Saberhagen did a loose series about an altered Earth " Empire of the East" & a raft of "Sword" books that were also pretty good & kept you turning pages.
I began reading Bradbury as a teen-ager. I found that all his short story compilations are the most wonderful humanist literature. Not so much "what if?" as "Why Not!".
Recommended:
Martian Chronicles
R is for Rocket
The Golden Apples of the Sun
The Illustrated Man
and any others you can find.
Seconded and thirded. I disagree with your "nevermind the story and ideas" statement though. TBOTNS' story is multilayered and absorbing to the nth degree. I've reread it about three times and each time I discover new things.
These are books for the literary geek with _much_ patience.
There is a TBOTNS mailing list with _extremely_ high signal-to-noise ratio. It's home page is at: http://www.moonmilk.com/urth/
I can think of some other authors with a similar density of language and content. Just about anything by them is worth your time and effort.
Neil Gaiman (Sandman)
Frank Herbert (Dune)
Mervyn Peake (Gormenghast)
John Crowley (Little, Big)
Stephen Donaldson (Thomas Covenant)
Umberto Eco (Focault's Pendulum)
"Do you think there are answers to everything here? Is that true in the place you come from?"
- Agia
"Do you think there are answers to everything here? Is that true in the place you come from?" - Agia
I still gotta go with Heinlein for a 13 year old girl, though. I think the girls in his stories are excellent healthy role models.
Bwa, as they say, ha ha. I read Heinlein as a thirteen-year-old girl and even _then_ I could see that every single damn female character from Podkayne right down to Laz and Lor was just a dirty-old-man fantasy about his red-headed mother.
Thought they made the cartoon from the books when I was younger- I was 18 before I'd even seen the show and got the whole story put together. They don't know what they're missing, do they?
I suppose I might as well get this out of the way: I'm not really a fan of Heinlen. I don't really like Pournelle as much as lots of other people. And I think people who go around making distinctions between "SF" "scifi" and "science fiction" have *waaaaaay* too much time on their hands.
With that out of the way, I'd like to recommend a few authors that I haven't seen mentioned yet (though, I do read at a high threshold). This is just in addition to others mentioned previously; I fully endorse reading as much Jules Verne and other classics as possible.
H.P. Lovecraft - He's mostly known for his contributions to the horror genre, but many of his stories defy such easy classification. Unfortunately, Lovecraft does have a style that harkens back to the 19th century - very, very slow progression of the plot. Not recommended for people who want instant gratification or tidy answers to every question raised.
Alan Dean Foster - Perhaps something of a hack, but still a very enjoyable hack. His later books have been more literate and interesting, but earlier ones shouldn't disappoint, either. Typically somewhat "safe", as in "rated PG-13".
P. K. Dick - This man was an honest-to-God genius. You owe it to yourself to read every single story he ever wrote. His stories inspired several popular Hollywood movies. He had an incredible imagination, but his true genius was the ability to translate his imagination to the written word. I actually did see him recommended once or twice earlier, but just in passing, like he was a footnote in the history of fiction. Ugh.
Stephen King - Another well-known horror author who should also be known for his scifi. I would recommend The Stand and The Gunslinger series. Many of his other books are not scifi, though they do often have some scifi elements to them.
Here's some directors to look for:
James Cameron - He steals ideas left and right. I can't think of a worse plagiarist. Still.... I love his movies. Terminator 2 is my favorite, even if it is a rehash of several classic scifi novels. "Come vif me if you vant to live." - Arnie
John Carpenter - Might be more known as a horror director, but almost all of his films have a strong science fiction element in them. The Thing is probably most representative of this.
Terry Gilliam - Was one of the Monty Python guys. He's gone on to make some of the best scifi movies I've ever seen. If you like James Cameron-style action-scifi, try 13 Monkeys. His other stuff is often less action-oriented.
I can't think of any more directors, so how about some movies?
The Angry Red Planet - I love the title. It's about an expedition to Mars. Recommended for fans of cheesy 50s movies.
Forbidden Planet - Another great title! Stars Leslie Neilson in a very serious role. Great 50s scifi movie. A real classic. You should see it.
The Outer Limits - It was a TV series. You can probably rent episodes at your local video rental store. Very, very good. The first episode, Demon With A Glass Hand, was written by Harlan Ellison. Better, IMHO, than The Twilight Zone.
...skipping lots of obvious ones, like 2001 and such, that were already mentioned...
Alien - Sigourney Weaver. An alien life-form that wants to kill her. A small ship in the middle of space...
Wizards - A great animated movie by Ralph Bakshi. Two brothers battle it out, using technology, Nazis, and magic.
The Mad Max trilogy - Awesome. Just plain awesome. The third movie isn't nearly as good as the previous two, but it's lightyears better than any post-apocalyptic, anti-hero movie clone of the originals. Some great visuals and action sequences, too. See Mel Gibson in Australian movies from the 70s and 80s!
The Phantasm series - Four movies that span over 20 years, often with the same actors reprising their roles. Depending on which movie you watch, you might get a surreal 70s horror movie, an 80s scifi/horror movie, or a 90s scifi/horror comedy/parody like Scream and The Evil Dead. The fourth movie is really just for fans of the series, though it does return to the surreal quality of the first movie, plus use the scifi elements of the later ones.
Trancers - Tim Thomerson. Time travel. Zombies trying to take over the world. Mad scientists. How can you resist? The sequels are of varying quality. Great action-scifi from the early 80s.
Circuitry Man (and Circuitry Man II) - I love these movies to death. Androids, cyborgs, illegal microchips, environmentalist villains... it's got it all! Truly two of the best unknown movies from the 80s.
Lifeforce - A great scifi/horror movie from Tobe Hooper. Basically, London is invaded by space vampires. One of the few vampire movies to ever ask, "Is there life after death?" Not too gory, but there is lots of nudity. The scifi elements could have been developed more. Still recommended, though.
Hardware - It's got a rather infamous graphic sex scene in the middle of it that seems to last forever. Besides that, it's a really cool scifi/horror movie in the vein of Alien. Maybe even a bit of a clone of Alien, but still pretty good, IMHO.
Nemesis - Most people hate it, a few people like it, and I love it. A cyborg has to choose whether to side with the humans or the androids in a battle for survival. There are sequels. Don't watch them. They suck.
And, finally:
The Event Horizon - For people with strong stomachs only. It wasn't as good as it could have been (it had lots of promise but wasted most of it with a SFX gore-a-thon), but it was still very enjoyable to the non-demanding scifi/horror fan. If you are picky or demanding, then you probably won't like this movie as much as your easily amused friends.
That's about all I can think of for now.
He worked with Christopher Tolkien on the Silmarilion, and his first books (the Fionnavar Tapestry) are heavily Tolkien-influenced.
He has since grown more independant.
the Fionnavar Tapestry : based mostly on Celtic mythology, what Tolkien could have done if he had cared about his characters.
the rest of his books are based on interesting periods of our history :
- England in the late XIth century for Tigana,
- Languedoc in the early XIIIth century for a Song for Arbonne,
- the Reconquista in Spain for the Lions of Al Rassan,
- the fall of Byzance for his latest.
It is _not_ sword ans sorcery, just a somewhat more magical version of our history.
In short : interesting stories, with true characters, not two-dimensional cliches.
I even hooked my parents on him, and they really are not SF and Fantasy fans.
eldritch
Nice of all the /. posse to post their favourites but I doubt the examples are either the first books they read or really good introductions to Sci-Fi. The books to get her hooked are: Here's what I'd suggest: 'The Stainless Steel Rat' by Harry Harrison (My first) 'Islands in the Sky' - Arthur C Clarke 'Have Spacesuit will Travel' - Robert Heinlein and one new one would be Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson - simply because it's about a girl and her book!. karim
A second intelligent race is found on earth: The Newts. They are treated as animals and are enslaved. But the first conflicts arise...
life would be much easier if you could have a look at the sourcecode
"All men are not created equal. It is the purpose of the Government to make them so."
There was a TV movie of Harrison Bergeron made in 95, not as good as the short story but still worth seeing - unfortunately far too believable.
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Normally I'm happy to lurk because I'm still learning about the subjects being discussed, but I believe that I can help with this topic. [5 years in two book stores and over 2000 books read]:)
You should be clear if you want Fantasy or Sci-Fi. A lot of people are ignoring this distinction.
Good sci-fi [imho], either explains something about science, or else tries to help us understand the impact of technology by giving us a setting, and exploring the ramifications of technology on people. Of course the best technical writing doesn't mean crap if the writing style puts you to sleep.
Having said that, and keeping in mind that this material is for a 13 year old, I would recommend Robert Heinlein [anything]. His explanantions of Gravity wells, genetics, and relativity are among the best, while mixed a great story to back them up.
Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne, Frank Herbert and Larry Niven would be great as well.
If you want pure storytelling, then I would recommend Orson Scott Card, Daniel Simmons, Leo Frankowski, Harlan Ellison, Neal Stephonson, Dave Wolverton, and Piers Anthony.
For good Fantasy reading, because a little imagination never hurt anyone [excluding IRS agents], I would recommend Robert Aspirin, Piers Anthony [let her tire of Xanth at her own rate], David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card, and David Drake.
Reading is something that I would recommend to anyone at any age, not just for what it teaches you, but more importantly, the new ideas it exposes your mind to. It's that sense of believing in possibilities, that is the true reward of speculative fiction.
For those of you who would like a great read outside Sci-fi and Fantasy, I would recommend two books.
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons, arguably the best suspense book I've ever read.
Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder, who describes the Life on the O/S front line with an amazing sense of passion and wonder. Please note that this book was written over a decade ago, but it is still well worth the read.
Feel free to let me know what you think, quietkarma@hotmail.com
My job is to just stand there and smile
I didn't forget the early books. I'm recommending those. The list of books is books to AVOID (for a 13-year-old).
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First of all, there are a lot of books on this list that I haven't read. But there is probably more that I have read though. I don't want to bag on anyone's favorites, but here I go. Enders Game - Great Book!!! Don't bother with the other Ender books though, they have little to do with the "Ender" in the first book that I identified with. (I haven't read Ender's Shadow though) Stranger in a Strange Land - I've tried reading Stranger 3 times, and always put it down because it was BORING. I didn't identify with any characters in the book, which is especially important to younger readers. Diamond Age: I would think that this is a must for a 13 year old girl just getting in to Sci-Fi. I gave it to my wife to read as a first Sci-Fi book and she was stunned at the vision contained in the book, as was I when I read it the first time. Snow Crash will probably work good for a 13 year old girl as well (YT). Book of the New Sun (Wolfe) - Phfew! Was I glad to get that series over. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either. Either way, I wasn't able to put it down. Way to bogged down for a young reader IMHO. Asimov - Foundation Books. Read em. All of em. Some may not be as good as others, but it doesn't matter, they are still a lot better than 90% of the Sci-Fi out there. Foundation was the first book I ever read that you could call Sci-Fi and from then on I was hooked. Niven - Ringworld books. They were OK. Some cool ideas, but the story didn't quite grab me the way I hoped it would. In other words, you probably need to be a Sci-Fi fan to read it. If you are just starting out... then I wouldn't recommend it. Neuromancer - (and other Gibson) Go right ahead and have the kid read stuff that is cutting edge. Violence, sex, drug-abuse, and just plain weirdness aren't element of a book that will 'taint' a child. These are the kind of things that inspire kids to be different, and not just one of the mindless heard getting tattooed, pierced and stoned on the weekend. Phillip K. Dick - Collected short stories. Awesome. Just get one of the volumes and see if its your cup of tea. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - I read Deadeye Dick at about 13 or 14 and... wow. I didn't know what to think for a couple of weeks, but I kept thinking about it. Then I read SlaughterHouse Five and... wow. Timequake... wow. (Although a lot of people didn't like this last one). I think that the early teens are a great age to be introduced to satire. They are just getting rebellious, they might as well have an idea of what rebellion is. Perl Cookbook: Just kidding! (Although it is a good read) FANTASY: Hobbit and LotR: Hobbit was pretty good when I was younger. LotR was good too. But since then I've read copies of that same story and some where easier to read and get into then Tolkien's work. For a great imitation of Tolkien read Dennis L. McKiernan's Iron Tower Trilogy or other Mithgar works. (Note: Don't read Tolkien and Iron Tower books back to back. Just seems to derivative) Thats all I can think of until I go home and look at my book shelves and see 20 other books that area MUST reads. Mecha
I'd recommend the first in each series and DIScommend (if that's a word) the rest of each series
And remember, I would put McCaffrey and, say, Heinlein in COMPLETELY different categories. She is a good FANTASY author (as I've said, in her first books), but I doubt she's a classic as w/the others you mentioned. It's good escapism, with little or no "Wow, I never thought of it that way". Still, entertaining for a youngish teen. And the main characters in both those series are female.
Oh, and by the way, the quality of writing is maybe not too much better in her early books, but the plotting is MUCH better, which may be that to which you take objection. There's practically no plot in Lyon's Pride; I finished it out of a sense of obligation.
Ceterum censeo Microsoftam esse delendam.
Bob Heinlein wrote a whole series of "juveniles" that still stand the test of time.
His most famous book must be "Stranger in a Strange Land". One of his books recently made it to the silver screen, "Starship Troopers", with significant modification but still very well done.
You will find many themes in traditional and contemorary SF originate in the works Heinlein.
Check your local used book store or library.
Just one guy's opinion.
Brian
John Wyndham is a fairly old SF author (and long dead now). However, his books such as "The Day of teh Triffics", "The Chysalids" (my favourite), "The Midwych Couckoos" and his short stories are still classics and worth a read.
Okay, I can't believe that you guys have left out: Douglas Adams! he is like the sci-fi Guru! The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is a totally worthwhile read..
One giant step for man.. one giant leap for.. erm.. ummm.. oops.
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land: Heinlein The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: Heinlein Childhood's End: Clarke Moving Mars: Greg Bear 2001: A Space Odyssey: Clarke Ill Met in Lankhmar: Leibert 1984: Orwell Rendevous With Rama: Clarke etc. etc.
form sace cadets to sexual enlightenment,robert heinlien took me by the imagination.as a small child brother robert caried me to mars and the stars,full o all that i believed[and all that big bob thought i could handle],all that was good and moral.then as i grew and could handle more and i needed alot,my teacher reached int the past and future to bring me enlightenment divine.for the old all hienlien screams the pure light of truth and revelation.for more young and innocent readers some progressive discretion is advised[lazarus long is his own progenator and that might take some getting around for a'niece'.if you want to turn the flames of evoloution to broil read from my god[small g]frank herbert.but go to the library and check out sacks from the stacks and don't even stop to eat unil the STARS ARE OURS!and i'm restraining myself.chris muniec badclowns@yahoo.com
mirrormirror
Ender's Shadow should be read directly after reading Ender's Game. It is a beautiful effort. I found it as exciting as Ender's Games was to when I read it as a youngster. It also adds alot of context to the rest of the Ender series.
Oh really?
He has written a lot, both short stories and novels. I particularly like "Big Planet". His books are, unfortunately, a bit hard to find nowadays.
Some of my favborites too, but are there good english translations? If you read Russian, there are texts available online...
The imperial Russian setup appears to be one of the favorites in SF. Off the top of my head there
is Barrayar of "Miles Vorkosigan" saga by Louis McMaster Bujold. Something about a militaristic aristocracy that found itself surrounded by much more modern societies and doggedly trying to hand onto old traditions. Just like old Russian empire trying hard to be a European country.
Don't agree about the movie though. I liked the movie a lot, but even the uncut four hour version is too hard to follow for people who didn't read the book. 'Dune' is just too big for a single movie. I would love to see it as several movies ala "star wars"
Yep. The first book (or 1/3 of trilogy) is THE classic and one of my two all time favorites I can't decide between. Than it goes downhill I think, reaches the low point at book IV? (the one thats thousand pages of emperor thinking aloud) and than pick up again. Not quite as epic and exquisite as book one, but great action-packed read nonetheless.
Theodore Sturgeon (another reasonably good science fiction writer, though his work seems kind of dated now) once wrote that 90% of everything is crap. This certainly applies to science fiction.
I would recommend the novels of Vernor Vinge though. Especially Marooned in Realtime, Fire Upon The Deep, and A Deepness In The Sky.
Stranger in a Strange Land was pretty good too (Heinlein, I think), as was the first one or two Anne McCaffrey Dragon books. Oh-- and Frank Herbert's first couple of Dune books were fantastic, too.
Other than that, most of the other science fiction I've read is a waste of paper.
Tristrom Cooke has been collecting votes for the top sci-fi/fantasy novels for years. Over 2500 voters later, Tristrom has a weekly-updated, weighted average list of the most popular books. See the latest list at THE INTERNET TOP 100 SF/FANTASY LIST. I've been reading my way down this list and have found a lot of winners (as well as a few duds).
Speaking of Phillip Pullman... "The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife" are supposed to be the first two volumes of a trilogy. I pre-ordered volume three "Amber Spyglass" from Amazon, but just got mail that its publication was cancelled. Anyone know what gives?
Alfred Bester: The Dark Side Of The Earth
Pointy Short Stories. Exceptionally great and funny
William Gibson: Neuromancer
Nothing to add
John Brunner: Shockwave Rider
One of the first and best cyberpunk novels.
Jack Vance: The killing machine
Space opera at its best.
Storm Constantine: Hermetech
Post-apocalyptic cyberpunk about life, love and everything else. Something for teens. Sweet.
Jack Womack: Terraplane
Completely crazy cyberpunk/parallel-world story. Also funny and sarcastic.
Friedrich Kabermann: Moira
A science-fiction and fantasy fairy tale. With spaceships and talking animals. wonderful.
Kirth
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"The more prohibitions there are, The poorer the people will be" -- Lao Tse
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. A time-travel story in which a history student travels back in time to research her thesis, but misses her target date and ends up in Britain during the Bubonic Plague.
Dragonflight by Anne Mcafree (sp?). A futuristic fantasy novel in which people riding dragons defend their planet from parasitic threadlike creatures that fall from the sky.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. More fantasy than sci-fi, but it tells the story of two groups of people struggling against each other as one group tries to unleash evil on the world. Takes place in 17th century London, and features several fictional "guest stars" such as Dr. Frankenstien and Sherlock Holmes. Story is told through the eyes of the familiar of one of the characters - a big shaggy dog. My description makes it sound dumb, but it's definitely a great story that I will read with my daughter when she gets older.
All three of these novels will probably appeal to a 13-yr old girl, as they all have important female characters, none are heavily based on "gee-whiz" futuristic technology or science, and aren't heavy-handed political statements, like many of the books I've seen mentioned here (Neal Stephenson for a 13-year old girl? You people don't hang around 13-year-olds at all, do you???)
Carl Sagan is mostly remembered for his non fiction dealing with science and technology and society. While I have not read everything he wrote, everything I have read of his has been execellent. So, if you get interested in something beyond fiction check his other works out.
"Contact" is the only work of fiction I am aware of him having written. And it is excellent. It deals with the Search for Extraterristrial Intelligence and finding it! The main character is a woman, which makes it all the more appropriate for a young girl to read.
-- Some people say they can tell the time by looking at the Sun, but I have trouble seeing the numbers.
My kids and I enjoy Philip Perlman's "The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife". He also has a series (non-science fiction) about a girl detective in Victorian London that's a good read and a good role model.
by Orson Scott Card. one of the first sci fi books i ever read - there was no turning back.
Someone already mentioned 'Out of the Silent Planet' by C.S. Lewis. This thoughtful treatise on religion and mankind is incomplete without the inclusion of it's sequel:
'Perelandra'
and the conclusion of the trilogy in:
'That Hideous Strength'
These books are fabulous, and being part of the genre that deals with sociology/philosophy, are never outdated. Personally, I think some of the top picks are dated drug-culture 'discoveries'. They are good, but not as good as other, less widely read books.
I would guess the most important thing is to consider the genre that interests your child
Gadget
Philosphical
Futurist
Then choose from the thousands available in each one. 'Foundation' is a good series, but I know more people that failed to read it than succeeded. Even a bright 13 year wants to get to the point sooner or later...Generally speaking anything with a Hugo or Nebula award is worth reading, and some of the best readings I can recall are Hugo/Nebula short story collections.
The futurist 'classics' tend to be outdated rather quickly, so select new offerings from current authors.
I got Perl on the brain :) :) :)
I know I'm posting this a bit late, but...
No one seems to have mentioned the massive amounts of science fiction that comes out of Japan.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: may be a bit heavy for some viewers, but this is a simply awesome TV series.
Ghost in the Shell: Shirow Masamune's wonderful vision of the future. The Neuromancer movie is going to have a lot to live up to with this.
Akira: Anyone who hasn't seen this should!
Cowboy Bebop: haven't seen this, but heard lots of good things about it
The Vision of Escaflowne: haven't seen this either but it's supposed to be better than NGE.
Warning: If you watch Evangelion, make sure you watch the original ending, not the 'westernised' ending that makes almost no sense whatsoever.
These should be a good place to get started with decent anime (Japanese Animation) and there are millions of websites dedicated to the form. Also check out the magazine 'Manga Max'.
P.S. I agree pretty much with all the books mentioned (at least the ones I've read) and when it comes to Tolkien, nothing beats The Silmarillion.
life is a canvas/and the paint is hope and promise/the world is ours/no one can ever take it from us.