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Scientifically Accurate Sci-Fi for High-Schoolers?

Posted by Cliff on from the diamond-hard-suggestions dept.

Raul654 asks: "A member of my immediate family is a biology teacher at an all-girls high school. For some years, she's been giving her students the option to earn extra credit by reading a science-related book. What scientifically accurate science fiction books would you recommend for high school readers?"

3 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Science.... fiction by bluephone · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, Hard-SF takes very few liberties with respect to science, then examines the ramifications of it. It's as close to real science as possible while still allowing a couple semi-scientific ideas for the fiction element. But even then the SF elements aren't magical constructs, like neutronium armor or antimatter fountains or a human-AI sprouting up on a 486. IT can be very realistic and scientifically grounded.

    --
    jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
  2. Assuming this is an American high school... by QCompson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe the King James Version?

  3. Red Mars by Logic+and+Reason · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Red Mars is the first book of a trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson about the settlement and terraforming of Mars. There's some biology there, though I can't vouch for it (not having studied any biology beyond high school); but overall it's just gripping and completely plausible hard sci-fi. There's some stuff in the other two books that might not be appropriate for high-schoolers, depending on your attitude, but I don't recall anything too objectionable in the first one at least.

    Check it out. Even if the class doesn't end up using it, if you're a sci-fi fan then it will be time well spent.