“The Golden Age of science fiction is twelve.”
–Peter Graham (via)
I’d consider modern scifi to be released within the lifetime of the reader
And classic before it
So Ender’s is classic to me
Oh im sooo old…
Hey it’s only 4 years older than me. It’s not like. 20 years or something
I’ve read very little Sci-Fi. Ironically, I love watching it, but really struggle with it in prose. I have yet to finish Ender’s Game because I have trouble wrapping my head around the visuals and strange names/concepts. What I have enjoyed reading are tie-ins- like Clone Wars and a couple of the BSG books. I find that by having a strong visual in my head of the characters and general world, I can enjoy the reading much more.
So my two cents in this debate is to give a new reader whatever he/she can relate to to begin with. Once he/she enjoys the genre, I would have to go with the classics next. Everyone needs a foundation.
Try Octavia Butler’s Kindred.
You should try The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
teehee
God that book messed up my thought process as far as grammar goes for like a month
I think that for most modern, young readers (who have a certain predisposition to like sci-fi lit), that prose which retains the sleek, modern feel of the writing and it easy to sink down into is the best bet for creating a lifelong fan. For most readers, I think that’s going to be stuff from the 70s and later. The style from the 40s, 50s, and 60s is pretty dated and feel archaic in a way that is hard to read until you are used to the genre.
Both of these were influential in my later enjoyment of the sci-fi classics. Asimov’s short stories are great because they showcase his writing talents (which are much better suited to short form than novel, I think). Now I love the Asimov series like Robots and Foundation, but it took a while to be able to do it.
Ray Bradbuy’s short stories also hold up well for young readers of sci-fi (whether by current age or by birth-year). Another one that works for many early readers is Ursula Le Guin. Oh, and for non-sci-fi lovers, Margaret Atwood’s cautionary tales and other sci-fi-influenced distopia writers are also good starting points. The Handmaid’s Tale changed my life.
Exactly! The first choices shouldn’t be about pedantry or genre legitimation, but about what will work best for the particular young reader you’re giving books or book recommendations to. As soon as you have built a love of sci-fi you can extend out to the classics or the modern works and keep building from there.
For example, I really liked Heinlein when I got around to him, but it took me a long time to work up to it, because it seemed so dense and abstract and I found the prose to be a bit clunky. Now I can’t wait to read more of him.
Pike and DP- thanks for the book suggestions. I will look them up.
Also, Marvel is releasing an Ender’s Game comic limited series starting the end of this month so that might help you with the concepts and visualization. It’s full backed by Card like how the Dark Tower/The Stand comics are with King
I would argue that in most cases some of the best and the most “timeless” sci fi are occasionally not the best places for a new reader to start. Often the classic stuff is very deep and takes a certain maturity of perspective to understand truly. I think that in the case of someone just dipping their toes into the genre that stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek expanded universe novels are a good safe bet for an introduction, of course this logic only really holds up if you’re talking about children starting to read science fiction novels.
I grew up and will probably grow old with Sci-Fi. I’ve been reading Sci-Fi since before I could read. I learned to read with Superman & Green Lantern comics. For years I have chain-read one Sci-Fi novel after another, not to the exclusion of other genres, but always, Sci-Fi was there, an old friend, a life-long love.
The field of Sci-Fi is so wide and tastes are so varied, that there is something for everyone. I have seen the field morph many times, sometimes to my taste, other times the style at the time held no interest for me. During those phases, I would return to re-read old friends, or explore older books I never got around to reading.
Sci-fi can be far-seeing or retrospective. It can be uplifting or just plain depressing. It can be about furry space creatures or the last human alive on earth. Which reminds me: Someone asked a very famous Sci-Fi author (whose name I can’t remember now), to give a definition of Science Fiction.
He said he would illustrate it by telling the shortest sci-fi story he knew.
He said, (and this is a paraphrase):
“The last man on earth was sitting in his living room, when he heard the knock on the door.”
This author said science fiction was about asking questions, and about fresh perspectives.
What I’ve always loved about Sci-Fi and what keeps me hooked after all these years is that ability of a story to nudge one into a slight shift in perspective, to allow you to expand your consciousness. Not all authors can do this, and I have read through many mediocre stories to get to ones that just shine. What keeps me at it, are those moments of insight and depth. I love the journey.
So after re-reading this post, I realize I’ve rambled on a bit, so back to the point. IMO, if I were trying to introduce someone to the genre, I’d pick novels that have moved me personally. Not just one style, not just current, but some old, some new. I think my own emotion in referring a given novel would have it’s own impact. If the genre holds any interest for that person, then I trust that that novice won’t be able to resist further exploration of the field, old and new.