The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

Nominations for the September 2020 read are for books published from 2000 & up.

SF novels or short story collection/anthologies that have not previously been read by the group are eligible. Please check the bookshelf to see what we've already read & the nomination rules for further clarification before nominating a book.

Previously nominated books are on this bookshelf. More qualifying authors & books can be found here.

Please add your nominated book title as a clickable link directly to the goodreads' book page, with author and year, so it looks like this:
Children of Time
Adrian Tchaikovsky
2015
(If you can't create book links, please include the URL to the book.)

Tell us why you chose the book that you're nominating. Remember that books require seconding now. We'll close this nomination thread on the 15th of July in order to have plenty of time for poll(s) and then for acquisitions of the winner(s).

Nominations & Seconds

Nominated:
Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson: Nom - Kyk

Nominated & Seconded:
Blindsight by Peter Watts: Nom - Ed, 2d - Lautaro
One Second After by William R. Forstchen: Nom - Jim, 2d - Queralt
Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson: Nom - Jo, 2d - Ed

I nominate Blindsight by Peter Watts.

This is considered Hard SF. I'm interested because it considers the possibility of intelligent aliens without consciousness. Is that even possible?

Nominated for many awards. Won some of them. It also doesn't hurt that the author makes the e-book available for free on his website.

I second Blindsight, it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel :)

And I nominate The Martian by Andy Weir.

The Martian won the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction in 2014. Also, Andy Weir won a Hugo Award for Best New Writer because of this book, which is his debut novel. And the movie was very good too. So those are my three reasons for nominating The Martian.

I nominate Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson (2004) because someone ought to. The e-book is free, too, and really long, but good. It's a sequel to Farnham's Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein. Just kidding, but I wish.

Lautaro wrote: "I second Blindsight, it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel :)

And I nominate The Martian by Andy Weir...."

We read that a while back, so it's not eligible. The discussion is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'll nominate One Second After by William R. Forstchen. It's an apocalyptic story, an updated version of Alas, Babylon. I think it's a trilogy, but the first book stands well on its own.

I second One Second After!

Jim wrote: "Lautaro wrote: "I second Blindsight, it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel :)

And I nominate The Martian by Andy Weir...."

We read that a while back, s..."

Oh, I didn't find it in the bookshelf, my bad.

Right now, we only have 2 for the poll & one more that needs a nomination. No one else has a book to nominate?

I would like to nominate Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson. I really liked his Mars series and I do like scifi with politics.

Excellent choice, Jo: I second Jo's nomination of Red Mars.

Jo actually choose Red Moon, not Red Mars. Do you still second it?

laaast daaay!

I will second Red Moon.

Last day for noms. Here's what we have so far:
Nominations & Seconds

Nominated:
Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson: Nom - Kyk

Nominated & Seconded:
Blindsight by Peter Watts: Nom - Ed, 2d - Lautaro
One Second After by William R. Forstchen: Nom - Jim, 2d - Queralt
Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson: Nom - Jo, 2d - Ed

The poll is up! Vote here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson: Nom - Jo, 2d - Ed has won the poll by 1 vote. We'll read it in September.