San Antonio Public Library discussion

What book would you recommend for people just starting in sci-fi? Do you already have a book you have recommended to friends trying to get into sci-fi? For example, the book I always recommend is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It is the book that got me into sci-fi, and I find that it is normally a good starting place for people.

While it's not my favorite, or what got me into the genre, I think I'd probably use Ready Player One as a starter sci-fi for some readers, because it is heavily plugged into popular culture concepts of sci-fi already. For people that prefer books more based in realism and a good dose of humor, I think I'd go with The Martian. For fans of horror and fantasy, I'd recommend Gideon the Ninth; it bends genres for fun, but that could make it more approachable to a reader wanting to branch out a bit. As much as I love Hitchhiker's, I know Douglas Adams' sense of humor can be difficult for some readers in the same way that Terry Pratchett is difficult. As a curveball, I've given The Three-Body Problem as a recommendation for people who like some heavy philosophy in their reading, but it's definitely not something I'd throw at most readers.

The Martian is a great suggestion for sci-fi. As a fan of some older sci-fi, I might also throw out Rendezvous with Rama or Songs of Distant Earth by Clarke. The first is wonder and exploration driven, while the second is very much about the coming together of two human cultures... though Clarke himself is a bit of a problem.

I might also throw in Fire Time, by Poul Anderson, as it's got a great mix of hard and soft sci-fi, and a lot more action than any of the three suggested so far... and Poul Anderson doesn't carry Clarke's baggage.

I also think Star Wars books can be a great introduction to sci-fi, though some would argue with putting space opera with space wizards in the sci-fi category. Claudia Gray's Lost Stars touches on enough that cultural familiarity with Star Wars should be enough, while being a good story, too.

I agree, I think the Martian is a great intro to sci-fi especially given how the dialogue feels very much like a Marvel movie to me. I love the Three-body Problem! I could see that being a good weird one to start with, I would be interested to see what a person who read that as their first foray into sci-fi would think. I agree that Star Wars books could be a really good choice. I'll be honest I am not that well versed in old sci-fi I have read some Asimov and some old sci-fi paperbacks that I am forgetting the names of.

One thing I find with old sci-fi is the problem of expectations. Leaving aside the bouts of racism, sexism, or other such things you're going to encounter, you've got plenty of things they simply didn't think about.

Older sci-fi also, IME, tends to be more message or concept oriented. While the Martian is a story into which Weir puts a lot of research and facts, something like Foundation is entirely fanciful, with the "story" being a frame for Asimov to talk about history and its cycles.

Yes, I definitely agree. I haven't read a ton of older sci-fi (partially because of issues with racism, sexism, etc) but it is very high concept and I miss that about a lot of newer sci-fi, that seems to be much more focused just on the smaller stuff. It's kind of like older fantasy; there wasn't a canon expectation of the genre yet, so people were just writing what they had ideas for and it got called science fiction.

I introduced myself to SF when I was in the eighth grade and discovered on the shelves Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein. I would also suggest Anne McCaffrey's Pern series and her other SF series. I would probably also suggest The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

The Martian is my kind of sci-fi, future looking, also Station Eleven.
I did read all the Hitchhikers Guide books. They are very funny and absurd. I guess you could call it sci-fi, although I think of them as humor.

I guess it would depend on why I was trying to introduce them to Sci-fi. A classic that's a great introduction to how philosophical and thought-provoking sci-fi can be is The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. For more of an action-adventure take with a popular culture twist I'd suggest First Frontier by Diane Carey--a time-traveling adventure in the Star Trek universe.

Of course, "A Wrinkle in Time" brings up another... ahem... wrinkle. The age of the person you're suggesting to. While I returned to A Wrinkle in Time as an adult and enjoyed it, as a kid it was nearly impenetrable, despite being ostensibly a children's book.