Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

Recommend ‘cosy’ sci-fi?

35 replies

Aecor · 15/02/2024 16:34

Sci-if or fantasy have never been my taste at all, so I’m completely ignorant of them, apart from Ursula LeGuin. I happened to pick up someone else’s copy of Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in an emergency (ran out of reading material AND Kindle charge stuck in an airport) and, unexpectedly, liked it, and have read all of her work.

There must be more intelligently-written, character-driven sci-fi/fantasy which isn’t hard-boiled, very plotty or overly invested in the hard science of its own world-building, but which is basically warm and mildly feel-good, and in good prose?

All recommendations welcome!

(I keep seeing people recommend Lois McMaster Bujold, but not sure if that’s a whole different type of thing…?)

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Original poster
Aecor · 18/02/2024 14:07

@HenryTilneyBestBoy (intrigued by your username, as have always been by Henry Tilney and his interest in women’s fashion, hairstyles, novels and and diaries — in his eyes, my total ignorance of sci-fi should make me terribly attractive on the subject, such is my desire for instruction!)

Am I allowing non-cosy now? Is it fair to say that the more a work’s literary qualities, the less likely it is to be ‘cosy’? I suspect that’s true. Though I always recommend Laurie Colwin (RIP) to Austen fans, and think she should be far better known, as witty, clever and light-hearted. If anyone doesn’t know her work, her novel Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object begins with the sudden death of her 27 year old protagonist’s husband, and is still a light-hearted, blithe, but clever novel. Her settings in UMC Manhattan are strangely timeless — only a reference to a 30 something character in A Big Storm Knocked It Over having been in the Vietnam war locates it at all. )

I have read and liked the Ted Chiang story on which Arrival is based — thank you for reminding me.

I tried Dr Strange and Mr Norrell to no avail when it was published, and definitely have an unread copy of The Ladies somewhere — but might try again. You’re right. From what I remember I found the world building too obstructive, though I suspect this is me not understanding genre norms, and is the equivalent of someone complaining about the lack of car chases in Virginia Woolf.

I have read all of Angela Carter down the years, though found myself getting mildly irritated by and the bloody clowns last time I taught Nights At the Circus.

I love the idea of a novel about Hilda of Whitby.

OP posts:
HenryTilneyBestBoy · 18/02/2024 13:29

@Aecor as you're allowing un-cosy recommendations now 😉 As a linguist you may enjoy Miéville's Embassytown and Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others (includes the novella on which the film Arrival was based).

An alternative entry point to the Vorkosigan saga would be The Warrior's Apprentice followed by the short story The Mountains of Mourning, starring Cordelia's son, Miles, who is the protagonist for most of the series. Though admittedly neither they nor the early Cordelia books are particularly brilliant in themselves - much of it is reflected glow from the later entries. For me the sequence peaks with screwball comedy of manners A Civil Campaign (don't @ me, Mirror Dance / Memory / Komarr devotees), which is really only 3 books in if you read the collected editions!

@highlandcoo for more literary SFF that I didn't recommend earlier for not meeting all of @Aecor 's criteria:

Guy Gavriel Kay (except the dull Tolkeinesque Fionavar trilogy): further along the fantasy side of alternative history, far too lofty and epic for cosiness but well written and character-focused (although expect at least 2 cringey sex scenes per book). I particularly like the Sarantine Mosaic duology (Byzantium), The Lions of Al-Rassan (medieval Spain) and Under Heaven (Tang China).

Nicola Griffith, Hild: more fantastical than historical novelisation of the early life of St Hilda of Whitby, not at all feel-good but brilliant.

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and The Ladies of Grace Adieu Actually quite cosy, perhaps owing to the pitch-perfect Regency voice and faux-scholarly footnotes, though possibly too much world-building for Aecor. If you admired the style but wondered what the point of Piranesi was, these are far better.

Cat Valente, The Orphan's Tales (1001 nights with feminist twists, beautifully wrought. The stories soon start intertwining so this is a novel in the end.)
Patricia McKillip also writes beautifully in the fairy tale vein.
And Angela Carter, ofc, if she's not too mainstream literary.

Another Jo Walton: Among Others which is the perfect meta-read for literary folk who don't really get SFF but may want to.

For context, all of the above are popular/lauded in SFF circles. I will refrain from the more obscure recommendations, having probably delighted quite enough 😅

Original poster
Aecor · 18/02/2024 10:59

SnakesAndArrows · 18/02/2024 09:09

Also came to recommend Becky Chambers! I wish there were more Wayfarers books. I hope she returns to that universe.

You could try China Mieville. His books aren’t cosy, but they are quite character-driven and full of interesting ideas about societies.

I’ve only read The City and the City, which was a brilliant concept, and well-written, but gave me a violent headache holding the setting in my head! I think I also started UnLunDun…

OP posts:
Original poster
Aecor · 18/02/2024 10:49

highlandcoo · 18/02/2024 08:53

@HenryTilneyBestBoy thanks for the Jo Walton suggestion. I've actually read the WWII trilogy and I've enjoyed alternative history novels like Fatherland and Dominion without thinking of them as sci-fi I suppose. They're not too far away from RL if that makes sense. I'll have a look at Tooth and Claw too.

I feel there might be a whole swathe of good books I'm missing out on because I'm not sure where to start.

Yes, this is exactly it. I’m well-versed in contemporary and past literary fiction in several languages, but am totally ignorant about contemporary genre fiction because I don’t know anything about it. If someone says a novel name, I don’t know whether it’s the sci-fi equivalent of Ulysses or an obscure silver fork novel.

I tend to avoid crime for the same reason I avoid violent/horror films — I’m easily upset by violence or gore. I once picked up a Val McDermid novel on a recommendation, but didn’t get very far. She’s way too graphic for me. Then someone recommended Elly Griffiths, but the prose seemed very chick-litty. I like PD James, despite the insufferable Adam Dalgliesh, but have read them all countless times.

I think my fussiness about decent prose and lack of graphic violence is key!

Thanks for all recommendations on the thread. I’m about to try Shards of Honour again, and also the first Murderbot book, and possibly the Rivers of London series, and I will definitely at least look at the Amazon sample of everything someone has mentioned. (So if anyone thinks something they’ve recommended as brilliant is I’ll-served by the first few pages, please say!)

OP posts:
SnakesAndArrows · 18/02/2024 09:09

Also came to recommend Becky Chambers! I wish there were more Wayfarers books. I hope she returns to that universe.

You could try China Mieville. His books aren’t cosy, but they are quite character-driven and full of interesting ideas about societies.

highlandcoo · 18/02/2024 08:53

@HenryTilneyBestBoy thanks for the Jo Walton suggestion. I've actually read the WWII trilogy and I've enjoyed alternative history novels like Fatherland and Dominion without thinking of them as sci-fi I suppose. They're not too far away from RL if that makes sense. I'll have a look at Tooth and Claw too.

I feel there might be a whole swathe of good books I'm missing out on because I'm not sure where to start.

ettieb · 17/02/2024 10:52

Thank you to those who suggested Becky Chambers.. I've just started the small angry planet and I'm loving it... the characters are great!

Original poster
Aecor · 16/02/2024 14:57

CattingAbout · 16/02/2024 12:48

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis was my first thought after reading your OP.

I have read this! Oddly (or maybe not) in the same scenario — picked up someone else’s copy in extremis. I liked it, despite her having some odd ideas about Oxford that didn’t seem explainable via handwaving about it being ‘the future’ or an alternative universe, but haven’t liked any of her others — Blackout…?

OP posts:
VelcroRevolver · 16/02/2024 13:16

I suppose they are technically post apocalyptic cozy murder mysteries but Carrie Vaughn’s Bannerless and it’s sequel The Wild Dead fit the bill perfectly.
Over one holiday, where I badly sprained my ankle on the second day and could do nothing but elevate it for a week, I read the first three Becky Chambers books, both Carrie Vaugn books and The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard. They all have a very similar mood and I still struggle to separate them in my head.

CurlewKate · 16/02/2024 12:50

Ann McCaffery!

CattingAbout · 16/02/2024 12:48

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis was my first thought after reading your OP.

TabbyM · 16/02/2024 12:38

Legends and Lattes and Bonedsts & Bookshops by Travis Baldree - more fantasy than sci fi but very good.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell as well.

ErrolTheDragon · 16/02/2024 11:57

IcakethereforeIam · 16/02/2024 00:48

I liked The Long Earth series (about 5 books) that Terry Pratchett wrote with some other geezer. I think it's the epitome of cosy sci-fi.

Stephen Baxter. I've not tried any of his solo books.

Giggorata · 16/02/2024 10:40

I'd also recommend anything by Ray Bradbury, except that I wouldn't start off with the Fahrenheit book, possibly his most well known, because it is dystopian and not typical of his warm lyrical style.

I would also recommend More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon and the Alvin series by Orson Scott Card.

Sadik · 16/02/2024 10:38

I DNFed Shards of Honour too. I've read some of Bujold's fantasy (Penric, The Sharing Knife etc), they were fine but nothing special for me. I do wonder if she's one of those authors (see also Mercedes Lackey & Anne McCaffrey) that you need to have read when younger/ nearer to when they were published to really love.

I reckon Murderbot would be right up your street, though they are only novellas (but there's many). I'd definitely also second The Goblin Emperor recommended up thread if you're happy with fantasy. It's much more interesting than it looks at first sight IMO.

I like the Rivers of London series but they're fairly standard urban fantasy. Not sure if I'd particularly say they were blokey as such, more The Bill with magic rather than proper hard boiled police procedural maybe.

user120405 · 16/02/2024 10:17

Project Hail Mary. By Andy weir the writer of the Martian.

MamaAlwaysknowsbest · 16/02/2024 10:16

and Izak Azimov - not sure is this the English spelling

MamaAlwaysknowsbest · 16/02/2024 10:15

Solaris

Original poster
Aecor · 16/02/2024 10:14

Thanks, everyone. I realised I’d actually bought Shards of Honour for Kindle, probably after a rec on here, but hadn’t gone beyond the first chapter. I will have another go.

I read and liked The Sterkarm Handshake and its sequel years ago when DH had a bunch of friends who were literary agents who specialised in children’s and YA books.

I’ve read enough Iain M Banks to know he’s not for me, ditto Kim Stanley Robinson, Asimov, Philip K Dick. Have only read one Terry Pratchett, probably about 35 years ago (The Hogfather?). Didn’t much care for Emily St J Mandel’s Station 11, apart from that brilliant section about all the last times someone switched on a light, loaded an internet page etc. I read a couple of Jasper Forde’s ages back and found them forgettable.

Is Ben Aaronovitch sort of blokey? Like, hardboiled police procedural but with magic?

I have an ingrained horror of YA, to be honest, as I see so many young people who seem to get ‘stuck’ in it and never make the transition to adult fiction — it’s why I was surprised I liked Becky Chambers as much as I did.

Though I’m far less keen on the Monk and Robot series, which feels much blander, somehow — the concept of robots becoming sentient and not overthrowing human society but going off to live in the wild and becoming obsessive nature nerds is fabulous, but Sibling Dex isn’t really a character, and the contrivances Chambers goes to to conceal his or her sex (not only no physical description, but not a single reference to any sexed body part ) to contributes a lot to that blandness, I think.

I’m not in general used to the concept of series, either, but I admit I didn’t think BC had entirely played out the possibilities of the Wayfarer universe. I would happily have read a novel that dealt with an emergency on the Wayfarer when Pei was staying with Ashby that involved them fighting Rosk/rogue Toremi New Mothers/ Sianat pairs gone mad, Dr Chef discovering some of his species regenerating a society, Jenks and Kizzy dealing with life after Lovey, and a visit to Seed involving Tessa, George and their kids.

OP posts:
Giggorata · 16/02/2024 09:14

I like Zenna Henderson's books and short stories series about “the People”, a group of human looking aliens who were stranded on Earth and had to make the best of it.
They were published in the sixties and seventies, and social attitudes are a little old fashioned, but they are none the worse for that.
The books are:
Pilgrimage
No Different Flesh
The People Collection
Ingathering
The short stories are:
The Anything Box
Holding Wonder
The Zenna Henderson Collection

IcakethereforeIam · 16/02/2024 00:48

I liked The Long Earth series (about 5 books) that Terry Pratchett wrote with some other geezer. I think it's the epitome of cosy sci-fi.

UnaOfStormhold · 15/02/2024 17:56

Bujold is brilliant, character driven and all round amazing but the Vorkosiverse isn't exactly relaxing due to the personality of many of its main characters.

If you're up for fantasy as well then LMB's Penric's demon and its sequels (mostly novellas) are pure delight, with the sunniest main character I have ever come across. The Sharing Knife or Curse of Chalion are also lovely to read.

Victoria Goddard's Hands of the Emperor and sequels aren't quite on the same level but they're what I read when my brain wants a holiday somewhere sunny and wish-fulfilling.

LadyPeterWimsey · 15/02/2024 17:49

I've also really enjoyed some (not all) of her fantasy work (The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls).

I really like Sharon Shinn's fantasy writing too - start with Mystic and Rider.

AgnesX · 15/02/2024 17:48

Old school sci fi.... the Ring world series or short stories by Larry Niven

More Old school sci fi - Andre Norton although I'm not sure there's much still in print.

Talipesmum · 15/02/2024 17:46

Going a bit off request here as it’s not really sci fi but Jodi Taylor series on time travelling librarians is excellent, funny and zippy.