I joined a local science fiction book club last year, hoping to get a chance to read and discuss "classic" scifi books that are on my list (Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Jules Verne, Philip K Dick, etc.)
But so far all the selections chosen by popular vote have been very modern books written only in the last decade, like the Imperial Radch series (starting with Ancillary Justice) and the Terra Ignota series (starting with Too like the Lightning). I tried reading these but didn't find them engaging or their style pleasant and ended up not finishing them. Despite a small number of club members having suggested classics, we always get outvoted. I feel really disappointed at the lack of chronological diversity of book selections, and at this point have stopped reading their selections and attending book discussions. For context, most of the members of the club are in their mid-20s to early 30s, I believe.
If you enjoy classic scifi books, do you also enjoy the modern series like those the club selected? Or do you find them annoying, contrived, and a little too "woke" like I do? Are there any good modern scifi books that you would recommend for fans of classics?
I know people will tell me "just start your own club if you don't like the books they choose". I don't have the energy/resources to start a new club but will just read the classics on my list on my own (and maybe discuss them privately with a few others who might be interested).