Need a Book Group Book - Sci-Fi/Fantasy?!

[DuchessOfAvon]

Jeepers. We have decided this year that we each have to select from a different genre and I have drawn Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I have no idea where to start.

Any tips?

Well, we can start with narrowing it down to sci fi OR fantasy.

What kinds of books do you normally like? It will help narrow down the choices

You'll be reassured to know that there are loads of brilliant books to choose from, at least.

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
Blindness - Jose Saramago (was a book choice at our bookclub and probably one of the most discussion-provoking in many years)

You could go old school with John Wyndham's The Day of The Trffids (in my top five fav books, and nothing like the film/tv prog). In fact, anything by him is brilliant.

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is wonderful and thought-provoking (but futuristic rather than sci-fi, maybe)

Pratchett & Gaiman's Good Omens is a hilarious light read.

umm

Iain M Banks' culture novels are modern sci-fi and pretty good.

DH calls Dan Simmons Hyperion a 'flawless sci-fi novel'.

Good luck

If going for Wyndham I would say choose The Chrysalids. Much prefer it to triffids.

I would go for a classic, such as War Of Tne Worlds or Day Of The Triffids, or some good modern fantasy (ie not the really badly written, totally plot driven stuff that is all around) such as Neil Gaiman or one of Pratchett's better ones - eg Reaper Man.

Chrysalids or Midwich Cuckoos good too. Handmaid's tale also good!

For something completely random you could go with Tom Holt - Open Sesame is all about fairy tale world and real world combining. A tooth fairy named Fang... what is there not to like?

Yes, Chrysalids very good, and very readable too; although all of Wyndham is a little dated now (in terms of gender dynamics and so on).

Other suggestions: "The Sparrow", Mary Doria Russell - a wonderful book, much enjoyed by lots of people who don't otherwise like sci-fi stuff, though quite long.

I love Banks but a lot of his sci-fi novels are quite hard-core - very dense and long (though amazing!). A good one to start with would be "The Player of Games" which is quite short and more accessible than some of the others.

I don't read much fantasy, but I really enjoyed Diana Wynne Jones' adult books - there are two I think, one's called "A Sudden Wild Magic".

I find Pratchett v. irritating, but he is loved by millions so would probably be a safe bet too.

Some great ideas - keep 'em coming.

I have read a few of Banks' sci-fi and found them pretty hard-going. I think they'd scare off a few of the group. Consider Phlebus certainly scared me.

I LOVE Wynne-Jones' kids books so I'll check out her adult stuff. And the Tom Holt sounds fun.

I wondered about Under The Skin but I'd quite like something that I haven't read before - which also rules out Wyndham & Atwood.

I love Gaiman but I have tipped off the girl who drew graphic novels so I suspect she'll bag him first.

I'm not sure how to define fantasy if I am being honest. Is it a bit Lois Bujold McMasters or whatever her name is? That kind of malarky? Tbh I struggle when all the names get far-fetched and the genealogy becomes important a la Tolkein.

Well you get the pure type fantasy all wizards and magic and stuff - lots of quests and fire wood, or there is the more urban fantasy, or comic fantasy.

Pratchett and Holt would be your comic kind.

Tolkien, Robin Hobb etc the more pure kind.

Modern vampires in the big city etc would be the urban kind.

How about some Ursula Le Guin - contemporary feminist. The Dispossed is interesting...

Or you could go with wonderful Phillip Pullman if everyone hasn't already read it?

Sunshine was good in the urban vampire type thing.

Or you could go for an easy read child type fantasy like Eragon (if you have seen the film, then be assured, it seems to just share the title ), or Spooks books.

ooh or Sabriel - that is fabulous. Read Sabriel.

Pullman good. I didn't like Sabriel or Eragin at all!

EragOn even.

The second Eragon one went much quicker, the first was a slog.

Sabriel I loved though (well, I loved the set - Abhorsen was the best of the 3, but seems mean suggesting the third in a trilogy )

Hmm... Flame , you are beginning to convince me. I have certainly read more sci-fi than fantasy in my life so maybe I need to step out of my comfort zone.

I don't want anything too doughy and portentous though. None of your smiting and flaming nonsense. I read The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and it was on the borderline of acceptable. Does that give a good enough marker?

I guess what I am after is something with a fantastical twist rather than a full-on robed affair.

I would say go with a comic one then.

My mum enjoyed The Portable Door by him, and she doesn't do things like that. Think she enjoyed Open Sesame too.

By him? By Holt was what i meant

Duchess - I love your descriptions! 'Full-on robed affair' - great!

Janeite - Thanks.

I am a bottle of Peroni down and the influence is upon me.

Mmmm. Peroni - yum. Am just about to crack open the Pimms.

Sheri Tepper writes amazing far-seeing feminist fiction.

Gibbons Decline and Fall

Family tree

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is very good, and its a one off, not part of a series so you can find closure and discuss the end properly.

Robin McKinley wrote two books that for fantasy are quite short, but both remain great favourites with me; The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword.

Another single volume is JV Jones' The Barbed Coil.

S Tepper - Grass (she writes sci/fi and fantasy this is more sci/fi)
Banks - Player of Games - brill...
Le Guin - Left Hand of Darkness or her Earthsea stuff
Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon (quite hardcore sci/fi)
Philip K Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner)
Tom Holt - expecting Someone Taller (very funny)

Could go on....