Sci Fi
For those friends and loved ones who love Science Fiction, try getting these books/book-like items:

- Old Man’s War or any other book by John Scalzi 
I reviewed Old Man’s Wara while back and now I’m getting it for several of my guy friends. Though it’s about seventy five year olds, I have to warn you there are blood, guts, sex and emotional trauma in this book. It is, after all, a book about war. Withthat said, I think this book is set at a wonderful pace and it really allows you to empathize with the characters and their strange circumstances.

- 7th Son: Descent by J.C. Hutchins
I admit I have not read the published version of Seventh Son: Descent, but I listened to the podiobookand I love J.C. Hutchins’ writing and his style. This is an extremely fast paced and violent sci-fi thriller. You’re welcome.

- The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
I got this book one year for Christmas and I love it. It’s got all the Hitchhicker’s books in one big fat book, plus a fun short about Zaphod Beeblebrox. Guaranteed to put a smile on Hitchhiker’s fans everywhere.

- I Will Fear No Evil or any other books by Robert Heinlein
I Will Fear No Evil is the first Heinlein book I ever read and is still my favorite to this day. As is normal for Heinlein, there is lots of free love in this book, but it’s also got some neat spiritual issues it addresses. Basically, if you were ever leery about the idea of a brain transplant, this book is for you.

- The Adoration of Jenna Fox (which I reviewed) by Mary Pearson
I reviewed this book sans spoilers. So, this is your spoiler alert. Don’t read on if you don’t want a spoiler. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is about a teen who wakes up after a year long coma to find that she not only doesn’t remember what simple words mean, but her body is over 50% synthetic. She has to overcome the normal emotional issues one would have a) being a teen and b) having been in a coma for a year. She also has to figure out for herself if she is, in fact, human.

- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Brave New World is a classic. It’s a bit like George Orwell’s 1984 set in the future. It involves a society which has banned history, books and bearing children (all babies are made in a bottle and – depending on where they go in society – their growth is aided or retarded). Also, the society refuses to allow its denizens to be unhappy by providing constant access to a pleasant, mostly side effect free drug so the citizens may forget their troubles. But, when a human from the “wild reservations” comes into this new, carefree society, how does he cope? Does he adapt, or reject this new society? This book is a very real look into human misery and the tendency for people to simply hide their problems, rather than deal with them openly. Spoiler is: this book does not have a happy ending.

- The Halo Books by Eric Nylund
If your kid or friend are into the wildly popular Halo video games, get them hooked on the book series. I actually did this with my ex-boyfriend who didn’t read and he really liked them – so much so that I picked up the book I bought him and read it myself. They are actually pretty darned good!

- The Immortals by Tracy HickmanThe Immortals is a book about the 10 second decision making society opting to put disease victims into massive concentration camps for them to die off in while a cure is being searched for. However, what the people of the short attention span don’t realize is there’s something much deeper going on, something which shows the world why politics and religion don’t mix and why some decisions need thought and research put into them. 

- Look Into the Sun by James Patrick Kelly
A wonderful Sci Fi story ultimately about a young man who has to go to another planet to come into his own and truly belong. If you want to get a taste of the story – check out Jim Kelly’s Free Reads podcast, wherein he reads the whole book to you in several episodes. This book is actually out of print, but the author (and humble Nebula and two time Hugo award winner), Jim Kelly, bought out the overstock of the book and is offering to sell a signed copy to you direct. Email him at Jim (@) JimKelly (dot) net to get your book, or contact me at JuliaScottDouglas (@) Gmail (dot) com and I’ll get you two in touch. I’m going to order one just for me – I love signed books.

-Escape Pod CDs
No Sci Fi fan’s collection of books would be complete without a subscription to Escape Pod(which is free). Barring that, get them one of the cds of this fantastic podcast of short fiction. I happen to love all three of the podcasts in the Escape Pod/Pseudopod/Pod Castle network, but Escape Pod is what any sci fi fan needs to accompany them through thier journey through short fiction. (I don’t get paid to recommend these guys, I just love them and the short stories they provide really are awesome.)

I hope these books/book-like items cover all bases on your friends and family who are sci fi fans! 

If you have any suggestions of books I should read or recommend, let me know!

Also, remember that if you shop at Amazonfrom the links I provide, I get a little commission if you buy something, so help a sister out!

Book: Podkayne of Mars

Genre: Science Fiction

Julia Rating: 10

Comments:
This is the perfect Sci Fi coming of age tale. Heinlein always has some interesting ideas of future morals and this book explores them without being graphic. This book also shows us a simple sci fi adventure story. A girl named Podkayne is going on her first major outing off-planet. She’s going to Earth via Venus with her uncle. But, she has to take her evil genius brother.

On the way, Podkayne finds out more about the world than she ever dreamed possible, and gets into her fair share of trouble.

I always love Heinlein’s ideas of women. He enjoys portraying young woman with the sensibilities of a girl from the 50′s, but the morals of the 60′s and 70′s. In this book, he not only portrays this, but shows Podkayne grow into a brave, loving young woman – even if her brother thinks she’s a bit silly.

Also, the society in which he places Podkayne and her family is very Brave New Worldish, for example, babies are born naturally, but are frozen and decanted to be reared later. Podkayne’s other siblings (still in deep freeze) are called Gamma, Delta and Epsilon – the classes noted in Brave New World. Heinlein always seems to add his own philosophy and ideas to his fiction books, without overwhelming them.

Buy Podkayne of Mars on Amazon

HG Wells

War of the Worlds is undoubtedly a Science Fiction novel, but it’s also arguably a horror novel.  There are horrible monsters (if aliens), lots of blood, disaster, death and violence.  It’s just that the monsters happen to be from Mars.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is another example of Horror/Sci Fi.  There are horrible, created monstrosities and much human despair and death.  The Island of Doctor Moreau is comparable to Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein when it comes to horror fiction. 

I think that HG Wells was a pioneer of genre fiction, not just Science Fiction – but the gamut of Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror.  What about you guys?  Lemme know!

Author: A collaboration of talented authors

Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy

Julia Rating: 10 out of 10

Comments:

I’m not always always enamored with these collaboration pieces, however this particular Writers of the Future volume really stood out for me. The majority of the stories were fantastic, and there’s little nuggets of gold in there from acclaimed writers and editors like Robert Heinlein, Algis Budrys and L. Ron Hubbard. So, these books really have something for everyone.

I really love the Writers of the Future contest because it gives such a wonderful opportunity to aspiring writers. The winning writers get their work published in one of the Writers of the Future volumes and some get cash prizes. The judges of the contest are writers and editors themselves, so they generally pick excellent material for the books.

Just as a note, my favorite stories in the book are:
Asleep in the Forest of the Tall Cats by Kenneth Brady
Shipwoman by Roxanne Hutton
The Key by Blair MacGregor

Author: Pamela Sargent

Genre: Science Fiction, Feminism

Julia Rating: 10

Comments:

This is a singular book – I’ve never read a work of feminist Science Fiction before, but I love it! Pamela Sargent’s moving tale of a post apocalyptic world where women have enclosed themselves in cities and men are thrown out into the wild to treat with each other is thought provoking. The basic story is told from the point of view of a woman in the city (Laissa), her twin brother who lives outside of the city (Arvil) and a young woman who has been expelled from the city (Birana). Birana and Arvil meet each other and Arvil becomes her protector and then, later, something more. It is not believed that men are anything about animals to the women in the city, but Laissa finds out about Birana and Arvil and hopes to change the world they live in with their story. It is a touching story about love, as well as a very thought provoking story about the condition human beings can put each other in. This story is not only feminist, it also delves into humanity and is one of the only feminist stories I’ve read that doesn’t bash guys – but shows them as human beings that are able to experience and show love, compassion and respect.
Definitely recommended reading – even for guys.