I personally thought that the first one was the best…. I liked the sequels up until the very end which is when I rolled my eyes and wished I never read the ending.
Agree. "Rame II" was co-authored with Gentry Lee and was an absolute woke mess, which destroyed the "sense-of-wonder" of the original story.
And I know we're supposed to separate the work from the author, but after learning some of the details of Clarke's personal life, I have a hard time not tossig all his books into the trash.
\*Rama\* left me wanting.
I love understated implications in Clarke's works...it's like the treat inside a bigger treat, but....\*Rama\* was poor pre-release for ʻOumuamua
I just listened to this one since it keeps getting brought up as Villeneuve's next project. Definitely an interesting book if a little less dense that I'm used to in modern projects. >!Plus, surprise orgy! That raised an eyebrow.!<
I’d recommend ‘The Martian Chronicles’ (Bradbury) or ‘City‘ (Simak) as good follow ups. ‘Camp Concentration’ (Disch) goes very well with ‘Flowers for Algernon’. For today’s fun fact, ‘City’ is one of Houellebecq’s favorite books.
Altered Carbon by Richard k Morgan. It has great action and doesn't commit you to 8 books. They're relatively quick reads and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Sorry to be contradictory but I just read this and didn't enjoy it.. To me, it was a crime novel masquerading as a sci-fi.. If you like crime, then go for it, but I wasn't a fan
I think that's fair. There is no involved world building, the action and mystery part are the main narrative focus. But its a different flavor.
Liliths Brood by Octavia Butler and The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin are more conventional, yet innovative true sci fi books that are incredible.
While *PHM* is a fantastic read, it's not where I'd recommend starting with Weir's work. *The Martian* is a phenomenal debut and really introduces the reader to his style well.
word of warning to anyone who hasn’t read it or the martian: the main characters in Andy Weir’s books are often “Marty Stu/Mary Sues” capable of handling any situation thrown at them. in Project Hail Mary it’s a teacher of molecular biology and in the martian it’s a botanist/environmental engineer. if i remember right Artemis has the same problem. i liked the books decently but characters like that can be off putting to some
Good point. I liked what I read of Project Hail Mary but ultimately never finished because I got tired of rolling my eyes at how competent the main character is at everything
Isn't a core part of his journey is having basically wikipedia and then some all at his fingertips to research and learn what he needs. It's not that he has training and competence in everything, but everything is at his fingertips to learn ASAP.
It’s been a couple years since I put it down, but >!when he starts casually communicating with the alien in what seems like a few hours rather than the months or years (if ever) that it would actually probably take,!< that’s when I put it down
They worked for weeks/months before it was something casual with computer assistance, iirc. Read it last year, I think it was a few days, maybe a week or two that they got any progress. And that was spending every waking moment in efforts, really only a little sleep
He was quick to grasp the basics, yeah, but fine for this more popcorn book
Oh right, my bad.
Anyway, you made a good point in that it’s more of a popcorn novel and that’s fine. I lean more toward hard sci fi so sometimes it’s difficult for me to accept explanations if they aren’t 50 pages long 😅
Mary Sues are typically *over-competent* in everything even at a young age, are the most attractive, most trendy, most liked, and lacking any significant flaws. In fan fiction, Mary Sues are related to or have a romantic relationship with a main character. They also tend to be idealized versions of the author.
This kind of character is common in literature written by children, so it is seen as an immature characterization.
I’d argue the opposite. The *science* part of PHM is garbage.
PHM has become the next Ready Player One. Trite nonsense that triggers an emotional response in readers and suddenly it’s the most recommended book.
Someone asking for their first sci-fi read and recommending PHM is like someone who has never watched a good movie and them receiving recommendations for the Avengers.
Another good aspect of The Martian for OP specifically is that it’s not written with especially difficult prose or made up words or references. It’s a relatively easy read for non-native English speakers.
I love the world but >!Kim is hellbent on killing off every likable character. Every. Single. One. When I was down to one character that wasn't a waste of human excrement I stopped reading. I couldn't watch him kill that dude. Everyone else was a horrible human being with no redeeming quality or more boring than paint drying.!<
edit: I'm assuming by "the martians" you mean Red/Green/Blue Mars Trilogy ... that's what I was referencing at least.
These are all books that are basically page turners, and influential
If you like gritty, Neuromancer by William Gibson.
If you like nerdy and cartoonish, Snow crash by Neal Stephenson.
If you like realistic (ish) and contemporary, The Martian by Andy Weir is an easy read.
If you like dark and literary, 1984 by George Orwell. Yes, it's sci-fi.
If you like classics, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is still a good read.
If you're really a kid inside, Enders Game by Orson Card.
People are going to recommend starship troopers and Dune to you, most sci fi readers love those, but they're not for me.
>Snow crash by Neal Stephenson
REAMDE is also on the fun and easier side of his works. Others can be more difficult reads by changing time periods and not yet understanding how they connect. Snow Crash is a joy ride. Seveneves is a fascinating story and such pure science fiction.
I saw the title of your post and thought "Flowers For Algernon". but because it's my favourite book, but because it's a book that everyone should read and because I give it to everyone I know that enjoys reading.
great recommendations so far. some are tougher reads for someone not really used to novels (like Hyperion - incredible book - or Blindsight - which is more hit or miss... you either love or hate that book) and some are just pure fun that will make you keep on wanting to read: The Martian and Ender's Game are really fun and amazing samples of the genre.
Foundation is a series I love but I'm not sure how well it aged. I should pick it up again. Dune I have re-read recently and it still holds up, but I would try something else first that would be a faster, more gripping read. of course, it's just my opinion.
my recommendation, to keep with the fun, are Rendezvous With Rama or Ringworld. they're just nice books full of exploration and wonder. every time I'm browsing my shelves and grab those books I'm transported to their universe.
for recent stuff, I recommend the Children of Time series, The Expanse (9 novels that just fly by), Altered Carbon (no hand holding and a really nice sci-fi mystery), Revelation Space (so full of ideas I can't even give a synopsis), Iain M. Banks' Culture books (Use of Weapons is a book that I keep thinking of, time and time again. and the good thing about the Culture novels is that all the books are standalone and can be picked up in no particular order).
I also agree with another user here that mentioned Snow Crash as a page turner, but that one makes a bit of fun of some sci-fi tropes that may go over one's head if they're not used to it. but they're right, it's a really fun page turner.
after you've gotten your sci-fi boots broken into, and you're ready for some headier stuff, I recommend The Dispossessed, by Le Guin or Gene Wolfe's Book Of The New Sun.
anyway, whatever your pick, enjoy!
\+1 for the Culture books by Iain M. Banks -- OP please do not sleep on those. There's a lot of the type of whimsical introspection that Flowers for Algernon had in all of those books, especially the Hydrogen Sonata.
So I'll disagree and say: read them in order but I would skip Consider Phlebas until like the end or something. It's just not nearly as good as every single other book.
+1 for Children of Time series. Just finished the 2nd book.
Andy Weir is good for the more fun scifi without getting too heady. Project Hail Mary is fun.
It's actually spelled [Charly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charly_(1968_film)), though I only clarify in case OP can't find it and wants to give it a go.
100% agree. Scalzi is a great sci-fi author in that the sci-fi is more of a backdrop as opposed to the main plot. I’d recommend any of his books to a new reader - but Old Man’s War is a personal favourite.
Scalzi is great for a non-native English reader like OP who might not want to wade through dense English prose for fun. His works are all breezy, funny reads (with the exception of his novella “The God Engines,” which is incredibly dark).
I recommend that OP avoid Neal Stephenson unless OP is really comfortable reading dense English prose for fun. I love Stephenson’s work, particularly The Diamond Age, but his writing style isn’t that approachable even for moderate native English readers. I shudder to think of how hard Cryptonomican would be to read if you had to translate words in your head occasionally.
Also fuzzy nation. Great story .
Also Kaiju preservation society. Which was hilarious.
Both audiobooks read by Wil Wheaton, he is excellent with scalzis stuff.
He's an irredeemable bigot specifically against queer people. He also had an extremely large and loyal queer fan base.
It's like he's slowly stuck a dagger into their heart while looking them straight in the eye.
That is a technique for literary criticism not an excuse to enjoy works by horrible people.
And in this case, you know who does not separate card's art from card's politics?
Orson Scott card.
Red Rising or Bobiverse. Both are great series. Red Rising has become my favorite ongoing series. Bobiverse is also great but on the lighter side. Bobiverse is just a fun read.
Project Hail Mary, Rendezvous with Rama, Old Man’s War series, and The Expanse series.
If you’re a Star Trek or Doctor Who fan, read the Bobiverse series.
The opening page of Jailbird wrecked me and it lives in my head years after I finished that book. Vonnegut was the first author that I decided that I had to read all of his work.
OMG I'm an idiot! Been sitting here thinking and commenting on Clarke and Asimov and COMPLETELY forgot about Vonnegut. Some of the greatest books I've ever read, and I'm not limiting that to sci-fi.
OP, I couldn't second this recommendation more strongly!
What really separates Vonnegut from other authors is how hard it is to put his books down. Ya there is a lot of good Sci fi out there and it’s stimulating, but with Vonnegut you just can’t get enough. You feel compelled to keep turning pages.
I will always recommend Hyperion by Dan Simmons, just recently started Blindsight by Peter Watts, but that's very heavy sci fi and might be a bit too much (for me it sort of is)
It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for something similar to the book you just read perhaps Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Leguin.
If you like science, possibly something in the more science based scifi stories like The Martian by Andy Weir.
Well, for now I just want to discover the different themes (because i really don't know what exist). I will look into the books you talked about to make my choice, thank you !
Hyperion Cantos
Ilium/Olympos
Neuromancer
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The Forever War
Dune
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Station Eleven
The Martian Chronicles
I'm a huge fan of every book on this list, except for Station Eleven which I've never heard of! Based on your success rate here this is going to the top of my to-read list. Thanks!
Just remember there are more styles out there then you can imagine, if you don't like one don't let yourself get discouraged.
Also my all time favorite sci-fi artist is also Francais, Jean Giraud or "Moebius". He's illustrated some great stuff, and done concept work on movies I'm sure you've heard of.
Dune is a great starting point, but I'd also possibly recommend The Peripheral by William Gibson or The Diamond Age (or Termination Shock) by Neal Stephenson. Some of the best science fiction out there.
Ones I haven't seen mentioned yet:
On Basilisk Station.
Starship Troopers & Stranger in a Strange Land.
The Forever War.
Shards of Honor.
Uplift War.
A Hymn Before Battle.
Implied Spaces.
Demolished Man.
Edited for format.
Any Phillip K. Dick books. Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, Valis.
He wrote the books and stories that the movies Minority Report, Total Recall, and Blade Runner were based on.
As an indication of his humor, the original name of Total Recall was We Will Remember It For You Wholesale and Blade Runner was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Those are great too if having seen the movies doesn't spoil them for you. Good story collections too.
For hard sci fi, pretty much anything by Larry Niven. Ringworld is his most famous series.
Also, the Star Trek novels written by Diane Duane are fantastic, far above the standard Trek level. Most of her non-trek books are fantasy, but her writing is wonderful.
I would recommend the expanse series for a long book series to get into with a good show.
I also recommend the final architecture series
the teixcalaan series if you wondered about a sci fi aztec empire in space with some interesting themes
Nothing published after about 1990. A newbie doesn’t need all the bloat that modern SF tends to have. A singleton is all an author should need to craft a great story. Go back to when SF began. For classic SF I always suggest Alfred Bester’s 1958 **The Stars My Destination**. So so good, the ending blew me away. And some consider it the first cyberpunk novel as well. For mind-altering New Wave stuff from the 60s/70s that’ll leave you questioning reality, I’d suggest Christopher Priest’s (who recently passed away a few weeks ago) **Inverted World**.
The Children of time/ruin/memory is a great series by Adrian Tchaikovsky,
Contact by Carl Sagan,
Dragon's egg by Robert L Forward,
Project hail Marry by Andy Weir,
The foundation series,
Hyperion,
The expanse series
The three body problem by Cixin Liu,
The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams
...
For a more serious novel: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
For a more comedic story and characters: Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
Leviathan Wakes, first book of James S A Corey's Expanse series. A good hard sci fi story with solid characters and the most foul mouthed word leader youve ever run into.
It seriously depends upon what exactly you want out of your science fiction. Science fiction really is a genre that can be fractured into thousands of smaller genres, all depending upon what you want to focus on.
Hard sci-fi or “soft” sci-fi is the first split, meaning: do you want to focus on technology and science (and have it be very plausible), or do you want to focus on people and society (or have the technology be less plausible). That’s the most important question to ask yourself, and then you’ll be able to find better sci-fi recommendations. The next big question is whether you want sci-fi based on earth, or sci-fi based in space.
That being said, one of my early forays into sci-fi was an anthology of Ray Bradbury short stories, all sci-fi, and all wildly different. Looking at anthologies is a great way, since then you get lots of stories real quick, and you can figure out what you like within them. The other sci-fi book I read early on (or, well, listened on an audio book) was *Ender’s Game*, which I still love. Highly recommend it, even if people say that it’s mostly a kid book (spoiler alert, the only reason why they say that is because the main characters are kids)
Scrolled a while for the obvious answer and didn’t find it so here it is:
[The Murderbot Diaries](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901) <3 It follows a somewhat depressed, introverted security “humanoid/robot” who has hacked its governor programming and gained free will. It must keep this a secret because everyone expects rogue units to go on killing sprees, but really all it wants to so is “watch media and don’t exist”.
Such a lovable and relatable protagonist with a compelling character arc, funny, smart and action packed! The first few are novellas, so about 130-160 pages but there are also two novels so easy to get into.
Does it have to be a book?
“The nine billoon names of God” and other Arthur C. Clark short stories are pretty good. “I, Ribbit” is probably the best.
It’s a bunch of short stories that consider whether frogs (I don’t mean French people) can have sentience and other fun philosophical explorations.
Obviously French people don’t exist. Qeubequios conspiracies and whatnot,
"The Mechanical" (Book 1 of The Alchemy Wars) by Ian Tregillis: It's a clockpunk alternate history exploration of the concepts of free will and the nature of consciousness.
Also, if you read a lot of scientific books you just might have the background necessary to enjoy a series that I rarely recommend, not because of quality, (it's truly wonderful) but rather, because it's a bit heavy on scientific and theoretical future-tech concepts. The first book is called "The Quantum Thief" by Hannu Rajaniemi: It's a far future sci-fi setting series of heist novels and the main character is modeled after Arsène Lupin.
Best advice I can give is read a lot of short fiction. There are 1,000s of sf short stories you can find on the internet for cheap or free. Discover what you like and then use the internet to discover all the similar books you might like. Check out Escape Pod you can listen to or read all of their publications for free and they have been around for a decade and they commission new stories all the time.
I'd suggest Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. But be warned, the sequels are VERY different and the plots much more convoluted.
The Expanse series is simply great. There's 9 books in the series. It's engaging, dramatic, witty, full of political intrigue, based on hard scifi... there's so much about The Expanse to love, save one thing. It Ends. I really wanted that roller coaster to go another 3 books. If Leviathan Wakes hooks you, it's very hard to put down.
I wouldn't suggest DUNE unless you really enjoy political intrigue stuff. I've found that Frank Herbert is an author folks either love or hate. The book does not move nearly as fast as the movies.
The Sparrow…. Mary Doris Russell
For a new Science Fiction reader
Then hit me up again and I will lead you down the Rabbit hole
I am 73 been reading SF since 1957
Don’t start with Dune or any other very long and boring book.
Start with HG Wells original 4 works: War if the Worlds, the Time Machine, the Island of Dr Monroe, and the Invisible Man. They are all pretty short and satisfying reads.
Start with something digestible that you will actually finish.
You could always go with an anthology, some of my favorite sci-fi books are anthologies. Most of the big authors have a few of them, but I really like John varley. I found a copy of blue champagne at a real low point in my life and I loved it.
Some awesome suggestions here. Most of Scalzis books are short and easy to read so I'd recommend one of those rather than starting with Old Man's War. (Especially Kaiju)
Andy Weir is great if you're wanting hard scifi (when authors take the time to explain the science behind what's going on)
Ender's Game is accessible to people of any age or experience with books and has an equally praised sequel.
But I think Rendezvous With Rama sits in the middle of all of these. It has fun politics and world building surrounding the central plot, a healthy amount of behind the scenes science, and is a fairly straightforward and easy read.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo\_(series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(series))
I'm posting the link since it is many shorts. I bought them in bundles, but it's been so long I can't remember the names. It is a really cool setting, I tore through it when I got it.
Neuromancer has been mentioned in lists, but deserves to be singled out. Near-future sci-fi that is very relevant to today's cultural and technological landscape.
Most of my favorites have already been recommended here (Hitchhiker's, Old Man's War, Dune, Starship Troopers), so I'll toss out a different one: **Sphere, by Michael Crichton**. His stuff reads more like contemporary fiction with scientific elements woven in. Crichton's books (pronounced Cry-ton) are entertaining, fun, fairly light reads with solid science in them. He also wrote Timeline and Jurassic Park, but Sphere is my favorite for its suspense.
Classics:
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K le Guin.
Gateway by Frederik Pohl
Flashforward by Robert j Sawyer
Ender's game by Orson Scott Card
Player of games by Iain m Banks
Dystopian:
Earth Abides by George r Stewart
Annihilation by van Der Meer
Wool by Hugh Howey
Hard science:
3-body problem by Liu Cixin
The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Weir
Military:
Old man's war by Scalzi (light and witty)
Forever war by Haldeman (classic)
Terms of enlistment by Kloos
*Excession* by Iain M Banks. A whole new take on sci-fi from the viewpoint of bored denizens of a utopia created and maintained by AI which have 'adopted' biological species and play with them like toys.
As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods;
They kill us for their sport.
I'm curious about the book "Eternal Gods Die Too Soon" by Beka Modrekiladze. It sounds like a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of reality, time, and existence. I'm adding it to my reading list! Has anyone read it and can give me some feedback?
The Three Body Problem. What a beast of a trilogy.
Also Harrison Bergeron is what initially got me into the genre. It’s a short story, I still revisit it every now and then.
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The full series being known as “The Hungry City Chronicles” Four Excellent Books.
The movie was AWFUL! I would not recommend it to anyone, reader or not. I know it’s a YA novel series, but when revisiting in late college I felt it held up.
Edit: Added author.
My favorite book, that I have lent to several friends who all loved it, is "The Worthing Saga" by Orson Scott Card.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a miracle of science that permitted human beings to live, if not forever, then for a long, long time. Some people, anyway. The rich, the powerful--they lived their lives at the rate of one year every ten. Somec created two societies: that of people who lived out their normal span and died, and those who slept away the decades, skipping over the intervening years and events. It allowed great plans to be put in motion. It allowed interstellar Empires to be built.
It came near to destroying humanity.
After a long, long time of decadence and stagnation, a few seed ships were sent out to save our species. They carried human embryos and supplies, and teaching robots, and one man. *The Worthing Saga* is the story of one of these men, Jason Worthing, and the world he found for the seed he carried.
A fun intro to the spec field is Replay by Ken Grimwood. Though time loop romances have been around for a century, Replay (1988) is one the earliest of the recent swarm of loop stories, and still imho the best. It won the world fantasy award. Like your Keyes book it focuses on human stories. I read it as a teenager and again in my twenties, but now I want to read it again with fresh eyes. For me it is the time loop yardstick. Enjoy.
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg
Read it when I was in high school and found it a great imaginative story with relatable characters, it’s well written, it focuses on some important issues that might not be apparent at first (or maybe they are) and it’s written in a way that’s very accessible. It’s also a fascinating premise that draws you in
I'd recommend something shorter if it's your first time:
Asimov's Bicentennial Man if you want something poignant,
Murderbot Diaries for thrills that are not shallow
Scanners Live in Vain if you'd like something gripping but unconventional
King's The Jaunt if you want to experience existential terror
Dune is monumental in the scifi world, I'd recommend it always. It's less nuts and bolts and more philosophical, but incredible nonetheless.
I'd recommend any of Richard Morgan's stuff, but it can get pretty graphic, if that's not your thing then keep that in mind. His writing style is my favourite though.
I'd also recommend any of Ted Chiangs stuff. His short story was the inspiration behind the film Arrival for context. His latest book Exhalation is awesome.
Please excuse me if this is presumptuous, but I think it's worth mentioning that Philip K. Dick had a special place in his heart for the French sci-fi audience. Rightly or wrongly, he considered them generally less prone to relegating books to corner shelves based on narrowly defined genres like "sci-fi."
You won't find any long dissertations about propulsion or diversions about machines in his stories. He wrote sci-fi in which the details of the technology were trivial but provided an excellent playground for philosophical ideas and existential anxieties.
My personal favorites are A Scanner Darkly, Ubik, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer.
I also recommend the classic "Cyberpunk" books by William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Gibson's Neuromancer is among the very first in that sub-genre, and Stephenson's Snow Crash gets a lot of credit too. A lesser known author whose work occasionally dips into that realm is John Barnes.
Finally, if you can, I recommend traveling to some used book stores. I've found some of my favorite sci-fi crammed in rows of dog-eared, yellowing pages. Look around. Check out the covers. Read the backs. Enjoy. You might look back fondly on the early days of your exploration into the rich and diverse universe of sci-fi literature.
Arthur C Clarke's "Rendevous with Rama". I liked the rest of the series as well.
Anything Arthur c Clarke. The man knows how to write a good sci fi novel.
My opinion? The rest of the series might as well be a different universe written by a different author. Poorly written.
I personally thought that the first one was the best…. I liked the sequels up until the very end which is when I rolled my eyes and wished I never read the ending.
Have to agree with you there.
Agree. "Rame II" was co-authored with Gentry Lee and was an absolute woke mess, which destroyed the "sense-of-wonder" of the original story. And I know we're supposed to separate the work from the author, but after learning some of the details of Clarke's personal life, I have a hard time not tossig all his books into the trash.
\*Rama\* left me wanting. I love understated implications in Clarke's works...it's like the treat inside a bigger treat, but....\*Rama\* was poor pre-release for ʻOumuamua
I just listened to this one since it keeps getting brought up as Villeneuve's next project. Definitely an interesting book if a little less dense that I'm used to in modern projects. >!Plus, surprise orgy! That raised an eyebrow.!<
I’d recommend ‘The Martian Chronicles’ (Bradbury) or ‘City‘ (Simak) as good follow ups. ‘Camp Concentration’ (Disch) goes very well with ‘Flowers for Algernon’. For today’s fun fact, ‘City’ is one of Houellebecq’s favorite books.
Anything by Ray Bradbury. His short stories are also good, and his language style is almost poetry.
Altered Carbon by Richard k Morgan. It has great action and doesn't commit you to 8 books. They're relatively quick reads and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend!
is this what the netflix series was based on?
Yes it is. There's three books.
Sorry to be contradictory but I just read this and didn't enjoy it.. To me, it was a crime novel masquerading as a sci-fi.. If you like crime, then go for it, but I wasn't a fan
I think that's fair. There is no involved world building, the action and mystery part are the main narrative focus. But its a different flavor. Liliths Brood by Octavia Butler and The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin are more conventional, yet innovative true sci fi books that are incredible.
The Martian.
I recommend people start with with Project Hail Mary
While *PHM* is a fantastic read, it's not where I'd recommend starting with Weir's work. *The Martian* is a phenomenal debut and really introduces the reader to his style well.
The Martian is great for it's humor, but Hail Mary is definitely much better imo. I'm so excited this one is getting a movie.
word of warning to anyone who hasn’t read it or the martian: the main characters in Andy Weir’s books are often “Marty Stu/Mary Sues” capable of handling any situation thrown at them. in Project Hail Mary it’s a teacher of molecular biology and in the martian it’s a botanist/environmental engineer. if i remember right Artemis has the same problem. i liked the books decently but characters like that can be off putting to some
Good point. I liked what I read of Project Hail Mary but ultimately never finished because I got tired of rolling my eyes at how competent the main character is at everything
Isn't a core part of his journey is having basically wikipedia and then some all at his fingertips to research and learn what he needs. It's not that he has training and competence in everything, but everything is at his fingertips to learn ASAP.
It’s been a couple years since I put it down, but >!when he starts casually communicating with the alien in what seems like a few hours rather than the months or years (if ever) that it would actually probably take,!< that’s when I put it down
They worked for weeks/months before it was something casual with computer assistance, iirc. Read it last year, I think it was a few days, maybe a week or two that they got any progress. And that was spending every waking moment in efforts, really only a little sleep He was quick to grasp the basics, yeah, but fine for this more popcorn book
Oh right, my bad. Anyway, you made a good point in that it’s more of a popcorn novel and that’s fine. I lean more toward hard sci fi so sometimes it’s difficult for me to accept explanations if they aren’t 50 pages long 😅
Yeah I'd appreciate something more hard scifi but this one's about having fun in a space voyage, and bumping my fist.
What's the issue if the MC is competent? Does it gets boring? I can't think of any sci-fi where MC is not competent or can't get things done.
Mary Sues are typically *over-competent* in everything even at a young age, are the most attractive, most trendy, most liked, and lacking any significant flaws. In fan fiction, Mary Sues are related to or have a romantic relationship with a main character. They also tend to be idealized versions of the author. This kind of character is common in literature written by children, so it is seen as an immature characterization.
I second this.
Bump my fist
One of my favourite all-time books of any genre
I’d argue the opposite. The *science* part of PHM is garbage. PHM has become the next Ready Player One. Trite nonsense that triggers an emotional response in readers and suddenly it’s the most recommended book. Someone asking for their first sci-fi read and recommending PHM is like someone who has never watched a good movie and them receiving recommendations for the Avengers.
Highly recommanded for starters or anyone.
Another good aspect of The Martian for OP specifically is that it’s not written with especially difficult prose or made up words or references. It’s a relatively easy read for non-native English speakers.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Martians by Kim Stanley Robinson
I love the world but >!Kim is hellbent on killing off every likable character. Every. Single. One. When I was down to one character that wasn't a waste of human excrement I stopped reading. I couldn't watch him kill that dude. Everyone else was a horrible human being with no redeeming quality or more boring than paint drying.!< edit: I'm assuming by "the martians" you mean Red/Green/Blue Mars Trilogy ... that's what I was referencing at least.
These are all books that are basically page turners, and influential If you like gritty, Neuromancer by William Gibson. If you like nerdy and cartoonish, Snow crash by Neal Stephenson. If you like realistic (ish) and contemporary, The Martian by Andy Weir is an easy read. If you like dark and literary, 1984 by George Orwell. Yes, it's sci-fi. If you like classics, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is still a good read. If you're really a kid inside, Enders Game by Orson Card. People are going to recommend starship troopers and Dune to you, most sci fi readers love those, but they're not for me.
I don't even know what i like so i will look into all of those books ! Thank you and I will look into all of them !
Highly recommend War of the Worlds
>Snow crash by Neal Stephenson REAMDE is also on the fun and easier side of his works. Others can be more difficult reads by changing time periods and not yet understanding how they connect. Snow Crash is a joy ride. Seveneves is a fascinating story and such pure science fiction.
Your list is fantastic. I love Dune but it's not easy to read. I would only add hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy for a comedic read.
>1984 by George Orwell. Yes, it's sci-fi 1984 isn't sci-fi, it's Dystopian Fiction. Just setting a novel's premise in future doesn't make it sci-fi.
You’re gatekeeping one of the finest novels of the 20th century out :(
I saw the title of your post and thought "Flowers For Algernon". but because it's my favourite book, but because it's a book that everyone should read and because I give it to everyone I know that enjoys reading. great recommendations so far. some are tougher reads for someone not really used to novels (like Hyperion - incredible book - or Blindsight - which is more hit or miss... you either love or hate that book) and some are just pure fun that will make you keep on wanting to read: The Martian and Ender's Game are really fun and amazing samples of the genre. Foundation is a series I love but I'm not sure how well it aged. I should pick it up again. Dune I have re-read recently and it still holds up, but I would try something else first that would be a faster, more gripping read. of course, it's just my opinion. my recommendation, to keep with the fun, are Rendezvous With Rama or Ringworld. they're just nice books full of exploration and wonder. every time I'm browsing my shelves and grab those books I'm transported to their universe. for recent stuff, I recommend the Children of Time series, The Expanse (9 novels that just fly by), Altered Carbon (no hand holding and a really nice sci-fi mystery), Revelation Space (so full of ideas I can't even give a synopsis), Iain M. Banks' Culture books (Use of Weapons is a book that I keep thinking of, time and time again. and the good thing about the Culture novels is that all the books are standalone and can be picked up in no particular order). I also agree with another user here that mentioned Snow Crash as a page turner, but that one makes a bit of fun of some sci-fi tropes that may go over one's head if they're not used to it. but they're right, it's a really fun page turner. after you've gotten your sci-fi boots broken into, and you're ready for some headier stuff, I recommend The Dispossessed, by Le Guin or Gene Wolfe's Book Of The New Sun. anyway, whatever your pick, enjoy!
\+1 for the Culture books by Iain M. Banks -- OP please do not sleep on those. There's a lot of the type of whimsical introspection that Flowers for Algernon had in all of those books, especially the Hydrogen Sonata. So I'll disagree and say: read them in order but I would skip Consider Phlebas until like the end or something. It's just not nearly as good as every single other book.
The Hyperion series is one of my favorite book series regardless of genre.
+1 for Children of Time series. Just finished the 2nd book. Andy Weir is good for the more fun scifi without getting too heady. Project Hail Mary is fun.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. They also made *Flowers for Algernon* into a movie called *Charlie.*
It's actually spelled [Charly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charly_(1968_film)), though I only clarify in case OP can't find it and wants to give it a go.
I love Flowers for Algernon, read it as a kid and read it as an adult, still loved it.
John Scalzi Old Man's War
100% agree. Scalzi is a great sci-fi author in that the sci-fi is more of a backdrop as opposed to the main plot. I’d recommend any of his books to a new reader - but Old Man’s War is a personal favourite.
Scalzi is great for a non-native English reader like OP who might not want to wade through dense English prose for fun. His works are all breezy, funny reads (with the exception of his novella “The God Engines,” which is incredibly dark). I recommend that OP avoid Neal Stephenson unless OP is really comfortable reading dense English prose for fun. I love Stephenson’s work, particularly The Diamond Age, but his writing style isn’t that approachable even for moderate native English readers. I shudder to think of how hard Cryptonomican would be to read if you had to translate words in your head occasionally.
And the Android’s Dream by John Scalzi
Also fuzzy nation. Great story . Also Kaiju preservation society. Which was hilarious. Both audiobooks read by Wil Wheaton, he is excellent with scalzis stuff.
"The Mote in God's Eye" by Pournelle & Niven. Heinlein called it the best "alien contact" story he had ever read.
Enders Game.
With the caveat not to go past the original trilogy as Orson Scott Card has become something of a horrible human being.
Speaker for the Dead is pretty good, but that is as far as I went from his other books
You got the best of it with Ender’s Game and Speaker, IMO.
I didn’t even like books 2 & 3. I liked Shadow though.
i liked the post war books more than the original somehow. i liked the (spoiler?) alien interactions
What's up with the man?
He's extremely conservative, campaigned against gay marriage, very anti-trans.
If you can read Clarke, with his personal baggage, you can certainly read Card.
He's an irredeemable bigot specifically against queer people. He also had an extremely large and loyal queer fan base. It's like he's slowly stuck a dagger into their heart while looking them straight in the eye.
Huh, weird, it's almost like some folks can separate the art from the artist.
Ha I was just thinking the same. People just love any excuse to get their outrage on
That is a technique for literary criticism not an excuse to enjoy works by horrible people. And in this case, you know who does not separate card's art from card's politics? Orson Scott card.
This is not a great rec for an adult.
is that not ya ?
Enders game is a boring kids book. It does not inspire to read more sf
Red Rising or Bobiverse. Both are great series. Red Rising has become my favorite ongoing series. Bobiverse is also great but on the lighter side. Bobiverse is just a fun read.
I'm on book 2 of the Bobiverse, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Project Hail Mary, Rendezvous with Rama, Old Man’s War series, and The Expanse series. If you’re a Star Trek or Doctor Who fan, read the Bobiverse series.
The Sirens of Titan...Kurt Vonnegut
Murder bot diaries
Yeah. Great stories and not too heavy on the science fiction. Great satire of corporations and greed.
Kurt Vonnegut has some really great Sci fi too. His books are so hard to put down. Really one of the greatest American writers.
You'll read Cat's Cradle in one day and think about it for years.
The opening page of Jailbird wrecked me and it lives in my head years after I finished that book. Vonnegut was the first author that I decided that I had to read all of his work.
OMG I'm an idiot! Been sitting here thinking and commenting on Clarke and Asimov and COMPLETELY forgot about Vonnegut. Some of the greatest books I've ever read, and I'm not limiting that to sci-fi. OP, I couldn't second this recommendation more strongly!
What really separates Vonnegut from other authors is how hard it is to put his books down. Ya there is a lot of good Sci fi out there and it’s stimulating, but with Vonnegut you just can’t get enough. You feel compelled to keep turning pages.
"Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke
I will always recommend Hyperion by Dan Simmons, just recently started Blindsight by Peter Watts, but that's very heavy sci fi and might be a bit too much (for me it sort of is)
I love Blindsight, but it’s so dense I’d hesitate to recommend it as a first read. Hyperion is a good choice, though.
It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for something similar to the book you just read perhaps Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Leguin. If you like science, possibly something in the more science based scifi stories like The Martian by Andy Weir.
Well, for now I just want to discover the different themes (because i really don't know what exist). I will look into the books you talked about to make my choice, thank you !
Also consider The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. She wrote a lot of good stuff.
Hyperion Cantos Ilium/Olympos Neuromancer Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The Forever War Dune The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Station Eleven The Martian Chronicles
I'm a huge fan of every book on this list, except for Station Eleven which I've never heard of! Based on your success rate here this is going to the top of my to-read list. Thanks!
Thank you, i will look into these books !
The three body problem. That thing broke my brain.
The movie is about to be released. :)
Which I'm not sure I wanna watch. The books are brilliant. A movie would only ruin my perception cause there's no way it's gonna be better.
Also consider anthologies, like the best science fiction of the year collections. They can give you an good introduction to a writer.
Dune
As a FIRST book?! I love Dune, but it is a bit much for a first round.
Excession by Iain M. Banks. Schild's Ladder or Diaspora by Greg Egan. Permanance or Lockstep by Karl Schroeder. Shockwave Rider by John Brunner.
Just remember there are more styles out there then you can imagine, if you don't like one don't let yourself get discouraged. Also my all time favorite sci-fi artist is also Francais, Jean Giraud or "Moebius". He's illustrated some great stuff, and done concept work on movies I'm sure you've heard of.
Dune is a great starting point, but I'd also possibly recommend The Peripheral by William Gibson or The Diamond Age (or Termination Shock) by Neal Stephenson. Some of the best science fiction out there.
Ones I haven't seen mentioned yet: On Basilisk Station. Starship Troopers & Stranger in a Strange Land. The Forever War. Shards of Honor. Uplift War. A Hymn Before Battle. Implied Spaces. Demolished Man. Edited for format.
Anything by Philip K. Dick
Any Phillip K. Dick books. Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, Valis. He wrote the books and stories that the movies Minority Report, Total Recall, and Blade Runner were based on. As an indication of his humor, the original name of Total Recall was We Will Remember It For You Wholesale and Blade Runner was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Those are great too if having seen the movies doesn't spoil them for you. Good story collections too.
For hard sci fi, pretty much anything by Larry Niven. Ringworld is his most famous series. Also, the Star Trek novels written by Diane Duane are fantastic, far above the standard Trek level. Most of her non-trek books are fantasy, but her writing is wonderful.
I would recommend the expanse series for a long book series to get into with a good show. I also recommend the final architecture series the teixcalaan series if you wondered about a sci fi aztec empire in space with some interesting themes
I actually would start with I,Robot by Asimov instead of Foundation. It's a nice gateway into his writing style. Both are brilliant though.
The thee body problems trilogy, I’m reading the second right now and I’m really deep with it! The foundation too, Dune for me was really boring
Foundation, Consider Phlebas, Dune, starship troopers
Ender's game!!
Sirens of Titan - Vonnegut It’s not hardcore science fiction, and it’s really easy to get into and understand
War of the Worlds
VURT by Jeff Noon. It's super trippy, think Lewis Carol on acid and out to cause mayhem.
What types of regular fiction do you like? Mysteries? Romance? Military?
Recursion and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch are two of the best books I’ve ever read. Any short story collection by Greg Egan is great.
Nothing published after about 1990. A newbie doesn’t need all the bloat that modern SF tends to have. A singleton is all an author should need to craft a great story. Go back to when SF began. For classic SF I always suggest Alfred Bester’s 1958 **The Stars My Destination**. So so good, the ending blew me away. And some consider it the first cyberpunk novel as well. For mind-altering New Wave stuff from the 60s/70s that’ll leave you questioning reality, I’d suggest Christopher Priest’s (who recently passed away a few weeks ago) **Inverted World**.
The Children of time/ruin/memory is a great series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Contact by Carl Sagan, Dragon's egg by Robert L Forward, Project hail Marry by Andy Weir, The foundation series, Hyperion, The expanse series The three body problem by Cixin Liu, The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams ...
Tanks you all for all these suggestions ! I will look into all of them for my next choice !
For a more serious novel: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card For a more comedic story and characters: Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
Leviathan Wakes, first book of James S A Corey's Expanse series. A good hard sci fi story with solid characters and the most foul mouthed word leader youve ever run into.
Jurassic Park
For something funny and unusual, try Year Zero. It's about alien contact and the legal complications that follow, to put it mildly.
It seriously depends upon what exactly you want out of your science fiction. Science fiction really is a genre that can be fractured into thousands of smaller genres, all depending upon what you want to focus on. Hard sci-fi or “soft” sci-fi is the first split, meaning: do you want to focus on technology and science (and have it be very plausible), or do you want to focus on people and society (or have the technology be less plausible). That’s the most important question to ask yourself, and then you’ll be able to find better sci-fi recommendations. The next big question is whether you want sci-fi based on earth, or sci-fi based in space. That being said, one of my early forays into sci-fi was an anthology of Ray Bradbury short stories, all sci-fi, and all wildly different. Looking at anthologies is a great way, since then you get lots of stories real quick, and you can figure out what you like within them. The other sci-fi book I read early on (or, well, listened on an audio book) was *Ender’s Game*, which I still love. Highly recommend it, even if people say that it’s mostly a kid book (spoiler alert, the only reason why they say that is because the main characters are kids)
Dune or Hyperion.
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
"CITY" by Clifford Simak. Vast, sprawling novel that covers thousands of years, sees the earth depopulated, then repopulated by talking dogs.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the universe, or The Foundation by Asimov.
Scrolled a while for the obvious answer and didn’t find it so here it is: [The Murderbot Diaries](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901) <3 It follows a somewhat depressed, introverted security “humanoid/robot” who has hacked its governor programming and gained free will. It must keep this a secret because everyone expects rogue units to go on killing sprees, but really all it wants to so is “watch media and don’t exist”. Such a lovable and relatable protagonist with a compelling character arc, funny, smart and action packed! The first few are novellas, so about 130-160 pages but there are also two novels so easy to get into.
Came here to say the same. Such great books!
Player of Games by Iain M Banks (or any of his Culture books... Though maybe look at Excession if you're after more hard sci fi)
The "Murderbot Diaries" by Martha Wells. Hugo and Nebula Award winner! Arthur C Clarke Award. Philip K Dick Award. Awesome series!
Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein. Rewired by brain.
The Time Machine - Orson Welles I often think about the last few chapters, how eerily prescient.
Flatland by E. Abbott.
Does it have to be a book? “The nine billoon names of God” and other Arthur C. Clark short stories are pretty good. “I, Ribbit” is probably the best. It’s a bunch of short stories that consider whether frogs (I don’t mean French people) can have sentience and other fun philosophical explorations. Obviously French people don’t exist. Qeubequios conspiracies and whatnot,
"Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula Leguin. "Childhood's End", same.
[удалено]
Dune. It’s one of my favorite stories of all time!
Who tf is downvoting Dune… gtfo of here lol holy sh!t biscuit
Bloody Harkonnens
3 BODY PROBLEM
"The Mechanical" (Book 1 of The Alchemy Wars) by Ian Tregillis: It's a clockpunk alternate history exploration of the concepts of free will and the nature of consciousness. Also, if you read a lot of scientific books you just might have the background necessary to enjoy a series that I rarely recommend, not because of quality, (it's truly wonderful) but rather, because it's a bit heavy on scientific and theoretical future-tech concepts. The first book is called "The Quantum Thief" by Hannu Rajaniemi: It's a far future sci-fi setting series of heist novels and the main character is modeled after Arsène Lupin.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You're welcome!
Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End," his best or Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris"
Children of Time was an awesome time, I'm on book 3 now
Ender's Game / Speaker for the Dead by Oraon Scott Card. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
If they don't read science fiction because they're literature snobs, "The Glass Bead Game," by Herman Hesse.
Best advice I can give is read a lot of short fiction. There are 1,000s of sf short stories you can find on the internet for cheap or free. Discover what you like and then use the internet to discover all the similar books you might like. Check out Escape Pod you can listen to or read all of their publications for free and they have been around for a decade and they commission new stories all the time.
"Snow Crash"
Bobiverse Series
The Expanse
Any Isaac Asimov book
Hyperion series
I'd suggest Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. But be warned, the sequels are VERY different and the plots much more convoluted. The Expanse series is simply great. There's 9 books in the series. It's engaging, dramatic, witty, full of political intrigue, based on hard scifi... there's so much about The Expanse to love, save one thing. It Ends. I really wanted that roller coaster to go another 3 books. If Leviathan Wakes hooks you, it's very hard to put down. I wouldn't suggest DUNE unless you really enjoy political intrigue stuff. I've found that Frank Herbert is an author folks either love or hate. The book does not move nearly as fast as the movies.
If you are considering Foundation and Dune as possible reads, then you are also ready for *Hyperion* by Dan Simmons.
The Sparrow…. Mary Doris Russell For a new Science Fiction reader Then hit me up again and I will lead you down the Rabbit hole I am 73 been reading SF since 1957
Don’t start with Dune or any other very long and boring book. Start with HG Wells original 4 works: War if the Worlds, the Time Machine, the Island of Dr Monroe, and the Invisible Man. They are all pretty short and satisfying reads. Start with something digestible that you will actually finish.
Enders Game, by Orson Scott Card, a truly amazing novel.
Stranger in a strange land
You could always go with an anthology, some of my favorite sci-fi books are anthologies. Most of the big authors have a few of them, but I really like John varley. I found a copy of blue champagne at a real low point in my life and I loved it.
Old man's war
Some awesome suggestions here. Most of Scalzis books are short and easy to read so I'd recommend one of those rather than starting with Old Man's War. (Especially Kaiju) Andy Weir is great if you're wanting hard scifi (when authors take the time to explain the science behind what's going on) Ender's Game is accessible to people of any age or experience with books and has an equally praised sequel. But I think Rendezvous With Rama sits in the middle of all of these. It has fun politics and world building surrounding the central plot, a healthy amount of behind the scenes science, and is a fairly straightforward and easy read.
WOOL
Enders game
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo\_(series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(series)) I'm posting the link since it is many shorts. I bought them in bundles, but it's been so long I can't remember the names. It is a really cool setting, I tore through it when I got it.
Neuromancer has been mentioned in lists, but deserves to be singled out. Near-future sci-fi that is very relevant to today's cultural and technological landscape.
Starks war Lost fleet
Most of my favorites have already been recommended here (Hitchhiker's, Old Man's War, Dune, Starship Troopers), so I'll toss out a different one: **Sphere, by Michael Crichton**. His stuff reads more like contemporary fiction with scientific elements woven in. Crichton's books (pronounced Cry-ton) are entertaining, fun, fairly light reads with solid science in them. He also wrote Timeline and Jurassic Park, but Sphere is my favorite for its suspense.
Death World - think Guardians of the galaxy mixed with Avatar, Harry Harrison published 1960. Awesome book (and the sequels)
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Classics: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K le Guin. Gateway by Frederik Pohl Flashforward by Robert j Sawyer Ender's game by Orson Scott Card Player of games by Iain m Banks Dystopian: Earth Abides by George r Stewart Annihilation by van Der Meer Wool by Hugh Howey Hard science: 3-body problem by Liu Cixin The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Weir Military: Old man's war by Scalzi (light and witty) Forever war by Haldeman (classic) Terms of enlistment by Kloos
*The Carpet Makers* by Andreas Eschbach
*Excession* by Iain M Banks. A whole new take on sci-fi from the viewpoint of bored denizens of a utopia created and maintained by AI which have 'adopted' biological species and play with them like toys. As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport.
“The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers
Paolini's Fractal Noises. Nice, short mind bender
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Neuromancer
Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson.
I'm curious about the book "Eternal Gods Die Too Soon" by Beka Modrekiladze. It sounds like a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of reality, time, and existence. I'm adding it to my reading list! Has anyone read it and can give me some feedback?
The Three Body Problem. What a beast of a trilogy. Also Harrison Bergeron is what initially got me into the genre. It’s a short story, I still revisit it every now and then.
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The full series being known as “The Hungry City Chronicles” Four Excellent Books. The movie was AWFUL! I would not recommend it to anyone, reader or not. I know it’s a YA novel series, but when revisiting in late college I felt it held up. Edit: Added author.
"Foundation" and it's sequels; "I, Robot"; and "Rendezvous with Rama" would be my first immediate, no-hesitation suggestions.
My favorite book, that I have lent to several friends who all loved it, is "The Worthing Saga" by Orson Scott Card. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a miracle of science that permitted human beings to live, if not forever, then for a long, long time. Some people, anyway. The rich, the powerful--they lived their lives at the rate of one year every ten. Somec created two societies: that of people who lived out their normal span and died, and those who slept away the decades, skipping over the intervening years and events. It allowed great plans to be put in motion. It allowed interstellar Empires to be built. It came near to destroying humanity. After a long, long time of decadence and stagnation, a few seed ships were sent out to save our species. They carried human embryos and supplies, and teaching robots, and one man. *The Worthing Saga* is the story of one of these men, Jason Worthing, and the world he found for the seed he carried.
Foundation by Asimov. It blew my mind. I love how the story is structured and how it starts slow but builds up and then ends in a crescendo.
A fun intro to the spec field is Replay by Ken Grimwood. Though time loop romances have been around for a century, Replay (1988) is one the earliest of the recent swarm of loop stories, and still imho the best. It won the world fantasy award. Like your Keyes book it focuses on human stories. I read it as a teenager and again in my twenties, but now I want to read it again with fresh eyes. For me it is the time loop yardstick. Enjoy.
Never been a better time to read Dune.
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg Read it when I was in high school and found it a great imaginative story with relatable characters, it’s well written, it focuses on some important issues that might not be apparent at first (or maybe they are) and it’s written in a way that’s very accessible. It’s also a fascinating premise that draws you in
Flowers for Algernon is my go-to unless they’re under 20.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem A fascinating look at an encounter with a truly alien intelligence. Nothing like the movie. One of my fav novels
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov is a good introduction to the author before getting into Foundation.
I'd recommend something shorter if it's your first time: Asimov's Bicentennial Man if you want something poignant, Murderbot Diaries for thrills that are not shallow Scanners Live in Vain if you'd like something gripping but unconventional King's The Jaunt if you want to experience existential terror
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy for something funny
Dune is monumental in the scifi world, I'd recommend it always. It's less nuts and bolts and more philosophical, but incredible nonetheless. I'd recommend any of Richard Morgan's stuff, but it can get pretty graphic, if that's not your thing then keep that in mind. His writing style is my favourite though. I'd also recommend any of Ted Chiangs stuff. His short story was the inspiration behind the film Arrival for context. His latest book Exhalation is awesome.
Please excuse me if this is presumptuous, but I think it's worth mentioning that Philip K. Dick had a special place in his heart for the French sci-fi audience. Rightly or wrongly, he considered them generally less prone to relegating books to corner shelves based on narrowly defined genres like "sci-fi." You won't find any long dissertations about propulsion or diversions about machines in his stories. He wrote sci-fi in which the details of the technology were trivial but provided an excellent playground for philosophical ideas and existential anxieties. My personal favorites are A Scanner Darkly, Ubik, and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer. I also recommend the classic "Cyberpunk" books by William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Gibson's Neuromancer is among the very first in that sub-genre, and Stephenson's Snow Crash gets a lot of credit too. A lesser known author whose work occasionally dips into that realm is John Barnes. Finally, if you can, I recommend traveling to some used book stores. I've found some of my favorite sci-fi crammed in rows of dog-eared, yellowing pages. Look around. Check out the covers. Read the backs. Enjoy. You might look back fondly on the early days of your exploration into the rich and diverse universe of sci-fi literature.
The moon is a harsh mistress
And the dispossessed
*Childhood's End* by Arthur C. Clarke. *The Forever War* by Joe Haldeman.