Book Recommendations

Useless Lump

Can you folks recommend some science fiction and fantasy books (or book series) for a teenager? Space opera, cyberpunk, steam punk, sword & sorcery, etc…

Looking for any age range - YA or adult - with decent female characters, no sex or romance (or where it a only secondary element in the story).

”Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” is one I have in mind.

Nody

Jack Campbell's "Lost fleet" series

Nicholas Eames "Bloody Rose" series

Steven Kent "The Clone Rebellion" series

chrislad

I just finished the Expanse series. It's fairly light, good female characters, a bit of sex, but not explicit, more relationships and emotional links rather than sex focused. 9 books, and an accompanying TV series if so inclined.

Black Sheep

The Gollancz SF masterworks series is an excellent place to start.

It's a really curated collection.

Some of the books from decades past aren't that heavy on anything explicit.

Alfred Bester's THE DEMOLISHED MAN is a good one, it's THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO in space, basically.

For female leads in SF in general I always think of Lois McMaster Bujold's CORDELIA's HONOR. The main protagonist is a female scientist. There is a romantic component to it, in that she has a love interest, but overall it's an adventure story.

Mickeroo

Children of Time and Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky are two favourites I've read in the past while. There will be a third one out later in the year.

Plenty of female characters (though not all human!)