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Book Recommendations

  • 15-02-2022 06:22PM
    #1
    Useless Lump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 374 ✭✭


    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.



Comments

  • #2
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,647 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    Jack Campbell's "Lost fleet" series

    Nicholas Eames "Bloody Rose" series

    Steven Kent "The Clone Rebellion" series

    Post edited by Nody on


  • #3
    chrislad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,324 ✭✭✭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.



  • #4
    Black Sheep
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,522 Mod ✭✭✭✭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.



  • #5
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,902 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭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!)



  • #6
    RidleyReport
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24 ✭RidleyReport


    You can't go wrong with Tchaikovksy. unless you're trying to spell his name.

    be sure to read the Children series in order tho.

    If you like that sort of hard sci fi then you'll also like Al Reynolds and will get them confused.

    Niven is still hard to beat and his relatively recent Fleet of Worlds series might be the best; again for hard sci fi and really great character development…including a ruthless Pak who nevertheless apologizes for being unable to control his hard wired species preservation behavior.



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  • #7
    Flinty997
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,016 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    I thought Tchaikovksy was a bit on the mad side. But enjoyable.

    Expanse the books are dense, heavy going. I'm only about half way. Worth it though.

    Lost fleet is nice lighter but gets repetitive and predictable towards the end. Still I enjoy ed them.

    I've liked Marko Kloos books.

    Halo books are good.

    Thrawn in SW universe.

    Amtrak Wars

    Dune

    Black Fleet Dalzelle

    Siobhan Dunmoore Eric Thomson

    Post edited by Flinty997 on


  • #8
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 9,871 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    For a fun military space opera, The Exfor series by Craig Alanson. Trust the awesomeness.

    A more thoughful book with hard science "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir.



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