Spines, Flicks, and Wax

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick)

$18

in response to jmd

Good science fiction/fantasy (or sci-fi/fantasy-adjacent) books for older teens? For science fiction, at this point one or both of my sons have now read books by Ray Bradbury (Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, Illustrated Man), Arthur C. Clarke (Rama series, Contact, Childhood's End), Isaac Asimov (Foundation series, Robot series, Nemesis, The Stars Like Dust, The Currents of Space, Pebble in the Sky, The End of Eternity), Frank Herbert (Dune), Larry Niven (Ringworld series), Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land), Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide series), Orson Scott Card (Ender series), Michael Crichton (Andromeda Strain, Sphere, Jurassic Park), Timothy Zahn (Star Wars Thrown series), Kim Stanley Robinson (Mars books), Dan Simmons (Hyperion series), Liu Cixin (Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy), Ted Chiang (both collections), Andy Weir (The Martian, Project Hail Mary), NK Jemisin (Broken Earth series), Martha Wells (Murderbot series), John Scalzi (pretty much everything), and Neal Stephenson (pretty much everything), along with some more literary sci-fi-adjacent stuff (Vonnegut, 1984, Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World). For fantasy, Lord of the Rings, Terry Brooks (Shannara series), Terry Pratchett (Discworld series), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials trilogy), and Stephen King (The Stand, Dark Tower series). Also Rosemary Kirstein’s Steerswoman books. They're both big readers, I've got two summers left to fill for the older one, and I'm starting to run a little low on ideas! I don't know that they'd be all that into Ursula K. Le Guin (at least not the Hainish books; I haven’t read any Earthsea), and I was considering Iain Banks’s Culture series (I read the first one and thought it was OK, haven’t read the others yet but they seem to have a good reputation). I read Neuromancer when I was their age and vaguely recall finding it a bit hard to get into for some reason, and the only other Gibson I've read is The Peripheral (mainly because I was and still am super-annoyed at Amazon for canceling the terrific TV adaptation they started up and then dropped). Philip K. Dick would probably be good, but I haven't actually ever read any of his stuff and wouldn't know where to begin. Anyone have suggestions?

3 months ago

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jmd
@jmduncan

I've really got to read these myself too but never really knew where to start—thanks!

jmd
@jmduncan
OK Jen, I got this from the library and decided I’d read it first and then hand it over to the kids, but I’m not sure I’m gonna survive because I’m three pages in and can’t stop absolutely howling at this opening conversation between Deckard and his wife. “My schedule for today lists a six-hour self-accusatory depression” / “and then that awful commercial came on, the one I hate; you know, for Mountibank Lead Codpieces” / “So I put it on my schedule for twice a month; I think that’s a reasonable amount of time to feel hopeless about everything”—please send help, I’m dying 😂😂😂 (Definitely did not expect this level of amazing comedy from the source material for Blade Runner, let me tell you)
jmd
@jmduncan
“Dial 888,” Rick said as the set warmed. “The desire to watch TV, no matter what’s on it” 😂💀 (OK I promise not to live-blog the entire book here in the comments, anyway am loving this)
Spines, Flicks, and Wax
@jeninak

I love it!! He was sooo ahead of his time, it's scary! Its like he sensed 21st century ennui before it happened. So glad you are enjoying it ! 😄

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