Introduction to Science Fiction #1

Over the last few years, science fiction has quickly become one of my all time favourite genres. But, I never used to read it AT ALL. Shocking, I know! I always assumed that Science Fiction would be a lot like Star Trek and Star Wars. A bunch of alien races, humans trying to find them, and a whole lot of science lingo that I wouldn’t understand. Since science was my worst subject in school (my teacher passed me with a 51% just to get me the hell out of his class), that was another reason I didn’t touch the genre. When I finally gave in and tried a book, I realized that it was nothing like how I expected it to be! Sure there’s aliens, space, and some tech stuff, but it was so much more interesting and easy to understand!

On almost every one of my Sci-Fi reviews I can guarantee a comment from someone who says “it sounds interesting but I don’t read science fiction.” So, this post is meant for you! Those people who have been wanting to dive into the genre but aren’t sure where to start. I will be splitting this into two parts. This part is the easy science fiction to ease you into things. Next week I will list a few that are deeper into the genre but I still think you’ll enjoy. If this post helps at least one person take that leap into the genre, then I consider it a success! So, here we go!

CINDER (The Lunar Chronicles series) by Marissa Meyer

This series is a very tame one to ease your way into Sci-Fi. There’s a lot of scientific elements, but it’s also mixed with fantasy as well. It takes place in a futuristic world and there is space travel. There are humans with mechanical enhancements, and there are also AI’s who are purely machine. But there aren’t a lot of scientific terms or explanations that will make your head spin! It’s also a retelling series of many different fairy tales, so the familiarity will make this a little easier if you’re nervous going into science fiction!

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

WARCROSS by Marie Lu

This one is a little deeper into science but, at the same time, not too overwhelming. It takes place on earth but in the future where virtual reality (VR) and game play takes a large role in day to day life. Some people work in this virtual reality, and a lot of people use it to make money. There aren’t a lot of scientific terms that I remember, but getting a handle on the world and all the changes that VR brings about might be a little overwhelming to a newcomer to the genre. I still think this is a good introduction to the genre though as there’s no space travel.

The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

THE ILLUMINAE FILES TRILOGY by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This is one of the most recommended books I suggest when it comes to Sci-Fi. The format is totally different from anything I’ve ever read. Told in the way of pictures, messages, emails, video surveillance, and so much more, the difference in the format makes this a speedy and light read. It’s a brutal read though. Full of death, violence, chaos, political war, and so much more! Its not too technological and is very easy to understand. There are scientists and experts but they explain things to the normal people on the ships, making it easy for us normal readers.

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

STARFLIGHT by Melissa Landers

This one is SO good! Yes, it takes place in space, but it’s more of an adventure novel. We see many different planets, and it takes place on a ship for the most part, but it reads more like a fantasy novel. It also feels very character driven and takes your mind off the science aspects just a little bit.

Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She’s so desperate to reach the realm that she’s willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he’s been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe…

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

This was one of the first science fiction novels I ever read, and it’s what kick started my love for the genre. Along the same lines as Warcross, we have a dystopian earth that is in ruins and a virtual reality world that makes living possible. Everything from schooling, sports, and day to day life takes place in this virtual reality world. There is a contest to find something within the VR world and we are brought on the adventure trying to find it. I also suggested this one because there is a movie to watch as well. So if you want to do one before the other to see if it’s something  you like, its a great option!

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

Like I said, if this recommendation post helps at least one person take a step into the science fiction genre, I will consider it mission accomplished! These are the few that are a little bit lighter on the science end and I really feel like it’s a good stepping stone to ease you into it. I was so afraid to read science fiction, but now I’m so glad I took the chance!

Until next time, happy reading!