Hi crew! šš» Last year I saw this tag floating around Sci-Fi Month and wanted to do it myself, but I didnāt really have the time. However, itās a new year and I remembered to do it this time around! I always like seeing peopleās genre origin stories, and my sci-fi origin isnāt as interesting as my horror origin, but it was still fun to take a little trip down memory lane for a couple of my answers.
This tag was originally created as the ‘Get to Know the Romance Reader Tagā and was adapted for sci-fi by BookswithEmilyFox.
1. WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU READ?
If I read any sci-fi books as a child, I probably donāt remember them, but the first that I remember finishing is Uglies. I read this book for the first time when I was 11 years old and itās been one of my favourites ever since then.
2. IF YOU COULD BE THE HERO IN A SCI-FI NOVEL, WHO WOULD BE THE AUTHOR AND WHATāS ONE TROPE YOUāD INSIST BE IN THE STORY?
I have to say Scott Westerfeld since he is one of my favourite authors no matter the genre, and his sci-fi books tend to be my favourites of his work.
One of my favourite tropes in sci-fi is found family, so that would be an absolute must for me.
3. WHAT IS A SCI-FI BOOK YOUāVE READ THIS YEAR THAT YOU WANT MORE PEOPLE TO READ?
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is pretty popular in online sci-fi circles but I definitely think more people should read it. It takes place in a future where the universe is almost entirely integrated and the cast is wonderfully diverse.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SCI-FI SUBGENRE? WHAT SUBGENRE HAVE YOU NOT READ MUCH FROM?
I have a post about my favourite sci-fi subgenres coming later this week so Iām going to keep that a secret for now, but I can say that space opera is a subgenre that I donāt gravitate towards. Books that have a lot of intricate world-building tend to confuse me and Iām not big on having to remember a bunch of stuff when Iām reading. Iām also not a big fan of hard sci-fi and I made a post last year about why.
5. WHO IS ONE OF YOUR AUTO-BUY SCI-FI AUTHORS?
Iām not going to say Scott Westerfeld again because I donāt want to sound like a broken record, so this time I will say Marissa Meyer.
I havenāt read all of her books but I love The Lunar Chronicles and how it retells classic fairy tales in a futuristic sci-fi setting. Iām currently reading Supernova, which is the last book in the Renegades series and Iāve really enjoyed her take on superheroes, especially now that Iām not much of a superhero fan anymore.
6. HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY FIND SCI-FI RECOMMENDATIONS?
I am very bad at actively searching for recommendations so I tend to rely on what is popular among other sci-fi reading bookworms. SF isnāt really in trend in YA circles right now so I look at what people who read adult sci-fi are reading and enjoying and go from there.
7. WHAT IS AN UPCOMING SCI-FI RELEASE YOUāRE EXCITED ABOUT?
I canāt wait for Auroraās End to come out! It is a little sad that this will be the last book in the series, but Iāve loved every book in the series so far so Iām excited to see how it ends.
8. WHAT IS ONE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT SCI-FI YOU WOULD LIKE TO LAY TO REST?
I hate the idea that sci-fi is just for children! Just because there are rocket ships and aliens and other things that kids like doesnāt necessarily mean that every single piece of science fiction is for children. There is a huge difference between cute little picture books about astronauts and Philip K. Dickās writing or other novels that are very clearly made for adults.
This is an argument that Iāve seen numerous times on Twitter in relation to superhero movies where some parents got very upset that Batman dropped an F-bomb in Zack Snyderās Justice League (in a nightmare scene that depicts a bad future, may I add), which is an R-rated movie and was made with an adult audience in mind. There were even parents taking their small kids to see Deadpool when it first came out, and I shouldnāt have to explain why thatās a bad idea.
9. IF SOMEONE HAD NEVER READ A SCI-FI NOVEL BEFORE AND ASKED YOU TO RECOMMEND THE FIRST 3 BOOKS THAT COME TO MIND AS PLACES TO START, WHAT WOULD THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BE?
I would say Uglies (of course) purely because itās one of my favourite, but also The Hunger Games because itās a well-known series and a pretty quick read, and for someone who would want books for an older audience, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a good book to ease yourself into the genre with.
10. WHO IS THE MOST RECENT SCI-FI READING CONTENT CREATOR YOU CAME ACROSS THAT YOUāD LIKE TO SHOUT OUT?
talk to me!
What was the first SF book you read? What would you recommend to a newcomer to the genre?
Scott Westerfeld is always good no matter what he does.
Iām dying for Auroraās End. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff make a good team.
Author
Yes!! I have yet to be really disappointed by a Scott Westerfeld book. And Kaufman and Kristoff really do make a good team š
Hah, people think itās for kids? Really?! I truly havenāt heard of that one.. though iām not really scifi either š Kids love to get into more adult oriented stuff, donāt they? Went I was a kid I was into playing vice city ahah somehow my uncle thought it was a good idea. (To be fair, he was a teen so)
Now I did have read a scifi! The unexpected inlander, which was pretty soft too, the only Ā« wierd Ā» element was a kind of gene implanted in pregnant womanās belly to have the Ā« perfect human Ā» more resistant. The ugly serie has been one ive been wanting to read too.
Author
Thereās a weird amount of people (usually parents) who think that anything thatās not a serious drama is for kids no matter the age rating on it and itās a little annoying to see š Ooh, I hope you enjoy Uglies if you pick it up!
The Long Way is one of my favorite SF universes- probably because of the inclusiveness and just generally optimistic tone of it? Would love to live in that world.
Author
Yes, I love the optimism of that world! Iāve read so much SF that takes place in dystopian worlds or have a cynical tone that itās a breath of fresh air to read one thatās so hopeful.