The Sword and Laser discussion

I'm part of another book club that has a pretty healthy helping of folks who view sci-fi quite skeptically (about half the group). But they were open to having their minds changed and let me pick a sci fi book for them to read. I ended up picking LHoD -- I had never read it before but love LeGuin's fantasy writing, and it was on MULTIPLE lists as a book that even sci-fi skeptics would enjoy. Unfortunately, even though we all enjoyed discussing the messaging about gender and societal development etc (and spent some time trying to define sci-fi as a genre), i think ultimately it only further convinced the others that sci-fi is "boring space stuff." Even I found it a little dull at times, though I think that was mostly due to the audiobook narrator making every character sound the same.

What do you think? Is this a book you'd recommend to the sci-fi hesitant? Are there other books you think a better introduction to the genre? (I'm totally going to try again)

Margaret Atwood.

But more seriously, to answer your question we need to know more about your book group. Is the typical pick Serious Literature, mainstream contemporary, YA, romance?

I thought about Margaret Atwood but someone else was already reading Handmaid's Tale for another book club.

Its a group of young women (30's), and we've read a variety of things including nonfiction true crime, a graphic novel, an occasional classic, a short story collection, and a decent amount of modern literature. More than one pick has probably been featured on npr at some point.

It needs to be something that is firmly in another genre and the scifi elements are more environmental and not a focus, kind of like Star Wars. Maybe Influx by Daniel Suarez?

Don't bother. People who are determined not to like SF will always find something wrong with even the best example. I mean, I'd highly recommend The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or, for people who need a plot that has conflict, Old Man's War but both are, well, SF. If you're determined to hate the genre, you'll stumble on them.

Space opera is generally a good go-to for scifi skeptics. Leviathan Wakes might be a good option. There's space, romance, mystery, noir... and it's all still in the solar system. It's also not too hard scifi. There's some science but it's mostly a character story.

From the way you describe the group and how they don't like "boring space stuff" I'd stay away from anything that takes place in space altogether. For something serious try Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg or The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick or for something lighter try To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

I haven't read LHoD yet, but as someone who keeps getting surprised by how much science fiction I like, I'd likely start more like Phil said, with something that feels a little less foreign. Spin is a familiar feel in the "coming of age" sense with a good mystery and a veeeery soft approach to the science, for example. Or perhaps something like Stranger in a Strange Land, which just has a ton to discuss as a group, and is definitely a read for the literary minded.

Dara wrote: "Space opera is generally a good go-to for scifi skeptics. Leviathan Wakes might be a good option. There's space, romance, mystery, noir... and it's all still in the solar system. It'..."

The Kindle version is on sale for $2.99 right now: https://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Wake...

Sweta wrote: "What do you think? Is this a book you'd recommend to the sci-fi hesitant? Are there other books you think a better introduction to the genre? (I'm totally going to try again)."

Nope, would never recommend this for the reasons you discovered. Ditto The Handmaids Tale.

If your group are a least a bit science literate then I would recommend The Martian.

I second Phil's comment.

I would try something literary which is not obviously SF and not part of a series, which can be off putting.
Maybe more short stories in Stories of Your Life and Others which will certainly spawn discussions. Or something with a theme that the group might like, such as Fahrenheit 451 for the love of books or Babel-17 for a story about languages.