Guest Post: Science Fiction Book Recommendations

Today, there’s something new on my blog: a guest post! Lili from Utopia State of Mind and have been friends for a while, and we decided to make recommendation lists for each other’s blogs. Mine is all about mental health and hers (the one you’re reading righ now) is all about Science Fiction. I’m extremely excited about this since I’ve been meaning to read more Sci-Fi, and I 100% trust Lili’s recommendations! So without further ado, here’s what Lili wrote:

So, my thing is science fiction. I discovered the world of science fiction when I was in college and fell in love with it straight away. At first I just enamored the technology, the fast ships, and the gorgeous cyborgs. But then I delved deeper, and wrote two thesis’ on it and now I can safely say that my love has developed into something more. I believe in science fiction. I believe in its power, its ability to give voice to the future, to shed light on an alternate future: one of hope. If you have never read any science fiction, or are a bit weary, let me share my top five with you. They are books I recommend to everyone as a primer to the magic and wonder of sci-fi.

I have to mention Octavia Butler because she was the first science fiction book I really read and loved. I read Dawn from the Xenogenesis Trilogy and devoured the rest of the books for my first thesis. They portray non-humanoid aliens (yay!) and a main character, named Lilith (don’t you just love the reference?) and an intricate story life that questions what it means to be human and what the future of humanity will look like.

After that, I read more and more, leading me on a journey of exploration. For those who are interested in a less distant future, He, She, and It by Marge Piercy is a fantastic book that explores issues of Judaism, environmentalism, and gender. However, it is so much more than even that! Bringing in mentions of Frankenstein (one of the original greats from Mary Shelley) and question about multinational corporations. Did I mention it has a parallel plot that revolves around the Jewish myth of the golem? It is pretty awesome.

If you are looking for something a little more diverse, check out The Wind Up Girl which
takes place in an Asian setting and really delves into the world of genetically modified foods, but through multiple perspectives. It is a very fascinating novel that showcases many perspectives to look at the future of this society in general. I know I am being pretty broad, but it is so good!

If you are searching for an outer space pilot series with a strong female lead, check out Fortune’s Pawn because that was the first story I read in that sub-genre and I love it. I read the two other books and liked them as well. So just wanted to throw out a different kind of science fiction type!

I need to give an honorable mention to Nalo Hopkinson. It is honorary because I actually have not read anything by her, but I have heard phenomenal things and it is on my next science fiction to read pile! I would recommend to take a look at this list as well (http://www.upworthy.com/10-sci-fi-books-written-by-women-of-color-to-add-to-your-reading-list)

That about sums up my top list. I hope you will check out some of these and let me know what you think. Remember, reading science fiction requires a different type of reading lens and, often, different language sets/terms. There are also many different types of science fiction, so try often and different varieties! If you want to read more reviews of science fiction/fantasy check out my blog http://utopia-state-of-mind.com.

You can find Lili on her blog, Twitter and Instagram.