There’s an engaging conversation in Nature this week with four science-fiction writers who concentrate on the life-sciences in their writing:
I have this tremendous block about sci-fi. I have dabbled on the real fringes and read Neal Stephenson and Iain Banks like everyone else, but virtually no classic sci-fi. Genre fiction intimidates me, I think, because it has its own rules and hierarchies. The other part of my block is self-preservation in the face of gateway drugs: because I’m fascinated by the communication of scientific ideas, I feel like indulging in a sci-fi reading habit would just be the end of it all and I’d never read anything else.
But perhaps that’s a cop-out? I’ve got a whole list of recommendations from various sources. I just need to start, I guess.
If you dislike genre fiction and want to read about scientists, why not try ‘lab lit’? We are curating the definitive list here. The choices span traditional genres, ranging from high literature and police procedurals to pulp fiction and everything in between, so you’re bound to find something readable.
Thanks very much for that list! It looks manageable, unlike many “best-of” lists I’ve saved to look at later (and never do).
I think SF is probably one of those things, like the Lord of the Rings or Marmite, you get hooked on as a child, but which is very hard to digest (or take seriously) if you come across it as an adult. But if you liked Banks and Stephenson you should try Accelerando by Charles Stross or Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, and look out for titles by the likes of Neal Asher or Justina Robson. But the ideal solution is to order Futures from Nature, a compilation of a hundred very short SF stories from your favourite weekly science journal beginning with N. (You’ll see one of these on the back page of the issue you mention!) Easy to assimilate, from the great names in the field (and a lot of gems from lesser-known writers), published by Tor this November, it’s edited by me, so you know you’re in safe hands… available by pre-order from Amazon!. Go get it.