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Book suggestions in the Hard Science Fiction genre


Manhattan_Mom
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My 9yo is interested in "hard" science fiction, that is, science fiction that features real or realistic (not fantastic) scientific concepts and accuracy, e.g. Andy Weir's The Martian, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.  Anything with scientific illustrations a plus (e.g. Dinotopia although that's fantasy not hard science fiction).  

 

I'd love suggestions for hard science fiction books that do not contain mature material (sex, drugs, violence). Off-color language fine (The Martin was peppered with it!) he knows it's inappropriate and never copies it.  There are many lists on the internet of "best hard scifi books" but many contain mature themes. 

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. This group always has such great ones.

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Actually, if he can get his hands on Asimov’s best stories collections, that would probably give him a lot of authors. There are quite a few of them, and Asimov definitely had a bias towards hard sci-fi. Golden age tends to be pretty strong on the science-a lot of the authors were scientists first.

 

A few more-Hoyle, Clarke, Bova, Clement, Pohl, and some of Alan Dean Foster (more fantastic).

 

Also, Rick Cook has a series of fantasy novels that run on computer science principles (protagonist is a Software engineer transported because they needed a wizard, who discovers that magic is a programming language). Margaret Ball has Mathemagics, which is a sword and sorcery novel where math is the sorcery :). Pre-read that one, though (I love it and let DD read it about age 10, but it is definitely heavy on the “swordâ€-the protagonist is a retired mercenary from a sword and sorcery world, now living in Dallas and studying math. Lots of social commentary and humor).

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