Science Fiction Novel Recommendations?

[Nicholas_mom]

I was wondering if there were other kids who love to  read science fiction novels?  I am in need of more suggestions.....

What he has read so far: 

Everything from Isaac Asimov

Author - Robert Heinlein books

author - C.S. Lewis (space trilogy)

WONDLA Trilogy by Tony DiTerlizza

H.G. Wells

I want to make sure it is Young Adult status type of book, no s*x content.....

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

My daughter enjoyed Day of the Triffids (John Wyndham) recently.

Suspense/thriller is more her genre, but she really enjoyed this one.

[Lori D.]

"clean" classic/older sci-fi (1950s-1980s)
- When the Tripods Came (Christopher) -- loosely connects with HG Wells War of the Worlds
- Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) -- some brutal child-on-child fighting/violence, no s*x, very little language
- A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller) -- followed by Anathem (Stephenson), which parallels Miller's novel in some ways
- Ray Bradbury -- many of his works are more fantastical than straight sci-fi, but these are his classic traditional sci-fi works:
   short stories: All Summer in a Day; There Will Come Soft Rains; A Sound of Thunder
   short story collections: The Martian Chronicles; R is for Rocket; S is for Space
   novels: Fahrenheit 451

YA ideas
- Among the Hidden (Haddix) -- first in a late elementary age series
- The Twenty One Balloons (du Bois) -- late elementary age book, very Jules Verne-like (19th century, futuristic inventions)
- Star Soldiers: Time Traders (Norton) -- YA from the 1960s/70s
- Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) -- YA from the 1970s; very influenced by original Star Trek series
- Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath (Westerfeld) -- rollicking fun steampunk alternative WW1
- Uglies (Westerfeld) -- first of a dystopia series
- House of Stairs (Sleator) -- dystopic sci-fi
- The Giver, and sequels (Lowry) -- dystopia
- Hunger Games trilogy (Collins) -- dystopia

more recent "clean" sci-fi
- The Martian (Weir) -- shipwreck/survival story on Mars; the original novel has no s*x, but a lot of 4-letter words; here is the "clean teen" (classroom) edition
- Bobiverse trilogy: We Are Legion (We Are Bob); We Are Many; All These Worlds (Taylor) -- "popcorn" just for fun series; very influenced by Star Trek: Next Generation
- Anathem (Stephenson) -- no s*x, little to no language, no gratuitous violence -- not all of Stephenson's works are as "clean"

other threads with ideas
- Book suggestions for Science Fiction -- 12yo
- Classic Science Fiction recommendations - Wells, Verne, etc

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Lori D.

[Ravin]

Binti and its sequels, by Nnedi Okorafor.

Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.

The Pern books by Anne and Todd McCaffrey (Anne's came first, then they co-wrote some, then Todd has written some). There are people in there that think about sex, and references to people having sex, but not much in the way of graphic erotic scenes. Some of the books have more appeal for younger audiences. I read the Harper Hall trilogy when I was 12 and got hooked.

The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. It's sort of science fiction, with some elements that could be labeled fantasy, in an "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" kind of way. I'm reading the third one right now, it's really good.

Which reminds me, Arthur C. Clarke. His stuff was mostly too dry for my tastes, but I might have liked him if I'd discovered him younger.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Warning: the first book is quite appropriate, but some of the sequels and spin-offs may be less so.

Note: there is a lot of violence, but not much or any graphically described sex, in these books (though there are some descriptions of people thinking about sex, or references to someone having had sex, they don't go into graphic detail about it as far as I recall).

Also, if you think the list of what he's read is devoid of sex, I'm assuming he hasn't read all of Heinlein's or Asimov's works. Especially Heinlein, outside of his specifically "young adult/youth" books.

[Nicholas_mom]

Quote

Also, if you think the list of what he's read is devoid of sex, I'm assuming he hasn't read all of Heinlein's or Asimov's works. Especially Heinlein, outside of his specifically "young adult/youth" books.

 

Not all of Heinlein's book.  I stuck with his younger audience or juvinile series.  Isaac Asimov, he read the juvinile series but he did read I, Robot and Foundation Series.  Does Asimove talks about s*x in his novels?  I thought they were relatively benign??  I thought  I was safe if a sci-fi book written before 1954-ish....

[mlktwins]

Itch series by Simon Mayo

[Lori D.]

6 hours ago, Ravin said:

Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.

I've only read her book Dawn, but it did contain some rather non-traditional s*x (alien acting as intermediary between male and female partners), which would suggest previewing others of her works for young readers. Don't know about the Parable books, but you might try reading the summaries at Wikipedia -- Parable of the Talents sounds like it has some adult content.
 

6 hours ago, Ravin said:

The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. It's sort of science fiction, with some elements that could be labeled fantasy, in an "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" kind of way. I'm reading the third one right now, it's really good.

I'm just finishing up book 3 of this series now and find it tremendously creative, well-written, and very enjoyable -- BUT, it does have some adult content: book 1 has several short s*x scenes; one is a short scene, but a rather graphically described threesome. There is also disturbing physical violence against characters (mostly women and children) who have the special power that is the focal point of the world of this trilogy, and the idea of these characters being controlled by others through an enslavement and dehumanization mindset -- another disturbing idea.

 

Forgot to add to my list a big favorite classic here:
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- and the sequel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
There are just a very FEW crudities and innuendos, but the creativity and humor make these really worthwhile -- not to mention that they are so well-known and referenced as to be "standards" in the sci-fi genre, lol. There are 3 additional sequels, but they are far less well-written, with only rare moments of creativity and humor, and contain a lot more language and a few scenes of adult content.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Lori D.

[Ravin]

17 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

I've only read her book Dawn, but it did contain some rather non-traditional s*x (alien acting as intermediary between male and female partners), which would suggest previewing others of her works for young readers. Don't know about the Parable books, but you might try reading the summaries at Wikipedia -- Parable of the Talents sounds like it has some adult content.
 

I'm just finishing up book 3 of this series now and find it tremendously creative, well-written, and very enjoyable -- BUT, it does have some adult content: book 1 has several short s*x scenes; one is a short scene, but a rather graphically described threesome. There is also disturbing physical violence against characters (mostly women and children) who have the special power that is the focal point of the world of this trilogy, and the idea of these characters being controlled by others through an enslavement and dehumanization mindset -- another disturbing idea.

.

The Parable books do not have sex in them in a manner similar to some of Butler's other works, which is why I recommended them.

 

[Ravin]

2 hours ago, Nicholas_mom said:

 

Not all of Heinlein's book.  I stuck with his younger audience or juvinile series.  Isaac Asimov, he read the juvinile series but he did read I, Robot and Foundation Series.  Does Asimove talks about s*x in his novels?  I thought they were relatively benign??  I thought  I was safe if a sci-fi book written before 1954-ish....

 

I don't know that they have many explicit scenes, but there are definitely sexual situations in some of his novels.

[forty-two]

3 hours ago, Nicholas_mom said:

 

Not all of Heinlein's book.  I stuck with his younger audience or juvinile series.  Isaac Asimov, he read the juvinile series but he did read I, Robot and Foundation Series.  Does Asimove talks about s*x in his novels?  I thought they were relatively benign??  I thought  I was safe if a sci-fi book written before 1954-ish....

The only Asimov book I remember having sexual content is The Gods Themselves, but I haven't read everything.  I first read the Foundation series in middle school - there might be a few sexual references, but I don't recall anything explicit.  Fwiw, while the original Foundation trilogy is more-or-less pre-1954, the rest of the Foundation series was written later - 80s and 90s iirc.

Eta: Timothy Zahn is a great author- thoughtful and intriguing while also very clean.  I let my kids read his YA series, Dragonback, when they were 10, and I've turned my oldest loose on his adult novels at 12.

Edited January 15, 2019 by forty-two

[kiana]

17 hours ago, Ravin said:

The Pern books by Anne and Todd McCaffrey (Anne's came first, then they co-wrote some, then Todd has written some). There are people in there that think about sex, and references to people having sex, but not much in the way of graphic erotic scenes. Some of the books have more appeal for younger audiences. I read the Harper Hall trilogy when I was 12 and got hooked.

 

I disagree about the sex scenes. I mean, yes, terms for body parts aren't explicitly mentioned, but the vein of nonconsensuality is pretty strong. I read them at twelve and didn't notice the sex; I read them again at seventeen and was gobsmacked to see all that had gone over my head. Don't get me wrong, I loved these books and I still go back and reread them sometimes, but it was there. 

The first two harper hall books are just fine, and there's a brief interlude in dragondrums but I still think it's fine -- it's very non-explicit and between two characters that are already somewhat romantically inclined. But for someone who specifically wants to avoid sex scenes, I definitely wouldn't go beyond that. 

[kiana]

11 hours ago, forty-two said:

The only Asimov book I remember having sexual content is The Gods Themselves, but I haven't read everything.  I first read the Foundation series in middle school - there might be a few sexual references, but I don't recall anything explicit.  Fwiw, while the original Foundation trilogy is more-or-less pre-1954, the rest of the Foundation series was written later - 80s and 90s iirc.

Eta: Timothy Zahn is a great author- thoughtful and intriguing while also very clean.  I let my kids read his YA series, Dragonback, when they were 10, and I've turned my oldest loose on his adult novels at 12.

That's the only one I remember it in as well, but I missed a couple of his. And I'm not sure trisexual aliens would really count. 

 

Timothy Zahn's written a prequel series in David Weber's Honorverse and I've been really enjoying it. I've also gotten his prequel to his Star Wars trilogy and had a blast. 

[Lori D.]

NO personal familiarity/experience to know how "clean" the writing is, but what about Alan Dean Foster? I understand his works span a lot of genres (horror, western, detective, fantasy...), but didn't he write some novels set in the Star Wars world? Does he have other sci-fi works?

[Ravin]

Nor Crystal Tears by Alan Dean Foster is fantastic. No explicit sexual content, either. 

[Ravin]

15 hours ago, Lori D. said:

I've only read her book Dawn, but it did contain some rather non-traditional s*x (alien acting as intermediary between male and female partners), which would suggest previewing others of her works for young readers. Don't know about the Parable books, but you might try reading the summaries at Wikipedia -- Parable of the Talents sounds like it has some adult content.
 

I'm just finishing up book 3 of this series now and find it tremendously creative, well-written, and very enjoyable -- BUT, it does have some adult content: book 1 has several short s*x scenes; one is a short scene, but a rather graphically described threesome. There is also disturbing physical violence against characters (mostly women and children) who have the special power that is the focal point of the world of this trilogy, and the idea of these characters being controlled by others through an enslavement and dehumanization mindset -- another disturbing idea.

 

Forgot to add to my list a big favorite classic here:
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- and the sequel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
There are just a very FEW crudities and innuendos, but the creativity and humor make these really worthwhile -- not to mention that they are so well-known and referenced as to be "standards" in the sci-fi genre, lol. There are 3 additional sequels, but they are far less well-written, with only rare moments of creativity and humor, and contain a lot more language and a few scenes of adult content.

 

Forgot about that part. I wouldn't have defined it as "graphic." I mean, thinking back, there is talk about having sex, but it's not there as an erotic scene, which is what I think of as "explicit sexual content." It's just a brief mention in the course of explaining how the characters' relationships develop. Different peoples' bar is in different places. And I did warn that there's a lot of violence!

I think science fiction is an excellent way to process concepts like dehumanization of other people, slavery, etc., it puts it at a "safe" remove from things that have happened in the real world. It's also a great way to provoke thinking about things like consent. Referencing the Pern books, most of the nonconsensual sex mentioned is in the context of the dragons (who are telepathically linked to their riders) mating, and how that affects both the riders and those around them. It's imposed on the humans from outside themselves, and finding ways to cope with it is part of what forms the culture of the weyrs (the homes of the dragon riders and their families and support staff), especially aspects of it that are distinct from those of the holders (the the non-dragon-riding majority of people on Pern).

Based on the OP's signature, I have been using the bar of "if my 15 year old was interested in science fiction, would I think these were appropriate for her to read?" plus "the OP said no sex, so if there are scenes that read like erotica, that's a no-go."

[Ravin]

To take a different tack:

You might look through the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy winners and nominees: https://nebulas.sfwa.org/search-awards/?sa=1&award[12]=on&statusfilter=both&start_year=1965&end_year=2019&search=

[Pen]

Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card is wonderful—better than Enders Game, IMO (also my teen sci-fi lover’s opinion) and very worth reading — also its Audible version with several readers is excellent, and makes a good intro to the whole series.   Ender’s Shadow takes place in parallel to Ender’s Game, but with another boy as the main character. 

  If he likes Ender’s Shadow, then the whole series can be read/considered including Ender’s Game and prequels and sequels. You can check individual books on a website, forgot name just now for suitability for his age.   I think there may be around 2 dozen books in all.  

[Nicholas_mom]

I was hoping I did not have to pre-read but I guess those days are gone!  SLAN looks promising but I think I need to pre-read, too.

Thank you!  Atleast I have some authors to check out.  

[moonflower]

I think he will really like The Martian.

[Lori D.]

2 hours ago, Nicholas_mom said:

I was hoping I did not have to pre-read but I guess those days are gone!  SLAN looks promising but I think I need to pre-read, too.

Thank you!  Atleast I have some authors to check out.  

The Common Sense Media and Compass websites rate some books and movies as far as mature content, and gives brief context as to the content. Also, reading the extended plot summaries of books at Wikipedia and Sparknotes can give you a feel for the overall content and themes of a work.

[Lori D.]

7 hours ago, Ravin said:

Forgot about that part. I wouldn't have defined it as "graphic." I mean, thinking back, there is talk about having sex, but it's not there as an erotic scene, which is what I think of as "explicit sexual content." It's just a brief mention in the course of explaining how the characters' relationships develop...

Based on the OP's signature, I have been using the bar of "if my 15 year old was interested in science fiction, would I think these were appropriate for her to read?" plus "the OP said no sex, so if there are scenes that read like erotica, that's a no-go."

In case it helps, I will also define my use of words and terms. 🙂 

I use the word "graphic" synonymously with "explicit," to mean "described clearly/directly and in detail". I use "graphic" as the opposite of "implied" or "suggested". I do NOT use the word "graphic" to mean "gratuitous" (which means "uncalled for", "unwarranted", or "without purpose/reason"). For example: a gratuitous s*x scene in a book would not develop plot or character, and most likely would be a prolonged scene described in great detail in order to titillate the reading audience.

I totally agree with you that the scene in book 1 of Broken Earth trilogy is NOT *gratuitous* -- it IS purposeful, as it absolutely does define character. However, the short scene (about 1 page) is *graphic* -- it IS explicit, as it describes in clear, direct terms, and with detail, a s*x act between three characters -- their specific actions, words, and emotions/arousal.

I interpreted OP's request for books with "no s*x content" to mean no explicit/direct (vs. implied/suggested) scenes of a s*xual nature.

Thanks for clarifying your definitions as well! 🙂 Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Lori D.

[goldenecho]

On the lighter side, my teens like Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs (and I think he wrote a sequel).

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was one I loved as a teen.   Didn't like Martian Chronicles as much but that doesn't mean your son wouldn't. 

 

 

[Pen]

Murderbot series might be a possible option.

 

 I want to add re the Ender etc series— I’ve not read any of the Formic War prequels, but I think I read all the sequels for both Game and Shadow branches.  I did not find the series to be a problem for my then younger teen—and ones too advanced in theme for him he just didn’t read.  (That is he didn’t by his own choice if he picked it up and it was too much -to him - boring philosophy rather than exciting action.  ) 

Orson Scott Cart has a series of which one book is called Gate Mage or Gatefather which are very suitable for younger teens, but more fantasy than sci fi.  Card is a father, and tried to write in a way that carries positive messages (about family, love, and so on) even in violent world situations.  The positive messages aspect is also true for the Ender books I read.  

Edited January 18, 2019 by Pen