Sci Fi for middle school?

[ScoutTN]

Help! Ds14 is supposed to read a Sci fi book for school. His reading level is very high, but I don’t want mature content. No s*x. Not gratuitous profanity. 
 

Suggestions, please!?

We have Ender’s Game and The Martian.

Edited April 12, 2022 by ScoutTN

[Clarita]

I liked Jurassic Park (well I liked all Micheal Crichton in my middle school to high school years). I do believe it has some swearing and dinosaur slaughtering people, but no s*x.

[UHP]

I don't think of myself as having prurient taste in science fiction stories. But sifting through things I remember and liked it's hard to come up with examples where the sex and swearing are reduced to zero. 

"Have spacesuit, will travel" by Heinlein is lots of fun and G-rated if I remember.

[ScoutTN]

33 minutes ago, UHP said:

I don't think of myself as having prurient taste in science fiction stories. But sifting through things I remember and liked it's hard to come up with examples where the sex and swearing are reduced to zero. 

"Have spacesuit, will travel" by Heinlein is lots of fun and G-rated if I remember.

Ds is 14 and in school. G rated is not necessary for sure. Some language is ok, just not excessive. S*x is not ok. 

[JenneinCA]

Any of the Murderbot stories by Martha Wells.  The first one is called All Systems Red.  It is amazing.

[ScoutTN]

52 minutes ago, JenneinCA said:

Any of the Murderbot stories by Martha Wells.  The first one is called All Systems Red.  It is amazing.

Got the first two on hold at the library.

[Lori D.]

 

20 hours ago, JenneinCA said:

Any of the Murderbot stories by Martha Wells.  The first one is called All Systems Red.  It is amazing.

19 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Got the first two on hold at the library.

Disclaimer:
I thoroughly enjoy the Murderbot series and have read the entire series twice, and when the next book comes out, I am looking forward to reading the whole series all over again and including the new book. And I am extremely picky about re-reading -- it MUST be well-written for me to want to re-read. 😉

The series was written by an adult for adults. It is well written, clever, funny, action-packed, and wrestles with philosophical questions about what does it mean to be a human, as it follows "Murderbot", a self-named construct (some human cloned parts + mostly constructed parts) who was designed to be a security guard/soldier who has disabled the "governor" (controlling) software that prevents him from doing anything except follow orders, and now is a "rogue" construct who is trying to figure out who he is and and what he wants to do with his life.

Further, I am NOT attempting to start a controversy, and I ONLY have the intention of providing OP with more information about content specifically because she requested "No s*x. Not gratuitous profanity." -- so please, NO FLAMES OR ANGRY RESPONSES. Thank you! 😄 

That said: You may wish to pre-read these books.

re: profanity
There is a fair amount of swearing (lots of F-bombs), but I would not say it is gratuitous, but rather is part of the character/world, and I might even say appropriate to the character and when/why he swears. I am not a fan of lots of swearing, but it did seem appropriate in this book.

re: s*x
NO graphic s*x. A few times characters go off to their room together and it is implied that is likely what is happening. Murderbot himself thinks s*x is gross, because he was not constructed for that.

However, there are some other related topics that are briefly/casually mentioned as part of the greater world of the story, that you might wish to know are there:

- there are s*x bots
Nothing graphic, mostly just mentioned in passing as another part of the overall world. Like Murderbot, they are constructs, but designed for the s*x industry. In one of the books a s*x bot contacts Murderbot for help in disabling its "governor." That would certainly suggest it was being required to do things it might not have wanted to do, just as Murderbot was required to do things he did not always wish to do when the "governor" was in place. Just throwing out there the idea that if you read alongside, this could be a discussion about human trafficking and related topics.

- there are non-heteros*xual relationships
Again, not graphic, and mostly just mentioned in passing as part of the overall setup of the world. Two of the female team members in the first book are in a relationship. Additionally, the leader of the team is a woman who is in a multi-person marriage (I think it was 2 women/3 men (?) ), which is mentioned in passing. In a later book in the series, Murderbot helps one of the teen daughters from this multi-person marriage, so a few more references to things like "first mom" or "second dad".

- there are characters who identify as non-binary
In a later book, Murderbot helps a group of 3 people who worked on a project together, and are having their tech stolen from them. One of them identifies as non-binary, and goes by the pronoun "ter". In other books, "ter" is also used to identify characters who identify as non-binary.

Again, none of this overt or dwelt on, but it is an integral part of the world, in case that helps you with appropriateness, or possible springboard for discussions.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Lori D.

[ScoutTN]

I will be prereading anything I’ve not read before. 
 

@Lori D. Thanks for the heads-up! I think we have enough good choices without the Murderbot. Definitely not a good option for Ds.

Edited April 13, 2022 by ScoutTN

[kirstenhill]

I read a lot of Isaac Asimov books in middle school.  The first three in the Foundations series should be fine (The "original" first three, which would be Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation), as well as the two Robot mystery novels, Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun.     Those 5 were all written in the 50s and so are "cleaner" than the books he wrote later.  The Foundation books are nothing like the recent TV series -- they are pretty slow paced and full of political intrigue.  I liked them as a teen, but they might not appeal to all. 

[Momto6inIN]

The Martian is amazing but there is an F bomb about every 2 sentences if I remember correctly lol! Although I think in that context I would probably use the F word more than I'd like to admit 😉 The same author also wrote Project Hail Mary which I enjoyed too. That one was excessively clean because it's about a middle school teacher who has to watch his mouth all the time around his students so instead of swearing he says weird funny convoluted stuff instead which is pretty funny imo.

Ender's Game is one of my favorites.

I recently read Dune and the first one is excellent. The others become a little more sexy and weird, but I think the first one might be good for an advanced young reader.

I, Robot is good and provides lots to discuss.

Maze Runner series - not a high reading level but we all really liked the story.

The Earth Sea series is excellently written! I liked the first 3 but the last 3 were just meh.

[Zoo Keeper]

FYI, there is a young reader's edition of The Martian that removes some of the language issues. https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Classroom-Novel-Andy-Weir/dp/0804189358/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U5U5NND4W0U1&keywords=the+martian+young+readers+edition&qid=1649957341&sprefix=the+Martian+youn%2Caps%2C490&sr=8-1

[Lori D.]

9 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

...The Earth Sea series is excellently written! I liked the first 3 but the last 3 were just meh.

Nit-picking... Earthsea is fantasy, not sci-fi... But I know you already knew that, @Momto6inIN 😉 

[ScoutTN]

5 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Nit-picking... Earthsea is fantasy, not sci-fi... But I know you already knew that, @Momto6inIN 😉 

I just finished rereading Dune, and it seems more fantasy than sci fi to me. 

His class listened to Project Hail Mary in school first semester. 
 

❤️Earthsea, but yeah, not on this list.

[Ausmumof3]

There’s a Terry Pratchett with somebody else series called The Long Earth that I don’t think had any mature content though it’s a whole since I read it.  It wasn’t amazing but there were interesting sections.

[Ausmumof3]

The Fatal Eggs by Mikhail Bulgakov could also be a good option though it’s a short story. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Ausmumof3

[Miss Tick]

The Binti series might work. It is another Afro-futurism work.

Science fiction is not a genre with a defined topos. Mystery has a mystery to solve, romance has love, action adventure is also obvious, but sci-fi can include any of those. So much variety. Just musing here, I'm sure this is not news to you!

[Lori D.]

2 hours ago, SusanC said:

...Science fiction is not a genre with a defined topos. Mystery has a mystery to solve, romance has love, action adventure is also obvious, but sci-fi can include any of those. So much variety. Just musing here...

Adding on to your musing here. 😄

When I first was putting together a Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Speculative Fiction course some years back, I did a lot of digging and researching on the genres. Sci-fi many sub-genres, and that is where you start finding the conventions and tropes -- they tend to be specific to the sub-genre.

Below is what I settled on for info for my class after researching, in case it's of interest to anyone... 😉 
 

SCIENCE FICTION
Stories about science or technology and the effects on people. In addition to the tech focus, setting is the element that tends to differentiate sci-fi from fantasy, as sci-fi is often set in the future or near-future, or on another planet/in space. Sci-fi has many sub-genres, each with their own conventions:

• apocalyptic / post-apocalyptic = devastation of Earth and/or how survivors manage “post-disaster”
• cyberpunk = mix of hard-boiled detective novels, Japanese anime, and a nihilistic worldview
• dystopia = attempt to create a perfect world, resulting in a dark, violent, oppressive, classed society, in which one class of people have most/best goods and privileges at the expense of others; these tales usually follow a person who discovers the truth of the "underbelly" and attempts to rebel or escape
• space opera = adventure with exotic characters and vast settings (aliens, space flight, other planets); often there are quests and heroes similar to fantasy or mythology stories
• spy-fi = intrigue or secret agent + futuristic sci-fi elements
• steam punk = set in, or inspired by, late 19th century Victorian era, and mixes in elements of retro Jules Verne-like tech or futuristic tech; often overlaps with mystery or intrigue genres; sometimes involves an "alternate timeline" 
• techno tale = focus on futuristic tech/robots, medical advances, robots/AI, etc, and the problems that arise from these devices; some are set in the future, or, are set on present-day earth and the problems that arise from use/abuse of the tech
• think piece = technology, science, dystopia, or a futuristic society as a springboard for wrestling with moral, ethical, social, or political questions
• time-travel = characters move forward or backward through realistic historical timeline

 

FANTASY GENRE
The defining feature of fantasy is usually that magic is featured and is a natural, inherent part of the book’s imaginative world (rather than tech). Adventure/quest is very frequently an element (exploring how the magic affects the character, in the way the tech impacts the characters in sci-fi). Fantasy also has sub-genres, each with its own special focus:

• Fable: short story featuring talking animals and a moral lesson
• Fairy Tale/Folk Tale: short children’s story, usually set in an ethnic culture, that features enchantments, and a moral ending of rewarding the good while punishing the evil
• Legend: story of a national hero or folk figure; it may be based in fact, but has exaggerated or imaginative elements
• Myth: ancient tale that often explains the origins of things; myths involve the supernatural: gods, goddesses, monsters, heroes, epic tasks, and special powers
 

SPECULATIVE FICTION GENRE
The word "speculative" means "hypothetical" or "by guesswork or imagination". Speculative Fiction is a term used about any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements—but that also don't fit neatly into the traditional genres of Horror, Fantasy, or Science Fiction. Usually there is an edge, twist, or "weirdness" to the works of Speculative Fiction, and there are some conventions or themes at work that don't match up with other genres. Often, works of Speculative Fiction have a realistic plot, setting, and characters—but also some element that goes beyond or outside the bounds of realism.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

12 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

I just finished rereading Dune, and it seems more fantasy than sci fi to me...

Dune is a early type of mash-up of genres -- sort of the mythic/quest aspects of a fantasy, but set on other worlds with space ships and tech from sci-fi. I would probably classify it as space opera, but with a special focus on world-building in a way that is more typical of fantasy... 

And, lol -- all I did there was muddy the waters further... 🤣

[Dmmetler]

Along with "Have spacesuit will travel", the other Heinlein juveniles woild be a good choice. Most were written for Boys Life Magazine as serials, have young male very smart protagonists and are quite innocent even by 1950's-60's standards

 

The John Christopher Tripods series is excellent (and was also serialized in Boys Life). 

[Malam]

On 4/14/2022 at 1:25 PM, Momto6inIN said:

Project Hail Mary

A wonderful book, the science is very engaging and might be challenging for a young middle schooler to understand. Best to take breaks to discuss what's going on.

You might want to look at asimov's short stories - many of them are clean.

"Exhalation" is another great short story.

Fahrenheit 451 is technically a sci-fi novel, as are many of H.G. Wells' and Kurt Vonnegut's works (particularly The Sirens of Titans)

Edited August 1, 2022 by Malam

[ScoutTN]

1 hour ago, Malam said:

A wonderful book, the science is very engaging and might be challenging for a young middle schooler to understand. Best to take breaks to discuss what's going on.

You might want to look at asimov's short stories - many of them are clean.

"Exhalation" is another great short story.

Fahrenheit 451 is technically a sci-fi novel, as are many of H.G. Wells' and Kurt Vonnegut's works (particularly The Sirens of Titans)

Thanks, the original post was for a April assignment, so long past. He was 14 at the time and loved Project Hail Mary as their class RA first semester. (8th gr.) He chose Ender’s Game for the free read.

[Malam]

 

52 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

he original post was for a April assignment

Haha, I really need to start paying attention to dates

[Nicholas_mom]

Isaac Asimov did a series for teens with his wife- Janet Asimov - The Norby Series- Norby-the Mixed Up Robot; Norby's Other Secret, Norby the Lost Princess, etc.  Great series.  My son read all of the author Heilen books, as well as Isaac Asimov.  I love "Have Spacesuit Will Travel."  

C.S. Lewis did a sci-fi series Space Trilogy- "Out of the Silent Planet," "Perelandra," & "The Hideous Strength."

 

 

[Lori D.]

On 8/26/2022 at 2:56 PM, Nicholas_mom said:

Isaac Asimov did a series for teens with his wife- Janet Asimov - The Norby Series- Norby-the Mixed Up Robot; Norby's Other Secret, Norby the Lost Princess, etc.  Great series...

That sounds cool!

On 8/26/2022 at 2:56 PM, Nicholas_mom said:

...C.S. Lewis did a sci-fi series Space Trilogy -- Out of the Silent Planet [book 1], Perelandra [book 2], and That Hideous Strength [book 3].

Due to vocabulary choice, older sentence structure, and some pretty heavily abstract concepts (esp. in the second two of the three books), I would not recommend these for a 14yo unless just doing the first book, and even then, possibly doing it aloud together.

These were written for thinking adults, and probably would connect best with older thinking teens.

Also, some people might be a bit disappointed with book 3, as it takes place on Earth, and other than a few brief speculative fiction elements that showed up in the first two books, overall book 3 does not really "feel" like a sci-fi work. Book 1 is travel to, and adventures on, Mars, and is the most traditional sci-fi feeling book of the three, and it works as a stand-alone. Book 2 is travel to Venus, with philosophical and theological discussions between the protagonist and the antagonist (both from Earth), who are both interacting with the woman (like an "unfallen" Biblical Eve), with the antagonist attempting to get her to "fall into sin", and the protagonist attempting to prevent this. 

Not trying to "rain on your suggestion" (lol) @Nicholas_mom... Just throwing all of that in to assist with decision-making, for anyone who is still following this thread. 😉 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Lori D.

[goldenecho]

If not for the profanity, Ray Bradbury would be good (I'm afraid there's a few swear words).

The Hunger Games has no sex or profanity, and it's excellent (has a lot of depth).   Does have considerable violence though.  I would consider it not too much for a 14 year old though.  

Space Case by Stewart Gibbs is fun (not as deep literature as the others).  No sex, at least in the first book.

 

[vonfirmath]

On 4/12/2022 at 4:22 PM, ScoutTN said:

Help! Ds14 is supposed to read a Sci fi book for school. His reading level is very high, but I don’t want mature content. No s*x. Not gratuitous profanity. 
 

Suggestions, please!?

We have Ender’s Game and The Martian.

My son (age 15) has read both of those books for school and both are good. The Martian does have profanity but I did not consider it gratuitous. (Ender's Game may as well. The Martian's was enough to shock me out of the book. But I had to tell myself "Well, he was stranded alone on MARS and all these horrible things keep happening)

Edited September 6, 2022 by vonfirmath

[seemesew]

On 4/14/2022 at 11:25 AM, Momto6inIN said:

I recently read Dune and the first one is excellent. The others become a little more sexy and weird, but I think the first one might be good for an advanced young reader.

 

No Dune is not! It talks about the bad guy being a pedophile basically, and how he likes young men that are teens and he is an old man. It also talks about sexual orgies so definitely NOT what she is looking for :0) 

Edited September 11, 2022 by seemesew

[Momto6inIN]

1 hour ago, seemesew said:

No Dune is not! It talks about the bad guy being a pedophile basically, and how he likes young men that are teens and he is an old man. It also talks about sexual orgies so definitely NOT what she is looking for :0) 

You could be right, but I don't remember that from the first book at all. Later ones yes, but I don't recall that from the first one. 

[seemesew]

On 9/11/2022 at 7:21 PM, Momto6inIN said:

You could be right, but I don't remember that from the first book at all. Later ones yes, but I don't recall that from the first one. 

I never read any of the others so I'm pretty sure its in that one but I could be wrong too! 😉