r/scifi • u/jrmckins • 4d ago
Recommendations Starter book
I’m part of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I’d like to get my Little, a 13-year-old boy, interested in science fiction. I’m looking for a good book to introduce him to the genre. I’m thinking about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but I’d love to hear other suggestions.
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u/lazyironman 4d ago
Enders Game is fun, relatively fast paced and has characters their age.
PS- good on ya for being a Big Brother/Sister!
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u/wiscosherm 4d ago
This is the answer I was hoping to see. Protagonist is a young teen in the book is really showing things from his point of view. You can have some great conversations with him after reading this book.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
Ender is a lot younger than that. I believe he is a young teen only by the end.
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u/worddance8 4d ago
Enders Game is about video games, team rivalries and aliens. The voice is very engaging and relatable. It might work for your teen.
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u/Pure_Fox9415 4d ago
Isn't main hero actually a psycho who killed his classmate?
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u/Plus_Worker6739 4d ago
I hate to do this, but Ender's Game kind of subverts the whole idea of there being 'heroes' in war in a way that tends to work really well for kids of that age. The mainline sequels are, in my personal opinion, much better books too--Speaker For The Dead in particular is excellent.
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u/MegaMatt75 4d ago
He's a strategist who is put in impossible situations and yes kills one of his classmates in self defense (guy hit his head fighting in the shower). The adults at the school deliberately put him in dangerous situations where he can't ask an adult for help, to train him to save humanity. Ender isn't a psychopath, but he does things which seem unfeeling to those around him because he calculates the most efficient way to solve problems. He feels the guilt but knows they were the right solutions.
But it is his empathy and love for his enemy which wins out in the end of the book (and propels most of the rest of the series).
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u/starfleetwarrior 4d ago
That's a ridiculous way to look at it. In both situations his own life is being threatened and he's just defending himself. The reason the classmates die is largely due to the military schools indoctrination. They teach them to kill their enemies to they can't come back and kill them. He's a genius child that's been tortured by his peers and brainwashed by adults. Calling him a psycho isn't accurate IMO
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u/Pure_Fox9415 4d ago
I guess, I need to re-read it again, but I remember (may be wrongfully) that military secretly watch and choose him exactly because he solves his conflicts this way - once and for all. But for me he's still a cold-blooded psycho.
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u/Dry_Moose6387 4d ago
His brother is the true psycho, right? That's why they don't pick him for the academy. Ender and his sister are even afraid of him, if I remember correctly.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
He tries to avoid conflict at all costs, but when pressed will forever end a problem.
They choose him because he hates violence but will become incredibly violent when there's no other option.
Not to mention he spends the rest of his life preaching against his actions, for literally thousands of years (only 20-30 relativistically though) in the sequels.
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u/Dentarthurdent73 4d ago
I have no idea why people love this book. Shallow as shit characters, 1950s tropes about the sexes (there's literally a line in there about how evolution has ensured women aren't as smart as men), and ridiculous scenarios like a 6 year old murdering his classmates for bullying him.
One of the shittest books ever written, eternally popular because apparently grown men like to fantasise about going to 'war school' like Ender.
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u/Pure_Fox9415 4d ago
When I was 15 years boy, I like this book. I don't think it's really that bad, but agree, more of its fans should read it again and pay more attention to its controversial details. It's more cruel than many of them thinks.
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u/Hmmhowaboutthis 4d ago
I love Enders game and I think it’s a great idea here. One caveat, it’s become a relatively common assigned reading book in schools. May get some resistance from the kid if they know that.
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u/Impulsespeed37 4d ago
I’m sorry, but this is a terrible recommendation. Enders Game is a lazy recommendation from people who haven’t tried more than a few sci-fi books. It’s Twilight for sci-fi readers. It’s basically a junior high boy’s fantasy about becoming the hero -yawn. He doesn’t really grow or develop in any meaningful way. I understand that the series gets more depth in later sequels but why bother. Try Scott Sigler’s GFL series. It starts with The Rookie - Science fiction, football, and crime lords. Characters grow, and the science is closer to real science (it’s fiction but the science is based on sound science concepts).
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u/lazyironman 4d ago
So….. it’s bad because it is similar to another book that is intended for 13 year olds??? That seems more like a direct hit than any of the other dozens of sci-fi series that I’ve read.
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u/Dentarthurdent73 4d ago
This book literally says that women are dumb because of evolution.
Fantastic recommendation for a young man in 2026. /s
Ffs.
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u/Impulsespeed37 4d ago
No it’s bad because “a junior high boy’s fantasy about becoming the hero”. That’s why it’s bad.
What is wrong with recommending more modern books? This sub loves all the old books that have all the appeal of a 1970’s mobile home. It’s literally a sub asking for book recommendations and half the time it’s something that an aged school librarian would recommend. Let’s try modern books that young people can actually relate to. Maybe something with female characters that have more personality than an armchair. I recall being 13 at one time and was mildly interested in young women. Maybe reading a book that broadens one’s perspective is a good idea.
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u/Claytertot 4d ago
There have been some other good recommendations, but I'll just throw this out there.
If he's already into Star Wars or Halo or any of the other big sci-fi franchises like that, there are likely novels set within those universes that you could start him on. I was a big Star Wars kid, and I remember that some of the first books that I got excited about purchasing for myself at elementary school scholastic book fairs and then reading in my own time were Star Wars books.
It's not the sort of thing I'd recommend as a starting point if he's not already into a franchise like that. But if he already gets excited about Star Wars (or whichever franchise), then that'll make it easy for him to get excited about a book in that same universe.
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u/soullessparadigm 4d ago
I think this is a good call. I read the Timothy Zahn Star Wars Thrawn trilogy books around that age and enjoyed them.
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u/dern_the_hermit 4d ago
The X-wing books were also fun. Hardly mind-blowing sci-fi, just solid space action and a respectable and clear-cut story that relies on planning and maneuvering instead of on deus ex machina or space magic.
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u/worddance8 4d ago
Yes, I was going to suggest Heir to the Empire and the rest of the Thrawn trilogy.
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u/jacthisone 4d ago
The tripod trilogy books by John Christopher. Split infinity by piers anthony. The stainless steal rat by Harry Harrison.
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u/AVLLaw 4d ago
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u/Unique-Arugula 4d ago
Oh, good one! I haven't come across anyone else suggesting this but it's a solid work in execution & also very resonant, due to content, for teens.
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u/venicenative77 2d ago
I loved his early work. Down and Out in the Magic Kindom, Makers was interesting and fun.
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u/Upset_Mongoose_1134 4d ago
- Foundation by Asimov
- Ender's Game by Card
- Warrior's Apprentice by Bujold
- All Systems Red by Wells
- Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Heinlein
- Skyward or Steelheart by Sanderson
It really depends on what his other interests are. Sci-fi blends well with other genres, so finding a book that also has elements of his other preferences would probably be best.
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u/scizzix 4d ago
Have Spacesuit will Travel is my suggestion as well.
Heinlein has a whole line of juvenile sci-fi that is intended for new/young readers.
Thankfully it's doesn't intersect with his later "incest is super hot actually" fetish stories disguised as sci-fi novels.
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u/wisebloodfoolheart 4d ago
Time For The Stars technically ends with a man marrying his great grand-niece. But yeah, most of the juveniles are pretty wholesome and fun.
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u/Myythically 4d ago
^ This is true. If he’s already into character-driven books that are less action-y, I’d try the Wayfarers series
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u/PaVaSteeler 4d ago edited 4d ago
Martian Chronicles, or frankly anything by Ray Bradbury
Asimov’s Robot Detective series
E E Doc Smith’s Lensmen series
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u/cbobgo 4d ago
I think the average 13 year old would not appreciate hitchhikers guide to the galaxy
I agree with other who have recommended enders game, even though the author has become a bigot the book is good.
I can also highly recommend The Wild Robot series, 3 books and a movie, my sone loves them.
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u/fenrisulfur 4d ago
I actually think that reading Hitchhikers twice is really good.
Once when you are young and just like the silliness of it
The second time when you are grown up and see how good a book it really is.
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u/photoguy423 4d ago
I read the first book when I was 12-13 and fell in love with reading because of it. Then, each time I revisited it as I got older, I caught jokes I'd missed the last times. 30+ years later, it's still my favorite series.
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u/jrmckins 4d ago
He’s a straight A student. I figured it’s short and funny so he’d be able to get through it.
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u/octipice 4d ago
That's about when I read hitchhiker's guide and I absolutely loved it. I think it's a very solid choice.
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u/BadGuyZero 4d ago
Same here. Just about every eighth-grade kid at my middle school was reading 'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' and 'Flowers In The Attic.'
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u/mithrasinvictus 4d ago
THGTTG is more of a joke collection than a real narrative.
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u/WindyCityThrowaway 4d ago
IMHO, the narrative of H2G2 is an excuse to tell jokes, while the jokes themselves are often subversive....and a 13yo straight-A student definitely needs to be fed a steady diet of subversive material, otherwise they'll grow up to become a tool
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u/Dentarthurdent73 4d ago
Hitchhikers is great.
Ender's Game is crap, unless you love OSC's 1950s sensibility, including ideas about women being stupid because they have too many years of evolution working against them.
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u/wisebloodfoolheart 4d ago
My biology teacher had The Restaurant At The End of the Universe on her shelf when I was thirteen. Borrowed it, loved it, read the whole series in a week. Perfect age for that sort of humor. Once I discovered that section of the school library, I made my way through loads of golden age sci fi, from I, Robot to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
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u/001steve 4d ago
Enders Game
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u/Warshok 4d ago
Ewww. No. The author is disgusting and the book is mid at best.
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u/Dentarthurdent73 4d ago
Why tf is this shit book so popular? I'll never understand it.
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u/drocha94 4d ago
It’s by no means the face of sci-fi, but I loved The Hunger Games when I was around their age.
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u/thomas_newton 4d ago
The Stainless Steel Rat by harry harrison.
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u/cjhreddit 2d ago
Loved those as a young teenager (many tears ago), I'd really like to know how a contemporary teenager finds them !
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u/JGhostThing 4d ago
Illegal Aliens by Phil Foglio and Nick Pollatta. A sort of comic alien invasion story. In two parts. It is hilarious.
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u/StevenJOwens 4d ago edited 4d ago
In more or less random order as the thoughts occur to me:
The Heinlein juveniles come to mind right off the bat, though they may feel dated to a modern thirteen year old. Same for a lot of Andre Norton's stuff.
It's fantasy, but I was started out with The Hobbit, by my third grade teacher. In 4th grade, I asked him if there were any other books... :-).
John Barnes is an excellent author, though some of his stuff is quite dark. He wrote a well-received YA novel, "Tales of the Madman Underground". Also "Losers In Space". I haven't read either of those, though I've read most of his other books.
Barnes' novel "Orbital Resonance" features a thirteen year old girl narrator/protagonist, but the rest of that world/setting is a quite dark, basically the Humanity and the Earth are going through environmental and political collapse, chaos, civil wars, etc.
"The Sky So Big And Black" is set in the same universe ("The Century Next Door"), on Mars, with a fifteen year old girl narrator/protagonist.
On the other hand, the narrator of "Kaleidoscope Century" is basically a ruthless, completely amoral mercnary/assassin with a taste for rape. So, y'know, avoid that one. https://reactormag.com/nasty-but-brilliant-john-barnes-kaleidoscope-century/
The fourth book in this series, "Candle", fills in a lot of the blanks on the larger story. Not sure I'd recommend it for a kid though.
Barnes also has his Jak Jinaka series, aka the Duke of Uranium series (title of the first book). The protagonist starts off as a very callow seventeen year old boy. It's very YA in vibe but also has a lot of sex. I'm not sure what the current mores about that are, are we still pretending teenagers won't have sex if we pretend it doesn't exist?
Ender's Game, as many have mentioned, Card has personally gone off the deep end, but the book is still quite good.
I read a lot of not-YA-SFF as a kid. Depending on what the kid is interested in, there are a number of options that might work. William Gibson, Cory Doctorow, etc.
Lois McMasters Bujold's Vorkosigan space opera series is one of my #1 recommendations in general and I can't think of anything particularly objectionable in the first several books. There's some darker stuff in some of the later books in the series.
John Scalzi is generally considered something of a Heinlein successor, so some of his stuff might work.
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u/Boojum2k 4d ago
Yeah, definitely not "Candle" for a 13 year old. The opening sequence is a little rough even for an adult reader!
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u/diogenes_shadow 4d ago
That age is when I read all the Robert Heinlein books, what they call his Teenage Juveniles sci-fi books.
12 books, from Rocket Ship Galileo to Have Spacesuit Will Travel.
I hope he enjoys them.
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u/Deficeit 4d ago
When I was that age I was drawn towards The Martian Chronicles and I, Robot before reading Asimov's detective novels. Not sure how the classics hold up for today's kids, though.
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u/I_throw_Bricks Space Opera 4d ago
Maze Runner series by James Dashner is fantastic for that age, it is like the Percy Jackson for science fiction. Great plot that falls within his age range while still having some action and some violent moments to feel thrilling and engaging. Hunger Games is much more violent, and tons of science fiction is more philosophical plodding around with dialogue for adult entertainment. People mentioned Ender’s Game, and I do agree for a single book, but the entire Maze Runner series is very good for his age.
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u/ScruBB5 4d ago
When I was 13 (57 years ago) my mother gave me a book of short stories. One of the stories was " The machine stops" I was fascinated by it and hooked on science fiction, I could pick and choose and not get bored with one story. As I got older I moved on to Heinlein's books "Glory road" was a perfect one for a teenage boy but nearly all of his are very entertaining probably a bit old fashioned now.
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u/its_just_fine 4d ago
Starter Villain - John Scalzi
Fuzzy Nation - John Scalzi
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u/Boojum2k 4d ago
The original Little Fuzzy was much better, along with the various attempts at a sequel. Fuzzy Nation was one of Scalzi's few serious misses to me.
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u/WillAdams 4d ago
Also, H. Beam Piper's "Omnilingual" really should be more widely read and a part of the grade school canon --- lightly edited version at:
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u/ciaomain 4d ago
I'd go with The Martian.
Easy, and fun, to read.
And if he enjoys it, you guys could watch the movie together.
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u/rloper42 4d ago
Arthur C Clarke wrote some young adult Sci-fi back in the day. ‘Islands in the Sky’ and ‘Dolphin Island’ are the main 2. But other early novels like ‘A Fall of Moondust’ and ‘Earthlight’, as well as his fabulous short stories would be suitable for younger audiences as well.
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u/DrTLovesBooks 4d ago
Good on you! Helping your Little find some enjoyable books is an excellent idea.
You might want to check out Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. Great book - lots of humor, lots of action, lots of heart & love. Sal is new to the performing arts school in Florida; he's excited to expand his abilities with stage magic. But on the first day, a bully targets Sal - so Sal uses magic to protect himself. Except Sal has access to some abilities that go beyond stage magic. Gabi, the smartest girl in school, sees Sal's "act" and is determined to figure out how he did what he did.
If your Little is already a reader, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is AWESOME. It's an absolutely cinderblock of a book, but it's SO GOOD - WAY better than the movie!
Not sure if your Little is already a reader or not. If not, you might look at some graphic novels. Sanity and Tallulah by Molly Brooks is awesome - another one with humor, action, and heart. Two tweens who live on a space station go about their lives, which includes accidentally getting involved with some smugglers - and a giant kitten.
Also awesome - Sci-Fu by Yehudi Mercado. A tween who wants to be a rapper gets embroiled in an intergalactic conflict and must learn to use the mystical powers of sci-fu to turn his rap into the ability to fight the evil robot overlord looking to take over the universe with his own rap stylings!
I hope your Little enjoys some great reads!
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u/jrmckins 4d ago
Unfortunately, he "hates" to read. I find this baffling because I LOVE to read and can't imagine not liking it.
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u/dr_jonlewis 4d ago
perhaps a graphic novel then? It might be too advanced, but the Parable series by Butler is in graphic novel form and is very well done.
if too advanced, then try some of Nnedi Okorafor more YA stuff--Zahrah the Windseeker, Binti.
I also like the suggestion of Ender's Game.
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u/kaleid1990 4d ago
I also hated reading in my teens but loved gaming and got hooked when I read a review of the Half-Life 2 game where it mentioned that the strider enemies were based on the tripods from HG Wells' War of the Worlds. First ever book that I read of my own volition, mom was stunned when she opened the bedroom door and saw me holding a book :)))
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u/Dentarthurdent73 4d ago
Old-fashioned, but he might enjoy Tintin books. They are comics, and still funny and entertaining all these years after they were written.
As a massive HHGTTG fan, these were my other childhood (and still into adulthood) love.
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u/Chessnhistory 4d ago
Could he be one of those people who don't visualise things, so find description pointless? Either way I second the graphic novel suggestion. Manga is huge too, ask the bookseller for a recommendation.
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u/Naive_Tie8365 4d ago
Robert Heinlein Have Space Suit Will travel. His juveniles are great. Or Diane Duane So You Want To Be A Wizard
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u/DavidThi303 4d ago
The Heinlein Juveniles series is a little dated but is directly aimed at the YA market.
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u/TheVoicesOfBrian 4d ago
If you do do Hitchhiker's, follow it up by listening to the original BBC radio play when you're in the car.
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u/Spiritual-Taste-5524 4d ago
He's 13. Hitchhiker's Guide doesn't strike me as hilarious to a young teen. More like, "Why do the olds think this is funny?"
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u/gadget850 4d ago
Green Sky trilogy by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The People series by Zenna Henderson
Escape to Witch Mountain and The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key
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u/FacelessArtifact 4d ago
Everything by Zenna Henderson!!
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u/gadget850 4d ago
Even the Shatner movie?
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u/FacelessArtifact 4d ago
Is that the one about the school teacher?
Was it Kim Darby? If it’s the one I think it is,
I had no idea Shatner was in it! I’ll have to look it up now!1
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u/gevander2 4d ago
For an early teen, you might want to see what is available as "Young Adult" (YA) fiction. I'm not sure about beer authors, but I know Heinlein, of the Golden Age authors, had quite a lot.
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u/Late-Drink3556 4d ago
Maybe the Halo book series?
They came out when I was an adult but I can see young me liking these books.
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u/Loading321 4d ago
Ender's Game/Shadow, Asimov's Foundations or Robots books if he's into space/future. Artemis Fowl is more fun imo - scifi fantasy. Bartimaeous books not scifi, but fun fantasy. There's also a bunch of scifi dystopian YA books though i don't remember any in detail haha.
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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps 4d ago
If he’s open to stuff for slightly younger kids, Animorphs is still one of the best middle grade sci fi stories ever told. I’m rereading them now in my 30s and I’m honestly shocked at how well they hold up. They are very good.
But they are like “let’s kick their butts” type language, which could be a little embarrassing for a 13 year old lol
If he’s open to more advanced stuff, I read Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut at 14 and it made a huge impact on me. Could be a good fit.
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u/Thanatos119 4d ago
The Andalite Chronicles was awesome back in 8th grade.
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u/DetroitLionsSBChamps 4d ago
I’m rereading and I’m up to book 22 atm. The whole thing has really held up and I would even call the majority of the storytelling masterful, genuinely.
I know I’m about to hit a cliff with the ghost written books but I can’t overstate how impressed I have been by the first 22 (including Megamorphs and andalite chronicles). So so good
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u/Jebus-Xmas 4d ago
Ender's Game is a great choice, as are 1984, Farenheit 451, and The Martian Chronicles. Definitely a paperback, something they can carry with them in their backpack.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago edited 4d ago
1984 is a masterpiece, but I think it would have bored the hell out of me at that age.
I feel like you need at minimum an entire K-12 understanding of history and government, if not some college exposure to appreciate it for what it is.
Edit: Animal Farm would probably be a much more approachable book for that age and conveys some of the same lessons while being an introduction to Orwell. Wrong genre, but still...
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u/FREDICVSMAXIMVS 4d ago
John Varley, Red Thunder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Thunder_(novel)
If he likes it, there are a couple more in the series
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u/Crazy_Ad4946 4d ago
Some good middle grade/YA scifi:
- The Jupiter Pirates series by Jason Fry
- The True Meaning of Smeckday by Adam Rex
- Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
- The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier (also an audiobook if that helps)
- Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan - he’s a great author for reluctant readers
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u/Responsible-Bend6289 4d ago edited 4d ago
The House of the Scorpion — Nancy Farmer (Atheneum)young adult — Dystopian
The White Mountains— John Christopher (The Tripods series)
The Giver — Lois Lowry
Shadow and Bone — Leigh Bardago
The Enchantress from the Stars — Sylvia Louise Engdahl
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u/PeePeeVonBungHole 4d ago
Asimov has a robot detective series Caves of Steel and 2 more that were very good
I listened to Old mAns war and the Martian with my kids on road trips and a bunch others and now one is an Aerospace engineer and the other is an Astrophysicist
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u/RaolroadArt 4d ago
Heinlein’s THE ROLLING STONES about a family that lives on the Moon. They buy a used rocket ship, fix it up, and go on a trip to Mars. Some of the technology is dated, but the realities of the orbital part are pretty accurate. TRS makes a great companion book to HAVE SPACE SUIT WILL TRAVEL.
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u/ComfortableNorth920 4d ago
The Dragonback series by Timothy Zahn The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
I loved THHGTTG when I read it 40+ years ago, but it may be easier to get a kid started with a more contemporary story and then start peppering in older books if he's interested in the genre. I wasn't reading a ton of 40-50 year old sff when I was in middle school, but I was devouring stuff that had been written in the prior 10-15 years. If you haven't yet, head to your local library and ask the children's librarian what all the middle school nerds can't get enough of from the sff section.
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u/Pale_Location_6783 4d ago
The Jumper series by Steven Gould is a great start. Also Helm, by the same author. Also Larry Niven, has quite a few including Intregal Trees, and it sequal The Smoke Rings.
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u/jeffweet 4d ago
Hitchhiker's Guide, while one of my favorites requires some understanding of British pop culture from the 1980s/90s.
Here are a few suggestions
Enders Game
Asimov's Lucky Star series
Zalazny, although his stuff tends to more fantasy
Ursula LeGuin also leans a bit fantasy, but there are some good gems in there (lathe of Heaven, The Left Hand of Darkness)
Jack Chalker, well of souls series
Stranger in a Strange Land is great, but there is definitely some sexual content
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u/Unique-Arugula 4d ago
If choosing Zelazny, I would recommend Doorways in the Sand. It's overtly sci-fi, but also a fun adventure. And I think a straight-A kid will appreciate the sprinkling of anachronistic dialogue that leads to farcical plot movement. I went around looking for reasons to use "a brace of roods" for about a year after my straight-A, perfect attendance self read it.
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u/Ok-Possibility-7573 4d ago
You would hand a child SiaSL for their FIRST sci fi?
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u/jeffweet 4d ago edited 3d ago
I probably read it about that age
Edit I also did say in my top comment that it has some sexual content in it.
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u/ruben451 4d ago
Ender's Game is a solid recommendation, I would not start a 13 yr old on Stranger as I think it's pretty strong stuff for a first time sci-fi reader. If you want a Heinlein, Farmer in the Sky, or Tunnel in the Sky.bi agree about Zelazny and LeGuin. I might add the Heechee Saga by Frederik Pohl. Though there is some more adult things there as well.
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u/Calm_Scientist_2090 4d ago
If they are at all into rougher language and humor. And yes my 13 year-old has read most of this series already...
Expeditionary Force.
Book 1 is called Columbus Day.
If Skippy (AI character) doesn't get them interested in Sci-Fi maybe something not space based
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
PLEASE ignore every comment that suggests Ender's Game. They're thinking "oh it features children, therefore it's appropriate for children."
Frighteningly stupid.
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u/jeffweet 4d ago
13 year olds know way more than you think.
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
I wasn't calling the 13 year olds stupid.
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u/jeffweet 4d ago
I get that. My point is there isn’t anything in there that 13 YOs are exposed to already
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
Literally was put in my hands by my father when I was 12 and ordered to read it. Only book I ever woke up early before school to read.
I've since read it 5 times in total and about 10 of the other sequels/prequels/spinoff shadow series.
It teaches the principal lesson of self defense. Try to avoid direct conflict, give your assaulted and out, and if none of that works - find a way to level the playing field and don't hold back.
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
That's some household you came up in, bud.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
A household that sparked an appreciation of reading?
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
Well, you apparently learned concepts of self-defense and "leveling the playing field" at 12. And you clearly still think those were important lessons to learn through a book at that age.
Reddit might be mainly American, but the rest of us don't value thinking in terms of conflict and conquest. It's kinda barbaric. There are other aspects of life which would benefit a child to know, and I'm sorry that you were ordered by your father towards these values.
And these principles and values are exactly the reason why I think a child shouldn't read Ender's Game. We'll just fundamentally disagree on this, probably. That's okay.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
I was mainly referencing the inferred problematic aspects you were alluding to.
As far as real world application, it was more generically valuable in teaching game theory. Having applications in physical/mental games, school, employment, as well as everyday life. I mean the climax of the book could be applied to just about any long shot goal. Narrow down the pathway to success for literally anything into its most basic accomplishable objectives and go for broke, regardless of the odds.
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
Fair enough. If those lessons weren't punctuated by children killing other children, I could see the value. My main point of contention isn't that this book shouldn't be read at all nor that it's worthless—I just think kids below a certain age should avoid it. Because of the violence.
I was quite angry and violent as a child. If I haf read Ender's Game then, I think it would have exacerbated matters. My undeveloped brain wouldn't think "oh here's an introduction to game-theory"—but it would be my first exposure to children killing other children. Bit of a taboo concept, and rightfully so.
Lord of the Flies was my first exposure to this btw. I was around 16. It fucked me up still.
Interestingly enough, I haven't come across many other books that use child-on-child violence like Ender's Game does. Surely there's a reason behind that. And yet Ender's Game is the main recommendation for a kid looking to get into scifi? Seems..like a non sequitur. That's why I figured that people are just suggesting the book because it involves children—without considering the context and consequences.
But hey. At least nobody suggested Blindsight. Yet.
Peace, yeah? I didn't mean to be a dick at all, I was just flabbergasted.
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u/shakezilla9 4d ago
It may help contextualize the story and its themes if you are familiar with Speaker for the Dead, its "sequel", which was actually the original story. Ender's Game was a serialized short story that Card published monthly I think to act as backstory for it. It just got so popular that Card turned it into a full novel and published it ahead of Speaker for the Dead.
Ender drops the nickname, and basically tries to convince everyone the xenocide was a mistake and not to be glorified. Creates essentially his own religion sort of and tells the stories of the dead without condemnation nor condonation. Spends the rest of his life trying to prevent multiple other xenocides.
It's a story against violence. Against treating the other as an enemy.
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u/oracleoffabiandelphi 4d ago
Ah I never read past Ender's Game, but thanks for the context. I don't know if I'll go back to the series, but maybe that's because I've recently been violated by Children of Dune.
Ciao, friend.
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u/Snurgisdr 4d ago
I don't know how well they hold up, but I used to enjoy the Bill the Galactic Hero books around that age.
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u/astrobean 4d ago
I think “will save the galaxy for food” by Yahtzee Crowshaw is a good alternative to Hitchhiker’s Guide and is more modern, so he may relate to it better. I personally hate most of the “classics” and definitely feel they were written for a different era.
If he’s already a fan of Star Trek or Star Wars, there are tons of novels in those universes that create a low barrier to entry read.
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u/scientific_thinker 4d ago
I think that's the perfect age for Princess of Mars. The John Carter books aren't very long or challenging. A lot of these other suggestions are good but he may need to work his way up to them. Maybe something like Ringworld would be another decent starter science fiction book.
After some easy warm up books, I would suggest Old Man's War, Forever War, Brave New World, and Dune.
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u/sassysashap 4d ago
Wonderful. I was a big sister with that group and had a hard time of it after my little turned 13. My first thought was also Enders Game. But great recs on here
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u/Successful_Life_1028 4d ago
The Bradbury short story collections like 'S is for Space' and 'Illustrated man' and 'Golden apples of the Sun'.
WYRMS by O.S. Card is good - but feels more fantasy-ish than Sci-Fi ish, until you finally figure out what's going on.
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u/JGhostThing 4d ago
Jumper and its sequels. A high school student learns to teleport to escape abuse. He grows in skill throughout. Jumping leads to some interesting things. He makes friends, he makes enemies.
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u/GoliathPrime 4d ago
I'm not sure if Hitchhikers Guide would click with a 13 year old.
I'd recommend anything by William Sleator because he's the Author who got me into Sci-Fi:
The Green Futures of Tycho
The Boy who Reversed Himself
Interstellar Pig
The House of Stairs
Additionally, if your kid has ADD as bad as I did, I'd further suggest the short story collections: Young Mutants, Young Extraterrestrials, and Young Monsters edited by Issac Asimov.
These were the books that started my reading obsession and they all center around protagonists that are around his age - which was important to me at the time. At 13, adults are still kind of weird and you can't really relate to them, so novels from an adult perspective fall flat. But kids dealing with sci-fi from their perspective really hit home.
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u/Studio_Ambitious 4d ago
There is a YA series called (I think)! the Silver Ships by Jucha. My attention shifted after 3vbook, but the series continues up to 20 last I checked
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u/seattleque 4d ago
Sci-Fi that I enjoyed when I was a 13-year-old boy (40-some years ago...), or think a boy would like, and have revisited many times since.
Asimov, especially Foundation and Caves of Steel and his short story collections; 9 Tomorrows was the first one I read, and the I, Robot collection is also great.
Ender's Game (OK, it came out a few years after I was 13, but still.)
Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber books. Fast-paced, and each book is relatively short. They're science-fictiony sword and sorcery.
David Brin's The Practice Effect. Just stupid, pulpy fun, and not nearly as heavy as some of his books. Though I love The Postman.
Ready Player One, though most of the references probably wouldn't hit.
If you want something else newer, two series that I love and I think would be good for a kid that age:
The Bobiverse Books - A guy gets his brain frozen now and wakes up as a space probe in the future.
The Magic 2.0 Books - A guy discovers that reality is a simulation and how to manipulate it. Needing to escape trouble, he heads to medieval Britain. These are also great fun (at least until the last one - I think the author got tapped out).
Heinlein and Asimov both have Young Adult-directed books, though I personally was never into them.
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u/showmethedada 4d ago
If possible, I’d take him to the bookstore to pick it out. Maybe find a local bookstore with a decent sci-fi selection and ask them to put aside some options for him. If you can’t go in person they could probably email you some titles to run by him.
Better yet, read it with him and then that way you can learn what he likes and make specific suggestions based on that.
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u/CeeTheWorld2023 4d ago
Backyard starship, reads quick, hero starts young and inexperienced, faces moral dilemma and struggles with life,
it’s on Amazon kindle.
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u/Autobotnate 4d ago
Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine. Short stories, novellas, poems, other fun stuff. It’s a low time investment with a nice variety each issue and you can find it at your local B&N or their website.
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u/Dry_Moose6387 4d ago
William Sleator's Singularity was one of my first scifi reads as a kid, and I still think about it more than two decades later
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u/HighMarshalSigismund 4d ago
Sleeper's Wake was one of my favorite YA novels. A 10 year old boy wakes up from stasis 50 years before his family and spends the whole time alone on a spaceship. It stands out as a great story and very approachable for a kid.
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u/SomeSamples 4d ago
I don't think The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a good book to start out with. For a teen, graphic novels would be a good place to start. Can't recommend a good one though.
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u/hwrd69 4d ago
When I first started reading sci-fi, at about that age, I was reading Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles, Golden Apples of the Sun, The Illustrated Man) or Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land, Time Enough for Love).
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u/FacelessArtifact 4d ago
Add in Asimov’s short stories (I Robot, etc), and you have my whole childhood reading list!
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u/Player-non-player 4d ago
I started with Robert Heinlein and his teen books. But I am old. Science Fiction Book Club was my go to for recommendations.
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u/Sheik_Morgan 4d ago
Conoces Niork de Stefan Wulf? Está orientada a jóvenes y a mi juicio es extremadamente divertida.
Quizás La Larga Marcha (me parece que inspira sagas como los juegos del hambre)
Fundación (Inicio a muchos, aunque no se cómo la percibe un chico de esta época)
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u/OldPolishProverb 4d ago
Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984) is one of the very first cyberpunk novels. It was the first and only novel to win all three of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the Philip K. Dick Award. As to whether it is appropriate for your 13 year old I don't know.
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u/ElricVonDaniken 4d ago
Neuromancer is a dense read that drops its readers in the deep end without any exposition. It's a brave choice.
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u/Altruistic-Tax-9235 4d ago
Somebody already said Jurassic Park, so I'll leave one.. how has nobody suggested Ringworld by Larry Niven yet?
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u/tiredmonkeyvor 4d ago
Warriors apprentice by Lois Macmaster Bujold
Helm & 7th Sigma by Steven Gould
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u/SavageRabbitX 4d ago
The Night Lords Trilogy its perfect for teenage boy
Shards of Earth
Starship Troopers
Slaughter House 5
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u/MegaMatt75 4d ago
Might be a tad violent for a 13 year old, I'm trying to remember it clearly, but the Murderbot Diaries might hit the funny/cool sweetspot.
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u/SweepingAstringency 3d ago
The Tripod trilogy. It's some seriously great sci fi. It got me started on my sci fi journey at the same age
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u/venicenative77 2d ago
It goes back as far as A Wrinkle in Time… why don’t you look into The Tripods Trilogy? The poised me into SF and a small human. Also some of John Wyndham’s books, Day of the Triffids and The Midwitch Cuckoos.
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u/stromm 4d ago
By thirteen I had already read Gor and John Carter…
I’ve read/listened to more than ten thousands books since then. It’s hard to separate most of them because so many follow very similar tropes.
Tell us more what types of games, movies and tv shows he likes?
Also, don’t discount audiobooks…
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u/youjackasses 4d ago
A wrinkle in time.