AboutSue Kayton Expertise Engineer who has read thousands of science fiction books and short stories. Can recommend stories on specific subjects and comment on technical feasibility. Especially good at older out-of-print books and authors.
Question Heya,
I just got done reading a YA novel "The Goodness Gene", and it has left me with a desperate need to find more books just like it, though more adult. I'm looking for books that are in the future that involve science, but are not really plot driven. Books that make you think, like Nancy Kress's Beggars series, "The truth machine" and any of asmov or Tepper books. Thank you for all the help.
Answer I'm trying to understand what you mean by "not plot driven." I think you mean "not action-adventure." Science fiction is generally divided into these categories:
1) Space opera, like the Star Wars movies. Also called action-adventure. Good guys and bad guys battle with phasers and other futuristic weapons. Very little character development, and no thinking needed. Take a classic Western and replace the cowboy hats with space helmets, and replace the six-shooters with phasers, and they are indistinguishable.
2) Science-focused, also called hard science fiction. Classic example is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton (his other books are more like space operas). It's all about the science and its impact on the world and on the people. Many other classics are in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, volume 1. The most popular short story in the collection is Nightfall by Isaac Asimov.
3) Character-focused. Little action, but lots of talking and thinking. Classic example is the short story Arena in the Science Fiction hall of Fame, volume 1.
4) Romance novel. The usual romance novel plot, but involving tall, dark, and handsome aliens or normal humans on an alien planet.
5) Military science fiction. Eric Flint's 1694 series is a classic example.
I assume you are looking for stuff in categories 2 and 3. In addition to the short story anthology recommended twice above, Here are some more that make you think:
Many novels by Frank Herbert such as Dune (skip the sequels), The Dosadi Experiment, and The Santaroga Barrier. Dune imagines an entire planet with people with strange habits, unusual mental abilities, and a lot of philosophy. Santaroga examines a small town that closes itself against outsiders. Dosadi is a psychological experiment on a planet-wide scale.
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. The ethics and morality of time travel.
The short story "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke. Collected in many anthologies. He has lots of other good stories. Look for The Best of Arthur C. Clarke. Many have religious and philosophical overtones.
Star Healer and other Sector General novels by James White. Set in a multi-species intergalactic hospital.
Copernick's Rebellion or The Crosstime Engineer by Leo Frankowski. Skip the many sequels to Crosstime Engineer. Copernick's Rebellion is especially interesting in its approach to green technology. Crosstime Engineer features a 20th century engineer who gets dumped in medieval Poland and tries to raise living standards with modern technology.
