I didn’t think I liked sci fi, raised by a dad who loves Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate (if it was set in space, had a military angle and star in the title, he watched it), put me off. I didn’t see myself in those shows or in the classic sci fi books in the library.
But in the last few years there’s been a boom in sci fi that’s smart and inclusive. Queer writers, writers of colour, women writers are all there now, some of the most interesting work in fiction is taking place in the genre. Because in sci fi, you can be anyone, do anything, hold a mirror up to our reality and tilt it.
A lot of the sci fi I’ve been reading recently has been tackling the effects and legacy of colonialism, something that much fiction is leery about covering. But set it in the far future on another planet, with aliens or even future humans and you can explore the dark history of humanity and discuss its terrible lasting damage without upsetting anyone (well, except the usual reactionists, and we’re the snowflakes!)
There’s something for everyone in the new sci fi, plenty of writers are still writing space marines and war stories but more and more there are queer characters, non binary and trans characters, found families working as a crew. And they’re funny. A lot of those classic books I found in the library took themselves very seriously. You’re in space! With aliens! Laugh.
So I’m embracing this brave new world, and will be sharing various favourites across the summer here and on Instagram, so keep an eye out.
To whet your appetite, here’s a few of my favourites.
The Word For World is Forest – Ursula K. LeGuin
LeGuin is one of the greats, her Earthsea series remains a stone cold classic. But one of my favourites is this slim volume from 1972. Partly inspired by the author’s condemnation of the Vietnam War, this novella looks at a logging colony set up by humans on a forest planet and the enslavement of the native people – the Athsheans. While some criticised the book as too polemical, I think that LeGuin was making a clear comment about colonialism, slavery and ecology. The military that runs the logging camps cares nothing for the Athsheans or their planet. When they finally start to fight back, they are met by brute force and violence.
Saga – Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples
This is actually a long running graphic novel series but is one of my absolute favourites. It’s about a family trying to stay together despite the odds. Alana and Marko fall in love even though they are fighting on opposite sides of a seemingly endless war. When Alana gets pregnant, they go on the run with their friends. It’s narrated by their daughter, Hazel. They live in a space ship made from a tree at one point. Endlessly creative and inclusive, the nanny is trans and the babysitter’s a ghost.
Telling the story of these outsiders alongside those of some of the other players searching for this special family. I love the various bounty hunters and especially Lying Cat, who can tell when you lie. There are currently 11 books, in various bindings and I only have 10! Ahh!
The Red Scholar’s Wake – Aliette de Bodard
This came out very recently and as well as being very beautiful to look at, is a captivating romance between a ship, Rice Fish, and her captive/wife. They’re pirates fighting to ensure their survival after The Red Scholar, Rice Fish’s wife, dies. There are enemies everywhere and an empire looming at the edges, hoping to crush the pirates completely.
I came to this via de Bodard’s fantasy series set in a future destroyed Paris. As a French-Vietnamese writer, she is tackling colonialism from within, giving a different perspective on the history and struggles of colonised people.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars – Christopher Paolini
The crew of the Wallfish are smugglers who answer a distress call and get dragged into an epic space war involving ancient alien artifacts and species. It’s a sprawling story that travels across the galaxy, attempting to create peace but finding only chaos as both humans and aliens refuse to even attempt to understand one another.
I haven’t read the Eragon books, despite my love of dragons the series never appealed, but this intelligent space opera really captured me. Paolini spent years writing it and while it is a big book, it doesn’t feel laboured.
La Sirena Negra trilogy – Valerie Valdes
Prime Deceptions introduces us to the crew of La Sirena Negra, a freighter, captained by Eva Innocente, a former mercenary. There’s a whole tribe of psychic cats on board, which I adore, and it is also quite queer. Followed by Chilling Effect and Fault Tolerance as the crew get dragged into various misadventures including rescuing Eva’s kidnapped sister, and stopping a terrifying alien race from destroying the galaxy.
This whole series is very funny and there’s lots of action as Eva can’t say no to a fight, even when her opponent is much bigger than her. Aided by her faithful crew, even when they should know better, it’s space hijinks galore.
What sci fi do you enjoy? Any recommendations? Keep an eye out for more Summer of Sci Fi posts coming soon that might include some books you’ll enjoy!
*images used were found via Google. If you are the owner and wish to be credited, please let me know*
ramblingmads 