In early November, I went to a book sale at the local library and bought a
stack of old (read out-of-print) books which I'm still working my way through. So,
when The Editor suggested that I write a gift-giving guide this month, I jumped
at the idea. For your convenience, you can click on the book titles to view or
buy the book.
First - the kids.
If you know someone in late Elementary or early Middle School, then you'll want
to see that they have a copy of
by Madeleine L'Engle. If the youngster already has it, there are several sequels to
choose from as well, including ,
,
and .
Even though A Wrinkle in Time has been endorsed by English teachers, its a great
children's SF book.
For someone a year or two older, I think they'll like some of the Jupiter books
by Charles Sheffield. The ones which come immediately to mind are
,
,
and .
All of these are excellent reading. The Sheffield books are comparable to Heinlein's
young adult novels, and the material is less dated. (Sorry folks, but Martian and Venusian
animal life, Nazis on the moon, and other inventions of Heinlein's early works are finally
showing signs of wear. I love those books dearly, but today's youngsters will probably enjoy
something a little more up-to-date.)
For High Schoolers, you may find that a little leavening of fact is appreciated. Look for
Moon Shot, written by Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton at your used book store. Or try
by Homer H. Hickam, also published as .
Am I trying to get your youngsters excited about the space program? You bet!
If they have to have fiction, however, there are many novels adult enough to interest
them. Consider ,
or
by Connie Willis. These are both excellent examples of humorous Science Fiction. For somewhat harder SF
check out
by Allen Steele. Although its out-of-print, paperback versions are available for $10 or
less on the net. You can try you local used book store as well. Its about hard hats in
space building a somewhat larger space station than NASA's latest design.
More mature audiences may appreciate a more classical approach to Science
Fiction. Dune fanatics will have to have ,
by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Also just-released is
by Kim Stanley Robinson.
looks to be a real treat for Orson Scott Card fans.
And last, but not least, for the Cyber-Punk crowd, William Gibson has a
new novel out. Its the third volume of what he calls a non-trilogy which also includes
Virtual Light and Idoru. Titled ,
it looks to be an excellent read for those who follow this gifted author.
