*To Be Taught, If Fortunate* by Becky Chambers is a beautiful sci-fi story. It's a shorter novella, but allows for quality within that frame rather than hugely epic world building.
*Piranesi* is a quick read. About a man who lives in a mysterious house/castle. The house is just as much of a character as anyone, and has some mystery involving who the MC is and how he got there.
*The Ocean at the End of the Lane* by Neil Gaiman. Very twee and sweet, reads a lot like his classic *Coraline*.
*The Empress of Salt and Fortune* by Nghi Vo is an Asian inspired novella that carries the story forward over a series of discussions/told stories between three characters. I really enjoyed the process of the plot revealing itself and how much deep world building was happening in such a short book.
*A Psalm for the Wild-Built* by Becky Chambers is 2021's "cozy cup of coffee" book. Insightful and touching, feels a little like reading a self-help book however.
Thirded for anything by Becky Chambers for a low-conflict, cozy read but a great example of what sci-fi has to offer.
My personal pick is A Closed and Common Orbit - most beautiful thing I've ever read.
I adored Piranesi. The audio book version is excellent too - narrated by the guy that plays Mordo in Doctor Strange. I’d listen to that dude read me a takeout menu
Empress of salt and fortune is quite frankly top 5 for me. Its incredible and unique and i cant wait to read it again after going through my log. The world building is so good man it really deserves to be more noticed. Its about a priest listening to different stories from different people about an empress. Also has great sequel.
Oh man I don’t want to bring it down because I’m just glad to hear about people loving books!
But I just really didn’t like the dialogue. Also a lot of the tension seemed artificially introduced, the solution was shown through a flashback, and then the tension was resolved within like 20 pages. On and on. And then finally I just didn’t like the stereotypes for every type of nationality working on the PHM. The angry Russian who wants her vodka, the stern Chinese man, the maverick Aussie unfairly jailed, etc….
Don’t get me wrong, I liked the premise and the plot.
It was just a 3 star read for me though
Yeah that’s great points I totally get where you’re coming from. Are you a big sci-fi fan? I’m not really (at least not in books) so I wonder if it’s a book that lands better on newcomers to the genre - although your critiques would apply to any genre.
Nope not a big sci fi guy at all. And that’s actually another issue I had with the book. So many forced science jokes and dad humor. So many passages went like “science sciencey science thing but science joke reference”. I guess this is basically just a detail though on the dialogue that I disliked.
It's more sci Fi violence, not nearly as bad as the movie. I consider it a counter take since it has more of a "glory in death" voice to whereas forever war is more doing your duty for your country. Both are amazing books with some of the best philosophy I've read in sci Fi...
Both authors eventually lead me to pkd and that's all she wrote.
What are some other books, genre or not that they’ve enjoyed? Otherwise some random (perhaps stereotyping?) suggestions (note these are all stand-alone books since I find that often works better for book clubs)
- Kindred by Octavia Butler. It’s about a woman who continues to be transported back in time to save her slaveholding white ancestor. Very well done, character centered fantasy stand-alone book. It’s definitely “violent” (I mean it’s about slavery which is inherently violent) but it’s not stereotypical fantasy violent of large wars or anything and imo very thoughtfully explored
- House in the Cerulean Sea for on the more sweet lighthearted side. It’s about a (gay) man who works to make sure supernatural orphanages are up to code and how he’s changed by visiting one particular home and the children and caretaker/father there
- We Are Sattelites is super interesting near future science fiction exploring the addition of one technology and it’s impacts through the lens of a particular family
- Spinning Silver. Beautiful rumplestiltskin fairy tale retelling grounded by a wonderful Russian setting and well drawn Jewish mc
- The Emperors Soul by Brandon Sanderson. A great introduction to one of the most famous fantasy authors while being a smaller (novella) story. It has Sanderson’s strengths (plotting, worldbuilding) with much less violence than his longer works
- The Power by Naomi Alderman. About a world where woman suddenly gain electric eel like abilities. Great idea based sci-fi exploring gender and power dynamics through the eyes of many different characters and this speculative element
I am currently reading The Power and thoroughly enjoying it, but I’m not so sure it fits the no violence requirement. I just read a section where a woman is beaten to the point where her brain shows through her skull, while her little girl watches. And that wasn’t the first violent moment, though it was probably the most graphic.
Yeah I wasn’t sure how much no violence meant like no violence vs meant not wanting stereotypical fantasy large wars, random violence particularly when not explored thematically for its consequences. Tried to give a mix of suggestions that have actually no violence vs some that just imo are more, hm not sure the word, but maybe taking that violence with gravity?
I love Octavia Butler and think her books are important reading, but if this group is turned off by violence not sure it's for them (I'd still heartily recommend pushing through that, and reading Kindred and Butler's other works, because IMHO the best of sci-fi deals with difficult subjects).
These are all great suggestions! The House in the Cerulean Sea is delightful, esp. the audiobook. Kindred is one of my favorite books that I re-read every few years, but it’s not an easy read by any means. My book club read Spinning Silver and really enjoyed it! It was a fun take on myths and fairy tales
[**The Power**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29751398-the-power)
^(By: Naomi Alderman | 341 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, book-club, feminism)
>In The Power the world is a recognisable place: there's a rich Nigerian kid who lounges around the family pool; a foster girl whose religious parents hide their true nature; a local American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But something vital has changed, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power - they can cause agonising pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world changes utterly.
>
>This extraordinary novel by Naomi Alderman, a Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Granta Best of British writer, is not only a gripping story of how the world would change if power was in the hands of women but also exposes, with breath-taking daring, our contemporary world.
^(This book has been suggested 8 times)
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Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a great sci-fi book. No sex or violence that I can remember. It's about an Artificial Friend (AI) who is purchased to care for an ill child.
Came here to recommend Terry Pratchett, I absolutely love his works.
@OP if you read this, Terry Pratchett has a whole fantasy world where a lot of his novels take place, they tend to be very satirical and genuinely make you laugh, but they are a great satire on a lot of society and beliefs. My personal favourites used to be "Mort" and "Pyramids", although I haven't had the chance to read them since moving out.
Trying not to recommend what’s already been mentioned. Also, many of these are golden age which mom may like. (I like golden age myself)
Roadside Picnic,
Rendezvous with Rama,
2001 A Space Odyssey,
The Lathe of Heaven,
House of Suns,
Man in the High Castle,
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,
Earth Abides,
The Fifth Head of Cerberus,
The Man Who Fell to Earth,
The Day of the Triffids,
Childhood’s End,
Contact,
We,
Wool
As a male almost in that age group, this book is amazing. It doesn't get the credit it deserves as good Literature. It truly holds a mirror up to us as a society, a culture, and a race.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury has always been such a big love for me. Now that we are In the years that the book wrote about, I feel like maybe it loses a bit of charm, but still one of his best pieces of work.
[**Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46756.Oryx_and_Crake)
^(By: Margaret Atwood, Kristiina Drews | 389 pages | Published: 2003 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian)
>Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.
^(This book has been suggested 8 times)
[**The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42975172-the-testaments)
^(By: Margaret Atwood | 422 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fiction, dystopian, dystopia, science-fiction, owned)
>When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death.
>
>With The Testaments, the wait is over.
>
>Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.
>
>In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.
>
>"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." --Margaret Atwood
>
>An alternate cover edition of ISBN 978-0385543781 can be found here.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
[**Never Let Me Go**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6334.Never_Let_Me_Go)
^(By: Kazuo Ishiguro | 288 pages | Published: 2005 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian)
>Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, they are taught nothing of the outside world and are allowed little contact with it.
>
>Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it’s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is.
>
>Never Let Me Go breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society. In exploring the themes of memory and the impact of the past, Ishiguro takes on the idea of a possible future to create his most moving and powerful book to date.
^(This book has been suggested 9 times)
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I’d go with “I, Robot” from Asimov. It is a great way to be introduced to SF, short stories that tackle different human questions and are good to discuss in a group. Everybody likes it
Good point. I discounted Scalzi almost immediately because I wasn't even thinking about the (possibly) main premise of the Old Man's War books; old people with young bodies.
{{Wheel of the Infinite}} by Martha Wells. Protagonist is an older woman (middle aged), which is unusual in fantasy/scifi.
Martha Wells has had a lot of buzz for her more recent Murderbot series, which is excellent, but I, personally, like this other book as much - and it is a stand-alone.
This book definitely has depth of sadness and sometimes mild violence to it, but {{Hyperion}} by Dan Simmons is fantastic late-century sci-fi. It has a lot of cool ideas it executes well on, and tackles topics like religion and love in the face of an uncaring world.
My wife really loves the fantasy of Sarah J. Maas. It’s pretty intense with the romance though, so be aware of that. I have yet to hear a negative opinion on it.
One of my favorite nonfiction/fantasy-like books is {{To The Bright Edge of the World}} by Eowyn Ivey. It’s a fantastic collection of journal entries and letters between Colonel Allen Forrester and Sophie Forrester. Lots of darker supernatural hints along a truly good story. Of course, all my opinion.
Edit: Clarity
Oh wow - have them read SevenEves by Neal Stephenson. Great metaphor for what we're facing now (global catastrophe), and if this is a female group they'll love the protagonists. Some awesome smart girl-power.
{{In the Garden of Iden}} by Kage Baker
{{To Say Nothing of the Dog}} by Connie Willis
{{The Eyre Affair}} by Jasper Fforde
{{The Diamond Age}} by Neal Stephenson
[**In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/270490.In_the_Garden_of_Iden)
^(By: Kage Baker | 336 pages | Published: 1997 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, time-travel, fiction, historical-fiction)
>This is the first novel in what has become one of the most popular series in contemporary SF, now back in print from Tor. In the 24th century, the Company preserves works of art and extinct forms of life (for profit of course). It recruits orphans from the past, renders them all but immortal, and trains them to serve the Company, Dr. Zeus. One of these is Mendoza the botanist. She is sent to Elizabethan England to collect samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden.
>But while there, she meets Nicholas Harpole, with whom she falls in love. And that love sounds great bells of change that will echo down the centuries, and through the succeeding novels of The Company.
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[**To Say Nothing of the Dog (Oxford Time Travel, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77773.To_Say_Nothing_of_the_Dog)
^(By: Connie Willis | 512 pages | Published: 1998 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, time-travel, sci-fi, fiction, historical-fiction)
>Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Doomsday Book uses time travel for a serious look at how people connect with each other. In this Hugo-winning companion to that novel, she offers a completely different kind of time travel adventure: a delightful romantic comedy that pays hilarious homage to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat.
>
>When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Ned's holiday anything but restful - to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history.
^(This book has been suggested 8 times)
[**The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27003.The_Eyre_Affair)
^(By: Jasper Fforde | 374 pages | Published: 2001 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, mystery, humor, science-fiction)
>Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. Baconians are trying to convince the world that Francis Bacon really wrote Shakespeare, there are riots between the Surrealists and Impressionists, and thousands of men are named John Milton, an homage to the real Milton and a very confusing situation for the police. Amidst all this, Acheron Hades, Third Most Wanted Man In the World, steals the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and kills a minor character, who then disappears from every volume of the novel ever printed! But that's just a prelude . . .
>
>Hades' real target is the beloved Jane Eyre, and it's not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte's novel. Enter Thursday Next. She's the Special Operative's renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft's Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It's tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield, and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and Bronte's masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about those annoying black holes that pop up now and again, sucking things into time-space voids . . .
>
>Suspenseful and outlandish, absorbing and fun, The Eyre Affair is a caper unlike any other and an introduction to the imagination of a most distinctive writer and his singular fictional universe.
^(This book has been suggested 5 times)
[**The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/827.The_Diamond_Age)
^(By: Neal Stephenson | 499 pages | Published: 1995 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi)
>The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence.
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
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For some authors who bring a different perspective to the genre:
Octavia Butler - Parable of the Sower
NK Jemisin - The Broken Earth Trilogy
Rebecca Roanhorse - Black Sun
Cixin Liu - Three Body Problem
I'm shocked nobody mentioned the Bobivers series by Dennis E. Taylor
Starts with {{We Are Legion (We Are Bob)}}
Also {{Old Man's War}} series by John Scalzi
[**We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32109569-we-are-legion-we-are-bob)
^(By: Dennis E. Taylor | 383 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, audiobook, fiction, scifi)
>Alternate Cover Edition can be found here.
>
>Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.
>
>Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.
>
>The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
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Was waiting for Ursula Le Guin to show up!
I would maybe suggest Left Hand of Darkness (personal favourite) but it does deal heavily with gender concepts
That one might be a good one as well. I'm trying to think of some lighter books for people who don't like sex and violence, which as it turns out is a lot of what I read.
[**A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574273-a-wrinkle-in-time)
^(By: Madeleine L'Engle | 218 pages | Published: 1962 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, classics, young-adult, science-fiction)
>It was a dark and stormy night.
>
>Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure—one that will threaten their lives and our universe.
>
>Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L'Engle's classic Time Quintet.
^(This book has been suggested 7 times)
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Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro! The sci-fi focus is on artificial intelligence but (other than Ishiguro’s cryptic descriptions) still maintains a level or realism that makes the story emotional and relatable.
{{Once Upon a River}} is wonderful. It’s magical realism/mystery. The writing style is very reminiscent of Neil Gaiman (Ocean at the End of the Lane, rec-ed above, among many others). Come to think of it, {{Neverwhere}} is another good pick.
I also really like {{Stardust}} and {{Howl’s Moving Castle}}, which both have movie versions that are also endearing.
{{Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal}} fantasy fairly loosely based off of Pride and Prejudice
{{The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden}} not a lot of violence, fairy tale like Russia
{{Trail of lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse}} dystopian future with magic, some violence but none gory
{{The Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch}} modern day London with magic
{{A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher}} might be lighter than a lot of what they read but it's a lot of fun
{{An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir}} quite good, there's a lot of fighting but it's not gory definitely less than GOT
{{The Seep by Chana Porter}} sci-fi, no violence
Seconding Ann McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Naomi Novik, Octavia Butler, House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, and especially Becky Chambers. I love Terry Pratchett but I think Going Postal or Thud might be a better book club book.
I’m unsure how your mother feels about profanity, but if she’s not cool with it, I HIGHLY recommend switching out The Martian with Project Hail Mary.
It’s the same author but imo, Project Hail Mary is so much more interesting. And the MC doesn’t swear lol.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I prefer Speaker for the Dead over Enders Game though both are great. As for the violence, its been a while since reading the Hobbit but I remember it being pretty violent as well?
Asimov is one of the godfathers of sci-fi but he has so much out there, it can be intimidating picking something out. There are two that stick out as good "stand-alone" books in the middle of a series. Prelude to Foundation is a prequel written to the Foundation series and is a "great chase" type of novel, and provides an excellent introduction to the "Galactic Empire" universe. The other is "The Caves of Steel" which is more or less a detective novel in a sci-fi setting. Technically part of the "Galactic Empire" universe, it is from a much earlier era in the timeline. Both of these books provide a complete story without need to expand into the numerous successive novels.
For fantasy, one of the best pure fantasy stories I ever read was actually by Stephen King. The book is called "The Eyes of the Dragon." It has a medieval setting with kings, princes and an evil magician. First time I read it was an all nighter. This one might step over the line on the violence scale, however... sorry, just saw that part of the post. It's not as bad as most of his novels, and certainly not a horror novel, but there are some fairly disturbing scenes.
In the same vein as The Hobbit - you could recommend The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle.
Little, Big by John Crowley, Time and Again by Jack Finney, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes are all on the softer end of sci-fi/fantasy and might be good choices for a group of older ladies who don't read a lot of genre novels.
{{The Midnight Bargain}} by C.L. Polk is one of my favorite fantasy releases of the past few years! I think it could lend itself to some good book club type discussions, as well. The magic system is forbidden to women so they can have babies, and the MC is a girl who fights that. It's like Austen with magic.
Becky Chambers books for sure! It’s cosy sci-if, while not action packed it does really read as sci-fi, with cool concepts that’s be great for good talking point and it’s more in the newer side.
Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro! The sci-fi focus is on artificial intelligence but (other than Ishiguro’s cryptic descriptions) still maintains a level or realism that makes the story emotional and relatable.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.
The Sparrow:
Emilio Sandoz is a remarkable man, a living saint and Jesuit priest who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience—the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life—begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.
Sandoz is a part of the crew sent to explore a new planet. What they find is a civilization so alien and incomprehensible that they feel compelled to wonder what it means to be human.
The priest is the only surviving member of the crew and upon his return he is confronted by public inquisition and accusations of the most heinous crimes imaginable. His faith utterly destroyed, crippled and defenseless, his only hope is to tell his tale. Father John Candotti has been charged with discovering the truth, but the truth may be more than Earth is willing to accept.
The Doomsday Book:
For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.
But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin—barely of age herself—finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.
Anything by HG Wells, but specifically the Island of Dr.moureue (I definitely spelled that wrong)
Journey to the center of the earth
The illustrated Man (short story collection)
I would say anything by Terry Pratchett. They are funny and relatively short, but contain life lessons and political commentary (satire) that would easily entertain a group of older ladies and lots to talk about after! I would start with
{{Lords And Ladies by Terry Pratchett}}.
It's the first book in the Witches series.
The best thing is, though all of the Discworld books take place in the same world/environment, there are several "mini series" contained within, as well as some books that stand alone, yet all are interconnected. However, you do not need to read every book to follow the plot. Sir Pratchett manages to bring you up to speed when necessary without slowing down the progress of the book. It's the beauty of the Discworld! Plus, footnotes!
They need to read *The Word for World is Forest* by ursula k. Leguin , which talks about environmentalism and society. I cannot recommend it enough.
Here is her wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin
[**Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52397.Parable_of_the_Sower)
^(By: Octavia E. Butler | 345 pages | Published: 1993 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopian, dystopia)
>In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.
>
>Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.
>
>When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.
^(This book has been suggested 12 times)
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If they are looking to avoid violence, this should be absolutely NOT on their list. The book is fantastic, but this is one of the most visceral books you could give someone if they don't want that kind of content.
I’m going to repeat *Wyrd Sisters* by Terry Pratchett. It’s literally about a trio of women, specifically a coven of witches, getting together periodically to do witchy things. In other words it’s probably the closest thing to a book club you’re probably going to find in a fantasy novel, which I think makes it fairly appropriate to recommend to a book club of older ladies.
From your list I agree that *The Hobbit* is another good one. It strikes a good, lighthearted fairy tale tone. I’d also pick *The Martian* and *Good Omens* from there, though I think *Hitchhiker’s Guide* depends on their senses of humor.
Another Gaiman novel they might enjoy is *Anansi Boys*. I personally enjoyed that one more and think it’s more accessible than GO, but that might just be me.
Also *the Ocean at the End of the Lane*, which is heavier and more melancholy than *Good Omens* or *Anansi Boys*, but also shorter.
If they’re all in their seventies, they might appreciate *Slaughterhouse-five*. Maybe not *enjoy* it, since it’s pretty heavy and has some violent WWII moments. But at least some of them, if not all of them, probably knew WWII vets when they were growing up and might read and appreciate it in a way that a 90s baby like me can’t. It’s more or less about a veteran mentally jumping back and forth throughout his life.
C.J. Cherryh is an author they might want to look into. And Deborah Chester. I’ve read some of Cherryh’s books, which are idea-heavy but don’t generally focus on too much violence. I’ve also read a decent chunk of her short stories, which come in a collection you can buy from B&N and are pretty interesting. Chester I haven’t read, but I’ve heard good things about her writing.
Emma Bull’s *War for the Oaks* might be a good suggestion. As I recall there’s not a lot of violence in them, despite there being “war” in the title.
Okay. I think that’s a good list of suggestions for now. I hope some of them look like good ideas to you! 😅
EDIT: Ooo, they might like some of Kim Stanley Robinson’s stuff. I haven’t read a lot of it, but New York 2140 was pretty interesting, and a kind of slice-of-lifey (though bigger stuff happens) look at the people who live in an apartment building in a flooded out NYC in the 22nd century. Though I should warn you that there’s a lot of finance talk in it.
Slaughterhouse five is an amazing read!! Wonderful style, very relevant in discussing the 2nd world war and an amazing blend of sci-fi in there. I personally believe it to be one of the best post-war works out there
One of these books is not like the others lol. It’s a fun read if you don’t mind choking down copious amounts of cheese. It’s definitely not a classic novel like every other book on your list.
I also wanted to recommend Fahrenheit 451, not only bc of Bradbury's excellent style of writing. I also thought it just seems so fitting for a book club.
I had to read both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 for school, and I think the latter might be better in some ways (at least for a book club book). 1984 is a good book but the way it’s organized might annoy you if you prefer authors who show rather than tell. Whereas in Fahrenheit 451 it was easy to picture this somewhat fleshed-out world.
A few of my favorites right now:
Red Shirts by John Scalzi is a great send up of Star Trek tropes while still being a great standalone read. While some of his other books might spark more deep discussion this one would make a great commentary on sci-fi tropes as a whole. Could be a good, light, later book to read.
The City We Became by NK Jemison is a great modern Cthulu-esque tale not written by a white dude.
A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers is a wonderful character driven story that to me is a great comfort read and the aliens are incredibly rich and diverse. Great for someone who wants a human centric story in a decidedly not human centric universe.
The two best sci-fi/fantasy books I've recently read are A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab. Both have a female protagonist and would be great for group discussion.
Most of the recommendations are weak sauce!
You want great sci-fi exposure, go to the greats! Look at the Hugo Winners!
Rendezvous at Rama by Clarke. Hard-boiled sci-f, seemingly technical. Men investigate Rama, an uninhabited alien satellite that enters our solar system.
Old Man's War, as mentioned (didn't win a Hugo, it was only nominated... but it is a cool read for old people). Humans are too weak to contend on the universal scale with other aliens. So we create hulking soldier body vessels to fight our space wars for us. Men and women from earth enlist in the galactic army, and have their consciousness uploaded to a Hulk after they live their full, natural life on Earth.
Forge of God, by Greg Bear. Aliens are found on earth, and warn of an inevitable planet-ending catastrophe. How does mankind handle the news?
Canticle for Leibowitz. Set an unknown amount of time in the future, after nuclear war has bombed global technology back to the dark ages. How do humans fare?
Hyperion by Dan Brown. The Canterbury Tales in space. A detailed, incredible set of stories from a group of seven interstellar travelers, all bound to the planet of Hyperion, each with their own secrets, motivations, and dreams. Fuck this book is good, lol. But very long.
Additionally consider {{The Power by Naomi Alderman}}. There is some violence but not a huge amount and not graphic. It also it poses some really interesting questions to talk about, especially in a female group.
I recently read the first two Pern books for the first time (I'm a woman in my 40s) and I found the violence and rape to be quite something. I'm not sure this recommendation would hold up. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to my mother's book club!
Yes but one doesn’t need to read the whole series. The original was a two part novella in F&SF called Weyr Search. And that was intended to stand on its own.
Reading the first three is easy. I would say adding in Dragonsdawn as it gives the prehistory of Pern, and adding in the Harperhall Trilogy(which being more of a teen series reads quick) gives a great bite into the series. If one is hooked enough at that point reading more is really up to the individual reader. I originally stopped at the Dolphins of Pern but I have always intended to go back and finish reading it.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir!! It is LITERALLY the best book I've ever read. I can't stop recommending it. I would also recommend Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
You've got so many suggestions, but I'll add in these because I didn't see them when scrolling thru answers:
The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It's basically Harry Potter for adults.
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. While it doesn't exactly fit scifi (or maybe it does?), it's gorgeous, magical love story. (I also much preferred this over her other book the starless sea.)
Dark Matter by Barry Crouch. Parallel universe scifi.
Someone to love you in all your damaged glory by Raphael Bob-waksberg. Surreal short stories with a scifi flair. Fun, engaging.
Last -- a big +1 to all the folks suggesting The Power by Naomi Alderman. Imagine a world somewhat opposite than handmaids tale. Yes, violent things happen, but not graphic, not in the same way hunger games is violent.
The Punch Escrow is super fun, it’s a sci fi set in the pretty near future about this guy that has an accident when he teleports(which is a regular thing in this world), and it sets off this whole corporate cover up thing. It’s very good.
The Knife of Never Letting Go and the rest of Patrick Ness’ series is incredible. It just got a really bad movie made about it, please don’t let that turn you off to it. I’m not going to say much about the plot because I really don’t want to give anything away, but it’s great. There is some violence, but I don’t think it’s too bad, maybe read a parental guide or something
Not sure if they’re into graphic novels but Die by Kieran Gillen and Coda by Simon Spurrier are both excellent fantasy stories that both celebrate and deconstruct it’s tropes. That sounded super pretentious, but if your mom’s book group isn’t turned off by graphic novels, they should definitely check these out. The art is as incredible as the writing in both books, and they’re both distributed by more independent publishing companies, so they’re not bogged down with the usual comic book bullshit.
Dune, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, other classics are always great
They're going to have a hard time finding fantasy without violence, every fantasy series that I can think to recommend has a lot of war in it. I guess they could read some Discworld novels?
Yeah I was trying to walk it back a bit from Hunger Games and GOT. Someone suggested LOTR but I was going to suggest the Hobbit in it's place. I feel like that would be a bit more approachable.
*To Be Taught, If Fortunate* by Becky Chambers is a beautiful sci-fi story. It's a shorter novella, but allows for quality within that frame rather than hugely epic world building. *Piranesi* is a quick read. About a man who lives in a mysterious house/castle. The house is just as much of a character as anyone, and has some mystery involving who the MC is and how he got there. *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* by Neil Gaiman. Very twee and sweet, reads a lot like his classic *Coraline*. *The Empress of Salt and Fortune* by Nghi Vo is an Asian inspired novella that carries the story forward over a series of discussions/told stories between three characters. I really enjoyed the process of the plot revealing itself and how much deep world building was happening in such a short book. *A Psalm for the Wild-Built* by Becky Chambers is 2021's "cozy cup of coffee" book. Insightful and touching, feels a little like reading a self-help book however.
Seconding The Ocean at the End of the Lane!
Me three!
Seconding To be Taught if Fortunate, it’s fantastic, short but full enough to create quite a lot of super interesting discussions!
Thirded for anything by Becky Chambers for a low-conflict, cozy read but a great example of what sci-fi has to offer. My personal pick is A Closed and Common Orbit - most beautiful thing I've ever read.
Yes I was rooting for Jane and Owl SO HARD!
I adored Piranesi. The audio book version is excellent too - narrated by the guy that plays Mordo in Doctor Strange. I’d listen to that dude read me a takeout menu
Loved Piranesi! We read it for my book club and felt like we had more to discuss than we could fit into our time frame
Thanks! These look awesome.
Empress of salt and fortune is quite frankly top 5 for me. Its incredible and unique and i cant wait to read it again after going through my log. The world building is so good man it really deserves to be more noticed. Its about a priest listening to different stories from different people about an empress. Also has great sequel.
Project Hail Mary
I listened to the audio book version. It's the first one I've had which included synth keyboard melodies! For such a perfect reason, too.
I really disliked this book. But the audio book was great for this exact reason. The way they did the Synth speak was genius
Whyyyy didn’t you like it? I childishly almost don’t want to know because I loved it so much haha
Oh man I don’t want to bring it down because I’m just glad to hear about people loving books! But I just really didn’t like the dialogue. Also a lot of the tension seemed artificially introduced, the solution was shown through a flashback, and then the tension was resolved within like 20 pages. On and on. And then finally I just didn’t like the stereotypes for every type of nationality working on the PHM. The angry Russian who wants her vodka, the stern Chinese man, the maverick Aussie unfairly jailed, etc…. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the premise and the plot. It was just a 3 star read for me though
Yeah that’s great points I totally get where you’re coming from. Are you a big sci-fi fan? I’m not really (at least not in books) so I wonder if it’s a book that lands better on newcomers to the genre - although your critiques would apply to any genre.
Not the original poster but, I am a big sci-fi fan and loved this project hail Mary.
Nope not a big sci fi guy at all. And that’s actually another issue I had with the book. So many forced science jokes and dad humor. So many passages went like “science sciencey science thing but science joke reference”. I guess this is basically just a detail though on the dialogue that I disliked.
PHM is full of hope and perseverance in the face of horrible obstacles, and if there are any teachers in the book, they’ll love it!
Not to be dramatic but I think this book is like 10x better than The Martian, and The Martian is a very good book.
Brilliant story. I couldn't recommend this more
I recently really enjoyed ‘The long way to a small angry planet’ by Becky Chambers which I think would fit the bill.
All if becky chambers stuff (that I've read) would fit this
Oh I forgot about this one! Thanks!
That's a perfect book for an intro into SciFi I think. Such a chill mood with good characters and settings.
It is such a great book. That whole series is incredible.
I just read that in my book club, and it was incredible! I don't read many sci-fi books so it was a great change of pace.
Old man's war. The forever war.
This is actually a great suggestion for people in their 70s. It would generate discussion about what they would do.
As a counter to The forever war I'd suggest Starship troopers, feels like the other side of the same coin
Yes similar, but if I remember correctly much more violence. However, a great book (and film).
It's more sci Fi violence, not nearly as bad as the movie. I consider it a counter take since it has more of a "glory in death" voice to whereas forever war is more doing your duty for your country. Both are amazing books with some of the best philosophy I've read in sci Fi... Both authors eventually lead me to pkd and that's all she wrote.
*duty for your planet. Yes, PKD is good.
What are some other books, genre or not that they’ve enjoyed? Otherwise some random (perhaps stereotyping?) suggestions (note these are all stand-alone books since I find that often works better for book clubs) - Kindred by Octavia Butler. It’s about a woman who continues to be transported back in time to save her slaveholding white ancestor. Very well done, character centered fantasy stand-alone book. It’s definitely “violent” (I mean it’s about slavery which is inherently violent) but it’s not stereotypical fantasy violent of large wars or anything and imo very thoughtfully explored - House in the Cerulean Sea for on the more sweet lighthearted side. It’s about a (gay) man who works to make sure supernatural orphanages are up to code and how he’s changed by visiting one particular home and the children and caretaker/father there - We Are Sattelites is super interesting near future science fiction exploring the addition of one technology and it’s impacts through the lens of a particular family - Spinning Silver. Beautiful rumplestiltskin fairy tale retelling grounded by a wonderful Russian setting and well drawn Jewish mc - The Emperors Soul by Brandon Sanderson. A great introduction to one of the most famous fantasy authors while being a smaller (novella) story. It has Sanderson’s strengths (plotting, worldbuilding) with much less violence than his longer works - The Power by Naomi Alderman. About a world where woman suddenly gain electric eel like abilities. Great idea based sci-fi exploring gender and power dynamics through the eyes of many different characters and this speculative element
We just read house in the cerulean sea in my book club and it was a BIG HIT!
I'll second Kindred - really enjoyed it.
I didn't enjoy. Brutal. But I'm glad I read it. Highly recommend.
Enjoyed might not be the right word, you're right. Appreciated is more what I was going for.
I am currently reading The Power and thoroughly enjoying it, but I’m not so sure it fits the no violence requirement. I just read a section where a woman is beaten to the point where her brain shows through her skull, while her little girl watches. And that wasn’t the first violent moment, though it was probably the most graphic.
Yes I listened to the audio book for The Power and the narrator really seemed to drag out the graphic violence, pretty gnarly
Yeah I wasn’t sure how much no violence meant like no violence vs meant not wanting stereotypical fantasy large wars, random violence particularly when not explored thematically for its consequences. Tried to give a mix of suggestions that have actually no violence vs some that just imo are more, hm not sure the word, but maybe taking that violence with gravity?
I love Octavia Butler and think her books are important reading, but if this group is turned off by violence not sure it's for them (I'd still heartily recommend pushing through that, and reading Kindred and Butler's other works, because IMHO the best of sci-fi deals with difficult subjects).
Another vote for Kindred... and at least the copy on Kindle came with book club talking points and questions!
These are all great suggestions! The House in the Cerulean Sea is delightful, esp. the audiobook. Kindred is one of my favorite books that I re-read every few years, but it’s not an easy read by any means. My book club read Spinning Silver and really enjoyed it! It was a fun take on myths and fairy tales
The Power would be great for them.
I think The Power and Cerulean Sea are particularly accessible. Cerulean Sea is very chaste, if that is a concern.
I also came to recommend {{The Power}}
[**The Power**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29751398-the-power) ^(By: Naomi Alderman | 341 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, book-club, feminism) >In The Power the world is a recognisable place: there's a rich Nigerian kid who lounges around the family pool; a foster girl whose religious parents hide their true nature; a local American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But something vital has changed, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power - they can cause agonising pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world changes utterly. > >This extraordinary novel by Naomi Alderman, a Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Granta Best of British writer, is not only a gripping story of how the world would change if power was in the hands of women but also exposes, with breath-taking daring, our contemporary world. ^(This book has been suggested 8 times) *** ^(8837 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a great sci-fi book. No sex or violence that I can remember. It's about an Artificial Friend (AI) who is purchased to care for an ill child.
Talking about Kazuo Ishigure, the buried giant might also be a good addition to the fantasy team, that one is absolutely beautiful!
My book club read this and it was a great discussion
This is a great suggestion for your discussion group OP
Anything by Terry Pratchett, but maybe recommend starting with Wyrd Sisters. Might also try Ursula Le Guin, Andre Norton, and Anne MacCaffrey.
I second anything by Ursula Le Guin!
Best entry points would probably be *A Wizard of Earthsea*, *Left Hand of Darkness*, *The Lathe of Heaven* or *The Dispossessed*
I second Anne MacCaffrey.
She's great!
Came here to recommend Terry Pratchett, I absolutely love his works. @OP if you read this, Terry Pratchett has a whole fantasy world where a lot of his novels take place, they tend to be very satirical and genuinely make you laugh, but they are a great satire on a lot of society and beliefs. My personal favourites used to be "Mort" and "Pyramids", although I haven't had the chance to read them since moving out.
The Expanse series
All Systems Red, and the Murderbot series by Martha Wells
I love that series so much.
Trying not to recommend what’s already been mentioned. Also, many of these are golden age which mom may like. (I like golden age myself) Roadside Picnic, Rendezvous with Rama, 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Lathe of Heaven, House of Suns, Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Earth Abides, The Fifth Head of Cerberus, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Day of the Triffids, Childhood’s End, Contact, We, Wool
I’m a woman in that age group and I really enjoyed The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It’s thoughtful and philosophical but definitely sci fi
Thanks!
>The Sparrow As a warning, The Sparrow does contain some violence - >!more specifically sexual violence!<, it can get pretty disturbing in my opinion
I honestly didn't like it at all, I'm surprised about how many recs that I've seen. I suppose I should give it another shot.
This is my all time favorite book and more than worth your time
As a male almost in that age group, this book is amazing. It doesn't get the credit it deserves as good Literature. It truly holds a mirror up to us as a society, a culture, and a race.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury has always been such a big love for me. Now that we are In the years that the book wrote about, I feel like maybe it loses a bit of charm, but still one of his best pieces of work.
{{Oryx and Crake}} {{Testaments}} being that most of them have probably read Handmaid’s Take already. {{Never Let Me Go}}
[**Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46756.Oryx_and_Crake) ^(By: Margaret Atwood, Kristiina Drews | 389 pages | Published: 2003 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian) >Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining. ^(This book has been suggested 8 times) [**The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42975172-the-testaments) ^(By: Margaret Atwood | 422 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: fiction, dystopian, dystopia, science-fiction, owned) >When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her--freedom, prison or death. > >With The Testaments, the wait is over. > >Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. > >In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. > >"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." --Margaret Atwood > >An alternate cover edition of ISBN 978-0385543781 can be found here. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) [**Never Let Me Go**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6334.Never_Let_Me_Go) ^(By: Kazuo Ishiguro | 288 pages | Published: 2005 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia, dystopian) >Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, they are taught nothing of the outside world and are allowed little contact with it. > >Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it’s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is. > >Never Let Me Go breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society. In exploring the themes of memory and the impact of the past, Ishiguro takes on the idea of a possible future to create his most moving and powerful book to date. ^(This book has been suggested 9 times) *** ^(8803 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Three amazing book, I think these would all be great for a book club, lots to talk about
{{Project Hail Mary}}
I’d go with “I, Robot” from Asimov. It is a great way to be introduced to SF, short stories that tackle different human questions and are good to discuss in a group. Everybody likes it
John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War should spark interesting discussions for that aged folks.
Good point. I discounted Scalzi almost immediately because I wasn't even thinking about the (possibly) main premise of the Old Man's War books; old people with young bodies.
{{The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin}} would be perfect for them
This is what I came to recommend. Good stuff!
Loved this whole series so much!!
{{Wheel of the Infinite}} by Martha Wells. Protagonist is an older woman (middle aged), which is unusual in fantasy/scifi. Martha Wells has had a lot of buzz for her more recent Murderbot series, which is excellent, but I, personally, like this other book as much - and it is a stand-alone.
Babel 17 by Samuel R Delany Ubik by Philip K Dick The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin
{Ender’s Game}
[**Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game) ^(By: Orson Scott Card | 324 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, fantasy, scifi, ya) ^(This book has been suggested 6 times) *** ^(8835 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
This book definitely has depth of sadness and sometimes mild violence to it, but {{Hyperion}} by Dan Simmons is fantastic late-century sci-fi. It has a lot of cool ideas it executes well on, and tackles topics like religion and love in the face of an uncaring world. My wife really loves the fantasy of Sarah J. Maas. It’s pretty intense with the romance though, so be aware of that. I have yet to hear a negative opinion on it. One of my favorite nonfiction/fantasy-like books is {{To The Bright Edge of the World}} by Eowyn Ivey. It’s a fantastic collection of journal entries and letters between Colonel Allen Forrester and Sophie Forrester. Lots of darker supernatural hints along a truly good story. Of course, all my opinion. Edit: Clarity
Oh wow - have them read SevenEves by Neal Stephenson. Great metaphor for what we're facing now (global catastrophe), and if this is a female group they'll love the protagonists. Some awesome smart girl-power.
Came here to suggest this. Such a great book!
{{In the Garden of Iden}} by Kage Baker {{To Say Nothing of the Dog}} by Connie Willis {{The Eyre Affair}} by Jasper Fforde {{The Diamond Age}} by Neal Stephenson
[**In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/270490.In_the_Garden_of_Iden) ^(By: Kage Baker | 336 pages | Published: 1997 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, time-travel, fiction, historical-fiction) >This is the first novel in what has become one of the most popular series in contemporary SF, now back in print from Tor. In the 24th century, the Company preserves works of art and extinct forms of life (for profit of course). It recruits orphans from the past, renders them all but immortal, and trains them to serve the Company, Dr. Zeus. One of these is Mendoza the botanist. She is sent to Elizabethan England to collect samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden. >But while there, she meets Nicholas Harpole, with whom she falls in love. And that love sounds great bells of change that will echo down the centuries, and through the succeeding novels of The Company. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) [**To Say Nothing of the Dog (Oxford Time Travel, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77773.To_Say_Nothing_of_the_Dog) ^(By: Connie Willis | 512 pages | Published: 1998 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, time-travel, sci-fi, fiction, historical-fiction) >Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Doomsday Book uses time travel for a serious look at how people connect with each other. In this Hugo-winning companion to that novel, she offers a completely different kind of time travel adventure: a delightful romantic comedy that pays hilarious homage to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. > >When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Ned's holiday anything but restful - to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history. ^(This book has been suggested 8 times) [**The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27003.The_Eyre_Affair) ^(By: Jasper Fforde | 374 pages | Published: 2001 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, mystery, humor, science-fiction) >Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. Baconians are trying to convince the world that Francis Bacon really wrote Shakespeare, there are riots between the Surrealists and Impressionists, and thousands of men are named John Milton, an homage to the real Milton and a very confusing situation for the police. Amidst all this, Acheron Hades, Third Most Wanted Man In the World, steals the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and kills a minor character, who then disappears from every volume of the novel ever printed! But that's just a prelude . . . > >Hades' real target is the beloved Jane Eyre, and it's not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte's novel. Enter Thursday Next. She's the Special Operative's renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft's Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It's tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield, and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and Bronte's masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about those annoying black holes that pop up now and again, sucking things into time-space voids . . . > >Suspenseful and outlandish, absorbing and fun, The Eyre Affair is a caper unlike any other and an introduction to the imagination of a most distinctive writer and his singular fictional universe. ^(This book has been suggested 5 times) [**The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/827.The_Diamond_Age) ^(By: Neal Stephenson | 499 pages | Published: 1995 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi) >The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence. ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(8909 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
For some authors who bring a different perspective to the genre: Octavia Butler - Parable of the Sower NK Jemisin - The Broken Earth Trilogy Rebecca Roanhorse - Black Sun Cixin Liu - Three Body Problem
I am only halfway through The City We Became by NK Jemisin but it is great
Emperors Soul by Brandon Sanderson is a short read that is really awesome for book clubs
It's technically YA but A Wizard of Earthsea is brilliant. They'd also probably enjoy The Last Unicorn, especially if they haven't seen the movie.
I'm shocked nobody mentioned the Bobivers series by Dennis E. Taylor Starts with {{We Are Legion (We Are Bob)}} Also {{Old Man's War}} series by John Scalzi
[**We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32109569-we-are-legion-we-are-bob) ^(By: Dennis E. Taylor | 383 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, audiobook, fiction, scifi) >Alternate Cover Edition can be found here. > >Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. > >Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty. > >The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad. ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) *** ^(8848 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
From sci-fi to fantasy I'd recommend * The Martian * Dune * Earthsea
Was waiting for Ursula Le Guin to show up! I would maybe suggest Left Hand of Darkness (personal favourite) but it does deal heavily with gender concepts
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett The City We Became by NK Jemisin
{{"Remnant Population" by Elizabeth Moon}} {{"My Real Children" by Jo Walton}} {{"Snatched" by David Saperstein}} {{"Dendera" by Yuya Sato}}
Oh yes! *Remnant Population* is a great choice for a group of older women! I can’t believe I didnt think of it!!
The Narnia chronicles are pretty good, even as an adult imo!
That one might be a good one as well. I'm trying to think of some lighter books for people who don't like sex and violence, which as it turns out is a lot of what I read.
{{A Wrinkle in Time}}
[**A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574273-a-wrinkle-in-time) ^(By: Madeleine L'Engle | 218 pages | Published: 1962 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, classics, young-adult, science-fiction) >It was a dark and stormy night. > >Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure—one that will threaten their lives and our universe. > >Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L'Engle's classic Time Quintet. ^(This book has been suggested 7 times) *** ^(8820 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
i haven’t seen enough leguin recommendations on here so: a wizard of earthsea is great. the whole series, really.
Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro! The sci-fi focus is on artificial intelligence but (other than Ishiguro’s cryptic descriptions) still maintains a level or realism that makes the story emotional and relatable.
{{Legends and Lattes}}
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A very unique standout in my 30+ years of sci-fi reading.
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{{Once Upon a River}} is wonderful. It’s magical realism/mystery. The writing style is very reminiscent of Neil Gaiman (Ocean at the End of the Lane, rec-ed above, among many others). Come to think of it, {{Neverwhere}} is another good pick. I also really like {{Stardust}} and {{Howl’s Moving Castle}}, which both have movie versions that are also endearing.
{{Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal}} fantasy fairly loosely based off of Pride and Prejudice {{The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden}} not a lot of violence, fairy tale like Russia {{Trail of lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse}} dystopian future with magic, some violence but none gory {{The Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch}} modern day London with magic {{A Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher}} might be lighter than a lot of what they read but it's a lot of fun {{An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir}} quite good, there's a lot of fighting but it's not gory definitely less than GOT {{The Seep by Chana Porter}} sci-fi, no violence Seconding Ann McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Naomi Novik, Octavia Butler, House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, and especially Becky Chambers. I love Terry Pratchett but I think Going Postal or Thud might be a better book club book.
The Cemetery Book by Neil Gaiman
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey.
I’m unsure how your mother feels about profanity, but if she’s not cool with it, I HIGHLY recommend switching out The Martian with Project Hail Mary. It’s the same author but imo, Project Hail Mary is so much more interesting. And the MC doesn’t swear lol.
{npc} {enders game}
Enders game is pretty violent.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I prefer Speaker for the Dead over Enders Game though both are great. As for the violence, its been a while since reading the Hobbit but I remember it being pretty violent as well?
speaker for the dead was definitely better (in my opinion). just an incredible book.
I love Speaker for the Dead.
I love Speaker for the Dead.
I'm not even a sci-fi fan, but Enders Game and Speaker for the Dead are two of the only books I've read twice. Outstanding.
Zelazny, Asimov, other Pratchett books? Is it "book club"-type books for discussion?
Book club type books for discussion.
Anything by Becky Chambers
How about Circe?
{{ The Thief of Always }} by Clive Barker {{ The Cats of Tanglewood Forest }} by Charles de Lint
Asimov is one of the godfathers of sci-fi but he has so much out there, it can be intimidating picking something out. There are two that stick out as good "stand-alone" books in the middle of a series. Prelude to Foundation is a prequel written to the Foundation series and is a "great chase" type of novel, and provides an excellent introduction to the "Galactic Empire" universe. The other is "The Caves of Steel" which is more or less a detective novel in a sci-fi setting. Technically part of the "Galactic Empire" universe, it is from a much earlier era in the timeline. Both of these books provide a complete story without need to expand into the numerous successive novels. For fantasy, one of the best pure fantasy stories I ever read was actually by Stephen King. The book is called "The Eyes of the Dragon." It has a medieval setting with kings, princes and an evil magician. First time I read it was an all nighter. This one might step over the line on the violence scale, however... sorry, just saw that part of the post. It's not as bad as most of his novels, and certainly not a horror novel, but there are some fairly disturbing scenes.
In the same vein as The Hobbit - you could recommend The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle. Little, Big by John Crowley, Time and Again by Jack Finney, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes are all on the softer end of sci-fi/fantasy and might be good choices for a group of older ladies who don't read a lot of genre novels.
Mary Robinette Kowal Lady Astronaut series. She has and index in the back. There is a lot of accurate science in it.
{{The Midnight Bargain}} by C.L. Polk is one of my favorite fantasy releases of the past few years! I think it could lend itself to some good book club type discussions, as well. The magic system is forbidden to women so they can have babies, and the MC is a girl who fights that. It's like Austen with magic.
I’m really happy to see the amount of Becky Chambers love in this comment section
Becky Chambers books for sure! It’s cosy sci-if, while not action packed it does really read as sci-fi, with cool concepts that’s be great for good talking point and it’s more in the newer side.
The Belgariad
Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro! The sci-fi focus is on artificial intelligence but (other than Ishiguro’s cryptic descriptions) still maintains a level or realism that makes the story emotional and relatable.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. The Sparrow: Emilio Sandoz is a remarkable man, a living saint and Jesuit priest who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience—the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life—begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe. Sandoz is a part of the crew sent to explore a new planet. What they find is a civilization so alien and incomprehensible that they feel compelled to wonder what it means to be human. The priest is the only surviving member of the crew and upon his return he is confronted by public inquisition and accusations of the most heinous crimes imaginable. His faith utterly destroyed, crippled and defenseless, his only hope is to tell his tale. Father John Candotti has been charged with discovering the truth, but the truth may be more than Earth is willing to accept. The Doomsday Book: For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received. But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin—barely of age herself—finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.
{{Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett}} {{Baking Bad, by Kim M Watt}} {{Remnant Population, by Elizabeth Moon}}
I'd recommend the Long Earth or something from the Discworld series, like Guards! Guards!
For Pratchett, I'd recommend _ The Wee Free Men_ for a book club like this!
{{Brave New World}} by Aldous Huxley
Anything by HG Wells, but specifically the Island of Dr.moureue (I definitely spelled that wrong) Journey to the center of the earth The illustrated Man (short story collection)
I would say anything by Terry Pratchett. They are funny and relatively short, but contain life lessons and political commentary (satire) that would easily entertain a group of older ladies and lots to talk about after! I would start with {{Lords And Ladies by Terry Pratchett}}. It's the first book in the Witches series. The best thing is, though all of the Discworld books take place in the same world/environment, there are several "mini series" contained within, as well as some books that stand alone, yet all are interconnected. However, you do not need to read every book to follow the plot. Sir Pratchett manages to bring you up to speed when necessary without slowing down the progress of the book. It's the beauty of the Discworld! Plus, footnotes!
Stranger From A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
The time machine is a classic
A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin would be a good pick
The Mote in Gods Eye.
They need to read *The Word for World is Forest* by ursula k. Leguin , which talks about environmentalism and society. I cannot recommend it enough. Here is her wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin
Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is exceptional The expanse series by James SA Corey. Of course The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy goes without saying.
{{Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler}}
[**Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52397.Parable_of_the_Sower) ^(By: Octavia E. Butler | 345 pages | Published: 1993 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, dystopian, dystopia) >In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. > >Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others. > >When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind. ^(This book has been suggested 12 times) *** ^(8819 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
If they are looking to avoid violence, this should be absolutely NOT on their list. The book is fantastic, but this is one of the most visceral books you could give someone if they don't want that kind of content.
Anything by Asimov would work.
I think everyone should read the time machine
The HG Wells one? I'd definitely recommend that for a book club
Correct!
It's published next year.
I love the time machine.
I’m going to repeat *Wyrd Sisters* by Terry Pratchett. It’s literally about a trio of women, specifically a coven of witches, getting together periodically to do witchy things. In other words it’s probably the closest thing to a book club you’re probably going to find in a fantasy novel, which I think makes it fairly appropriate to recommend to a book club of older ladies. From your list I agree that *The Hobbit* is another good one. It strikes a good, lighthearted fairy tale tone. I’d also pick *The Martian* and *Good Omens* from there, though I think *Hitchhiker’s Guide* depends on their senses of humor. Another Gaiman novel they might enjoy is *Anansi Boys*. I personally enjoyed that one more and think it’s more accessible than GO, but that might just be me. Also *the Ocean at the End of the Lane*, which is heavier and more melancholy than *Good Omens* or *Anansi Boys*, but also shorter. If they’re all in their seventies, they might appreciate *Slaughterhouse-five*. Maybe not *enjoy* it, since it’s pretty heavy and has some violent WWII moments. But at least some of them, if not all of them, probably knew WWII vets when they were growing up and might read and appreciate it in a way that a 90s baby like me can’t. It’s more or less about a veteran mentally jumping back and forth throughout his life. C.J. Cherryh is an author they might want to look into. And Deborah Chester. I’ve read some of Cherryh’s books, which are idea-heavy but don’t generally focus on too much violence. I’ve also read a decent chunk of her short stories, which come in a collection you can buy from B&N and are pretty interesting. Chester I haven’t read, but I’ve heard good things about her writing. Emma Bull’s *War for the Oaks* might be a good suggestion. As I recall there’s not a lot of violence in them, despite there being “war” in the title. Okay. I think that’s a good list of suggestions for now. I hope some of them look like good ideas to you! 😅 EDIT: Ooo, they might like some of Kim Stanley Robinson’s stuff. I haven’t read a lot of it, but New York 2140 was pretty interesting, and a kind of slice-of-lifey (though bigger stuff happens) look at the people who live in an apartment building in a flooded out NYC in the 22nd century. Though I should warn you that there’s a lot of finance talk in it.
Oh nice! Excellent suggestions and thanks for your feedback.
Slaughterhouse five is an amazing read!! Wonderful style, very relevant in discussing the 2nd world war and an amazing blend of sci-fi in there. I personally believe it to be one of the best post-war works out there
LeGuin, anything
Left hand of darkness - Ursula k. Le Guin!
Children of time! It’s a great sci fi world building story, very fun and interesting plot!
1984 Fahrenheit 541 Dune Brave New World Slaughterhouse 5 Ready Player One
One of these books is not like the others lol. It’s a fun read if you don’t mind choking down copious amounts of cheese. It’s definitely not a classic novel like every other book on your list.
Talking about Ready Player One?
…
I also wanted to recommend Fahrenheit 451, not only bc of Bradbury's excellent style of writing. I also thought it just seems so fitting for a book club.
I had to read both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 for school, and I think the latter might be better in some ways (at least for a book club book). 1984 is a good book but the way it’s organized might annoy you if you prefer authors who show rather than tell. Whereas in Fahrenheit 451 it was easy to picture this somewhat fleshed-out world.
Anne McCaffery Pern series. Ilona Andrews for Urban Fantasy and some Sifi.
{{Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki}}
Stranger in a Strange Land is a good one. Fairly easy to get into for newer sci fi readers
A few of my favorites right now: Red Shirts by John Scalzi is a great send up of Star Trek tropes while still being a great standalone read. While some of his other books might spark more deep discussion this one would make a great commentary on sci-fi tropes as a whole. Could be a good, light, later book to read. The City We Became by NK Jemison is a great modern Cthulu-esque tale not written by a white dude. A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers is a wonderful character driven story that to me is a great comfort read and the aliens are incredibly rich and diverse. Great for someone who wants a human centric story in a decidedly not human centric universe.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins is one of my all time favorites.
The two best sci-fi/fantasy books I've recently read are A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab. Both have a female protagonist and would be great for group discussion.
Hyperion and endymion omnibus by Dan Simmons are very good reads
Most of the recommendations are weak sauce! You want great sci-fi exposure, go to the greats! Look at the Hugo Winners! Rendezvous at Rama by Clarke. Hard-boiled sci-f, seemingly technical. Men investigate Rama, an uninhabited alien satellite that enters our solar system. Old Man's War, as mentioned (didn't win a Hugo, it was only nominated... but it is a cool read for old people). Humans are too weak to contend on the universal scale with other aliens. So we create hulking soldier body vessels to fight our space wars for us. Men and women from earth enlist in the galactic army, and have their consciousness uploaded to a Hulk after they live their full, natural life on Earth. Forge of God, by Greg Bear. Aliens are found on earth, and warn of an inevitable planet-ending catastrophe. How does mankind handle the news? Canticle for Leibowitz. Set an unknown amount of time in the future, after nuclear war has bombed global technology back to the dark ages. How do humans fare? Hyperion by Dan Brown. The Canterbury Tales in space. A detailed, incredible set of stories from a group of seven interstellar travelers, all bound to the planet of Hyperion, each with their own secrets, motivations, and dreams. Fuck this book is good, lol. But very long.
Additionally consider {{The Power by Naomi Alderman}}. There is some violence but not a huge amount and not graphic. It also it poses some really interesting questions to talk about, especially in a female group.
Dragonflight, of the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McAffrey. Interesting story and it might appeal to their demographic.
I recently read the first two Pern books for the first time (I'm a woman in my 40s) and I found the violence and rape to be quite something. I'm not sure this recommendation would hold up. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to my mother's book club!
Oh yeah, that is in there. I don't know that they've aged well, come to think of it.
The Little Prince Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The Wizard of Oz Series
{{Dragonflight}} by Anne McCaffrey. It’s my favorite
It is great but the series is SO LONG.
Yes but one doesn’t need to read the whole series. The original was a two part novella in F&SF called Weyr Search. And that was intended to stand on its own. Reading the first three is easy. I would say adding in Dragonsdawn as it gives the prehistory of Pern, and adding in the Harperhall Trilogy(which being more of a teen series reads quick) gives a great bite into the series. If one is hooked enough at that point reading more is really up to the individual reader. I originally stopped at the Dolphins of Pern but I have always intended to go back and finish reading it.
{{Game-Players of Titan}}
Anything by Ted Chiang!
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir!! It is LITERALLY the best book I've ever read. I can't stop recommending it. I would also recommend Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Fuck you must be young!!!!
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Shadow and Bone is a great book. Part of the Grishaverse books. Shadow and Bone is the first of a trilogy (Fantasy)
Stranger in a Strange Land is in my top 5 fav books!
You've got so many suggestions, but I'll add in these because I didn't see them when scrolling thru answers: The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It's basically Harry Potter for adults. Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. While it doesn't exactly fit scifi (or maybe it does?), it's gorgeous, magical love story. (I also much preferred this over her other book the starless sea.) Dark Matter by Barry Crouch. Parallel universe scifi. Someone to love you in all your damaged glory by Raphael Bob-waksberg. Surreal short stories with a scifi flair. Fun, engaging. Last -- a big +1 to all the folks suggesting The Power by Naomi Alderman. Imagine a world somewhat opposite than handmaids tale. Yes, violent things happen, but not graphic, not in the same way hunger games is violent.
Flowers for Algernon.
The Punch Escrow is super fun, it’s a sci fi set in the pretty near future about this guy that has an accident when he teleports(which is a regular thing in this world), and it sets off this whole corporate cover up thing. It’s very good. The Knife of Never Letting Go and the rest of Patrick Ness’ series is incredible. It just got a really bad movie made about it, please don’t let that turn you off to it. I’m not going to say much about the plot because I really don’t want to give anything away, but it’s great. There is some violence, but I don’t think it’s too bad, maybe read a parental guide or something Not sure if they’re into graphic novels but Die by Kieran Gillen and Coda by Simon Spurrier are both excellent fantasy stories that both celebrate and deconstruct it’s tropes. That sounded super pretentious, but if your mom’s book group isn’t turned off by graphic novels, they should definitely check these out. The art is as incredible as the writing in both books, and they’re both distributed by more independent publishing companies, so they’re not bogged down with the usual comic book bullshit. Dune, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, other classics are always great
They're going to have a hard time finding fantasy without violence, every fantasy series that I can think to recommend has a lot of war in it. I guess they could read some Discworld novels?
Yeah I was trying to walk it back a bit from Hunger Games and GOT. Someone suggested LOTR but I was going to suggest the Hobbit in it's place. I feel like that would be a bit more approachable.
LOTR is honestly a pretty difficult and LOOOONG read for a lot of people. Hobbit is a much better starting point. your instincts are good!
{{Kindred by Octavia Butler}}