Good Sci-Fi for 12-15 year-olds?

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

danie

I am whatever you say I am.
Feb 26, 2008
9,760
60,662
60
Kentucky
Run for the hills- Danie has unleashed The Teacher upon us all!!!! ;;D

Yes, Miss! At once, Miss! I do everything you say, Miss! But pleeaase let me get recess....
Both of you better watch it. You don't want to miss THIS recess.
471.gif
 

danie

I am whatever you say I am.
Feb 26, 2008
9,760
60,662
60
Kentucky
Nope... looks like teacher is only after the two of you. (but, I'll sneak you some lunch if she doesn't let you out by then...)
Oh ho ho. Hold on a minute, missy.
No sneaking of lunches or any other illegal substances that you might have in that pretty little head of yours.
Yes, lunches are illegal here, so don't act like you're allowed to eat, and allow others to sneakily eat, I might add, without due process of punishment, law, and reprehensibility.
th
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
Oh ho ho. Hold on a minute, missy.
No sneaking of lunches or any other illegal substances that you might have in that pretty little head of yours.
Yes, lunches are illegal here, so don't act like you're allowed to eat, and allow others to sneakily eat, I might add, without due process of punishment, law, and reprehensibility.
th
Dammit...
On to plan B...
:O_O: I don't have a plan B. I think you boys are going to starve!
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,518
19,564
Under your bed
Thanx everybody. I've made note of a few suggestions, some sound right up the kid's alley. Others...not so much. Jules Verne? I should be so lucky. I have most of E.R. Burroughs Mars books on the shelf--he's seen em, thought little of the concept. "Looks like Conan," he said. Told him it was similar to Conan, tried to explain the difference between sword-n-planet and sword-n-sorcery. Kids these days, they don't even bother feigning interest. "That's stupid," he said. "There's no air on Mars."

Anyhoo, figure I'll start with Heinlein and go from there. The early stuff, anyhoo. I rather him not learn how to 'grok' quite yet.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Thanx everybody. I've made note of a few suggestions, some sound right up the kid's alley. Others...not so much. Jules Verne? I should be so lucky. I have most of E.R. Burroughs Mars books on the shelf--he's seen em, thought little of the concept. "Looks like Conan," he said. Told him it was similar to Conan, tried to explain the difference between sword-n-planet and sword-n-sorcery. Kids these days, they don't even bother feigning interest. "That's stupid," he said. "There's no air on Mars."

Anyhoo, figure I'll start with Heinlein and go from there. The early stuff, anyhoo. I rather him not learn how to 'grok' quite yet.
...I'm surprised that no-one mentioned Bradbury...I was devouring his stuff in pre-pubescence and I think the Muskie fingerling would enjoy it as well...
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,518
19,564
Under your bed
...I'm surprised that no-one mentioned Bradbury...I was devouring his stuff in pre-pubescence and I think the Muskie fingerling would enjoy it as well...

Oh! I actually did mention Bradbury to him. Doubt it made it past his 'rambling Dad' filter.

Holy cats, I remember when they did The Martian Chronicles for TV. I couldn't have been more than five, and it scared the livin bejesus outta me. That whole 'Mars Is Heaven' sequence, where all the astronauts lost loved ones turn into murderous Martian creeps...brrr...(of course, it didn't help having Nicholas Hammand--tv's Spider-Man--get killed by aliens. Five year-olds can't process that kinda info).
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
When youre talking about Heinlein don't forget his Double Star and Tunnel in the Sky. Isaac Asimov wrote some books directed at youth under the penname Paul French. Perhaps they could be of interest? Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus, L.S and the Big Sun of Mercury, L.S. and the Moons of Jupiter, L.S. and The Rings of Saturn. Don't know if they are published nowadays ubder the penname or his real name. I think some of Paul Andersons books might be good too....And Harry Harrisons The Technicolor Time Machine is good timetravel story that is a kind of parody on Hollywood. Both funny and a good story.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Oh! I actually did mention Bradbury to him. Doubt it made it past his 'rambling Dad' filter.

Holy cats, I remember when they did The Martian Chronicles for TV. I couldn't have been more than five, and it scared the livin bejesus outta me. That whole 'Mars Is Heaven' sequence, where all the astronauts lost loved ones turn into murderous Martian creeps...brrr...(of course, it didn't help having Nicholas Hammand--tv's Spider-Man--get killed by aliens. Five year-olds can't process that kinda info).
...would he dig Something Wicked?.....
 
Mar 12, 2010
6,538
29,004
Texas
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is my recommendation. The book is sooo much better than the movie. Of course!

I loved Enders Game and I was an adult when I read it :)

Piers Anthony has written so many books it's actually kind of staggering. I read so many of them when I was a teenager. If your son likes Halo, I am guessing he would have no trouble appreciating Cthon, which is one of the most memorable to me.

Piers Anthony: 3 Classic Piers Anthony Titles Now Available as e-Book, "Mute," "Chthon," and "Phthor."

It holds up well, since he is on an alien planet, no one questions why he has no cell phone! LOL

My favorite Piers Anthony series is Split Infinity :)

Some suggestions;
Harry Harrison: West of Eden, Winter in Eden, Return to Eden
John Wyndham: The Chrysalids, Kraken wakes (aka Out of the Deeps), Day of the Triffids, The Net
John Christopher: The Tripod-series (4 bbooks), The Possessors, The Death of Grass
Edgar rice Burroughs: The first 3-4 John Carter books. (A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars)
Ursula K. Leguin: The Earthsea-trilogy: A wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore
Jack Vance: The Tschai-books: City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir and The Pnume
and my nephew loves Terry Pratchett
and i actually recommend The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
All of these are relatively short but good. Perhaps with the exception of Harrison which is good but a little longer and takes place in a world where inheritors of the dinosaurs have developed a high culture, language and a society which has humans as their servants. The hero of the book grows up with them, rebels and try to form a new human society. Good but perhaps wait a bit with that one.
Then i liked Hugh Howeys trilogy Wool, Shift and Dust but perhaps a good idea to wait a few years before that one.
And if you can stand that they are old the best of Jules Verne is still worth reading. Some of his SF arent SF anymore, like trips to the moon or submarines that go deep, but they are full of adventure and fun to read.

John Wyndham Rules! :) I've wondered if the Wool trilogy was any good. If you liked it, I think I'll give it a try.

...would he dig Something Wicked?.....

Nobody doesn't like Something Wicked This Way Comes :)
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,518
19,564
Under your bed
Lookin on Amazon for Heinlein, for my punk, Hunter (son)--added Starship Troopers to the cart...then saw a Heinlein for Papa. His Glory Road, (1963)--his later stuff, after S.I.A.S.L. This seems his only foray into Sword-n-Sorcery style interplanetary adventure, concerning a Vietnam vet answering a want ad in a newspaper, "Are you a coward? Or a tough, fortune seeking soldier for hire without family and knowledge of weapons--etc." having no family, nothing to lose, he answers the add, and is transported to a fantastical realm of swords, dragons, battle, and scantily clad babes needing rescue. Sounds like fun, in a tongue in cheek way--and of course, Heinlein supposedly wraps it all up with a trademark twist at the end...we'll see. Sounds like a hoot and a half.

Again, thanx everybody for the suggestions. Live long and Foster Brooks.
 
Mar 12, 2010
6,538
29,004
Texas
Lookin on Amazon for Heinlein, for my punk, Hunter (son)--added Starship Troopers to the cart...then saw a Heinlein for Papa. His Glory Road, (1963)--his later stuff, after S.I.A.S.L. This seems his only foray into Sword-n-Sorcery style interplanetary adventure, concerning a Vietnam vet answering a want ad in a newspaper, "Are you a coward? Or a tough, fortune seeking soldier for hire without family and knowledge of weapons--etc." having no family, nothing to lose, he answers the add, and is transported to a fantastical realm of swords, dragons, battle, and scantily clad babes needing rescue. Sounds like fun, in a tongue in cheek way--and of course, Heinlein supposedly wraps it all up with a trademark twist at the end...we'll see. Sounds like a hoot and a half.

Again, thanx everybody for the suggestions. Live long and Foster Brooks.

I think my favorite Heinlein story is The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag. I also liked the short story, And He Built A Crooked House :)

Edit: I almost forgot The Roads Must Roll!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Neesy