My kid (a male humanoid of Twelve Earth Cycles) is a hopeless, unredeemed video game junkie who shows little interest in anything else. His favorite game is the Halo series. Last Christmas, on a lark, I purchased him a Halo novel--just words, no pics, 340 pages or so. I thought maybe...just maybe.
When I picked him up tonight, he dug in his bag, produced the book, and showed me his progress. I'll be damned if he ain't almost done with it. He really seems to dig it. Which sparked a wealth of possibilities in my scheming mind--if he likes that stuff, maybe I could lay some real sci-fi on him.
The first guy I could think of was Heinlein, of course. His 'juvenile' series, stuff like Between Planets, Space Cadet, or The Sky Farmers. I mentioned Starship Troopers, and he goes, "Yeah! I saw that movie." I told him the book is quite different. He didn't seem to care, said, "Books and movies are always different." I had a chuckle at that, told him he was 'preachin to the choir.' This confused him, but I digress...
Anyhoo, point being, I may have actually triggered an honest-to-God desire to READ within this fledgling humanoid. He likes all things Sci-Fi--a genre I've had little interest in, tell the truth, save for Heinlein. I mean, I doubt he's ready for Stranger In A Strange Land, but those early books oughtta do it.
My request--give me some damn sci-fi novel suggestions for a 12 year-old male. Other than Heinlein, that is. Help a Muskie out. Nothing too cerebral, but heavy in action and interplanetary carnage.
When I picked him up tonight, he dug in his bag, produced the book, and showed me his progress. I'll be damned if he ain't almost done with it. He really seems to dig it. Which sparked a wealth of possibilities in my scheming mind--if he likes that stuff, maybe I could lay some real sci-fi on him.
The first guy I could think of was Heinlein, of course. His 'juvenile' series, stuff like Between Planets, Space Cadet, or The Sky Farmers. I mentioned Starship Troopers, and he goes, "Yeah! I saw that movie." I told him the book is quite different. He didn't seem to care, said, "Books and movies are always different." I had a chuckle at that, told him he was 'preachin to the choir.' This confused him, but I digress...
Anyhoo, point being, I may have actually triggered an honest-to-God desire to READ within this fledgling humanoid. He likes all things Sci-Fi--a genre I've had little interest in, tell the truth, save for Heinlein. I mean, I doubt he's ready for Stranger In A Strange Land, but those early books oughtta do it.
My request--give me some damn sci-fi novel suggestions for a 12 year-old male. Other than Heinlein, that is. Help a Muskie out. Nothing too cerebral, but heavy in action and interplanetary carnage.