If you’re at this page, I’m assuming you’re already a sci-fi and/or fantasy lover, or at least interested in the genre. So I’m not even going to bother explaining why sci-fi isn’t just for nerds or Trekkies, although I’ve been called a nerd and most of my friends are Trekkies (and I’ve watched a good number of episodes and movies, although not enough to qualify as an actual trekkie…). I think if I were ever to become a writer (by some mysterious twist of fate) I would go into the science-fiction field. It appeals to me because it’s the most open to the weird twists of the writer’s imagination. And it tweaks the reader’s imagination because it makes you think, "This stuff really could be happening somewhere out there or could easily happen in the future…" I think that’s pretty cool. If this just isn’t for you, go back to the booklist. If you’re saying "Shut up and get to the books already!", read on.

Sparky’s List o’ Sci-Fi & Fantasy:

Ratha’s Creature by Clare Bell
This book and its sequel, Clan Ground, are about a group of sentient cats who are somewhat like early man in that they live in a clan and herd animals, but have not mastered fire and must constantly battle the forces of nature to stay alive. Ratha, a cub-less clan member, discovers fire, her "creature," and the plot revolves around how this discovery affects her clan.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.
I’m a big fan of Card’s work, and this is my favorite. It’s set in the future, and it concerns one Ender Wiggin, who happens to be a very smart kid. The Earth has been attacked by aliens, and the government, fearing another attack, has taken to tracking genius-children with "monitors," little boxes attached to the backs of their necks. The best of the best get taken to "Battle School" and trained to be warriors. It’s an amazing book that gets inside Ender’s head. If you are or ever were a child who wished adults wouldn’t treat you like you had mush for brains, read this book. The sequels are Xenocide and Speaker For the Dead.

Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
This is, perhaps, my favorite book ever. It’s about a man who was born on a mission to Mars which crashed. Valentine Michael Smith never knew another human until 25 years later, when the next Mars mission landed. This book is a look at humanity from an outsider’s point of view, and at how humanity affects Mike but, more importantly, how Mike affects humanity.

The Time Trilogy by Madeline L’Engle.
(A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters - okay, so there’re really four of them) These books are little, but they’re really cool. A good gift for a kid who likes to read. They’re about the Murry family: two parents (both scientists) and three kids, and the weird adventures the kids get into.

The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
I was obsessed with these books for a period of time, although I got tired of them after a while. The idea of a planet (Pern) where people still lived like we used to on Earth: in mostly villages with a few cities, no electricity, that kind of thing (okay, so I used to be pretty taken with the Middle Ages, too). The difference, though, is that Pern is beset with a rain of "thread", spoors released from a nearby star, every few hundred years, and to combat this they have bred huge, flame-breathing dragons to "flame" the thread in midair. At least read the first four (and Dragonsdawn if you’re interested in the origins of humanity on Pern), and if they’re still holding your attention, go on.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
This book is amazing. It’s cyberpunk for intellectuals. Set in the future (which is like now, only more so), the Internet has turned into a virtual world called the Metaverse. Our hero, Hiro Protagonist, is a pizza delivery guy/freelance hacker who, after crashing his pizza car, must escape the wrath of Uncle Enzo, the Mob boss/pizza chain owner. This hurls him into a twisted power struggle involving a boat full of refugees, a skater chick named YT, and a mysterious drug - or is it a computer virus? - called "snow crash." This book will leave you panting with your reality view skewed. Hungry for more? Try The Diamond Age, also by NS, which is about an interactive storybook that falls into the wrong hands.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame ed. by Robert Silverberg
This is an amazing collection of short sci-fi chosen by the members of the Science Fiction Writers of America by vote. A must-read for any sci-fi aficionado. (in fact, the subtitle is "The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time") My favorites are "Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon, "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett, and "Arena" by Fredric Brown. There are a couple more I’d like to mention, but I’ll just let you read it for yourself.

The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
(The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Return of the King, and The Two Towers) These books are about a variety of characters - hobbits, elves, and the like - and all the wacky adventures they have. The plots get a bit hard to follow at times (i've heard Tolkien used charts to keep track of all the threads), but they're excellent books and very well written. A must for all fantasy fans.

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