SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Ok so it's not always easy coming up with a good list of themes every month for people to vote on. So we want to hear from our awesome members what themes you like. We will use this thread to build a master list of themes. Each month we'll pick one of the themes for the group to nominate books for. We want to reduce the amount of polls down to just the book pick polls. Otherwise there's too much going on.

This thread won't be closed. I'll make a second post and keep updating it as we get more themes given as well as marking them off as we use them. You don't have to give a reason for the theme and you can submit multiple themes. Just mark whether it's sci-fi or fantasy.

Sci-Fi Themes
Detective (Maggie)
Time travel (Dana)
Technological Imbalance (Greg)
Pre-1920 (Michelle)
Military (John)
Thought/Mind Control (Greg)
Religion (Dave)
Classic (Todd)
"Popular" Universes (Todd)
Romance (Olga)
AI (Richard)
Alternative History (Richard)
Campbellian SF (Richard)
Clones (Richard)
Golden Age (Richard)
Literary SF (Richard)
New Wave (Richard)
Space Opera (Richard)
Dystopia (Richard)
Psi/ESP (Richard)
Utopia (Richard)
Collaborations (Richard)
International (Richard)
Social Sci-fi (Jain)
Alien Protagonist (Jain)
Fictional (Earth) Countries (Jain)
Female Author (Jain)
Hugo Nominee (Jain)
Short Stories (Jain)
English Language Graphic Novels (Jain)
LGBT Protagonist (Jain)
James Tiptree, Jr. Award List (Jain)
Pirates (Ala)
Alien Invasion (Beezlebug)
Inspired Movie Adaptation (Penny)

Fantasy Themes
Detective (Maggie)
Mythology (Dana)
Redemption (Stan)
Historical (Michelle)
Superhero (Trike)
Classic (Todd)
Romance (Olga)
Dystopia (Richard)
Psi/ESP (Richard)
Utopia (Richard)
Collaborations (Richard)
International (Richard)
Weird Fiction (Jain)
East Asian Graphic Novels (Jain)
Fairy Tale Retelling (Jain)
Ancient (Pre-medieval) Setting (Jain)
Non-European Setting (Jain)
Animal Companions (Jain)
Thieves (Jain)
Short Stories (Jain)
English Language Graphic Novels (Jain)
LGBT Protagonist (Jain)
James Tiptree, Jr. Award List (Jain)
Old West (Ala)
Pirates (Ala)
Inspired Movie Adaptation (Penny)
Female Villain (Jute)
Seemingly Incompetent Hero (Jute)

i always love detective themes in either genre!

How about technology, and how different societies interact with one another based on that.

A technologically advanced society will often look down upon less technologically advanced societies, or worse. This is a common theme in sci-fi.

For themes we generally need something simpler than that. Something that can be put into only a few words. We don't want themes to be too specific or then we don't get enough books nominated or we end up with arguments about whether the book meets the theme or not.

Boy, I guess I'll dumb it down a bit: technology.

How about Dystopian?

How about mythology for fantasy and time travel for sci fi.

Fantasy: Redemption

SciFi: Enh... I don't read much SciFi.

Camille wrote: "How about Dystopian?"

Fantasy or sci-fi?

Dana wrote: "How about mythology for fantasy and time travel for sci fi."

Two of my favourite themes :)

Stan wrote: "Fantasy: Redemption"

That could be good.

let's take a look at the past: historical fantasy, and pre-1920 sci fi (e.g., H G Wells era stuff).

I've been on a Superhero kick lately. (Which I classify as Fantasy.)

So far it's a small subgroup and I've read most of what I can find which isn't comic book-related. (No Batman or Spider-man, etc.) Anything I haven't read is in my to-read pile.

Trike wrote: "So far it's a small subgroup and I've read most of what I can find which isn't comic book-related. (No Batman or Spider-man, etc.) Anything I haven't read is in my to-read pile. "

Try Empire State.

I class Superhero as sci-fi but as you're submitting it I'll put it under fantasy.

Empire State is in my pile. :)

I'd have to go for Military SF (especially when written by somebody who actually has military experience, e.g. John Ringo).

Please keep comments on topic, this is not the place for religious discussion.

I'm also interested in religion and faith told through the lens of science fiction, though I don't mind made up religions.

Kim - no intension to violate the rules here. But just for topic clarification - Zombies, Demons, Warewolves, Vampires, Aliens OK in SciFi. Angels not OK?

No body cares about religion here...but if you need to use one (Star Wars - the Force) why re-invent the wheel? We have so many ready to order. Just thinkin... You gotta admit - it'd certainly be something we HADN'T seen 1000 times.

How about thought control as a sci-fi theme?

Thought Control - Ohhhhh....Yes! Kim - looks like Julia, Geag and David have voted for Faith based SciFi (rather than Zombie based). I believe that makes it the threads most voted for topic so far. But like Greg - I think "thought control" would be a good one. If this post disappears...we'll take that as a YES.

This isn't about voting for topics. If you want to submit religion as a theme you are free to do so. But this isn't a place to discuss religion in fiction. You can start a thread in the members section if you like.

This thread is purely to submit themes for the group to use in future book reads.

Would having one of the Sci-Fi themes devoted to Star Wars books, or some of the Star Wars series be too specific? I've got a boat load of Star Wars books, some I've read but most not, that I'd love to read and discuss.

I love Michelle's idea of historical sci-fi, how about a "classic" theme in both sci-fi and fantasy - I'm thinking of ways to incorporate some of the genre defining books the others might not include or we might not get to normally??

Todd wrote: "Would having one of the Sci-Fi themes devoted to Star Wars books, or some of the Star Wars series be too specific? I've got a boat load of Star Wars books, some I've read but most not, that I'd love to read and discuss."

We had a theme a couple years ago that was "Popular" Universes, ie. Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who, etc. We could put it in as that and let people nominate their favourite from different universes.

Kim wrote: "Todd wrote: "Would having one of the Sci-Fi themes devoted to Star Wars books, or some of the Star Wars series be too specific? I've got a boat load of Star Wars books, some I've read but most not,..."

Oh, yes, I like that idea very much as it's much more inclusive than merely Star Wars.

How about romance in both fantasy and scifi? And I don't mean paranormal romance. I mean a love story set in a fantasy or scifi world, like Sharon Shinn's books.

Showing my age now, but there's a good closed old thread where we all came up with a fair few ideas for themes. Thread ran for a couple of years and can be found here

My paltry contribution to it was this:

Sci Fi Exclusive Themes
AI
Alternative History
Campbellian SF
Clones
Golden Age
Literary SF
New Wave
Space Opera

Both
Dystopia
Psi or ESP
Utopia
Collaborations
International (ie from a non English speaking part of the world)

There are a bunch of much better suggestions than mine on that old thread above, didn't seem fair to steal other peoples excellent ideas so posted the link instead.

Thanks Richard. I never saw that thread back when it was open. Might have a browse through it.

Olga wrote: "How about romance in both fantasy and scifi? And I don't mean paranormal romance. I mean a love story set in a fantasy or scifi world, like Sharon Shinn's books."

Olga, YES. I wanted to say something about romantic novels that aren't trashy romance novels, and you hit the nail on the head.

By the way Richard what is Campbellian SF?

SF
social science fiction
alien protagonist
fictional (Earth) countries
female author
nominated for but didn't win the Hugo

Fantasy
weird fiction
manga/manhua/manhwa
mythology
fairy tale retelling
ancient (pre-medieval) setting
non-European setting
animal companions
thieves

Both
short story collections
graphic novels
LGBT protagonist
James Tiptree, Jr. Award winners and nominees

And so the list grows.

Hat's off to Kim for coordinating a very impressive list - I want to read at least one from every theme, and then go back to the first and read one from each theme again and again!

More thanks to all who submit themes.

I'd like some Old West Fantasy.

And Pirates.

Ala wrote: "I'd like some Old West Fantasy.

And Pirates."

Space pirates or fantasy pirates?

Why not both?

*mariachi music*

I want a taco now.

Kim wrote: "By the way Richard what is Campbellian SF?"

I was thinking of books heavily influenced or inspired by the late legendary editor of Astounding Science Fiction John W. Campbell. Would include authors such as Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester, Hal Clement, Harry Harrison, Mack Reynolds, Clifford D. Simak and Theodore Sturgeon to name just a few.
By definition there could be a large crossover with the "Golden Age" theme.

For sci-fi how about Alien Invasion or (I can't think of a good name for it) Invasion Aftermath? Aftermath I'm thinking books like Roadside Picnic or Harmony where the 'invasion' is over people are picking up the pieces or learning to live with it.

Alien Invasion will cover it.

Kim wrote: "Alien Invasion will cover it."

What about Alien Invasion: Aftermath :)

This list is awesome! :) Thanks everyone!

I'd like to add the theme Inspired Film Adaptations to either or both genre.

How about something simple for fantasy like female villein? How about a simingly incompetent Hero?

Jute wrote: "How about something simple for fantasy like female villein? How about a simingly incompetent Hero?"

I like the seemingly incompetent hero theme - my mind immediately went to Rincewind of the Discworld :) I think there might be a few more of those around.

I definitely like female villeins, but they shouldn't be too crazy which so often is the case.

For ecience fiction themes can include objects/events for themes such as "black holes" and each novel nominated should have a black hole somewhere in there mentioned more than just in passing. You can do "Supernova", "Asteroid Belt", "Mars", "Moon", etc. as well.

How about "END OF THE WORLD"

How about "Alien First Contact" where a at least one of the central points would be contact with an alien race or civilization. An example to me would be Intervention by Julian May but this has a lot of room for interpretation.

New to the group, but I have a soft spot for what I call "anthropological" sci fi -- where the focus is on understanding an alien culture. As examples, I think of Ursula LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness as the classic of this type; Sheri Tepper & C.J. Cherryh seem to have a knack for it as well.