Sci-Fi Group Book Club discussion

It's time to make suggestions for our October group reads! Although this is not a themed read, does it make sense to focus more on the horror end of science fiction?

Anyway, as per usual, all suggestions made in this topic will be listed in a poll in a few days so that we can vote on the two books for the monthly group read.

If a book has featured in a previous group read in the last 12 months, please do not suggest it for this next group read. You may, however, feel free to repeat any earlier unsuccessful suggestions you (or anybody else) made in previous nomination topics.

I'm planning to read The Werewolf of Paris in October.

If I can nominate two books then my second one is The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey.

Truly, guys, I fail to see how horror qualifies as sci-fi. Unless it included the methods of what induces or causes the the horror. Like Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum"... You are entering fantasy or just 'ghoulish' there...

Joe wrote: "Truly, guys, I fail to see how horror qualifies as sci-fi. Unless it included the methods of what induces or causes the the horror. Like Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum"... You are entering fantasy..."

Well, science fiction has a long tradition of horror if you consider e.g. The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers, The Day of the Triffids, 2001, The Stepford Wives, Westworld, Alien, Saturn 3, The Thing, Predator, Event Horizon, and Life. We're not talking supernatural or slasher horror but rather of alien invasion/colonisation/assimilation/hunting or of rogue robots/computers killing/controlling people.

Greg wrote: "Well, science fiction has a long tradition of horror if you consider e.g. The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers, The Day of the Triffids, 2001, The Stepford Wives, Westworld, Alien, Saturn 3, The Thing, Predator, Event Horizon, and Life..."

I agree Greg. I should qualify my book suggestion by saying that The Werewolf of Paris probably isn't sci fi horror.

Let me know if my suggestions are not sci fi enough and I will gladly change them.

Since I was not sure if Swan Song was sci fi enough I deleted it. I would like to nominate The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury instead.

Some lists to inspire:

https://bookriot.com/2018/03/27/sci-f...

https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best...

https://www.bookscrolling.com/the-bes...

Thorkell wrote: "Since I was not sure if Swan Song was sci fi enough I deleted it. I would like to nominate The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury instead."

Thorkell wrote: "Let me know if my suggestions are not sci fi enough and I will gladly change them."

I've heard that Swan Song is a great read. Not sure if it's science fiction either but, in any case, The Martian Chronicles is a good suggestion.

Susan wrote: "Greg wrote: "Well, science fiction has a long tradition of horror if you consider e.g. The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers, The Day of the Triffids, 2001, The Stepford Wives, Westworld, Alien, Satur..."

That's OK Susan. Since it's not an official themed read I'll add anything suggested to the poll - so long as it hasn't been the subject of a group read in the last 12 months.

@Thorkell, if you'd prefer to read Swan Song, then feel free to suggest it again.

How do you guys think The Girl With All the Gifts fares on the sci-fi front?

It is about a dystopian future and those are usually sci fi.

Even the first sentence on Wikipedia is: "The Girl with All the Gifts is a science-fiction novel by M.R. Carey...". But if people don't feel it fits then I'm OK with removing it.

Thorkell wrote: "It is about a dystopian future and those are usually sci fi.

Even the first sentence on Wikipedia is: "The Girl with All the Gifts is a science-fiction novel by M.R. Carey...". But if people don'..."

Considering the fact that the hungries feed on human flesh is certainly horrific in my book.

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells is also one of the more horrific tales from one of the early masters of science fiction.

Respectfully,
Richard W. Buro

Karen wrote: "How do you guys think The Girl With All the Gifts fares on the sci-fi front?"

I've not read the book or anything by the author, but from what I've picked up about it here on Goodreads and on Wikipedia, it seems like a solid science fiction novel. I'd have no problem voting for this one.

Richard wrote: "The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells is also one of the more horrific tales from one of the early masters of science fiction.'..."

Horrific plotlines occasionally work in science fiction, even great science fiction. In addition to Greg's suggestions, I can think of three immediately: The Long Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker and The Genocides by Thomas M. Disch both show explicit horror. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is less disgusting, and even very funny in parts, but IMO is no less horrific.

Harlan Ellison just passed away. He wrote stories like I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral (both sci fi horror) and A Boy and His Dog which you probably all know as the feature film by the same name. He also wrote the controversial Star Trek episode The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay

All,

Another book that I completed recently for another group was A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. A book that has chapters numbered by days in October like a calendar. Good read, scary, and lots of fiendish fun!!

One more for our consideration!!

Richard W. Buro
From the Heart of the Great Lone Star State

I've set up the poll here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1....

@David: I'm not sure if you were nominating the books you mentioned so I left them out (as you'd already read them) but feel free to write-in one of them to the poll if you'd like. (Or I could do an edit and add all three if preferred.)

Thanks, Greg. I did not intend to nominate those books.

David wrote: "Thanks, Greg. I did not intend to nominate those books."

OK. No problem.