The Near Future discussion

The Martian by andy Weir will be our first Book of the Month.

Been looking forward to reading this one.

So I just started actively using Goodreads today. Two things!:

1) My favorite topic is perhaps near-futurism where the speculation is grounded in current cutting-edge science, but far enough out there to tease your imagination; I believe this is quite fitting given your group description.

2) I started reading The Martian just yesterday! What a fun coincidence! I'm only 30 pages deep, but it's a humorous read thus far.

Thanks for joining Peter. I like SF but I really am most interested in reading near future stories rooted mostly in science which is why I started this group.

Please feel free to suggest some BOTM reads and stick with the group as we grow.

I also just started the Martian and like it so far, definitely fits into the group focus.

Welcome again.

Thanks for the welcom K.C. I agree on the science fiction front. To me there is an important distinction between what I think of as near-futurism and classic science fiction. Glad I found some company on Good Reads.

I always have trouble tracking down a list of books that fit into this category which is again why I started this group (suggestions from others who like this type of SF/fiction). I will conduct a search on Google looking for something to read but inevitably come up with list of books that mostly deal with alien races and alternate dimensions.

Not bad stuff for those who like that type of sci-fi but it's just not my cup of tea. I love real speculation. I honestly don't mind a plot device such as time travel thrown in occasionally, but at least attempt to root it some sort of scientific theory and make it only 10% of the actual plot line.

I've recently got into Asimov, which is in the classic category, but he certainly falls into the hard speculation category too. It's not modern in the sense that it's written fairly recently and incorporates recent scientific advances, but his stories are still relevant in my opinion. His short story, The Last Question, was what got me into his stuff. I recently read Transhumanist Wager, great topic, but poorly executed.

I have no problem with classics that might be a bit outdated, I find speculation of those older SF periods to be just as interesting and thought provoking. Certainly Philip K. Dick's work has held up (in a theoretical sense - his writing style is a little tough though) and is gaining popularity as time goes on.

I also think an Asimov work would be a great option for an early group BOTM selection.