21st Century Literature discussion

Extraterrestrial visitors have come to Earth. Thankfully, they can read/decipher all known languages used on the planet. You can give them one of each: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Which books do you give to help them better understand or appreciate humanity?

I think you stumped everyone.
Off the top of my head, without too much thought:
Fiction: The Overstory by Richard Powers
Nonfiction: no idea, everything I can think of is too Eurocentric.
Poetry: The Collected Poetry of Bai Juyi (still as relevant today as it was over 1000 years ago).

The Lorax, sapiens and the new dragon book of verse

Dr. Seuss is a good choice--I'd probably go with The Sneetches, but that's just a matter of opinion.

My picks would be a collection of Chekhov's short stories for their essential humanity, John Hersey's Hiroshima for the potential within us for self-immolation, and a selection of E E Cummings poetry for our playfulness.

The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case

Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman

Very tough question Marc. My suggestions are US centric but applicable elsewhere.

Beegu by Alexis Deacon.

I would give this book to everyone.

What an impossible question! :)

The funny one that comes to mind is The Three-Body Problem.

Well, Jenny, I think maybe I talk to aliens more than some of you...
:-(

I'll go with:
- Fiction: Roots: The Saga of an American Family
- Nonfiction: I'm torn between The Origin of Species and The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
- Poetry: View with a Grain of Sand: Selected Poems (Szymborkska)

Mostly gut picks here, but I think they'd give a varied and interesting look into human dynamics, spirituality, art, and compassion.

I'm drowning in human literary options, so I don't even want to think about having potential access to alien literature(s)...

This is a very tough question, but I see that others are suggesting children’s books which I like.. I would give the extraterrestrial a copy of The Little Prince and, since language would not be a problem, I’d present the gift in its original French Le Petit Prince because I know the extraterrestrial would agree that it’s the better version. ;)

Non-fiction is a stumper, and I need more time to think of a poem.
Great question!

I'm a haiku person and not sure a book of haiku would be appreciated by an extraterrestrial, but for the other two:
Fiction: The Humans
Nonfiction: The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity

No question in my mind, I'd give them James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. I've seen Joyce's notebooks for the Wake. They are a tangled tapestry of coloured pencils and handwritten scribbles completely unintelligible to any mind but Joyce's subjective intentions. If an extraterrestrial could help me read this book I would be galactically grateful.