Sci-Fi Romance discussion

Someone in this group was kind enough to give me the definition of dystopian. Well now I can't find that thread, but according to wiki dystopian is: " in literature, an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian......"

I really like reading dystopian novels and was hoping that some of you might have some other recommendations. I'm thinking something along the lines of Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series, or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, etc. Thanks!

Jeff Somers has an interesting series. I think the first book (and I may be wrong) is The Electric Church. I think that there are 4 books in the series.

I just finished reading a new author - The Blind Pig by Elizabeth Dougherty. Loved this book, very well done, interesting world building.

AH wrote: "Jeff Somers has an interesting series. I think the first book (and I may be wrong) is The Electric Church. I think that there are 4 books in the series.

I just fini..."

Thanks AH, I'll be adding those to my "to read" list.

You're welcome!

I just finished , which was a fun read. I gave it 4 stars for pure enjoyment and 3 stars for writing/plot. The romance in it was second in line to the main plot, which is where I like my romance to be. :)

I was hoping to revive this thread as dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic stories are right up my alley right now.

Other dystopian books that I have read and liked are:

I really liked The Vector by MCM. I'd classify it as apocalyptic and dyystopian in process, as in, the world is slowly crumbling down, and there's new powers and structures rising, but nothing is firmly established yet.

I thought it was really different because it combines technology with disease, and it's very gloomy and scary.


(Disclosure: I work for this publisher as a freelancer publicist, but this book dates from before my time (it's how I got to know the publisher), so I have no interest in promoting it. It's really good though!)

I second the rec for Enclave, and also loved these:



Here are some I haven't read yet that look good--some may be more post-apocalyptical than dystopian, but I find the line between the two blurs for me. :)

lol its hard to get a HEA in this genre. lol but I like HEA lol

This one seems pretty interesting, but unfortunately, its not coming out until Feb 2012:

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Tsunami Blue

Not really "utopian" but definitely post apocalyptic. I enjoyed it.

AnnaM wrote: "Tsunami Blue

Not really "utopian" but definitely post apocalyptic. I enjoyed it."

I've had that one sitting in my TBR for a long time now. Is it a stand alone novel?

Yes. I really liked it, despite a bit of fantasy-esque weirdness at the end.

✿Michelle✿ wrote: "Someone in this group was kind enough to give me the definition of dystopian. Well now I can't find that thread, but according to wiki dystopian is: " in literature, an often futuristic society th..."

Michelle, if you're still interested (a year and a half later ;-)) my first book just came out and the eugenics-based, color-coded caste system and government-controlled breeding / population controls of my future world are straight out of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

I make no qualms about admitting that Conditioned Response is directly derived from Huxley's ideas.** I cannot thank him enough for creating the new subgenre of the field 100+ years ago. My mother actually read that book in school (in the 1930s!) I think that was the only science fiction book she ever read. Shameful given I started writing when I was 9 (haha)

is up there on the list for Best Dystopian Original but only because Huxley isn't alive to promote his book and I am. Or so I think. It feels wrong for my book to be above his on that list. I already voted for BNW so I can't even push my book back down a notch that way. Maybe it's a sign the world REALLY is going to come to an end! LOL

Conditioned Response is romantic but not a romance, erotic but not erotica, full of twists and mystery but not a mystery novel and while the edge and sense of impending danger will keep you feeling there's an imminent threat, I don't actually kill anyone until after they have sex. Those are the rules, you know? It's a basic if-then statement: If you have sex, then you die. Well, someone's gotta die!

I'm offering free comp copies to reviewers until Monday if you want to sign up. check out the deets/instructions over on this other Talk Genre thread.

** other influences, also, such as my (pen)namesake Friday by Heinlein or his "citizenship and service" (or servitude in the case of Proctors which are also taken from Heinlein's idea, though he never imagined Proctors like Raif!) Then there's a machine-turned-man story at the kernel of my book, directly derived from Asimov's robot books, all of 'em! :) I loved R. Daneel Olivaw for a lot of years there, esp. once he returned in the Foundation series :) Huxley's Dystopian setting is the backdrop though. Definitely.

-Friday
@phoenicianbooks

Canoeu wrote: "I just finished , which was a fun read. I gave it 4 stars for pure enjoyment and 3 stars for writing/plot. The romance in it was second in line to the main pl..."

Canoeu- If you liked Maia Underwood, have you tried Traci L. Slatton's After Trilogy? I see the first book in the series, Fallen, is having a goodreads giveaway until Aug. 30, 2015.

I love Kit Rocha's "Beyond..." Series. They're erotic romance set in a dystopian future, her characters are rich and well developed and they're probably the first series I one-click as soon as they're available.

I love Kit Rocha's "Beyond..." Series. They're erotic romance set in a dystopian future, her characters are rich and well developed and they're probably the first series I one-click as soon as they're available.

I love Kit Rocha's "Beyond..." Series. They're erotic romance set in a dystopian future, her characters are rich and well developed and they're probably the first series I one-click as soon as they're available.