How to Pick a Science Fiction Novel

Picking a science fiction novel to read may be harder than it should be, or you may just see one catch your eye at the books store or library, maybe even Walmart or the grocery store.

Unlike other books, science fiction is a harder read. You can't estimate how long it will take you to finish a science fiction book against how long it took you to read another type of novel or book. Other books are set in the past or present, but still in our known world, in a science fiction novel or book the world is not ours as we know it. To read a science fiction novel you have to amerce yourself in an unfamiliar world, to enjoy the book you have to get lost in what is not familiar. It requires more imagination than the average book because of the difference in the books version of reality to our version.

Not all science fiction is the same. Science fiction covers a whole host of fictional ideas and areas. From a view of the possible future, fantasy and myth, to whole new worlds and dimensions. Science fiction covers psychics, vampires, werewolves, spaceships, aliens, and robots... Not to mention many other such concepts. It can be based in the past at the beginning of time to the end of time and everywhere in between.

Science fiction can be male or female oriented. This doesn't mean that the orientation of the books are strictly male and female in their audience, just that they appeal to men or women more than to the opposite sex.

Male orientated books tend to have more adventure and action than female orientated science fiction. Its more about the journey and/or the toys (or technical stuff) than anything else in a male orientated science fiction. Authors that tend to write for a mostly male audience include George Lucas, Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Scalzi, and of course J.R.R. Tolkien.

Female orientated science fiction has more sexual content that male orientated science fiction. Its more about relationships and the weird dynamics that make them a science fiction. Authors that tend to write more fore a female audience include Carrie Vaughn, Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, and Christine Feehan. Female orientated science fiction tends to lean more toward the fantasy spectrum of science fiction.

There are many more aspects to fiction besides the main plot being futuristic, fantasy, or alien. Almost all science fiction has a subplot of mystery, suspenses, horror or action.

Most also have some aspects were there is betrayal. And all have, even to a very small decree, romance.

So if you think that reading other genre has become stale or you just aren't reading your books of the month slow enough to get buy till the next installment, try a science fiction..... there a whole different concept of reality.