# Recommend a sci-fi book for a female non sci-fi fan?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 7, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688 "2010-05-07T22:40:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688/161 "2011-03-11T12:03:35Z")

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> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#):
>
> Heh. Pick up _For Us, The Living_ by Heinlein. You will discover what heavy-handed and annoying truly is.

Wow, this milk is really SOUR! Taste it!

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**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688/162 "2011-03-11T16:26:00Z")

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I’ve been a sci-fi fan as long as I remember. My wife was a casual fan of Star Trek, but hadn’t ever read any sci-fi. I convinced her to read Enders Game and Xenocide, and she’s been hooked ever since. Those two really run a gamut of what sci-fi can be, from kids with lasers in space to something very character driven.

I’ve been reading some Octavia Butler recently. While she’s one of the best at bringing up issues of race and gender in her works, a subject my wife feels strongly about, I wouldn’t recommend them to her because they have some scenes I can’t see her making it through.

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688/163 "2011-03-11T16:48:52Z")

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> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Wow, this milk is really SOUR! Taste it!

It’s damn near solid, too.

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**Author:** ![ballardfam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@ballardfam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ballardfam)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-sci-fi-book-for-a-female-non-sci-fi-fan/538688/164 "2011-09-20T21:38:26Z")

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> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> Andre Norton.
> 
> Or Zenna Henderson’s _The People_ series.

But not Heinlein if she’s past the age of 12.

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