# What should be my first science fiction novel?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-my-first-science-fiction-novel/628880>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 20, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-my-first-science-fiction-novel/628880 "2012-07-20T20:04:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-my-first-science-fiction-novel/628880/41 "2012-07-21T16:36:47Z")

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I liked _Second Foundation_ by Isaac Asimov. Yes, that’s Part 3 of a trilogy(\*) but I liked it best and reading the books out of order shouldn’t hurt much.

(\* - actually a heptology or some such by now, or even worse if you count the post-Asimov Foundation novels.)

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-my-first-science-fiction-novel/628880/42 "2012-07-21T16:39:01Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Ooh, ooh, ok, I got it. Frederick Pohl’s _Gateway_. Great story. Great mystery. Great characters. **The start of a series if you like it,** but it’s fine on it’s own. Won pretty much every award there was to win.

The problem here is that the series sucks hard-core. _Gateway_ is ok, but the rest…\<shudder.\>

Zelazny is an interesting suggestion. _Doorways In the Sand_ is a nice, light romp. So is _…And Call Me Conrad_. I’d hold _Lord of Light_ for a later suggestion.

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**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-my-first-science-fiction-novel/628880/43 "2012-07-21T18:39:23Z")

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_The Warrior’s Apprentice_, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Characters you care about, especially the hero, in a wonderful coming-of-age plot. Plenty of humor and pathos, too. Also, once you’ve read it, you can read the rest of the series.

(Yes, I know it’s not the first book in the series, and it has spoilers for the earlier books. I still think this is the place to start.)

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