Light and escapist sci-fi novel suggestions?
February 18, 2022 12:51 PM
Please recommend me some light and escapist sci-fi novels, ideally available on audible.
My partner is looking for some distractions and has recently been enjoying listening to sci-fi books on Audible. Now we need more suggestions.
My sci-fi interests tend to the darker end, but in this case we are looking for light or funny stories that aren't too bleak. We particularly want to avoid issues around bereavement.
She recently enjoyed John Scalzi's Redshirts and the first two of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers books. The third Wayfarers book is a little too focused on death and funeral practices. The Lady Astronaut series also went down well, but is on the more serious end of the spectrum we're talking about here.
Most recently I've suggested the Salvagers series by Alex White, beginning with A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, but don't have too many others jumping to mind.
The only other criteria is a mild preference that it's not too British, which might seem weird, but that's where we live and hence is not escapist enough!
What do you recommend?
My partner is looking for some distractions and has recently been enjoying listening to sci-fi books on Audible. Now we need more suggestions.
My sci-fi interests tend to the darker end, but in this case we are looking for light or funny stories that aren't too bleak. We particularly want to avoid issues around bereavement.
She recently enjoyed John Scalzi's Redshirts and the first two of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers books. The third Wayfarers book is a little too focused on death and funeral practices. The Lady Astronaut series also went down well, but is on the more serious end of the spectrum we're talking about here.
Most recently I've suggested the Salvagers series by Alex White, beginning with A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, but don't have too many others jumping to mind.
The only other criteria is a mild preference that it's not too British, which might seem weird, but that's where we live and hence is not escapist enough!
What do you recommend?
(On reflection, I realize that when it comes to Adams, there are a lot of individual deaths in the Dirk Gently books, and lots of vaguely described planetary/galaxy scale death in the Hitchhiker's Guide. But, not in a way that seems likely to be emotionally resonant. Maybe start with the Guide, though, if it's of interest.)
posted by eotvos at 1:03 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by eotvos at 1:03 PM on February 18, 2022
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir on audio was genuinely engaging, funny at times, just very listenable. Caveat that the dude is marooned in space with an alien who is similarly marooned in space, and neither of them know if they're getting home. But honestly, it didn't read heavy.
posted by headspace at 1:04 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by headspace at 1:04 PM on February 18, 2022
The Culture Series is quite varied, not necessarily light, but very interesting. Station 11 is just 1 book, but really good.
posted by theora55 at 1:05 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by theora55 at 1:05 PM on February 18, 2022
If she's read Becky Chambers Wayfarer's books, you've probably already looked at her A Psalm for the Wild Built, but if you haven't, I recommend it. It's a hug in a book.
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alex Hall is a holmesian sci-fi mystery in a truly weird and out there world. There's violence on a level to be expected of a sherlock holmes book, but it still feels light because the world is so out there, and because of the author's dry humor.
Sourdough by Robin Sloane is sci-fi in that it has an alien sourdough starter. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember it being light.
Hope that helps! This was a lot harder than I would have thought; most of the light stuff I've read in the past 5 or so years turns out to be fantasy.
posted by bridgebury at 1:07 PM on February 18, 2022
The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alex Hall is a holmesian sci-fi mystery in a truly weird and out there world. There's violence on a level to be expected of a sherlock holmes book, but it still feels light because the world is so out there, and because of the author's dry humor.
Sourdough by Robin Sloane is sci-fi in that it has an alien sourdough starter. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember it being light.
Hope that helps! This was a lot harder than I would have thought; most of the light stuff I've read in the past 5 or so years turns out to be fantasy.
posted by bridgebury at 1:07 PM on February 18, 2022
Becky Chambers‘ A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a lovely story, with no death or any nastiness at all. A very uplifting read, actually.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by Thorzdad at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2022
I wouldn't recommend Station 11 for light reading; I read it before the pandemic and the pandemic parts were already very saddening. Can't imagine reading it now unless I wanted to cry. A lot.
posted by bridgebury at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by bridgebury at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2022
Has your partner read the Murderbot Diaries? Despite the name (and the weirdly intense synopsis on Audible!) the series is light, often funny, and very charming.
posted by cimton at 1:30 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by cimton at 1:30 PM on February 18, 2022
Mirabile and Hellspark by Janet Kagan are the most cheerful sf I know of.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 2:05 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 2:05 PM on February 18, 2022
Hard agree on MurderBot despite the name. Also, Winter's Orbit might be a good fit?
posted by jeszac at 2:17 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by jeszac at 2:17 PM on February 18, 2022
Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation might be worth a try. (I don't actually remember if there's any bereavement. If so, it's not a major plot point. But, it's been a while.)
There is a major plot point dealing with death and bereavement.
posted by roaring beast at 2:18 PM on February 18, 2022
There is a major plot point dealing with death and bereavement.
posted by roaring beast at 2:18 PM on February 18, 2022
The fourth Wayfarers book, The Galaxy and the Ground Within, is the one I go back to most often. Way better than the third one.
posted by Daily Alice at 2:25 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by Daily Alice at 2:25 PM on February 18, 2022
Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga varies in tone - the two novels about Cordelia (Shards of Honor, Barrayar) have a semi-dark tone (and include significant war and violence), but the novels about Miles are lighter. It's not that they are never serious - they can have wrenching moments, but (like Terry Pratchett) the serious moments tend to be sad/touching, and are never dark or grim. It's just that the serious stuff slips in among the lighter, like real life.
For the lighter side, I would recommend The Warrior's Apprentice and then The Vor Game. My favourite is A Civil Campaign (a comedy of manners), but it is essential to read Komarr before, which is more serious (but again, not dark). The second funniest is Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, which an out-and-out farce; it stands more independently than A Civil Campaign so I think one could read it out of the context of the series, but it does occur later and include a lot of references to previous events (and thus potentially spoilers).
posted by jb at 2:26 PM on February 18, 2022
For the lighter side, I would recommend The Warrior's Apprentice and then The Vor Game. My favourite is A Civil Campaign (a comedy of manners), but it is essential to read Komarr before, which is more serious (but again, not dark). The second funniest is Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, which an out-and-out farce; it stands more independently than A Civil Campaign so I think one could read it out of the context of the series, but it does occur later and include a lot of references to previous events (and thus potentially spoilers).
posted by jb at 2:26 PM on February 18, 2022
Curtis C. Chen's Waypoint Kangaroo and Kangaroo Too.
posted by neushoorn at 3:40 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by neushoorn at 3:40 PM on February 18, 2022
I loved Winter's Orbit but do not read it for this purpose, a major plot point focuses around the death of a spouse from the get go. I also loved loved loved Captain Vorpatril's Alliance but so much of the plot revolves around worrying if a character's family is still alive and then there's also a poignant scene with a character and his mother talking about the death of his father years ago as they observe an annual grievance ritual. I don't consider either of them heavy reading and I really loved them but for your specific request I wanted to heads up you.
posted by foxfirefey at 3:54 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by foxfirefey at 3:54 PM on February 18, 2022
Gamechanger and Dealbreaker by LX Beckett are set in the not-near but not-that-far future when humanity is making progress in dealing with and maybe undoing some climate change. A lot of it takes place in VR (gaming and every-day life) and the main characters are a mix of people and AIs. Much of the second book is in space, a generation later. I can't say much more without giving away a twist from the first book. These are way weirder and more fun than I'm making them sound. Some of the older characters from the first book may have died by the second book but I don't remember grief being a plot point.
posted by esoterrica at 4:13 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by esoterrica at 4:13 PM on February 18, 2022
She recently enjoyed John Scalzi's Redshirts and the first two of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers books.
Oh! Oh! Light from Uncommon Stars! Light from Uncommon Stars! Also, even though it sounds like exactly what you don't want, The Dispatcher from John Scalzi. it's so much fun and the narration from Zachary Quinto is < chef's kiss > perfection. It's free on Audible, so there's no harm in giving it a go.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:31 PM on February 18, 2022
Oh! Oh! Light from Uncommon Stars! Light from Uncommon Stars! Also, even though it sounds like exactly what you don't want, The Dispatcher from John Scalzi. it's so much fun and the narration from Zachary Quinto is < chef's kiss > perfection. It's free on Audible, so there's no harm in giving it a go.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:31 PM on February 18, 2022
I absolutely adore Bujold, but I can't think of any book of hers where love/loss/regret aren't threads woven through even the most comedic of overall plots.
posted by Metasyntactic at 4:40 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by Metasyntactic at 4:40 PM on February 18, 2022
I would agree with the Murderbot books, there is some action-movie style violence but the eponymous cyborg tries hard to keep things non-lethal and their inner voice is just so exasperated with the whole thing and so deeply desirous of getting back to its soaps that it works out okay. Plus they're quite short.
Catherynne Valente's Space Opera was pretty light and funny. (Imagine if domination of the galaxy was determined by the Eurovision contest).
Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog was pretty funny but unfortunately does use a lot of classic British tropes.
Iain M. Bank's Culture series is wonderfully complex and often humorous, but light it absolutely is not. Lots of people dying or experiencing miserable physical or psychological trauma.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 4:45 PM on February 18, 2022
Catherynne Valente's Space Opera was pretty light and funny. (Imagine if domination of the galaxy was determined by the Eurovision contest).
Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog was pretty funny but unfortunately does use a lot of classic British tropes.
Iain M. Bank's Culture series is wonderfully complex and often humorous, but light it absolutely is not. Lots of people dying or experiencing miserable physical or psychological trauma.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 4:45 PM on February 18, 2022
Not Space Opera. It's super fun, but 80% of it qualifies as "issues around bereavement".
I have nothing to recommend other than Murderbot, as my recent reading has definitely bent toward the heavier.
posted by DebetEsse at 5:48 PM on February 18, 2022
I have nothing to recommend other than Murderbot, as my recent reading has definitely bent toward the heavier.
posted by DebetEsse at 5:48 PM on February 18, 2022
Possibly Up Against It, which is an adventure story of the "if not for you meddling kids!" variety plus some other plot lines. Not a humor book, but I remember some funny scenes.
posted by clew at 8:15 PM on February 18, 2022
posted by clew at 8:15 PM on February 18, 2022
Brian Daley's Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds is the first book of a fun space opera trilogy published in the 1980s:
Mankind was beginning its third leap into the Galaxy, but Old Earth had so long kept to herself that her people were unable to travel safely among the rough-and-tumble cultures that had evolved on distant worlds. That annoyed Earth's rulers, for Hobart Floyt - a minor Terran bureaucrat - had been left a mysterious inheritance by the deceased ruler of a small but wealthy interstellar empire. Earth was dirt-poor, and the government wanted Floyt's inheritance; but to collect it, Floyt would have to travel to the Reading of the Will...many light-years away! And so Alacrity Fitzhugh - a young, but seasoned spacer - is blackmailed into shepherding this naive Terran on a dangerous interstellar quest.
I'm somewhat hesitant to recommend it for your question given your "We particularly want to avoid issues around bereavement", but it's quite a fun series, and there's not much bereavement for the deceased ruler. So, maybe consider this a recommendation not for you, but for others looking for escapist SF.
posted by ShooBoo at 8:35 PM on February 18, 2022
Mankind was beginning its third leap into the Galaxy, but Old Earth had so long kept to herself that her people were unable to travel safely among the rough-and-tumble cultures that had evolved on distant worlds. That annoyed Earth's rulers, for Hobart Floyt - a minor Terran bureaucrat - had been left a mysterious inheritance by the deceased ruler of a small but wealthy interstellar empire. Earth was dirt-poor, and the government wanted Floyt's inheritance; but to collect it, Floyt would have to travel to the Reading of the Will...many light-years away! And so Alacrity Fitzhugh - a young, but seasoned spacer - is blackmailed into shepherding this naive Terran on a dangerous interstellar quest.
I'm somewhat hesitant to recommend it for your question given your "We particularly want to avoid issues around bereavement", but it's quite a fun series, and there's not much bereavement for the deceased ruler. So, maybe consider this a recommendation not for you, but for others looking for escapist SF.
posted by ShooBoo at 8:35 PM on February 18, 2022
Stepping back in to recommend Andrew Tchaikovksy’s Children of Time. It was recommended to me by an acquaintance, and was a totally unexpected and wholly unconventional take on the concept of “time travel” with a huge dollop of evolution thrown in.
It took me a bit to twig to the plotting, but when I did, it became an amazing read that challenges you to think about what “civilization” actually means.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:38 AM on February 19, 2022
It took me a bit to twig to the plotting, but when I did, it became an amazing read that challenges you to think about what “civilization” actually means.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:38 AM on February 19, 2022
Caveat that they are straight up romance novels, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Ann Aguirre's Galactic Love series. Strange Love is the first, Love Code is the second and I think the third is just about to come out? Very Wayfarers vibes, talking pets, alien society drama, different species figuring out each other's whole deal (including alien genetalia, in case that's too much for any potential reader). I found them sweet and escapist.
posted by theweasel at 7:08 AM on February 19, 2022
posted by theweasel at 7:08 AM on February 19, 2022
I also enjoyed Strange Love and did not find it heavy but I am here once again to point out (I am so sorry if I'm being annoying and too sensitized to that part of your request) that there's a plot point in it where a character's partner dies and causes that character great stress and drives their motivations going forward.
posted by foxfirefey at 10:31 AM on February 19, 2022
posted by foxfirefey at 10:31 AM on February 19, 2022
Here are some possibilities in a few categories:
Childrens/YA
Green Year Dragonfly, Kaye Bellot (fantasy; a house hunter hunts a house that has gone walkabout)
Stray, Andrea K Host (SF; an australian teenager falls through a wormhole to an uninhabited planet)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Boat of her Own Making, Catherynne Valente (fantasy; fairytale about a girl from 1940s America)
Greenglass House, Kate Milford (fantasy; boy lives in a smuggler's inn run by his parents)
Which Witch, Eva Ibbotson (humorous fantasy; evil wizard runs a contest to find the evil witch of his dreams). Other Ibbotsons are excellent as well.
Many of the Oz books
Midnight Queen, Sylvia Hunter (fantasy; young man gets in trouble at university, meets his tutor's daughter, quest ensues)
Cosy
An Unexpected Invitation, Ceillie Simkiss (fantasy; woman who hates travel needs to get to her friend's wedding)
Mindtouch, M.C.A. Hogarth (SF; young centaur and elf meet in psychology training, become friends)
Comedy
Maskerade, Terry Pratchett (Fantasy. Awesome.)
Tom Holt, like Flying Dutch or Expecting Someone Taller (fantasy)
Not much in common, I just think they fit the brief
Oathbreaker, Kathleen Cheney (SF; local ruler is bothered by a series of incompetent assassins, brings one of them home)
Maker's Mask, Ankaret Wells (SF; woman goes to rescue her sister from a rival city)
The Doppleganger Gambit, Lee Killlough (SF mystery; man is killed in locked room, in society where everyone is ID chipped so nobody can have been there)
Hal Clement- basically all his books are about planets with cool physics stuff, with characters interacting to show the worlds off (but in a good way)
posted by Shark Hat at 11:59 AM on February 19, 2022
Childrens/YA
Green Year Dragonfly, Kaye Bellot (fantasy; a house hunter hunts a house that has gone walkabout)
Stray, Andrea K Host (SF; an australian teenager falls through a wormhole to an uninhabited planet)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Boat of her Own Making, Catherynne Valente (fantasy; fairytale about a girl from 1940s America)
Greenglass House, Kate Milford (fantasy; boy lives in a smuggler's inn run by his parents)
Which Witch, Eva Ibbotson (humorous fantasy; evil wizard runs a contest to find the evil witch of his dreams). Other Ibbotsons are excellent as well.
Many of the Oz books
Midnight Queen, Sylvia Hunter (fantasy; young man gets in trouble at university, meets his tutor's daughter, quest ensues)
Cosy
An Unexpected Invitation, Ceillie Simkiss (fantasy; woman who hates travel needs to get to her friend's wedding)
Mindtouch, M.C.A. Hogarth (SF; young centaur and elf meet in psychology training, become friends)
Comedy
Maskerade, Terry Pratchett (Fantasy. Awesome.)
Tom Holt, like Flying Dutch or Expecting Someone Taller (fantasy)
Not much in common, I just think they fit the brief
Oathbreaker, Kathleen Cheney (SF; local ruler is bothered by a series of incompetent assassins, brings one of them home)
Maker's Mask, Ankaret Wells (SF; woman goes to rescue her sister from a rival city)
The Doppleganger Gambit, Lee Killlough (SF mystery; man is killed in locked room, in society where everyone is ID chipped so nobody can have been there)
Hal Clement- basically all his books are about planets with cool physics stuff, with characters interacting to show the worlds off (but in a good way)
posted by Shark Hat at 11:59 AM on February 19, 2022
Fantastic recommendations everyone and I really appreciate the extra comments by people adding further detail about tone or content.
Even some of the ones here that are a bit bleak for the purposes of this question, Station 11 for one, are definitely up my street so I'll be checking them out myself!
posted by knapah at 12:28 PM on February 19, 2022
Even some of the ones here that are a bit bleak for the purposes of this question, Station 11 for one, are definitely up my street so I'll be checking them out myself!
posted by knapah at 12:28 PM on February 19, 2022
Also came in to recommend the Galactic Love trilogy by Ann Aguirre!
I’ve actually been reading tons of romance lately to scratch this precise itch. I was never a romance person before, but once I found queer and SFF romance a couple months ago, it really sucked me in. Give some of it a try—it might surprise you how well it works for this need.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:13 PM on February 19, 2022
I’ve actually been reading tons of romance lately to scratch this precise itch. I was never a romance person before, but once I found queer and SFF romance a couple months ago, it really sucked me in. Give some of it a try—it might surprise you how well it works for this need.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:13 PM on February 19, 2022
Just want to agree about the comments regarding Ian Bank's Culture series in this context. It's one of my favorite series, but it has death, torture, destruction, and more. This is especially true of earlier works like State of the Art, but even the later books are often bleak – I mean, the descriptions of what people are subjected to in the virtual Hells of Surface Detail are quite detailed …
posted by StrawberryPie at 1:45 PM on February 20, 2022
posted by StrawberryPie at 1:45 PM on February 20, 2022
Fantasy? Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, Stardust, and Anansi Boys are fairly light in tone. Anansi Boys centers around Anansi's death, but the sense of bereavement isn't very heavy I thought. And maybe this is a spoiler, but Anansi is a god and a trickster...so... Also, Lenny Henry gives it stellar narration.
And I'm probably not hitting the mark here either, but I'll submit that I've listened to the audio of A Lee Martinez's The Automatic Detective and Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain. I'm haven't heard/read the Murderbot books, but it seems to me that The Automatic Detective prefigures it? And so if people are recommending Murderbot, then maybe? Anyway, he's a robot designed to be a superweapon but really just wants to play out a Raymond Chandler-type story. The death themes might be too heavy--I dunno. Emperor Mollusk is also ridiculous and not to be taken seriously. The Rick & Morty vibe was strong with that one.
Also on audio is Stanislaw Lem's Mortal Engines. It's kind of like an Arabian Nights of fairy tales that are sort of sci-fi inspired. Trippy and comical.
posted by polecat at 10:21 PM on February 20, 2022
And I'm probably not hitting the mark here either, but I'll submit that I've listened to the audio of A Lee Martinez's The Automatic Detective and Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain. I'm haven't heard/read the Murderbot books, but it seems to me that The Automatic Detective prefigures it? And so if people are recommending Murderbot, then maybe? Anyway, he's a robot designed to be a superweapon but really just wants to play out a Raymond Chandler-type story. The death themes might be too heavy--I dunno. Emperor Mollusk is also ridiculous and not to be taken seriously. The Rick & Morty vibe was strong with that one.
Also on audio is Stanislaw Lem's Mortal Engines. It's kind of like an Arabian Nights of fairy tales that are sort of sci-fi inspired. Trippy and comical.
posted by polecat at 10:21 PM on February 20, 2022
Some older stuff:
Phule's Company series by Robert Aspirin
The Right to Arm Bears by Gordon R. Dickson
Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series by Spider Robinson
And this is newer, but about superheroes, so not technically sci-fi. But the superheroes are also nerdy science students, so...
All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner
Oh! And The 5th Gender by Gail Carriger, but only if you don't mind explicit gay sex scenes.
posted by elizabot at 7:49 PM on February 21, 2022
Phule's Company series by Robert Aspirin
The Right to Arm Bears by Gordon R. Dickson
Callahan's Crosstime Saloon series by Spider Robinson
And this is newer, but about superheroes, so not technically sci-fi. But the superheroes are also nerdy science students, so...
All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner
Oh! And The 5th Gender by Gail Carriger, but only if you don't mind explicit gay sex scenes.
posted by elizabot at 7:49 PM on February 21, 2022
Linnea Sinclair has written a number of books that are (somewhat) hard sf, but also romances. One I can recommend would be Finders Keepers. On the even lighter side would be The Down Home Zombie Blues.
posted by gudrun at 12:46 PM on February 22, 2022
posted by gudrun at 12:46 PM on February 22, 2022
Marked the Psalm for the Wild Built comments as best answers as she chose it to listen to first. Everything about it sounds perfect.
posted by knapah at 5:46 AM on February 24, 2022
posted by knapah at 5:46 AM on February 24, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
Discworld is my go-to popcorn SF/F series. I'm holding off on reading them because it's the only series I can be assured of finding in any major city in the world. Or anything by Douglas Adams.
posted by eotvos at 12:59 PM on February 18, 2022