Book Recommendations for Teen
November 15, 2015 1:55 PM Subscribe
My 17yo son just finished the last available book in the Game is Life series by Terry Schott and is looking for other books he might enjoy.
What he likes: YA science fiction, light fantasy, in-depth character development. Other books he has enjoyed: His Majesty's Dragon, The Martian, and Ender's Game. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
posted by zyxwvut at 2:21 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by zyxwvut at 2:21 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 2:25 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by gemutlichkeit at 2:25 PM on November 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
The Vorkosigan Saga is a great sci-fi series with excellent character development. The fun thing is that the main character, Miles Vorkosigan, is 17 at the beginning of the series (Warrior's Apprentice). He could start with that book or Shards of Honor which is about how Miles's parents met.
posted by Mouse Army at 2:28 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mouse Army at 2:28 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
He might enjoy Hugh Howey's Silo series. Or there's Ian McDonald's Everness books, for something more YA. Charlie Stross's Merchant Princes series is one you don't hear too much about, but it might appeal to someone looking for a fairly 'light' SF/fantasy thing. And of course there's Iain M. Banks's magnificent Culture novels.
posted by pipeski at 3:10 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by pipeski at 3:10 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ender's Shadow Parallel story to Ender's Game told from Bean's point of view.
posted by Homer42 at 3:18 PM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Homer42 at 3:18 PM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yes, Ender's Game is the best book, but Ender's Shadow is a better overall series.
posted by zyxwvut at 3:34 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by zyxwvut at 3:34 PM on November 15, 2015
There are a lot of books that follow his majesty's dragon, if he hasn't read the whole series. I second recommending Terry Pratchett, as well. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman was one of my favourites at his age and I had very similar interests. The Belgarad may or may not suit him; it has a lot of fantasy elements in it; Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy is much the same.
David Brin's Uplift Saga was also a favourite of mine in my late teens. It is not realistic sci-fi but has interesting aliens, culture, and development.
posted by erynnsilver at 4:43 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
David Brin's Uplift Saga was also a favourite of mine in my late teens. It is not realistic sci-fi but has interesting aliens, culture, and development.
posted by erynnsilver at 4:43 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Garth Nix's Abhorson series is pretty amazing light fantasy. Interestingly dark but YA.
posted by gregr at 4:49 PM on November 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by gregr at 4:49 PM on November 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
Oh, and maybe the best science fiction (fantasy???) novel ever written is Dune by Frank Herbert. I read it the first time when I was about 17. It pretty much blew my mind.
posted by gregr at 4:53 PM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by gregr at 4:53 PM on November 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
I was about that age when I read The Player Of Games, which is a great intro to Iain Banks and his Culture Universe. The theme is in some ways not unlike Enders Game - a Culture citizen's great board game playing skill is used for proxy-war fighting purposes. Slight spoiler there, so don't mention that if you decide to point him in that direction.
Banks isn't YA, but is perfectly accessible to teens, and the society itself, a riotous hedonistic techno-utopia, is perfect for YA readers. Imagine Starfleet if everyone in Starfleet was Hunter S Thompson, and you're 60% of the way there.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:34 PM on November 15, 2015
Banks isn't YA, but is perfectly accessible to teens, and the society itself, a riotous hedonistic techno-utopia, is perfect for YA readers. Imagine Starfleet if everyone in Starfleet was Hunter S Thompson, and you're 60% of the way there.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:34 PM on November 15, 2015
Seconding Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman, and Hugh Howey. Also Jumper (and sequels) and Wildside by Steven Gould. Jim Butcher's Dresden books. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea
posted by Nothing at 6:30 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by Nothing at 6:30 PM on November 15, 2015
Shade's Children was one of my favorite sci-fi books as a teen, although I can't speak to the character development at this point, it's been a few years.
The Uglies series is YA sci-fi although focusing on female characters, idk if that matters to him. Great character development, great series. Light fantasy(?) by the same author would be Peeps. I love Scott Westerfield. I feel like I'm forgetting so much of the stuff I constantly checked out of the library.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 6:33 PM on November 15, 2015
The Uglies series is YA sci-fi although focusing on female characters, idk if that matters to him. Great character development, great series. Light fantasy(?) by the same author would be Peeps. I love Scott Westerfield. I feel like I'm forgetting so much of the stuff I constantly checked out of the library.
posted by motioncityshakespeare at 6:33 PM on November 15, 2015
17 is just right for Vonnegut -- I'd give him Cat's Cradle or Sirens of Titan (or Breakfast of Champions, which was my favorite at that age, and the one that hooked me, but also the least YA-like of the three)
posted by Mchelly at 7:25 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 7:25 PM on November 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might want to consider Ernest Cline's books "Ready Player One" and "Armada". I don't know if a 17 year old would enjoy them, but I really did, and they deal with teens caught up in global problems.
And yes, I agree that Stevenson, Herbert, Banks and Vonnegut would be good. I read a lot of Asimov when I was that age but I'm not sure it would hold up today (???).
posted by forthright at 7:31 PM on November 15, 2015
And yes, I agree that Stevenson, Herbert, Banks and Vonnegut would be good. I read a lot of Asimov when I was that age but I'm not sure it would hold up today (???).
posted by forthright at 7:31 PM on November 15, 2015
Contact. The sparrow. The glass sentence and its sequel.
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:01 PM on November 15, 2015
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:01 PM on November 15, 2015
I just finished Rainbow Rowel's first fantasy book, "Carry On," and it's both a well-observed YA story geared toward older kids (her specialty) and a surprisingly excellent genre adventure. It's obviously in conversation with the Harry Potter books but aimed at an older audience, and also much more grounded in a recognizably "real" world so it shouldn't be too much fantasy for his tastes.
The Golem and the Jinni maaaaayyyy be a little too serious and adult (in terms of the internal lives of the characters, not in a sexy way) but take a look at it. Engrossing historical fantasy set mostly in New York about a century ago, dense with the kind of detail that made His Majesty's Dragon so much fun for me, really excellent characters and plot that makes the bottom drop out of your stomach in the best possible way.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:34 AM on November 16, 2015
The Golem and the Jinni maaaaayyyy be a little too serious and adult (in terms of the internal lives of the characters, not in a sexy way) but take a look at it. Engrossing historical fantasy set mostly in New York about a century ago, dense with the kind of detail that made His Majesty's Dragon so much fun for me, really excellent characters and plot that makes the bottom drop out of your stomach in the best possible way.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:34 AM on November 16, 2015
The Neal Stephenson book I would specifically recommend is Anathem -- not too long, self-contained, really really fascinating world building such that you don't mind at all when Stephenson goes off on a tear, main character is a young science monk trying to save the planet, super satisfying read.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:37 AM on November 16, 2015
posted by Narrative Priorities at 5:37 AM on November 16, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for these suggestions! I will be going through each of them with him tonight.
posted by rhapsodie at 4:50 PM on November 17, 2015
posted by rhapsodie at 4:50 PM on November 17, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by smirkette at 2:00 PM on November 15, 2015 [6 favorites]