this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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Sci-fi books are rare in school even though they help kids better understand science (theconversation.com)
submitted 1 year ago by ikidd@lemmy.world to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world
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I got interested in SF because the librarian in my elementary was a SF lover. There were racks of paperbacks that I gobbled up and it's stuck with me for decades since. It makes me sad to think that kids don't have the same chance I did to get interested at an early age in the most imaginative genre of fiction. We all need to do our part to pass it on.

What are your suggestions for getting young people interested in science fiction?

A few I remember from that time:

Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series

Heinlein's juveniles like Podkayne of Mars and Have Spacesuit, Will Travel

McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern

Niven's Known Space books

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

While it is not hard SciFi, consider "Flowers for Algernon" for the list.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I am pretty sure I read that in school, maybe in middle school. I've read it since, and the movie they adapted it into, Charly, is pretty good, but I have a vague but solid memory of reading it for a class.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We read it for English in grade 10. Not sure if that was just because it was an advance placement class where our teacher had more discretion on the materials, or if everyone read it at that grade.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I envy you for having such a smart teacher.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

If I'm right.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m a little curious. Why don’t you say flowers for Algernon isn’t hard sci-fi?

I would consider it reasonably hard- the science behind it is not unrealistic. Sure, there’s some aspects that are a bit, well off.

And sure, there’s no space ships or aliens.

But at the core of it, it’s a question of how science changes things- and it’s a beautiful peace.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m a little curious. Why don’t you say flowers for Algernon isn’t hard sci-fi?

The book is focused of the social and psychological aspects. The science itself is barely visible and only in the background. But that's my opinion, yours may vary.

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Where would you put something like A Scanner Darkly?