What was the first science fiction novel you remember reading?
For me, it was this book….
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke (1974 edition)
It was part of a stack of science fiction books my mother bought me ion an effort to steer me away from comic books which were my then passion. Among the other titles she got me, which I also read around them same time….
Childhood’s End. Still my favorite Clarke book and one of my favorite classic SF novels.
Monkey Planet by Pierre Boulle. The inspiration for The Planet of Apes with a memorable twist ending all its own.
Dangerous Visions (and its sequel, Dangerous Visions II), edited by Harlan Ellison. A phenomenal collection of SF short fiction assembled by one of the genres greatest authors.
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury. I checked this one out of my school library and had my adolescent mind blown.
Foundation by Isaac Asimov. My mother bought be the whole series and, to be honest, these books didn’t do it for me back in the day. I found them a bit of a struggle to get through in comparison to the Clarke books.
What were your first sci-fi reads?
Discover more from Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I remember reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in High School. I also read Ringworld by Larry Niven way back then. The Dune series was also on my reading list early on.
All the classics. I read Lord of the Rings in high school as well. A seminal work!
My first and still favorite Sci-Fi book was “Inherit the Stars” by Paul Hogan.
The former President of MGM Television, who was also a huge Stargate fan, introduced me to Paul Hogan late.
I, too, started with comics. I read my older brother’s SUPERMAN and BATMAN books as an early reader and bought my own as a pre-teen.
At age 5ish, I thought Lois Lane’s makeup was too faint and colored in some blue “lipstick”. Wonder if Bob remembers that after 60+ years.
My first fantasy books were fairy tales, of course. First sci-fi may have been DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey, also from Bob’s bookshelves, when I was 14. That started a lifelong sci-fi & fantasy fandom.
Another McCaffrey fan!
I’m not sure. My reading list was limited by the local library. We only a school library until I reached High School. Then the city opened up one. They weren’t big on Sci-fi but they did have a lot of mystery books.
So, I started reading mysteries and then migrated towards fantasy fiction (Anne McCaffrey) when the a book store opened up in the next county (30 miles away). My group of friends, at the time were crazy about the Pern novels.
Later, my hubby started me on a few of the SF classics (Asimov and Clark). I loved the Robot Novels and enjoyed a few of the Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, books (Legacy of Heorot & The Mote In God’s Eye).
Oh and if you like Audiobooks, next trip you might try “Ender’s Shadow”. It’s “Ender’s Game but from Bean’s perspective. It’s a good one.
I’ve read Ender’s Shadow. Really enjoyed the series.
I keep hearing they’re developing a Dragonriders of Pern movie but have yet to hear any confirmation.
I really wasn’t a reader when I was growing up. I watched syfy. Outer Limits, Star Trek, Lost In Space, etc… I didn’t get into reading till my thirties. My dad was an avid reader, so it didn’t surprise me when I started reading later in my life. It was always in me I just needed to coax’s it out of me.
I’ve found that my desire to read comes in waves. I’ll go a year or two reading very little and then a year or two where I’ll average over a hundred books a year.
I can remember Isaac Asimov being big around the time I fist got in to sci-fi, everyone was reading his books. But I think my favourite for my first reads as from Piers Anthony (the Apprentice Adept) series. Anthony was also my gateway into reading fantasy.
Yes to Anthony. On A Pale Horse was my introduction to him.
Rebirth,,,by John Wyndom.
I was a big Wyndham fan
Friends come in boxes, by Michael G Coney. I read it as a teenager.
Another one that’s new to me.
In high school, I was an Asimov fan…I, Robot, Caves of Steel, the Lucky Starr series of adventures, but what sparked it all was The High Crusade by Poul Anderson (which I checked out from a local library in 1976 when I was 11. Before that I was a DC Fan (mostly reading the Flash).
I went on from there to more hard-science science fiction. James P. Hogan (Thrice Upon a Time, and the Giants series), Jerry Pournelle (King David’s Spaceship and the Janissaries), and Larry Niven (Ringworld and The Man-Kzin Wars).
What an amazing list. Caves of Steel was part of that early collection my mother gifted me as well. Loved The High Crusade!
The first sci-fi I can remember reading might be Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot. But Star Trek, both original and animated, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on television were what first opened my eyes to the genre.
Yes, the original Star Trek was my first as well.
Starship on Saddle Mountain
This one’s new to me. Author?
I had all those and in those editions! But my first was “Have Spacesuit Will Travel”. It set the course of my life; I became an aerospace engineer because of it and the other Heinlein juveniles.
Absolutely LOVE hearing stories of people who were influenced to choose certain career paths by what they enjoyed reading or watching in their youth.
In junior school, a few friends were into comic books, which I read or borrowed/read – flash, spiderman, superman, the usual ( and more I can’t remember! ).
No library near me and my parents were not big readers, certainly not SciFi or fantasy.
Just the odd compilation scifi or horror book they picked up at a market or similar.
By secondary school ( 11+ ) many friends were into SciFi, so I found Clifford D Simak, Andre Norton, James Blish, R Heinlein YA stuf fand others – thanks for the mention of Friends/Boxes, I read that and didn’t know who wrote it! – then Azimov, Heinlein proper, Harry Harrison ( great, funny too! Come on Stainless Steel Rat! ), Niven ( esp known space / Ringworld), Farmer’s Riverworld… and more!
Then I also found Fantasy and got into LOR, Terry Brooks stuff, David Eddings, Ray E Feist etc. so on…
The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham (my Dad’s early 1960’s print version) after watching the 1981 BBC series. Yes I know I should have read the book first but I was only 10!
The Star Rangers (Andre Norton) and The Dueling machine (I forget) I devoured every science fiction book in the library and built a collection from local used books stores. Comic books are still my passion.
In 5th grade reading class. (…an English translation.)
The City Under Ground
by Suzanne Martel
(….supposedly takes place near Montreal….the original version is in French.)
From there I went onto and into Jules Verne and H.G.Wells…and later on Clarke and
Bradbury etc etc.
I’ve only read one (I don’t count the Elric series because those were fantasy): Earthblood (Keith Laumer & Rosel George Brown).
I was in high school; it’s one of the few non-mystery books I’ve read, and I went right back to Agatha Christie afterwards. I have a weird relationship with sci fi – I like what I like when I like it, but it’s not my favorite genre. In fact, I would say that the original Star Trek is still my favorite sci fi anything (followed by TNG). Why? Because it’s very nautical in it’s presentation. A ship in a ‘sea’ of stars, traveling from one island planet to another. Most Star Trek plots could be adapted to an age of sail novel, and visa versa. In fact, as I understand it, Kirk was fashioned after Horatio Hornblower. Kinda makes sense, in a way. The Man Alone left to figure out a difficult situation with no one to turn to but himself. Each had a loyal friend, too – Bush for Hornblower, Bones for Kirk. And yet, they were still painfully alone in their thoughts, doubts, and self-condemnations. Very similar characters.
das
Love the notion of Star Trek being possessed of a nautical theme. Absolutely see it and I think that’s why it holds a special place in my heart as well.
“ITS presentation”. I really must proofread more. 😛
das
I don’t remember reading much as a kid. Not even comics. But I remember one book that I read over and over.
It was called “Adrift In The Stratosphere” (1937) by A.M. Low. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8560247-adrift-in-the-stratosphere
My mum was (and is to this day) a big reader of all genres including sci-fi. So I assume that’s how this book ended up in the house. I need to find a copy because after 45-odd years I can’t remember much of the story. But it got me hooked on sci-fi along with watching classic movies with mum like “Forbidden Planet”, “The Day The Earth Stood Still”, and “Journey To The Center Of The Earth”.
The next book that made an impression was “I, Robot” by Isaac Asimov. I still have the copy I read as a kid on my bookshelf. It turns out it’s a first edition and is one of my most prized possessions.
Then, in 1981, 10 year old me watched the BBC adaptation of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” on TV and it changed my life. I immediately obtained the first two books and devoured them. I didn’t realise that sci-fi could be funny!
I read all of John Wyndham as a teenager but strangely enough I did not read any of the classics. I still haven’t read an Arthur C Clarke story. “I, Robot” is the only Asimov I’ve read. I’ve read a few Philip K. Dick novels. Even more modern authors like Ian M. Banks I’ve completely skipped. I’m a slow reader and Peter F. Hamilton writes such long books!