SF - Thinking About the Future We Will Live In

Not an exhaustive list - places to start only

I chose these not because each is great literature or great science, or because each sample is unflawed in the way it's written, but because each poses questions about the future and how to face it. I have also tried to pick books that are easy to find in stores. I have also tried to keep it limited to near-future explorations for the most part, which is why most people's favorite science fiction books aren't here.

"The future is like the moon. You never expect to go there, or think about what it might be like."--Spaz, Rodman Philbrick's THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE

Middle School readers:

  • Ash, Constance, ed.: NOT OF WOMAN BORN (anthology) - explores of body and genetic manipulation, cloning, creation of androids and robots, artificial intelligence
  • Asimov, Isaac: I, ROBOT (genre classic) - somewhat dated technology; human conflict with intelligent machines, androids (robots that look human); overpopulation
  • Babbitt, Natalie: TUCK EVERLASTING - life extension, fantasy-like touches is immortality good?
  • Bawden, Nina: OFF THE ROAD - When Tom's grandfather leaves en route to euthanasia, Tom follows and discovers his entire computerized, sanitized, self-centered world is a creation, and that outside its walls the rest of the world lives a far harder life
  • Bergen, Lara: X-MEN (novelization) - popular movie, light view of mutation and anti-mutant bias
  • Bradbury, Ray:
    • FAHRENHEIT 451 (genre classic) - dated technology totalitarian governments, the loss of the printed book, obsession with electronic media
    • THE ILLUSTRATED MAN (genre classic) - includes story "The Veldt" which poses the question what children are created by electronic babysitters
  • Carmody, Isabelle: OBERNEWTWYN (and sequels) - future with environmental collapse, toxic zones, genetic mutations in a population which returns to rural values, totalitarian authority
  • Danziger, Paula: THIS PLACE HAS NO ATMOSPHERE - fun, approachable; issues raised include future Earth life school, the homes available, dwindling resources
  • Dickinson, Peter: EVA - -exploration of animal experimentation, social collapse, dwindling resources
  • Doyle, Deborah & MacDonald, James: GROOGLEMAN - an exploration of world created by social collapse and waves of epidemic disease
  • Farmer, Nancy: THE EYE, THE EAR, AND THE ARM - set in near-future Africa with some fantasy elements; explores overpopulation and dwindling resources, difference between haves and have-nots
  • Haddix, Marguerite:
    • TURNABOUT - near-future exploration of gene therapy, life extension and age reversal; medical experimentation without checks and balances, timely with discoveries of genetic causes of aging, possible ways to combat it
    • AMONG THE HIDDEN - totalitarian governments; regulations on how many children a family can have (and the penalties), the lives of hidden excess children
  • Heinlein, Robert A. (Computer technology in RAH's books is dated, but other issues still timely. All of these books are considered genre classics):
    • TUNNEL IN THE SKY - population explosion forces Earth-dwellers to deal with dwindling resources, pressure for space exploration/colonization
    • STAR BEAST - how to define intelligence and humanity when what is intelligent and "people" may not look like human (also funny)
    • BETWEEN PLANETS - exploration of over-populated Earth vs. rights of colony planets, future civil liberties, totalitarian governments, intelligence
  • Hoover, H.M.: THE WINDS OF MARS - explores good government, good leadership; the widening gap between haves and have-nots; leadership vs. dictatorship
  • Hughes, Monica: KEEPER OF THE ISIS LIGHT - genetic modification and physical adaptation to fit different conditions; what is a human being
  • Kaye, Marilyn: REPLICA (popular teen series) - suspense series, accessible, deals with genetic manipulation and cloning
  • Lowry, Lois: THE GIVER - weak science, discussion of population manipulation through trait selection and infanticide
  • McCaffrey, Anne: SHIP WHO SANG (and others) - future use of challenged children to supply brains to power spaceships, supply central guidance for cities and space stations; physical manipulation, brainwashing, drug use
  • Nix, Garth: SHADE'S CHILDREN - aliens control humans; addresses organ harvests, machine intelligences that are independent, with their own agendas
  • O'Brien, Robert C.: Z IS FOR ZACHARIAH - post-nuclear collapse and survival, the nature of courage
  • Philbrick, Rodman: THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE - the loss of print media, virtual reality treated as drug addiction, genetic modification, overpopulation, dwindling resources, haves vs. have-nots, environmental collapse
  • Rand, Ayn: ANTHEM - totalitarian government, socialism as opposed to individual thinking/liberties, media manipulation
  • Shute, Neville: ON THE BEACH (genre classic) - after nuclear war, survivors await the spread of planet-altering radiation

High school/advanced readers

  • Asimov, Isaac: CAVES OF STEEL, THE NAKED SUN (genre classics)- mystery format, some dated technology, humans in conflict with robots, androids; overpopulation issues
  • Asaro, Catherine: THE VEILED WEB - near-future exploration of creation of and morality behind artificial intelligence
  • Atwood, Margaret: THE HANDMAID'S TALE - future society governed by religious and social right, curtailment of female education/power, social collapse, conflict between haves and have-nots
  • Bear, Greg: DARWIN'S RADIO - possibility that old sections of genome may activate to create mutation, moral issues, responses to epidemic disease, examination of classic male/female roles, responsibilities; what if evolution is not painless
  • Burgess, Anthony: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE - dysfunctional future, social collapse, prevalence of crime, haves vs. have nots
  • Butler, Octavia: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (and others) - near-future exploration of rampant crime, dwindling resources, violence, environmental and social collapse
  • Friesner, Esther:
  • THE PSALMS OF HEROD / THE SWORD OF MARY - set in a future following political/environmental collapse; religious movements, population control, mutation, technology vs. rural environment
  • Heinlein, Robert A.: STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND - sexual material (views of females dated but address important gender issues), near-future view of media and society, global government, religion, marital and culinary customs
  • King, Stephen: THE RUNNING MAN (written as Richard Bachman)- very different from the movie; addresses haves vs. have-nots, genetic modification, organ harvesting, environmental pollution, social collapse, reality game shows for very high stakes--violent
  • Kress, Nancy:
    • BEGGARS IN SPAIN and sequels - genetic manipulation, includes creation of segment of humanity with no need to sleep, haves vs. have nots
    • MAXIMUM LIGHT - treatment of demands on population and resources made by large generation of older people; failure of fertility which results in genetic manipulation of animals to create "babies" to love; youth is both exalted and exploited
  • Kunetka, Dan & Streiber, Whitley:
    • WAR DAY - carefully explored consequences of nuclear war, with flashbacks to war in progress in familiar settings, radiation sickness and treatment, splintering of U.S. into differently governed regions, rationing
    • NATURE'S END - near-future America family of haves is thrown into conflict with have-nots, issues of credit and income, genetic manipulation, over-population, degenerating environment, survival in hostile world (I will never eat baby carrots again!)
  • Robins, Madeleine: THE STONE WAR - urban decay/collapse with implications for haves and have nots, some fantasy elements for struggle of good and evil
  • Willis, Connie: THE DOOMSDAY BOOK - time travel, takes place in near-future England and the England immediately before the arrival of the Black Death; social future and needs shaped by epidemic disease, mirrored by experience of a past epidemic

 

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