Been out of work for a while so buying books is out the question (yeah, I get there’s always the library, but I don’t like it for a lot of reasons).
I like how PG has free books. I realize I’m not going to find top-tier modern writers on PG, but I’m open to suggestions of good reads.
What I look for in sci fi:
- An idea to chew on; something that stays with me even after I turn the last page.
- Some emotional intrigue; I want to feel what the characters feel.
What I like to avoid:
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Technobabble. I like a good story; I don’t want to spend half the book understanding how the ship works. (I found Frank Herbet was good with avoiding technobabble…he often obeyed the rule of “show don’t tell”)
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Stock characters. Gimme some depth.
A few I’ve read so far that I’d consider “passable” are Off on a Comet by Jules Vern (I only listen to about 2/3 of this on librivox) and Space Prison by Tom Godwin (although the plot is pretty simplistic).
I just finished Frankenstein. A lot of people think its The Greatest Novel. It was kinda meh. I see why people would get excited about it, but it didn’t grab me like it does other people.
Any suggestions?
I’m not against libraries. It’s just that I prefer reading physical books. But with a library it’s a lot of stress to remember the due date (although I usually finish books long before the due date), and it does make me slightly uncomfortable that the library keeps a record of every book read (I’m sure it sounds paranoid, but I also know on here I’m in good company. lol). While my reading material isn’t anything noteworthy it just makes me uncomfortable.
So I prefer raiding Good Will or bargain book stores for secondhand books. No due date, no record that I bought it (since I pay in cash, although I’m sure if you’re really desperate you can look at security cam footage when I bought the books and cross-reference). But since I can’t afford that I figured I could make do with digital books until I can afford to buy books again.