DINGMAN@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA (09/09/85)
From: DINGMAN@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA I don't think it is possible to suggest any single book for all persons. If you want to successfully introduce one to SF, find out what aspects of life, the universe, and everything the person is interested in, then present them with a book having that particular element. My wife, for example, thought SF/Fantasy was mindless garbage. She works as a public health nurse and has a great interest in social science, community structure & relations, etc. So about five years ago I gave her a copy of "Alas, Babylon", a SF-ish novel which does a fair job of describing the social changes that could occur following nuclear war. She loved it. Next I gave her "Dark December", similar story but more militaristic. Same result. Over the last few years she has expanded her envelope and "learned" what to expect from SF. She recently finished "And the Devil Will Drag You Under", "To Reign in Hell", and "The Forever War". All in the last two months. Similarily, a friend of hers (also a nurse) has become an avid fan. The first story I gave her was "Lord Foul's Bane", because I knew she was deeply interested in people who pull into themselves when faced with agony and despair (she had devoted her Master's thesis to terminally ill patients and how they respond to various pressures they can't control). Another success story. She continued on to devour most of my collection. I've introduced a few others, but selected these two examples because the two were SO against the thought of ever reading SF or Fantasy. I was also careful not to take it personally if someone didn't like a novel I gave them. Instead I would ask for their impressions (+ and -), and try again with something else. I know there are some good intrductory novels, and some of the suggestions I have seen I agree with, but I think it is more important to know both the person and the novel equally well rather than blindly taking someone's suggestion. --jd -------
Peter.Su@CMU-CS-GANDALF.ARPA (09/11/85)
From: Peter.Su@CMU-CS-GANDALF
I have found that non-SF readers tend to really like Shatterday, by
Harlan Ellison, of course, these are short stories, but what the heck.
Pete
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- Talking Headsdca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (09/16/85)
> I know there are some good intrductory novels, and some of the > suggestions I have seen I agree with, but I think it is more > important to know both the person and the novel equally well > rather than blindly taking someone's suggestion. I agree wholeheartedly. I have loaned books to people that love lots of magic in their books so I would pick something like Magician. Others read so slowly they get scared by trilogies so I pull out something like Songmaster. Frequently only a small percentage of SF/Fantasy will interest some people and you try to match that part given what they read now. Other people will like a large spectrum of the genre and if you give them a good book will get hooked. David Albrecht