Science Fiction Books

Science fiction fans are a tolerant lot, except when it comes to science fiction books.

Sci-fi fans are, by and large, more tolerant of differences than the general population. Some of this is attributable to their own experiences; the sci-fi fan is often the quiet kid, or the loner - too smart to fit in with the cool kids, perhaps, or more introspective than is generally popular in high school. They are perhaps therefore less likely to judge the outcast or outer-caste in whatever segment of society they happen to inhabit.

Following a genre where intelligent species proliferate, and misunderstandings can lead to planetary annihilation, science fiction fans are less likely than most to be racial or gender bigots. Sci fi explores social change long before it appears in society at large, so when it does happen, the sci fi fan isn't alarmed, he or she is just accepting. What took so long? ... for women to work in traditionally male fields, for computers to handle increasingly complex tasks, for instantaneous global communication to change the way we think about far-flung people...

There is one exception to the tolerance of science fiction fans, and it is this. If you do not read sci-fi, you are at best a lesser fan. Real science fiction fans read science fiction. Of course they have their favorite movies and television shows as well. But if you only follow sci-fi in theaters and on your TV, you are missing the experience.

Accept this. Read science fiction books if you want to call yourself a science fiction fan. Yes, I'm a snob, but that's just the way it is.

This is a wiki, so feel free to add your favorite author or book if it is not represented here.