All Booked | Soapboxing for Sci-Fi
The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, September 10.
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Ciao, It’s Anika from the Indy webteam, taking over the All Booked newsletter this week. My day in the sun has come; I’ve been given a platform to talk about books. I do not wield this sword lightly, and so I have come today with my very best: the infinitely exciting, ever-evolving, wildly diverse…science fiction!
The first sci-fi I ever read was “Flowers for Algernon” and the first novel Ender’s Game (both amazing) in middle school. The excitement of reading something entirely different and new is a feeling I remember even then and I hope these recommendations can do the same for you!
Octavia Butler, the master herself, said it best; “I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.”
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Exhalation’s stories run the gamut in terms of theme, narrative, and composition — a great introduction to all the weird places you can go and the strange ways that writers will get you there (one of the best parts of science fiction is its constant creativity). This isn’t to say that Chiang is a flowery writer; his stories are straightforward even tending towards the simplistic. Yet, this doesn’t translate to their impact or the depth of their explorations. Chiang has the uncanny ability to deeply move you with little effort, or rather (maybe more accurately), he is very precise. Chiang clearly has an advanced understanding of the science behind this genre — he communicates complex theory with ease — but interestingly, Chiang’s stories have such unexpected heart: There is innate softness and innocence in his voice that I find uncommon in science fiction. I would strongly recommend this collection and Ted Chiang in general for those new to science fiction.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Folks, buckle up for this one. Margaret Atwood is the master of writing the near-future with an eerie accuracy, something that can make for an amazing but painful read, and Oryx and Crake is no exception. A dystopian science fiction, the novel follows Snowman as he wanders solitary through a desolate Earth, flashing to the past in fragments. There is a detachment and apathy that pervades the entire novel, unsurprising as Atwood depicts a world ravaged and ruined by unhindered genetic engineering and corporate greed. Humanity and its creations are shown to be sterile, grotesque, and ultimately completely destructive. This novel offers no reprieve; it is a desolate, soulless world (and narrator for that matter) you are entering into, but it’s worth it. Atwood is immensely clever and she doesn’t shy away from the ugly. This one stayed with me long after I finished reading.
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
A foundational science fiction text published in English in 1924, We follows the character D-503 through the “One State,” a totalitarian regime that prizes logic and reason above all else. As a leading mathematician, D-503 enjoys this life of perfect order and control. That is until he meets 1-330, who has “some kind of inexplicable, irritating X factor to her — in her eyes, or maybe her eyebrows — I can’t put my finger on it or assign any numerical value…I noticed her eyebrows were up at an acute angle to her temples, like the sharp little horns of an X, which for some reason threw me off balance again.” The exemplary D-503 cannot compute the sharpness of her face, and the reaction it inspires in him. X (as he prefers to call her) leads our narrator on clandestine outings, corrupting the exemplary citizen. The tension is tenfold with a tyranny looming overhead and D-503 battling his every desire. It’s really a lovely time.
For those of us with a fear of commitment: two stand-alone short stories from Ursula Le Guin. These may both more aptly be classified as speculative fiction. The sub-genres of sci-fi are endless!
“Acacia Seeds”
If you’ve ever wondered how our biology effects our language and how that effects our reality (as I’m sure many of us have), then study ant language in this short story.
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
She’s done it again. This is a fantastic short story depicting a happy and perfect town where everyone is happy and perfect. That is, except for the child who endlessly suffers alone in squalor to keep the whole thing running. Oh, ethics.
Godspeed and good luck.
UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS
Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.
2023 Mary Jane McCord Planned Parenthood Annual Book Sale
Thursday, September 14, 4:00 p.m. Earl Warren Showgrounds
Book Talk and Signing: Journalist Katya Cengal
Thursday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. Chaucer’s Books
Virtual Romance Book Club
Thursday, September 14, 5:30 p.m. Virtual
Eastside Library 50th Birthday Bash!
Saturday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. Eastside Library
Book Reading and Signing: Nikkolas Smith
Sunday, September 17, 3:00 p.m. Chaucer’s Books
Book Talk and Signing: Melanie Benjamin
Monday, September 18, 6:00 p.m. Chaucer’s Books
Online Author Talk with Adam Alter: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most
Wednesday, September 20, 11:00 a.m. Online
Friends of S.B. Library Present An Evening of Poetry & Music
Friday, September 22, 6:00 p.m. Faulkner Gallery West, S.B. Central Library
Book Talk: COMPANY! The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others with Amy Thielen
Saturday, September 23, 6:30 p.m., Bart’s Books – Ojai
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Party
Saturday, September 23, 9:00 a.m. Goleta Valley Library
LOCAL BOOK SPOTLIGHT
We at the Independent get many books sent to us by local authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that have a local spin. They are all either written by a local author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!
The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us. Click here for a more comprehensive list.
Escaping Nazi Germany: A Jewish Family’s Story by R.B. Dickinson
Swimming Through the Generations by Mary Freericks
Inventions: A Collection of Poetry by Mary Freericks
The Cave of Eternity (The Stone Shield Series) by Jonas Isaac Marquez
Art as a Weapon for Justice by Richard Ross
If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “Local Author Spotlight.”
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