non violent sci fi fantasy.

[LegalKimchi]

so listened to the podcast and while they were talking I was thinking "calculating god" by robert sawyer had no violence I remember.

[Christopher]

Actually a lot of his books have little or no violence.

[Pouria]

Speaking of Sci-fi with no violence, 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke didn't have any violence (as in fighting), unless Hal9000 malfunction counts as violence.
Besides almost all books have some type of conflict that gets resolved, but it doesn't necessarily have to be violence.

Another example of Sci-fi without violence is Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves

Regarding Sci-fi, the list can be made quite long I think, but the podcast discussion started with fantasy I suppose, and I can't really recall any fantasy book without some sort of violence.

/P

[Tamahome]

What about the monkeys in the beginning? I'm really thinking of the movie.

I'm guessing comedies don't have much violence, like a comedy by Connie Willis.

[LegalKimchi]

I am having a hard time thinking of a fantasy book.

[Tamahome]

You can aways google it, for example:

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/...

Philip K. Dick, Stanislaw Lem, Ursula K. Leguin, Clifford Simak...

[Sandi]

For fantasy, I think Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees was pretty non-violent. Neil Gaiman was inspired to write a similar book, but the title escapes me. It was made into a movie and I don't remember any violence in that either.

Connie Willis is a good choice for non-violent science fiction.

[Sandi]

Duh! I just searched my books for Neil Gaiman. The title I couldn't think of was Stardust.

Now, I need to leave for work.

[Joe Informatico]

John Scalzi's Agent to the Stars (view spoiler)[there's an unfortunately lethal accident, but no premeditated violence (hide spoiler)].

It's a lot harder with fantasy. I think there must a children's or YA fantasy book out there with no real violence, but none come to mind at the moment.

Sandi wrote: "Duh! I just searched my books for Neil Gaiman. The title I couldn't think of was Stardust."

Stardust isn't non-violent. The B-plot--book and film--deals with the sons of the dead king murdering each other for his throne.

[Tamahome]

It's true most of Arthur C. Clarke is nonviolent, like Rendezvous with Rama.

[Hershel]

Childhood's End is completely non-violent.

[[deleted user]]

Hershel wrote: "Childhood's End is completely non-violent."

... but extremely depressing :(

[Alan]

I think some of Terry Pratchett's books might count.

[Chad]

I really liked Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper books.
They were from the POV of a sailor on a merchant ship. No battles but very interesting interpersonal relations and character growth. It was very relaxing
Quarter Share

Copied abstract:
"His sci-fi series, The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper grew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes--ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the "hero" uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community."

There is a danger of boredom or "nothing happens" in this approach and some reviews have complained of that, but I found it engaging, even though I usually prefer military sci-fi.

[Trike]

Hershel wrote: "Childhood's End is completely non-violent."

Except for the ending.

[Trike]

I haven't heard this podcast, so I don't know if it was referenced, but Jo Walton wrote an article on this topic a couple years ago. Ryan Britt's similar blog about the movie side of it.

[James]

In "Fantasy/Sword" literature, specifically, it is hard to find non-violent stories because, I think, of it's link with folklore, the idea of the heroic quest, Campbell's 'monomyth', etc. Science fiction/Laser is a little easier because there was an optimistic, utopian edge to the 'founding' authors, like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, etc. Although most of those were not without their action/violence. A lot of Phillip K. Dick's stuff wasn't so much violent as trippy. Star Trek (Next Gen and Original, if we may mosey into non-literary media) had plenty of non-violent episodes.

Alan mentioned Pratchett. I love the "Night's Watch" Discworld books, but some of the others are pretty non-violent. Granny Weatherwax and Moist are both more of an "out-think" rather than "out-fight" model. Venitari (sp?) too, come to think of it. Dr. Who, probably sci-fi rather than fantasy, also pretty non-violent. Vonnegut isn't very FX-heavy either.

Fair warning, haven't gotten a chance to listen to the podcast either, just spitballing off the top of my head.

[Clyde]

Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama.
Rendezvous with Rama

[Joshua]

I just finished The Lies of Locke Lamora, so everything else seems squeaky clean and downright peaceful to me right now.

Phillip K. Dick's "Man in the High Castle" is mostly non-violent. In one scene there's a shoot out. In another scene a woman feels threatened. That might be the least violent Sci-Fi I've read.

I read The Martian Chronicles when I was maybe seven. I can't recall violence in there, but maybe it was over my head.

Just thinking through Terry Pratchett, most have at least a showdown near the end. Different series within the Discworld books seem less or more violent on the whole. The rest of this post is about Pratchett...

The Wizards books (Colour of Magic, Light Fantastic, Eric, etc.) are probably the most tame. I can't recall any violent battles, but it's been a while since I've read these.

Tiffany Aching novels (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, etc.) tend to have more mental challenges and villains that rely on illusion and mind tricks.

As was pointed out earlier, The Watch books (Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Jingo, etc.) and The Night Watch books (Night Watch, Monstrous Regiment, etc.) are a bit more violent. These involve more of the Assassin's Guild. While I agree that Vetinari himself is not overtly violent, people do tend to die around him. Even the somewhat related Moist Von Lipwig books (Going Postal, Making Money) have a violent scene or two each. (OT: I loved Going Postal on Netflix!)

The books about Death actually don't seem that violent, IIRC. Mort wasn't bad. Hogfather had violence. Reaper Man had a showdown at the end, but... Sorry not sure how to tag spoilers on mobile! Put it this way: I don't think any humans were hurt in the book, but my memory could be failing me.

Funnily enough: the book I often see labeled as a Discworld children's book (The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents) sticks out in my memory as one of the most violent. It's also one of my favorites of Pratchett's. One of my faves overall, actually.

[Matthew]

The Revolving Boy is a great nonviolent scifi novel.

[Ulmer Ian]

The Serene Invasion by Eric Brown

This 2013 book is about non-violence. Does that count? :D

Brown is really easy to read, I'm going through it quickly now.