Do you like straight forward or complex sci fi?

[Adam]

I’ve just finished The Martian. I really enjoyed it but it was a departure from the kind of sci-fi I usually read. Usually I go for stuff like Roadside Picnic or Rogue Moon where the premise of the story is not so obvious and I have to do a bit more work as I read. What do you prefer - sci fi that is straight forward or material that you have to think about a bit more....examples please.....Adam

[Mary Clare]

I recommended this to my book club. They were reluctant at first as it was sci-fi, but they enjoyed is as they discovered it was a tale of survival and not aliens and space monsters
I guess I like my sci-fi with a dose of humor, with writers like John Scalzi
Read quite a bit of Weber's Honor Harrington until I got tired if Honor's constant rejection by the powers that be.
The Eric Flint/David Freer collaborations such as Bats, Rats, Vats as well as the Pyramid series are an interesting combination of humor and semi-military sci-fi
Lois Bujold McMaster's Miles V. series entertains.

Apparently my sci-fi tastes aren't particularly cerebral, but I prefer to read for relaxation. My "cerebral" reading comes through my bookclub that prefers thought provoking reads.

[Adam]

Hi Mary, thanks for the recommendations I will investigate! I like you’re comment about reading for relaxation, I think folk (authors, readers and reviewers) forget sometimes that we are allowed to enjoy our reading. Reading a novel is (I believe) primarily a form of entertainment. Thanks again for your comments

[Patrick]

The Martian -- I read the book; then saw the movie. It is *my* kind of sci-fi--the kind John Campbell called 'with rivets on it'--where the technology is an integral part of the story and the author is (clearly) familiar with the science/engineering and not just confabulating a sort of tech-fantasy framework for a Western or a murder-mystery with space-suits added. Kudos to Andy Weir!

[Hannah]

I would say that I enjoy a mix of different types of science fiction. I enjoy humor in my sci-fi, but I also really enjoy writers that know their field. There’s nothing that annoys me more than a writer who picks a sci-fi theme for their book but knows nothing about the setting. I read books to become immersed in the story and the world being built, so I appreciate Weir’s technical experience that he brings to this book. I’ve also found that I enjoy books written by people who watch the same sort of TV shows I watch, like Star Trek and Doctor Who, because if that’s in their bio, their writing will likely be of the same caliber of writing that I prefer.