Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2018 Challenge Prompts - Regular
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27. A book set on a different planet
I don’t like sci-fi at all, but I’m determined to complete the prompts does anyone have a suggestion for me? Thanks
Carol wrote: "I don’t like sci-fi at all, but I’m determined to complete the prompts does anyone have a suggestion for me? Thanks"I would really recommend A Closed and Common Orbit. It's technically the second in the series, but each one functions as a stand-alone. (The first is not on a different planet, otherwise I'd recommend that!)
This is one of those categories where I am definitely being very precise about what it means. It says "on a different planet," not a spaceship, not on multiple planets. If I can find a book set entirely on one planet that isn't Earth (planet, not moon), then I'll go with that. But mostly-Earth or mostly-the-Moon or mostly-in-space won't count.For me, anyway. I play fast and loose with some categories when it suits me, but I get super meticulous with others; I don't know why.
Rebecca wrote: "Carol wrote: "I don’t like sci-fi at all, but I’m determined to complete the prompts does anyone have a suggestion for me? Thanks"I would really recommend [book:A Closed and Common Orbit|29475447..."
Thank you, I will give it a try. This will be the hardest prompt for me to complete.
Mod
Try The Martian. Obviously it's set on Mars. I'm not a huge Weir fan but I really liked this one, and it seems to appeal to non-sci-fi fans too.
Nadine wrote: "Carol wrote: "I don’t like sci-fi at all, but I’m determined to complete the prompts does anyone have a suggestion for me? Thanks"Try The Martian. Obviously it's set on Mars. I'm ..."
Thank you!! Im going to struggle so any suggestions are appreciated.
Wendy wrote: "Don't forget Dune!Also the Vorkosigan Saga books by Lois McMaster Bujold"
I completely agree about the Vorkosigan Saga. Fantastic series of books that are a lot of fun to read.
Tricia wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Don't forget Dune!Also the Vorkosigan Saga books by Lois McMaster Bujold"
I completely agree about the Vorkosigan Saga. Fantastic series of books that a..."
Thank You!!
JoAnna wrote: "I know it's not really on another planet, but I am *DYING* to read Andy Weir's new book, Artemis, which is set on the Moon. So I'm going to change this on my challenge to "a book set on another ast..."HA! I was just coming here to see if anyone else was thinking the same thing! I realize the moon technically isn't a planet......but it is another planetary body, right?
Trina wrote: "This is one of those categories where I am definitely being very precise about what it means. It says "on a different planet," not a spaceship, not on multiple planets. If I can find a book set ent..."I get like that too! Sometimes I need to be extra strict with my interpretation just to help me narrow down my options.
Can it be a fictional planet, although I’ll probably do Red Rising for this
Yes, I think fictional is totally fine.
Trina wrote: "This is one of those categories where I am definitely being very precise about what it means. It says "on a different planet," not a spaceship, not on multiple planets. If I can find a book set ent..."Except for a couple of pages of setup to explain how they get to the planet, Damocles and Artemis Awakening both take place entirely on a single other (fictional) planet.
If anyone is interested in the Illuminae series, it knocks out several categories, including this one. If you start with the first one, it can count for "book with two authors." The second one can be the "next book in a series you started," and the third one, as previously mentioned in this thread, counts for this category! Boom!
A couple questions.1. Is there a listopia for this category?
2. Can a Star Wars novel count?
For those of you doing Red Rising: there is a 4th book that fills a prompt on this list.Iron Gold will be released next year, so if you like the series you can pick it up for “A book released in 2018”.
For those of you who don’t like sci-fi: if you liked the hunger games you might enjoy Red Rising. It’s like The Hunger Games in space (though perhaps much gorier, this is not YA).
Lilia wrote: "A couple questions.1. Is there a listopia for this category?
2. Can a Star Wars novel count?"
2. Absolutely! Depending on how strict you want to be, some are more in space than on planets, but there are plenty that would qualify even if you went with a strict interpretation.
Lilia wrote: "A couple questions.1. Is there a listopia for this category?
2. Can a Star Wars novel count?"
I don't know about listopia but a good half of anything in SF/F would fit. I can't imagine why Star Wars wouldn't count. I might be doing a SW for this myself or Star Trek.
I am not looking forward to this prompt...I don't do sci-fi! But thanks to those who suggested The Book of Strange New Things and A Closed and Common Orbit - I might cope with one of them!
Lilia wrote: "A couple questions.1. Is there a listopia for this category?
2. Can a Star Wars novel count?"
How about these two lists?
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Stefanie wrote: "I think I will read Red Rising. It's set on Mars and it's part of a trilogy, so I can use #2 for the second book in a series prompt. :)"I’ve heard great things about this one and the cover always catches me eye! I may be doing this as well.
I wonder if The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance Trilogy #1) would work for this prompt?
Mary-jo wrote: "Would Game of Thrones; A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin count for this prompt?"Are you sure? I think you could say Lord of the Rings is set on Earth, but I always assumed ASOIAF was on another planet. In fact I thought this would be a good one for the category before reading the thread. ...
Mod
Maybe. The planet is never explicitly named. This is fantasy, not science fiction, so it's not stated that it's on another planet, it's just ... somewhere ... that was created by gods and is driven by magic and has various ethnic groups and social castes, etc. There's nothing that says that it's NOT set on Earth either, though.
Dan wrote: "Mary-jo wrote: "Would Game of Thrones; A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin count for this prompt?"
Are you sure? I think you could say Lord of the Rings is set on Earth, but I always assu..."
The author has said that it takes place on Earth.
If you are both looking for fantasy, try something like Anne McCaffrey's dragon series which is set on the planet Pern. It's definitely set on another planet, but it doesn't have any of the far-future/spaceship stuff that is usually associated with sci-fi.
Another option for those looking for a more fantasy based setting:I would think any of the Forgotten Realms books would work, since they all take place on the planet of Abeir-Toril, upon which Faerun (the setting for most of the books) is one of the continents. It's very much a "swords and magic" setting, probably most famous for the Drizzt books by R.A. Salvatore.
Planet info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abeir-T...
Booklist:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
I've done some research and it looks like the author of A Game of Thrones suggested that the inhabitants of his world might call the planet Earth in their language, so I'm not too sure about this. (He doesn't say that the planet is our Earth, and it appears to be bigger than the Earth.)But another fantasy option would be Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books, so I think I might read A Wizard of Earthsea, although I'm an SF fan. (Bought it last year as been meaning to read it.)
Another is her The Left Hand of Darkness which someone mentioned, which is SF. Another is The Dispossessed, about an anarchist society.
JoAnna wrote: "I know it's not really on another planet, but I am *DYING* to read Andy Weir's new book, Artemis, which is set on the Moon. So I'm going to change this on my challenge to "a book set on another ast..."Agreed, me too!
Something else that comes to mind for this category is The Keeper of the Isis Light, the first in the YA Isis trilogy. I am not a big sci-fi person, but I loved those books when I was a teen.
Raquel wrote: "If you're a Star Trek fan you have lots of options here. :-) The Vulcan Academy Murders is a particularly fun one."Yeah, I'm trying to decide if I'll just randomly pluck one of my 300+ Star Trek books off the shelf or branch out. XD
Carol wrote: "I don’t like sci-fi at all, but I’m determined to complete the prompts does anyone have a suggestion for me? Thanks"Enchantress from the Stars is part sci-fi, part Arthurian fairy tale, told from the perspectives of a young woman from a technologically advanced, space-faring culture, and a young man from the medieval level planet they explore/invade.
Mod
Any of Brandon Sanderson's adult books would work. Each series takes place on a different planet in the same solar system. I highly recommend starting with The Final Empire, the first Mistborn book.
Shelley wrote: "I highly recommend starting with The Final Empire, the first ..."Can this be read as a standalone, Shelley? Sanderson's been on my radar for a while but I'm reluctant to start a series.
Mod
Can this be read as a standalone, Shelley? Sanderson's been on my radar for a while but I'm reluctant..."
Yes you can read it as a standalone, it feels "complete," and then if you want to find out what happens next you can read the rest of the series. I'm not really sure if it's set on a different planet though!! It's one of those fantasy novels that never explicitly states where it is, it's just in some "fantasyland."
Nadine wrote: "Gabi wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I highly recommend starting with The Final Empire, the first ..."Can this be read as a standalone, Shelley? Sanderson's been on my radar for a while but ..."
Thanks, Nadine. Maybe I could use it for the heist prompt, though.
Nadine wrote: "Gabi wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I highly recommend starting with The Final Empire, the first ..."Can this be read as a standalone, Shelley? Sanderson's been on my radar for a while but ..."
The Cosmere is a different solar system. Each story line is on it's own planet (Mistborn, Way of Kings, Elantris) and is ruled by a different god with its own "laws of physics" type thing. Brandon Sanderson has this whole universe planned out in a mind-boggling way.
I believe that The Martian would be a good start or even Artemis if you are willing to consider the moon as a different planet...
I am reading The Fifth Season for another prompt right now, but it could fit in here since it's on another planet.
I have several Star Wars EU novels on my TBR this year, so I'll be using one of those for this prompt.A few I've read in the past that were great are:
Ahsoka
Heir to the Empire
Order 66:
501st
Any suggestions for someone that really doesn't like science-fiction?
Beth wrote: "Any suggestions for someone that really doesn't like science-fiction?"Going to agree with everyone else in the thread and say The Martian - it's only sci-fi in that human space exploration has gone slightly further than in real life, everything else is firmly based in reality.
Beth wrote: "Any suggestions for someone that really doesn't like science-fiction?"If you don't mind Space Opera, Sky Raiders by Michelle Diener is set on two different planets, with some travel in between. There's a second book so far, which gives you a "next book in a series" too.
Depending on how strict your interpretation of the prompt is, books that are set on both different planets and spaceships include:
Dark Horse (books 2 & 3 have more time on planet)
Linesman
Trading in Danger
Finders Keepers
The dispossessed, Úrsula Le Guin. Really, really good.
I'm planning to read The Female Man by Joanna RussRailhead by Philip Reeve would also work, as would The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Chasing the Stars by Malorie Blackman is set in space, but I'm not sure if any of it takes place on another planet.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (other topics)Red Rising (other topics)
The Little Prince (other topics)
Carve the Mark (other topics)
The Book of Strange New Things (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Pierce Brown (other topics)Isaac Asimov (other topics)
Ann Leckie (other topics)
Anne McCaffrey (other topics)
Lois McMaster Bujold (other topics)
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Thank you so much for this recommendation. There is no way this one would have been on my radar. I am going to give Elizabeth Moon (her real name or a pun? hahaha) a try.