I need a fresh perspective in science fiction.

[Thomas Pitzer]

So I don’t know any other way to ask this question. Does anyone have any recommendations for authors that bring a perspective other than that of the white male? By the way, I am a white male. So I’m hoping for something a little different, someone new maybe? Someone international perhaps? Something foreign language maybe?

[CBRetriever]

On a Red Station, Drifting - Vietnamese-French Author

[Dj]

The Ancillary series is good at that since it uses the Pronoun of She for everyone.

Ancillary Justice

Gate to Women's Country, by Sherri Tepper is a good one for a different view.

The Gate to Women's Country

Outside of Sci-Fi/ Fantasy

You could try:

The Milagro Beanfield War

or

The Bean Trees

[CBRetriever]

Remnant Population - old woman is main character. I resisted this book for a long time, but finally read it and it was very good

Liu Cixin's books - Chinese author

Roadside Picnic = Russian authors

[Rachel]

Truly new feeling sci-fi recently:
Ann Leckie’s Ancillary trilogy plus Providence

Yoon Ha Lee’s ninefox gambit trilogy and short stories

Great Introduction to Chinese SF: Invisible Planets Chinese short SF translation by Ken Liu

[Jan]

Yes. Liu Cixin is worth a try for sci-fi, with his interesting trilogy beginning with The Three-Body Problem

And what about Ursula Leguin's The Telling . MC is an Earth woman of Indian background, posted to a far planet to determine whether any remnants of the ancient culture of the planet have survived at all in the face of its 'modernisation' after the planet was 'discovered' by the outside universe. A really beautiful book. Also has an allegorical element reflecting on humanity's sadly repetitive history.

There's also Leguin's classic fantasy series about Earthsea. The titular wizard is clearly described as being dark-skinned. A Wizard of Earthsea although this kind of high fantasy may not be what you're looking for.

[CBRetriever]

and I should mention that the lead character in Remnant Population is named Ofelia Falfurrias which is an Hispanic name. I don't believe it was ever stated what her exact ethnic background is.

[Ruth]

Try An Unkindness of Ghosts for generation-ship SF which explores themes of race and gender from a different perspective (the author, Rivers Solomon, is black and gender non-conforming).
It’s kind of getting towards fantasy rather than SF, but The Fifth Season and sequels are excellent, and again they explore aspects of race and gender.

[Paul]

Hi Thomas


That's a very laudable goal. I've been making an effort to vary up my reading too - both in terms of the authors and characters.


Ursula K. Le Guin & Sheri S. Tepper have already been mentioned, and were both great writers, especially from a feminist perspective, but also taking other aspects of diversity into account.


I can't believe nobody's mentioned Nnedi Okorafor, whose Binti trilogy is wonderful and, along with The Book of Phoenix & Lagoon, is at the cutting edge of Afrofuturism.


Of course, the late, great Octavia E. Butler showed the way. Everyone should read the Xenogenesis trilogy.


I've not read Nalo Hopkinson yet, but she's also supposed to be wonderful


Lightspeed Magazine have done some excellent special issues - Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014: Women Destroy Science Fiction! Special Issue introduced me to many authors I wouldn't have otherwise encountered and I'm sure Lightspeed Magazine, June 2015: Queers Destroy Science Fiction! Special Issue will do likewise. I'm also looking for a good Afrofuturism anthology.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I would like to say all of these are great recommendations! I've read or intend to read just about everything listed and so far I'm not disappointed with any of them :)

I'll add Lord of Light which is part Hindu mythology, part gen ship sci fi. Too Like the Lightning which is part ode to the Enlightenment Era and part futuristic dystopia with a lot going on gender, race, and sexuality-wise (note: not all great!)

The Sparrow is heartwrenching first contact. Lots of really difficult things. My review has content warnings if you would like.

Digital Divide is about cyborg cops! Main character is Asian and lesbian.

ETA I feel I should also plug our Inclusive Book Bingo Challenge, which strives every month to find voices that maybe get drowned out a little in the mainstream. Right now we're reading Shadow Man!

[Oleksandr]

The Stars Are Legion - space opera w/o a single male character

[Sarah]

Science Fiction:
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord - she is a female writer from Barbados and I think I've heard pretty good things about her work (which I believe starts here).

Winter of the Wild Hunt by Geoffrey Thorne African American screenwriter and novelist.

Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias - from her website: Sabrina Vourvoulias is the author of Ink (Crossed Genres, 2012), a speculative novel that draws on her memories of Guatemala’s armed internal conflict, and of the Latinx experience in the United States. It was named to Latinidad’s Best Books of 2012.

The Prophecy of Trivine by Tnahsin Garg (Indian author)

Mixture of SFF:
The Simoqin Prophecies by Samit Basu - Indian author

Fantasy (but also labeled primary as a thriller it seems):
The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

I have several more- but I will echo Allison's plug of Inclusive Book Bingo. That's how I discovered most of these books and they all look amazing.

[Don]

Octavia Butler

[David]

I'm mildly astonished that nobody has mentioned N.K. Jemisin. The Fifth Season is one of the most unique and highly-regarded sci-fi-fantasy novels in recent memory. It might be a little too successful now to call it "something new", I suppose.

[Trike]

David wrote: "I'm mildly astonished that nobody has mentioned N.K. Jemisin. The Fifth Season is one of the most unique and highly-regarded sci-fi-fantasy novels in recent memory...."

Well, that’s Fantasy and he asked for SF, so....

[Trike]

I second Octavia Butler. Her stuff is so good.

Kage Baker’s series about The Company (Dr. Zeus) are fun. Time-traveling immortal cyborgs.

Walter Mosley’s story collection Futureland.

R.M. Meluch’s Sovereign and Tour of the Merrimack series, starting with The Myriad. (R = Rebecca.)

Mary Robinette Kowal’s story collection Word Puppets.

Ted Chiang’s story collection Stories of Your Life and Others, the title story was turned into the excellent film The Arrival.

In my TBR are Wesley Chu’s series The Lives of Tao.

[Anna]

SFF in Translation is a great site if you're looking for translated books.


Some that haven't been mentioned yet:

Gene Mapper and Orbital Cloud by Taiyo Fujii

The Planetfall series by Emma Newman

Amatka by Karin Tidbeck

Maybe even the Murderbot novella series starting with All Systems Red by Martha Wells

[Ruth]

David wrote: "I'm mildly astonished that nobody has mentioned N.K. Jemisin. The Fifth Season is one of the most unique and highly-regarded sci-fi-fantasy novels in recent memory...."

*cough*
take another look!

[Cornerofmadness]

Paul, I'm not sure if this is out yet but it might be something to look into for an afrofuturism anthology http://www.mugwumppress.com/afrocentr...

Paul wrote: "Hi Thomas


That's a very laudable goal. I've been making an effort to vary up my reading too - both in terms of the authors and characters.


Ursula K. Le Guin & [author:Sheri S. T..."

[CBRetriever]

here's another thread on a similar topic which includes lots of "foreign" authors:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[David]

Ruth wrote: "*cough* take another look!"

Ack, I did a Ctrl-F for "Jemisin" but not for "Fifth Season", and didn't look any closer. Sorry!

[Ruth]

David wrote: "Ruth wrote: "*cough* take another look!"

Ack, I did a Ctrl-F for "Jemisin" but not for "Fifth Season", and didn't look any closer. Sorry!"

No worries I probably should have mentioned the author by name instead of just the book title!

[Michael]

Nobody said Margaret Atwood? Seriously?