The Martian – Classroom edition By Andy Weir My son is obsessed with Mars. He has read everything he can find on travelling there, terraforming, and the possibility of humans living on Mars. I picked up The Martian recently thinking that it would be perfect for him. It features a lone astronaut stuck on Mars who has to “science” his way home. Weir is known for making all of the problems and solutions realistic and plausible. There was only one problem – the language is bad. Now, I would say those words too if I were stuck on Mars alone, but they are not exactly appropriate for a ten year old. Enter The Martian
Goldilocks By Laura Lam
The Chrysalids By John Wyndam
Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot Diaries #6) By Martha Wells
Another space thriller I enjoyed recently was
I encountered this classic post apocalyptic novel this spring and it is easily my favourite book of the year so far. The Chrysalids is set in a post-nuclear world where mutations are common, but shunned. The story is told from a child’s perspective, so readers get a naïve picture that builds as the narrator grows older. It is a slow burn of a book, and dystopian literature at its best.
Three cheers for Murderbot !
Goldilocks. I love the title wordplay with the fairy tale character and the area of space considered to be potentially habitable. The story features five female scientists who hijack a spaceship to save humanity by mounting a last ditch effort to find and populate a new home planet. It is set in a dystopian world similar to The Handmaid’s Tale …but, you know, in space.
Murderbot is a rogue security unit, half bot and half human, with a media addiction and severe social anxiety. Don’t let the name fool you; they are one of the most relatable scifi characters I have encountered in a while. Martha Wells has written six books in this series, and the most recent is a stand- alone novella. It offers a great introduction to the characters and world. I read it first and then dove into the rest of the series. Be prepared to get attached to Murderbot !
– Classroom edition. I don’t think I have ever
recommended a censored book to anyone, but hear me out. The only difference is the softening of the coarse language. All of the science and humor are the same and nothing is dumbed down. Perhaps you have a tween in your life that would enjoy a scifi summer book club? I read it with my son and we had some really fun discussions before watching the film together.
Kristen Johnson is a homesteader and home-school mom who lives in Eastern PEI. She loves to spend her free time between the pages of a book.
SUMMER 2021 www.pei-living.ca
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