Could use some reader’s advisory. My 18 year old HS senior loves the Disc World books. What would you suggest he read in addition (since he continues to read and re-read them)? He also loves non-fiction science books. - ThreadSky

jillinois.bsky.social • 170 days ago

Could use some reader’s advisory. My 18 year old HS senior loves the Disc World books. What would you suggest he read in addition (since he continues to read and re-read them)?

He also loves non-fiction science books.

Comments

only-davey.bsky.social•169 days ago

The Mortal Engines series by @philipreeve.bsky.social

purplebirdhouse.bsky.social•170 days ago

Has he read the Murderbot series from Matha Wells? Good books all.

jillinois.bsky.social•169 days ago

Nope. Thanks!

neilpollyticks.bsky.social•153 days ago

Suggestions for series that are also extremely good?

Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch

dashingdrewster.bsky.social•170 days ago

The dresden files 18 books in to a 24 book epic series...urban fantasy that gets better with every book...by jim butcher

agwonline.bsky.social•168 days ago

If we're going with Jim Butcher then my go to recommendation would be "The Aeronaut's Windlass"

practicaleq.bsky.social•153 days ago

There are a couple of bits of fanfic that are pretty much spot on - one is a two-hander between Vetinari and Death, another is about how Vimes becomes a god

practicaleq.bsky.social•163 days ago

Actually, I don't know why I didn't think of this before - The Lord of the Rings! So many bits of the Discworld books are an affectionate piss-take of it, especially the dwarves. Plus it's a massive, magnificent work in its own right

practicaleq.bsky.social•169 days ago

For long, immersive, thoughtful fantasy, Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, and its follow-ups The Scar and Iron Council. Miéville usually puts in a few pages of 'literary' writing at the start of each book, which I find best to skip and return to later when you know WTF is going on

practicaleq.bsky.social•169 days ago

For fantasy with humour, 'Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead' by KJ Parker, and the rest of the Saevus Corax series.

Warning - most of Parker's other books get *very* dark

practicaleq.bsky.social•169 days ago

'Guns of the Dawn' by Adrian Tchaikovsky has a slightly similar vibe to 'Monstrous Regiment' (young woman joins the army in an obscure and pointless war) though with fewer jokes. It's long and immersive though

expatinpa.bsky.social•169 days ago

Since I adore the disc world books and murder bot diaries can I also suggest some of John Scalzi’s books which have a similar vibe?

augh3d.bsky.social•170 days ago

is this worth a shot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Science_of_Discworld

jillinois.bsky.social•170 days ago

Definitely thanks!

agwonline.bsky.social•168 days ago

Gleick's "Chaos", something scientific but also approachable (imho) and weird, which might appeal to his discworld-enjoying side.

pearcemoses.bsky.social•169 days ago

I think the Expanse series by James S. A. Corey is brilliant. Great storytelling, good character development, thoughtful (and the TV series did a great job adapting them). But none of the fantasy/magic of Pratchett. Again, no fantasy, but Neal Stephenson has a lot of hard science.

jillinois.bsky.social•169 days ago

Stephenson lived in CU as a kid and his mom was a librarian! Will look into the Expanse (haha)

pearcemoses.bsky.social•169 days ago

Lots of people like Snow Crash. I think his later work is much richer. Cryptonomicon is one of my favorites. He's notorious for long digressions, but I find them fascinating. (Favorite critique I read once: Buried in these 1100 pages is a great 800 page book. Fair, but I'd never cut those pages.)

jillinois.bsky.social•169 days ago

“Show some fucking adaptability! “ was my motto at work.

ev0lemi.bsky.social•169 days ago

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I wish I could read that again for the first time

frankd7.bsky.social•169 days ago

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series and his “I, Robot”, any Ursula K. Leguin, Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series.

wscotgrey.bsky.social•169 days ago

Anything by @scalzi.com. Start with Kaiju preservation society. Then Starter villain. After that he’ll be ready for Old Man’s War.

renatasnacks.bsky.social•169 days ago

I'd second the suggestions for Murderbot and Douglas Adams. Maybe Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series? https://www.goodreads.com/series/170872-wayfarers Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. https://www.goodreads.com/series/165484-wayward-children The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman.

renatasnacks.bsky.social•169 days ago

Ohh and To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose 😍 My #1 fav book of last year!! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61937038-to-shape-a-dragon-s-breath

renatasnacks.bsky.social•169 days ago

Also maybe Legends and Lattes https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61219635-legends-lattes

pk054.bsky.social•169 days ago

Jasper Fforde's books may fit in with Discworld but as with all these things one person's meat is another's poison

hyl.st•168 days ago

Hyperion

gsjphd.bsky.social•168 days ago

He might enjoy the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud. Alternate history Britain with governments of squabbling magicians (not unlike Unseen University pre-Ridcully) wielding the power of chained demons. The title character does a lot of the Pratchett footnote thing*.

* humorous wisecrack

jeremyokelley.bsky.social•169 days ago

Has he read Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy yet?

jillinois.bsky.social•167 days ago

On repeat with the cheap paperbacks I bought with my lawn mowing money in the 80s!

coyotesvoice.bsky.social•168 days ago

It's been a while since I read them, but I remember liking Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series.

neilcowles.bsky.social•168 days ago

Iain M Banks - Culture Books

novadachi.bsky.social•170 days ago

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which is similar to nerdiness and humor as Discworld!

jillinois.bsky.social•170 days ago

Check! He has already read those and loved them!

agwonline.bsky.social•168 days ago

However if he is science-minded then maybe check out "Last Chance to See" by Adams and Carwardine. Knowing Douglas Adams was more than a witty social commentator might be inspiring.

jillinois.bsky.social•167 days ago

Forgot about that! My husband and I got the CD ROM from our public library right after we moved in together in ‘95ish.

Leopard skin pillbox hat.

rrohrberger.bsky.social•168 days ago

Lev Grossman’s magician books and also the recent one about Arthur’s court.

norahwoodsey.com•169 days ago

For non-fiction science, I gotta shout out Gods & Robots by Adrienne Mayor. I read it while researching my third (fiction) book and I have gone back and reread it for fun since then

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691183510/gods-and-robots

jillinois.bsky.social•169 days ago

Well you can’t throw that out there without plugging your own work!!

norahwoodsey.com•169 days ago

Haha ok fair ❤️ I was referencing The Control Problem (2022), a feminist sci fi novel.

When the Wave Collapses (2018) is my adventure sci fi novella

The States, my recent release, is primarily a retelling of Persuasion with a sci fi element.

They are all on Bookshop!

https://bookshop.org/contributors/norah-woodsey

norahwoodsey.com•169 days ago

Audiobooks of The States and The Control Problem are available at most libraries and on Libro FM

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798988445722-the-states

sadlydefunct.bsky.social•170 days ago

I loved Carl Sagan’s books as a sciencey kid - I started with Cosmos and read several

jillinois.bsky.social•170 days ago

I know he’s read Cosmos. Not sure about other Sagan books. Thanks!

sadlydefunct.bsky.social•170 days ago

Oliver Sacks is another writer I would suggest for non-fiction, but it’s more about the mind. Fascinating stuff tho. Musicophilia is especially cool.

bienhecho.bsky.social•168 days ago

My son's really enjoying Conn Iggulden's two series of novels based on the lives of Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar. He'd be able to pick up on the historical references in Discworld

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