By Samuel Munks, 18, Ida B. Wells High School, Portland, Ore.
Samuel Munks, 18, writes that Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary” “is the perfect introduction to science fiction for beginners.”
Reading: You probably either hate it or love it. And if you love it, you probably have friends who hate it. In an age of short form media, reading can seem difficult to get into, and the attention span required can seem almost intimidating. But the right book can change everything, and these three are so immersive and compelling that even your friends who have sworn off reading won’t be able to put them down.
“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown
If you have that one friend who thinks books are slow, boring, or just “not their thing,” “Red Rising” is the safest bet you can give them. It’s a fast pick up due to its easily digestible writing, immediately engaging story, and fast-paced action that never lets you breathe. Set on Mars, it follows Darrow, a slave living on the underbelly of society who finds out his entire life he has been fed a lie — and that he’s been manipulated into supporting the system that keeps him enslaved. From there, it’s a roller coaster of action and emotion that never slows.
What is so great about “Red Rising" is its sheer entertainment factor. It’s like a constant dopamine shot: constant high octane action, sharp plot twists and betrayals, all set around a brutal competition where the strongest rule. You’ll find you keep telling yourself “just one more chapter” until it’s 3 a.m. and you have to be up in four hours. With battles ranging from sword fights where steel gets cut like paper to kilometer-long destroyers duking it out in orbit above Mercury, and a protagonist who is impossible not to love, it’s pure and raw fun. But a word of caution, this series doesn’t just make readers, it starts addictions.
“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
“Project Hail Mary” is the perfect introduction to science fiction for beginners because it will never overwhelm you. It remains short, witty, and fascinating, all while blending with hard sci-fi. You wake up as a scientist with no memory aboard a ship, the rest of your crew dead, and a mission you can’t quite remember. This novel will pique your curiosity like no other.
Where “Project Hail Mary” really shines though is its narrative structure and immensely satisfying mystery. You start with nothing, but through gradual flashbacks you slowly piece together what went wrong, why you’re there, and what’s really at stake. It’s the kind of story that makes you feel smart just for reading it, and watching the puzzle come together is incredibly rewarding. And when it at last clicks, it all comes together perfectly.
“Hyperion” by Dan Simmons
Reading “Hyperion" as a beginner is most akin to being thrown into the pool as a baby. At first there’s panic and confusion — but if you learn to flow with it, you find that swimming becomes easy and very enjoyable. This book sits on the edge of science fiction and fantasy, filled with abstract worlds and ancient technology. It has the gentle touch and mysticism of a blue whale mixed with the ingenuity of humanity. It can feel overwhelming and it doesn’t give the courtesy of explaining itself to you.
But that’s exactly what sets “Hyperion” apart. It’s wildly imaginative and insane. Seven travelers journeying across the alien planet Hyperion on a pilgrimage, each telling their own tale along the way — each being stranger than the last. After finishing “Hyperion” you will either be craving more, or be shell shocked, swearing off science fiction forever. It’s a sink or swim type of book, but if you find it resonates, nothing else will ever quite compare.
