Whatā€™s a piece of SF that you just couldnā€™t get into, even though you feel like you should?

I tried to watch Babylon 5, for instance, and just couldnā€™t connect to it. I know itā€™s popular and people love it, but it never hooked me.

Another is The Three Body Problem. I tried reading it after a friendā€™s glowing recommendation, but I couldnā€™t get past the first chapter. I even tried reading it in another language in case it was the translation I couldnā€™t connect with, but the same thing happened.

Both are things I feel like I should like, but just donā€™t.

    • sethw@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      Ā·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Foundation is probably the best harder scifi going right now, just the idea of the clone kings dawn dusk and day is worth it let alone the prime radiant and foundation itself.

      Raised by wolves is a good one in a similar style, but it got cancelled before it was able to answer the bigger questions of the world building which is frustrating

        • sethw@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          Ā·
          1 year ago

          ha funny, Iā€™m not a reader so it never even crossed my mind that you werenā€™t talking about the show. well still, I highly recommend the show!

          • RheingoldRiver@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            Ā·
            1 year ago

            hey I watched the tv show last night thanks to your accidental recommendation and itā€™s great!! I was under the mistaken impression that s1 and 2 were all out and s3 was being released so now iā€™m devastated but Iā€™ll binge s2 as soon as this season is finished and then wait for more haha

          • RheingoldRiver@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            Ā·
            1 year ago

            Glad you mentioned it though, because indeed I might be interested in a tv version thatā€™s easier to get into than the books.

      • effingjoe@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        Ā·
        1 year ago

        Raised by Wolves was pretty bizarre. I loved the first season, up until the weird flying worm thing, and second season just seemed off-the-rails batshit insane. haha

        I was definitely intending to watch season 3, though I didnā€™t really understand what was going on. Iā€™m not completely surprised it was canceled.

      • PineapplePartisan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        Ā·
        1 year ago

        Harder sci-fi? It leans hard on religion and philosophy and royal court intrigue.

        I was coming to post Foundation for all those reasons. I wish there were more choices for people who want ā€œhardā€ sci-fi.

        The last decent one I came across was ā€œBraking Dayā€ by Adam Oyebanji.

        Does anyone have recs for hard sci-fi that doesnā€™t lean on ā€œmagicā€?

        • oo1@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          Ā·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          there was a conversation on here about Greg Egan the other day.
          thats what i call hard scifi.
          i used to read that at lot and was glad to be reminded to look it up again.
          http://www.gregegan.net/
          permutation city, all the short stories, diaspora, i started on quarantine, still think thatā€™s a cool idea, even if it is improbable (thats a joke, itā€™s not a spoiler until you observe the story).

          i think i gave up around teranesia which mightā€™ve started to go over my head.
          but reading this group has inspred me to go back and revisit.

          damn ive got to start buying Interzone again.

          edit >>>> link to actual thread: https://lemmy.world/post/1892921
          maybe it was a different group . . .

    • mack123@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      Ā·
      1 year ago

      The original Foundation is a product of its time. It is amazing when read in the context of the 1950s, but tricky today. Try Caves of Steel to further the I Robot read. Asimov built an entire future history spanning 10s of thousands of years.

      • RheingoldRiver@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        Ā·
        1 year ago

        Thanks! I might actually own a copy of this, although I donā€™t think I ever started it. Iā€™ve added it to my TBR on goodreads in any case, next time I want to read some scifi Iā€™ll check it out!

    • bradboimler@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      Ā·
      1 year ago

      This is me. And speaking as someone who tends to love his writing otherwise. It took me several tries to get through Foundation and once I finally finished it I was left with zero desire to read any other books in that series.

    • oo1@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      Ā·
      1 year ago

      never really liked any Asimov - bu i did quit quite early on foundation.
      i guess im more of a Dick.

      • RheingoldRiver@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        Ā·
        1 year ago

        If you want to try Asimov again & havenā€™t tried I, Robot yet, I do recommend that. Itā€™s quite accessible (imo) and a lot of fun.