Hi everyone! I'm looking for some book recommendations, with a very specific list of wants for the theme and feel:
The Big Wants:
– Hopepunk theme/message. Polar opposite of grim-dark. Ending doesn't have to be happy, but the book should leave me feeling full of awe and optimistic about the world.
– Individual lives are valued and important, I hate the nihilistic sarcasm of so much modern media that treats death as a punchline.
– Sci-fi or fantasy, any flavor thereof.
– Romance not the focus (prefer queer romance if present)
– Clever characters that solve problems with brains instead of brawn
Not required, but would be awesome to have any of these:
– idk if there's a term for this, but I love the trope of, "something that seems powerful/monstrous/scary but turns out to be loveable friend". Examples: Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom, Rocky from Project Hail Mary.
– Noble, kind hero as friend, mentor, or parental figure, ex. Optimus Prime.
– Systems and/or rulers using power for good instead of evil, ex. Aragorn.
Please Exclude:
– Babies-ever-after ending
– Anything that focuses on pregnancy or childbirth
– Plotlines centering around stupid misunderstandings that could be fixed with one (1) conversation.
– Plotlines driven by characters doing truly stupid things, like Starlord punching Thanos when the glove is almost off.
by TheRealSteelfeathers
9 Comments
A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
The entire solarpunk genre would be right up your alley!!
I really enjoyed Station Eleven by Mandel.
Maybe Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson?
Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072
If you’re open to very long books, I highly recommend [The Hands of the Emperor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/af2bba9c-8f41-4a3e-b87a-8532a44ccb67) by Victoria Goddard! It’s a beautifully written slice of life book about the personal secretary to the emperor of the world, with a heavy focus on platonic relationships.
The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik — the setting is grim, but the story is about changing it for the better. Does contain some romance, but it’s not really the point of the text.
The hollows series by Kim Harrison
Dresden files by Jim butcher
Red rising by pierce brown
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and the rest of that series. An epic sci-fi/fantasy adventure, with complex characters, rich world building, and a compelling, creative, sci-fi premise at the heart of a great story. Give it some time, you may think it isn’t fulfilling your request, as it begins at a dark time for humanity, and many of the human characters struggle to get along, or seem like jerks. Trust me, it hits hard if you stick with it.
h{{Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell}}