Not sure if I’m describing this well, but I’m a huge fan of speculative fiction where the sci-fi elements really serve the story instead of just being set dressing or “wouldn’t it be fucked up if—“
Stuff that is intensely tragic and emotional but you can’t explain it to people without getting into the weeds describing the sci fi bits because the emotions are so entangled with the very specific sci fi scenario.
Examples:
Flowers for Algernon (super emotional because of the combination of the experimental treatment sci fi element AND the human aspect of how a person must feel to go through something like that)
Never Let Me Go (it’s emotional because it’s about loss and humanity, but the organ donation/clone context really adds to the story and makes everything more complex and interesting)
Non book example, but the show Severance also hits this for me (it’s about grief and personhood and exploitation, but none of the conversations they’re having would be nearly as effective if it weren’t for the sci fi elements)
Basically I want to be sobbing but unable to articulate to anyone who hasn’t read the book without having to poorly describe some unique new technology perfectly engineered by the author to create thematically appropriate horrors for the characters.
Can anyone recommend more books along these lines?
by IReadBooksSometimes
5 Comments
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks Dalton maybe? It’s more dystopia than sci fi, but it is incredibly relevant and checks the rest of your boxes.
The Stars Within by Alex Arch’s twist did that to me. It’s short and super intense so you have to be in the mois but it was like what you described for me.
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. Character-driven sci fi, heartbreakingly beautiful story.
How High We Go in the Dark: stories of different people living through a global plague.
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker: Basically the orbit of the Earth slows down. Much of it is focused on the experience of a teen girl and her family.
The Dog Stars: A guy and his dog living in the end times, mostly on their own.
A lot of Ted Chiang’s short stories hit that spot.