
Ask YC: What's the most insipid sci-fi book you've read? - moog
Since Mary Shelley published 'Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus' in the early part of the nineteenth century, there's been an awful lot of sci-fi written. Which books do you recommend I should steer well clear of and why?
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rglovejoy
Inherit the Stars by James Hogan

Like a lot of people, by the time I got to the end of the book, I just wanted
to fling it across the room.

\-----Here be spoilers--------

The entire premise of the book is that humans evolved on a planet called
Minerva, which was in an orbit somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. The humans
were descended from hominids brought over by space aliens millions of years
ago. Some 50,000 years ago, these people had a war and blew it all up, leaving
Minerva completely destroyed. The remains of Minerva become what is now the
Asteroid Belt.

When Minerva was destroyed, its moon, having a colony of humans, somehow made
its way to Earth and settled into an orbit around it. This moon is the Moon we
see in the sky at night.

Never mind that millions of years of evolution has made life on Earth adapted
to a moon that causes tides and shines brightly at night. Hogan's plot needs
for us to have a moon that has only been around for 50,000 years!

\-----------End spoilers------

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jsmcgd
Probably anything by L Ron Hubbard. To be fair I haven't read anything by him
but if his religion is anything to go by the books are probably beyond
insipid.

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ericb
I read one of his sci-fi books a long time ago, and yes it was insipid.
Dianetics was at least interesting as an exploration of their cult's beliefs.
If anyone is planning to read it, I suggest you borrow it or at least buy it
used, rather than pay for it. Giving them money is a bad thing...

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kingnothing
I'm probably the odd man out on this one, but I've honestly not read many, if
any, sci-fi books. I've always been more interested in non fiction and
realistic fiction, although I do get in to a bit of fantasy as well.

I thought I'd give it a go, though, and the copy of Crypotnomicon I ordered
last week should be here soon.

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TrevorJ
I've read a good deal of crap in sci-fi magazines, and now steer clear of them
in favor of re-reading classics

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mullr
Really? Stranger in a Strange Land. Lots of Heinlein is harmless, but that one
really made me hate the guy.

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SpruceMoose
Anything by E.E Doc Smith.

