I really enjoy sci-fi that starts grounded in reality — that eases you in with a slow build, a sense of normalcy, before the shift. I love when the story begins in the everyday, then opens into something strange and vast. Think the beginning of The Matrix or Old Man’s War, perhaps? That kind of vibe. Any recommendations?
36 Comments
Know_not_Scotty_does@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 334d
The Expanse series is kind-of near scifi that goes cosmic.
smuuthbrane@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 334d
Three Body Problem. The first book builds up like that, and the next two just keep going. It's a wild ride.
DSN9@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 334d
Yes- I've read them. Just found out about the 4th one; "The Redemption of Time," although it is fan fiction, even Liu Cixin recommended it, apparently made the author Baoshu an established writer.
smuuthbrane@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 334d
Oooh, I didn't know that existed. I'd better go find it, thanks for the tip!
BlackJerseyGiant@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 333d
The Expanse series.
solarvector@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 333d
It's a good example of relatively "real" science fiction but doesn't start normal, pretty much sets the tone and sticks with it. Some reveals come but it's now in the vein of mystery.
BlackJerseyGiant@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 333d
Gotta disagree. We start flying in spaceships bound by real physics as we understand it, albeit with better tech, doing normal human stuff, like blowing each other up, and then each book progressively unfolds another layer, literally logarithmicly more alien than before, while also expanding the scope of the Expanse.
Sanctus@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 334d
Gurren Lagann, its an anime but the beginning of the show to the end of the show is such a fantastical journey.
pishadoot@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 333d
I'm not a huge anime fan in general but I fucking love Gurren Lagann.
That show feels like every episode is competing to be the most ridiculous, but the only other competitor is the previous episode of the same show.
Sanctus@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 333d
I did not notice this was a books community -.-
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 10 pts · 334d
Greg Bear is a master of that style.
Eon especially when paired with Eternity its sequel.
Forge of God and Anvil of Stars.
Hugin@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 333d
I always like the first 100 or so pages and the last 100 pages of his books. The middle is always such a slog to get through.
deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 2 pts · 333d
Hmm. I'd never really thought about that before and totally agree.
yaroto98@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 333d
Project Hail Mary fits the bill. Though it's popular enough you've likely already read it.
DSN9@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 333d
This looks really cool, thank you!
bradboimler@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 333d
I loved it. You're in for a treat.
MrSulu@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 333d
One of my recent reads might meet your need. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Time (2015). Recommended by a friend
Obi@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 333d
Strong recommend on this as well.
CitizenKong@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 333d
Tschaikofsky is amazing in general, my new favourite sci-fi writer. The Children trilogy is great hard sci-fi while the Architects trilogy is equally awesome epic space opera.
MrSulu@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 332d
Yes indeed my like-minded pal
gramie@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 334d
Accelerando by Charles Stross.
Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 334d
The bobiverse series could fit for you as well, quite a strong ramp up but starting, well, now.
mesamunefire@piefed.social · 6 pts · 334d
The Wandering Inn has some moments like this at the beginning. The reader slowly realizes how vast the universe is and it just keeps going.
The Perfect Run is very good as well. The universe and the MC are really fun to read.
mesamunefire@piefed.social · 3 pts · 334d
"starts grounded in reality" oh woops! NVM. Feel free to ignore then!
domdanial@reddthat.com · 6 pts · 334d
"To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" starts pretty grounded, has a weird thing happen to the main character, then massively increases in scope.
It's not quite hard sci-fi, as tech for ftl travel exists. It has some proto-molecule McMuffin as well.
It's by the writer of Eragon, I enjoyed it but I also don't have a discerning taste in author.
Berttheduck@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 334d
I too enjoyed that one, it's nice to see him grow from Eragon, the writing in this I feel is much better. Definitely goes from small personal level stuff to let's save the universe type deal. A good read.
owsei@programming.dev · 5 pts · 333d
You probably already read it, but 2001 is awesome
Auster@thebrainbin.org · 3 pts · 333d
Horror oriented, but Tales from the Loop and its sequel, Things from the Flood, go like this, the first book rather normal despite its subject, but setting up for the shift into the cosmic horror from the second book. Didn't read The Electric State or The Maze to know if they're part of the same narrative.
viewports@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 333d
seveneves is kind of like that
pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 333d
Using "Old Man's War" and "The Matrix" as a vibe guide (intimate stories with some brain bending twists), here's some I haven't seen mentioned here, yet:
glibg@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 332d
The hitchhikers guide starts normal, for like a dozen pages.
thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 332d
Project hail Mary,
Okokimup@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 333d
14 by Peter Clines.
dil@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 333d
Books or comics?
k_rol@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 333d
Whichever
AAA@feddit.org · 1 pts · 332d
If The Expanse is OK, then Alastair Reynolds - Pushing Ice, also fits the bill.
Starts with humans being in solar space already, and goes from there.