This is heavily biased towards novels, because I rarely read short stories that aren't fanfic. It's also, unexpectedly, very female author centric.
Fantasy starter kit: The Hobbit (because LotR is the source from which about 70% of post-Tolkien fantasy derives, but the trilogy itself is long and the language is offputting to many reader for some reason. Whereas anybody can read the Hobbit, because it's more like YA). The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Wizard of Oz (Frank L. Baum) and Gregory Maguire's Wicked. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Urban fantasy/mythology for those who like fantasy to be a little closer to horror, and prefer things grounded in a real world setting. Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea series. Something by Patricia A. McKillip -- I particularly liked the Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy. Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells Something by Terry Pratchett - Small Gods? Reaper Man? Hogfather? Guards! Guards!? Feet of Clay? Lisa Barnett & Melissa Scott's Point of Hopes Sabriel by Garth Nix Guy Gaviel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry and The Lions of Al-Rassan. George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series - if you're only gong to read one epic fantasy series, it should be this one.
Sci-fi starter kit: Isaac Asimov short stories. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 The Heritage of Hastur or The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley (or another Darkover novel of your choice) Any one of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books - maybe The Vor Game?. Steven Barnes' Lion's Blood for alternate history that *isn't* about Hitler, the Confederacy, or racefail. The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge Startide Rising & The Uplift War by David Brin Starship Trooper by Robert Heinlein, with option follow-up reading of Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, for those who find the politics of Starship Troopers enraging. Spock's World by Diane Duane. because no sci-fi recs set is complete without a ST tie-in, and this is the best of them. Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Debra Doyle & James D. MacDonald's The Price of the Stars and sequels. Space opera with genderbending protagonist. Karen Lowachee's Warchild,/i> and Burndive
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-03-10 10:08 pm (UTC)Fantasy starter kit:
The Hobbit (because LotR is the source from which about 70% of post-Tolkien fantasy derives, but the trilogy itself is long and the language is offputting to many reader for some reason. Whereas anybody can read the Hobbit, because it's more like YA).
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Wizard of Oz (Frank L. Baum) and Gregory Maguire's Wicked.
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Urban fantasy/mythology for those who like fantasy to be a little closer to horror, and prefer things grounded in a real world setting.
Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea series.
Something by Patricia A. McKillip -- I particularly liked the Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy.
Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Something by Terry Pratchett - Small Gods? Reaper Man? Hogfather? Guards! Guards!? Feet of Clay?
Lisa Barnett & Melissa Scott's Point of Hopes
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Guy Gaviel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry and The Lions of Al-Rassan.
George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series - if you're only gong to read one epic fantasy series, it should be this one.
Sci-fi starter kit:
Isaac Asimov short stories.
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
The Heritage of Hastur or The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley (or another Darkover novel of your choice)
Any one of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books - maybe The Vor Game?.
Steven Barnes' Lion's Blood for alternate history that *isn't* about Hitler, the Confederacy, or racefail.
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Startide Rising & The Uplift War by David Brin
Starship Trooper by Robert Heinlein, with option follow-up reading of Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, for those who find the politics of Starship Troopers enraging.
Spock's World by Diane Duane. because no sci-fi recs set is complete without a ST tie-in, and this is the best of them.
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Debra Doyle & James D. MacDonald's The Price of the Stars and sequels. Space opera with genderbending protagonist.
Karen Lowachee's Warchild,/i> and Burndive
Online short fiction:
When we were robots in Egypt by Jo Walton
We have always spoken Panglish by Suzette Haden Elgin
The Parable of the Shower by Leah Bobet