Science Fiction Favorites of the NPR Audience

This ceramic coaster
by Cie McCullough
represents the castles
of many of the magical
kingdoms on the  final list.

This summer, NPR asked for nominations for the top 100 science-fiction, fantasy books. It received 6000 nominations and settled on a list of finalists. This list was posted in the blog npr books on 8/2/11. Many of the nominees are suitable for youth. Many are classics of the genre. Many are rooted in magic. Some have been the basis of movies.

On the same day, npr books posted the list of 100 winners. For several of these, the series took the winning, with one book of the series posted.

I did not vote. I kick myself for that because of my top 20 favorite authors, only 4 made the final list. Of the 6000 nominees, only half of my favorite authors had a book or series nominated.

Of the winners, I would say most are suitable for youth. However, NPR plans another list for YA books, so did not include specifically YA books on the list. I suppose that is why the Harry Potter books were not included.

Check out both lists. Save a copy for future reference in your personal files. Do send me a list of the ones chosen in either list that you think are suitable for youth in the comments to this post. And add the books that you think should have been included. Comment away!

Teaching with Science Fiction: 10 Reasons for Use in a Science Class

Origin of the List

 

Writing as Valerie Smith, I once presented a paper at AAAS in New Orleans with co-authors Jessica Scott and my husband Wayne Coskrey. This list is from that paper, except #10. In the original paper, items 1-9 each had 2 or more peer-reviewed-type references cited. Furthermore, the list is reworded to not be so nerdy.
Re: "Teaching the Science in Science Fiction," 1990.

10 Reasons to Use Science Fiction in the Science Classroom

 

Apophysis flame "Spaceman" (c) V. Coskrey

• SF can motivate students to like science.
  
• SF models scientific thinking and problem-solving.
  
• SF presents the science world-view.
  
• SF illustrates how science and technology affect lives.
  
• SF examines scientific issues for possible solutions and potential consequences.
  
• SF models possible futures, preparing students for change.
  
• SF connects science to the humanities and social sciences.
  
• SF provides practice in reading skills.
  
• SF fosters vivid mental images of scientific phenomena.
  
• SF is fun that can be shared!
  

Adapted from V. Smith, J. Scott, and W. Coskrey (1990). Teaching the Science in Science Fiction. Unpublished paper presented to AAAS, New Orleans, LA.

Additional Remarks: Start a Conversation

Like any good book shared among friends and associates, science fiction offers conversation starters. Class discussions often need an example to get the students thinking and talking. Examples from books can lead to examples from personal experiences and then to examples from the textbook or the teacher's knowledge.

Now the student is ready to learn technical concepts and vocabulary because the concept has become real to the student. Now the student is ready for a vocabulary word and a definition. Now the student is ready to state a law. Now the student is ready to solve a problem based in math or chemistry. Why now? Because the mental images of concrete examples offer a sense of reality--the science is more real to the student.

by Valerie Coskrey

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/17/10

How many posts to Facebook can we read in a week?

This is the second in the series of Facebook links of interest from the Reading for the Future page on Facebook.

With over 200 people "liking" the page, Cie is celebrating by posting ever-more web resources of value to the RFF mission. Better yet, the sites are fun reads and great sites to visit. Also, from other Walls come a few more sites of interest. Did you catch the latest?


Note: This is not a verbatim report. Extraneous phrases were cut, some phrases were reworded, and info after the link is dropped. But you get the idea, right?

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Cie expressed sorrow in sharing that the developer of fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbot, died.
www.washingtonpost.com
Benoit Mandelbrot, mathematician who developed field of fractal geometry, dies at 85 in Mass.
[10/16/10]

David Brin shared a link on how science fiction clarifies human rights, asking, "How will technology impact personal liberties? The ACLU is analyzing sci-fi plots to plan its future battles over individual freedom. Its report, Technology, Liberties and the Future, draws upon science fiction for worst-case scenarios to study possible civil liberties violations that may result from advances in technology: omni-surveillance, cloning, gene splicing, nanotech, cyborgs...,"
Humanoid Rights | The American Prospect  
www.prospect.org   
A few months ago I watched Moon, a 2009 indie science-fiction film, with a friend who works on public relations for the American Civil Liberties Union. The movie centers on Sam Bell, a solitary laborer who spends his days extracting helium from moon rocks and drawing comfort from correspondence with...
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=humanoid_rights
[10/16/10]

Angela Lott posted to the RFF, sharing her enthusiasm for the Okel Rel Universe with these words, "If you like Comedy, Drama, Romance, or Action or even if you just like well written character driven fiction, you will like The Okal Rel Universe Saga by Lynda Williams. Vist the site and see for yourself."
Home of the Okal Rel Science Fiction Series
 www.okalrel.org
The ORU is a 10 novel series, published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy, set in a very different universe. The character-driven stories tackle themes of culture clash in a context where all-out war is so horrific it is all but obsolete, but passions still run high.
www.okalrel.org
[10/16/10]

 Admittedly, Angela knows Lynda personally, but I have read her wall often enough to know that she actually reads and enjoys these books and read them as a YA.  If a teenager enjoys the series, well, ...

Courtesy of Jan Howard Finder, the Wombat:
Astronomy Day 2010 at George Observatory - Houston astronomy | Examiner.com
www.examiner.com
George Observatory is operated by the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). The three observatories there (telescopes are 14", 18", and 36") offer the public a view of the diamond studded sky typically lost in the bright lights of the city. This Saturday is Astronomy Day 2010.
http://www.examiner.com/astronomy-in-houston/astronomy-day-2010-at-george-observatory
[10/16/10]

Ya'll be sure to ask her how it went!

From Reading For the Future" "Check out the site and then join the Facebook page so that you can get all the latest details!"
The Utah Humanities Book Festival
www.utahhumanities.org
What Kind of Idea Are You? Find Out at the 13th Annual Utah Humanities Book Festival! All Book Festival activities are free and open to the public...
http://www.utahhumanities.org/BookFestival.htm
[10/15/10]



On the Reading for the Future page, "Remember the classic black and white docudramas from school? I found this site, which is associated with others for each discipline of teaching. It offers older film clips and educational videos that are now in the public domain to teachers. Enjoy the one on this page on Why to Study Science. There is even a mention of sci fi in the video!~Valerie C."
Why Study Science
www.tvschoolhouse.com
Why Study Science? Dramatizations explain why science is important and the benefits of scientifice study.
http://www.tvschoolhouse.com/shows/Science/whyStudyScience.html
[10/15/10]

Yeah, it's a new site with a few typos still in place last time I checked. But the site is well worth the visit.  According to the comments posted with the link, a few homeschoolers think so too.

Reading For the Future:  This link is the Introduction and First Chapter of 'Teaching Fantasy Novels' by Phyllis J. Perry. It is the synopsis and Lesson Plan for teaching Lloyd Alexander's The High King.
www.teacherideaspress.com
http://www.teacherideaspress.com/media/pdfs/sample_chapters/LU9874_1-9_chapter1.pdf
[10/14/10]

Reading For the Future, "Found some interesting sites while doing some research online. This first one lists good Fantasy short stories for use in modeling Fantasy writing. The entire list is available online, either in text or audio."
Teaching Fantasy « Torque Control
vectoreditors.wordpress.com
Since so many smart critics frequent here, I’d like to pitch a question to y’all: I’ve been teaching undergraduate creative writing for years (am an English MA/ poetry MFA) but this semester for the first time I’m teaching a course focused on writing fantasy fiction.
http://vectoreditors.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/teaching-fantasy/
[10/14/10]

This entry brought a few few comments. One from Philippa Ballantine, http://www.pjballantine.com, an author of what she calls "adult high fantasy and steampunk" fiction, which she wrote me were probably a bit too violent and sexually explicit for RFF to recommend for teens, even though she knows of many fans who are teenagers.  She also reads books for pod casts.

Anyway, Philippa did suggest a book for the Reading for the Future book lists. At Cie's request, on 10/14/10, she commented, "For older children I love Garth Nix's books."

Valerie asked, as Reading For the Future, "Has anyone seen the commercial for The Dead Zone that features the nine lives of a cat? I laughed so hard at that one."  I, Valerie, posted the question in response to the Cat Poster from Cie's wall, which I shared with the RFF page.
"Found this on Cie's page, which she titled, 'Wanted Dead and Alive'"
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs809.snc4/68982_159202910769692_100000399518144_377235 photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net
Unfortunately, I was unable to copy the photo. Try to visit the page. If not there, try the Links. It is a riot!

 On 10/13/10, David Brin put out a call for books on manufacturing in a status comment on his page, "I need references/links for and SCI FI NOVELS about *manufacturing*... especially about its decline in America and /or prospects for better manufacturing in the near future." 

Read the comments for a new book list. How many are suitable for youth? At least a teaching concept is identified.

On the RFF page, "Science in Sci Fi Recommended by member Lynda Williams" 
Orbiting Frog | Astronomy, Space and Science 
 orbitingfrog.com
Andre Geim, an Ig Nobel laureate and physicist working at the University of Manchester has been jointly awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics. He is joined by Konstantin Novoselov, his former PhD student and research partner in ground-breaking work on a substance called Graphene, which forms the b...
http://orbitingfrog.com/blog/2010/10/05/graphene-nobel-for-manchester/
[10/12/10]

I visited orbitingfrog.com and discovered that the blog author is asking readers to suggest a quote that he can use on the blog's home page. Help him out, Somebody.

That's all to report for the time span Oct. 13, 2010 - Oct. 16, 2010 as of my last visit to Facebook. Do you have a few authors or other contributors that you want followed? Not yet a member of RFF? Send suggestions through the comments. RFF members, you may send comments to Valerie C. in a group email.



Did you read the first Facebook Report? Now's your chance. FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/12/10

FB Report: Lots of Links on Speculative Fiction -- 10/12/10

 After only a few months, the Reading for the Future page on Facebook is approaching 150+ Likes.  In the Discussion threads are dozens of books categorized by reading level.

And there have been some really interesting links posted. Most were introduced by Cie, the page's main admin lady (or, as David A. called her in a recent email, our RFF-FB "missionary"). Did you catch these on your visits to rff on fb?

Note: This is not a verbatim report. Extraneous phrases were cut, some phrases were reworded, and info after the link is dropped. But you get the idea, right?

 ---

Said physicist Stephen Hawking, “Science fiction is useful both for stimulating the imagination and for defusing fear of the future.” Sigma Xi the Scientific Research Society recently surveyed its members, asking: '"Did science fiction influence you?"  10/7/10
www.sigmaxi.org 
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society: Member Newsletters: Did Science Fiction Influence You?

---

This is an interesting article, possibly some hints to reach some Romance readers who think SF is not for them? 10/6/10
www.geekmom.com GeekMom » Blog Archive » Science Fiction Romance: Not an Oxymoron

 ---

Of course we all know this is by no means complete. They didn't even mention War of the Worlds' laser beams and chemical warfare. 10/4/10
http://mashable.com 11 Astounding Sci-Fi Predictions That Came True

To this on 10/5/10, William Wood commented, "Not to poo-poo the idea that 'one of the most important reasons for reading and teaching SF' is it's ability to anticipate technology, but..." He continued, "What gives sf its literary potency is not that it anticipates tech but that it provides a way for u...s to envision possible worlds. Some sf worlds are offered as cautions; others as options we may wish to choose. In either case, the thing is this: we need to take responsibility for bringing about the future, and sf is the genre that gives us a laboratory for envisioning our choices."
To which Cie responded, "But it does illustrate one of the most important reasons for reading and teaching SF. "

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'Looking for the Science in Fiction' Thank you David Brandt!  10/3/10 www.hardsf.org Hard SF: Free Audio SF - Story Readings, New Additions

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Why is this here? Read the fine print...
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart helps support 826LA, a non-profit organization “dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write”.   10/3/10
www.laughingsquid.com Echo Park Time Travel Mart

 ---

To commemorate Banned Books Week, the Internet Archive lets you read & download 74 banned books, and they're all FREE.
~Cie   10/2/10
www.archive.org Banned Books : Free Books : Free Texts : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

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Attention Librarians! Here is a great resource for using SF in your Libraries. Please leave some feedback, your thoughts are important.
(Note, the link below is to the download page.~Valerie)
Said AboutSF, "We are currently beta testing a Librarian's Portable Teaching Workshop. Please feel free to download this material and add any comments about usability, effectiveness, or suggestions for change in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you about our newest project."   9/30/10
www.aboutsf.org  Beta Test the Workshop for Libraries (Download) | AboutSF www.aboutsf.com

 ---

Below is a series of statements and links that represent a combined, shared link. Eventually, at the bottom of the set, you get to the link to the actual statement by Walter Mead. Enjoy the conversation!

David Brin shared this link. Said David, "This is essentially a blog post about Walter Russell Mead's article, but the more important point here is:
READ SCIENCE FICTION
"Thanks to C. J. Cherryh for bringing this to my attention and for having such a great cover for Cyteen: The Betrayal - seen below :)
Read science fiction to understand the things that mainstream pundits won't talk about.(sic)"
io9.com
"'Why should you be reading more science fiction? Not just for the thrills or awesome science. You should read SF to explore ideas about society that academics and pundits won't talk about,'(sic) writes Walter Russell Mead in The American Interest."   9/23/10   
laughingsquid.com

Then there was a second share; and the same conversation continued.

Cie added, "Thank you David Brin for bring this to our attention!"
blogs.the-american-interest.com
Literary Saturday: Science Fiction is a Genre That Everyone Should Read - Walter Russell Mead's Blog
David said "I have read a lot of science fiction. I started reading this stuff when Sputnik was still in the news; the first satellites were spooking through the sky when I was turning the pages of novels by Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein and A. E. Van Vogt. I read everything in the genre that the Glenwood Ele..."   9/23/10
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/09/18/literary-saturday-science-fiction-is-a-genre-that-everyone-should-read/

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Another conversation on fb that made the rounds of friends and ended up on emails in Talking RFF, the rff Yahoo! Group. The original source was Al MacAlister. and it became part of the dialog on appreciating alternative history as speculative history, speculative fiction, and a learning motivator--that is, once we had wiped our eyes and otherwise recovered from the pain of laughing so hard! In that dialog, Valerie reminded the group that many a space opera series has become what someone once called "future history." Be sure to learn about World War II in this article. Priceless.

www.collegehumor.com

OMG WWII on FACEBOOK!