Genesis by Bernard Beckett...
...is the greatest mindfuck I've read, with the possible exception of Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff. It's not often that a book could completely screw me over, and this one did so magnificently. Just like Bad Monkeys, the entire book is set during an interview - Anax, the protagonist, was obsessed with Adam Forde, a legendary hero who had a hand in changing the world. She thought she knew everything there was to know about Adam, especially since he is the subject of her 4-hour examination to become a member of the Academy. This entire novella is set during the interview/examination, and reads a bit like a transcript.
What it is about:
Man vs. Machine. The definition of consciousness. The importance of language. The danger of ideas. What does it mean to be alive, to be human? Dystopian, post-apocalyptic societies. References to that other amazing work of science fiction, Huxley's Brave New World.
What it is:
Thought-provoking. Challenging. Mind-blowing. Short. More words & thoughts than action. Philosophical. Well-paced. Strongly written. YA. Common sci-fi themes.
Who might like it:
People who like any of the qualities mentioned above. People who like really good books. People who don't require big battles and lots of action sequences to enjoy a book. People who are comfortable with thinking. People who read and like Plato. People who read and like Aldous Huxley. People who read and like Fahrenheit 451, Ender's Game, The Man in the High Castle, etc.
Who might not:
People who aren't like the ones mentioned above? Plus literary snobs, since "because it's sci-fi then it must be rubbish. Right?" Although they might convince themselves that it's not sci-fi (not being familiar with sci-fi, it's easy to do. Look at Cormac McCarthy's The Road - classic sci-fi themes, and yet that fact didn't even register to the lit snobs. lol.) in which case there is a chance they might enjoy it.
What it is about:
Man vs. Machine. The definition of consciousness. The importance of language. The danger of ideas. What does it mean to be alive, to be human? Dystopian, post-apocalyptic societies. References to that other amazing work of science fiction, Huxley's Brave New World.
What it is:
Thought-provoking. Challenging. Mind-blowing. Short. More words & thoughts than action. Philosophical. Well-paced. Strongly written. YA. Common sci-fi themes.
Who might like it:
People who like any of the qualities mentioned above. People who like really good books. People who don't require big battles and lots of action sequences to enjoy a book. People who are comfortable with thinking. People who read and like Plato. People who read and like Aldous Huxley. People who read and like Fahrenheit 451, Ender's Game, The Man in the High Castle, etc.
Who might not:
People who aren't like the ones mentioned above? Plus literary snobs, since "because it's sci-fi then it must be rubbish. Right?" Although they might convince themselves that it's not sci-fi (not being familiar with sci-fi, it's easy to do. Look at Cormac McCarthy's The Road - classic sci-fi themes, and yet that fact didn't even register to the lit snobs. lol.) in which case there is a chance they might enjoy it.