Reel Reading: Science Fiction

Teens met recently to talk about their favorite science fiction books, TV shows and movies.

Reel Reading is a teen-specific book, film and TV club meeting virtually on the fourth Tuesday each month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This club is for ages 13-18 and each month will have a genre or theme to explore. Register for our next session here – it’s all about Science Fiction, and meets on Tuesday, May 25.

Teen Street Team member Kaaviya is our guest blogger for this month, and talks about her favorite parts of science fiction novels:

As someone who loves delving into other worlds through fantasy books, but has always wondered how “real” magic could ever happen in our lives, sci-fi is a genre that is close to my heart. The future is filled with new possibilities of technological innovations, and sci-fi gives the reader a small glimpse into what our future may look like- whether the outlook is positive or not. 

The first book that got me into science fiction was Cinder, a book centering around a cyborg girl living in a futuristic world. In New Beijing, where she lives, she is treated poorly by her family and society overall, due to her being a cyborg. To earn a living, she works as a mechanic, and is one of the best in the city, leading even the emperor of the region to come to her for her services. Unfortunately, due to a global pandemic, her sister succumbs to the disease, angering her stepmother, who volunteers Cinder to be experimented on. The series is full of self-discovery and exploration of the world with new friends Cinder finds throughout her experiences, and is a classic read for anyone wishing to gain a picture of what sci-fi looks like.

An interesting thing to look for in sci-fi books are parallels drawn to our present, like societal inequalities still existing in New Beijing with cyborgs being seen as “less,” or the global pandemic that bears similarities to COVID-19. These things serve to make sci-fi a more enjoyable and realistic genre that provides readers with fantasy-like action with realistic explanations.

Our meeting will go through interesting aspects of sci-fi books like Cinder, and provide you with the resources to find more books suited to your liking. Join us next week!

Interested in talking about your favorite science fiction books or just curious to learn more? Come to our Reel Reading meeting on May 25 at 7 p.m. where we’ll talk about our favorite books and introduce new titles for everyone to check out! Register to join us here. For more Reel Reading recommendations, check out previous blog posts.