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If you love the writing style of Golden Age science fiction but don't like how dated it sounds, here are 3 ideal suggestions.
The Big Sheep by Robert Kroese is the perfect first pick for your reading list. Set in 2039 (published in 2016), I can guarantee this book won’t feel dated to you.
What’ll grab you most is the humor – it has a very funny take on things – and of course the plot. A thought-provoking scientific plot combined with plenty of hilarity is a wonderful combination. As a fan myself of Golden Age science fiction writing style, I really loved The Big Sheep.
Its basic plot premise is that a really big sheep goes missing from a pharmaceutical research laboratory. Private investigator Erasmus Keane is hired to locate the missing sheep. In the meantime, unusual and confusing things have been happening to popular television actress Priya Mistry. What happens with these seemingly unrelated cases takes us on a seat-of-your-pants adventure with suspense, conspiracy, and of course laughter.
I highly recommend The Big Sheep by Robert Kroese to all science fiction fans. In particular, if you love Golden Age science fiction, this is a modern and improved take on that age.
You might also like to take a look at other books by Robert Kroese on Amazon.com, and of course his books are also available new at BooksAMillion and Bookshop.org, or new and used at AbeBooks.com.
Other Golden Age sci-fi titles that are off the beaten path
If you're simply seeking to add more books to your list, here are some other great titles in the Golden Age style of sci-fi that are a little bit off the beaten path.
The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham
Although many British readers will be familiar with this amazing science fiction novel, I've found that comparatively few U.S. readers have discovered this one. Published in 1951, The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham is just barely a few years after what is typically considered the Golden Age of science fiction. Yet the book itself holds all of the good hallmarks of the Golden Age.
in The Day of the Triffids, a meteor shower causes havoc by introducing a dangerous new species of plant. How humans adapt and what can be done about it is a big part of this apocalyptic scenario. This science fiction novel will keep you on the edge of your seat. Also, you'll never look at your garden the same way again!
If you've not yet read any of John Wyndham's other science fiction books, you're in for a treat. He was a prolific and engaging writer. Any of his other novels will be well-received by Golden Age enthusiasts. In particular I'd recommend The Chrysalids, where in a post-nuclear war scenario, mutations and deviations from the norm are ruthlessly stamped out. This book makes social commentary on marginalized groups that is highly relevant today.
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
It's had many recent adaptions and re-publications so it's easy to forget that I Am Legend by Richard Matheson was first published in the 1950's (slightly after the Golden Age but very much in its style). In this book, the main character is the sole unchanged person after everyone else has become like a vampire. How will he survive the nights with so many people against him?
This is an exciting science fiction book which will leave you thinking long after you put it down.
The bottom line
Once you've read all the regular Golden Age science fiction, you're not stuck! Other sci-fi novels in the same vein that you might not yet have read are The Big Sheep by Robert Kroese, The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham, and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. All of these fall in the genre of near future science fiction books.
You might also like to take a look at what we think you should be reading if you're too busy to read.
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