Re: FW: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading

Out of these, I have read:

Stranger in a Strange Land
Ubik
The Man Who Folded Himself


So, three out of ten.  Anyone else here got a higher score?

Of the rest, I have heard of Dhalgren (I used to read a lot of Delany, but
by the time this one came out I was cooling to him.  Also it is *very*
long).  I have seen The Female Man and Dreamsnake mentioned here and there
but never in a context which prompted me to check them out.  The other four
I haven't heard of at all.

Another Ultra-weird book which I have read and would recommend is Le Guin's
book The Lathe of Heaven, about a man whose dreams change reality.

Barry

On 14 October 2015 at 22:32, Cahill, Colleen <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* Dennis Fischer [mailto:[email protected]]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 30, 2015 10:14 PM
> *To:* Sf Readers List; Brooke Lambie; Susan Hathaway; Pamm Handel;
> Kathryn Stuckey; Doug Woods; MIchael Hall; Marlene Willauer-Lowe; Dennis
> Fischer
> *Subject:* 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required
> Reading
>
>
> 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading
> <http://io9.com/5892742/10-ultra-weird-science-fiction-novels-that-became-required-reading>
>
> MaryKate Jasper and Charlie Jane Anders
>
>
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
>
> You want a really weird ride? A science fiction or fantasy epic that
> stretches your brain like taffy and ties it into strange irregular shapes?
> Forget television or movies: books are where the really off-kilter stories
> are told in speculative fiction.
>
> A while ago, we listed 10 ultra-weird science fiction books that you’ve
> never read
> <http://io9.com/5888835/10-weirdest-science-fiction-novels-that-youve-never-read>.
> But what’s really mind-blowing is the list of science fiction and fantasy
> books that are equally strange — but which almost everybody has read, or
> wants to read. Here are 10 super-weird SF books that are considered part of
> the canon. [jump]
>
>
> <http://io9.com/5888835/10-weirdest-science-fiction-novels-that-youve-never-read>
> 10 Weirdest Science Fiction Novels That You've Never Read
> <http://io9.com/5888835/10-weirdest-science-fiction-novels-that-youve-never-read>
>
> Science fiction is great when it's weird. Really bizarre science fiction
> takes you on a wild… Read more
> <http://io9.com/5888835/10-weirdest-science-fiction-novels-that-youve-never-read>
>
> *Top image: Ubik cover art by Chris Moore.*
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *1) Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* It opens with a man making love to a woman who turns
> into a tree. It ends with this:
>
> “But I still hear them walking in the trees: not speaking. Waiting here,
> away from the terrifying weaponry, out of the halls of vapor and light,
> beyond holland into the hills, I have come to”
>
> *Dhalgren* takes place in a burning, dilapidated, extra-dimensional city
> named Bellona, and it’s famous for its non-linear narrative, which requires
> multiple readings to get a lot of meaning out of.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* *Dhalgren* is full of mythological references, and
> layers of meaning. It’s also a fascinatingly contentious book. The novel
> has drawn praise from Umberto Eco: “I consider Delany not only one of the
> most important SF writers of the present generation, but a fascinating
> writer in general who has invented a new style.” It’s become a stage play
> <http://io9.com/5506079/samuel-delanys-dhalgren-becomes-a-bizarre-experimental-stage-play?tag=dhalgren>
> and a MOO <http://www.dhalgren.com/dhnote.html>, and it’s been compared
> to Pynchon
> <http://www.themillions.com/2010/06/difficult-books-dhalgren-by-samuel-r-delany.html>.
> The original edition sold more than a million copies.
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dhalgren-Samuel-R-Delany/dp/0375706682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632635&sr=8-1&keywords=dhalgren%2Bby%2Bsamuel%2Br.%2Bdelany&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=4f3722874483c3a6a613031c82384c6fade4084d&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0375706682%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/dhalgren%20%20samuel%20r.%20delany> | Mysterious
> Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780375706684> | WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/dhalgren/oclc/45493326&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dhalgren-Samuel-R-Delany/dp/0375706682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632635&sr=8-1&keywords=dhalgren%2Bby%2Bsamuel%2Br.%2Bdelany&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=4ae79717f4c512ce6d48a242a82e522c441d5037&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0375706682%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> Dhalgren
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dhalgren-Samuel-R-Delany/dp/0375706682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632635&sr=8-1&keywords=dhalgren%2Bby%2Bsamuel%2Br.%2Bdelany&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=96e56a6dea768745437477c76af2e54a1244b7db&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0375706682%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> 3 purchased by readers • Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> $16.51
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dhalgren-Samuel-R-Delany/dp/0375706682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632635&sr=8-1&keywords=dhalgren%2Bby%2Bsamuel%2Br.%2Bdelany&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=18d831517363de3fccf1fb1b7666648e3cfaa68f&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0375706682%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *2) The Four-Gated City by Doris Lessing*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* Lessing’s sprawling *Children of Violence* series
> starts out as realistic quasi-memoir about growing up in Africa, only to
> turn weird and experimental in the final couple of volumes. There is
> voluntary sleep deprivation, weird sexual experiments where nobody touches
> each other, and more. After spending the entire series building the
> character of Martha Quest, Lessing kills her off on a contaminated island
> off the coast of Scotland during World War Three. Lessing’s World War Three
> takes place during the ‘60s and ‘70s, with most of Britain wiped out via
> bubonic plague, nerve gases, nuclear explosions, etc. by 1978. The ideas
> behind the novel, as elucidated on Lessing’s own website: “[It] takes on
> the medical profession, which she believes is destroying (recently through
> imprisonment, currently through the use of drugs) that part of humanity
> which is in fact most sensitive to evolution, those people we label as
> mentally sick or unbalanced: and, criticising the scientists who have
> created and perpetuate a climate in which “rationalism” has become a new
> God, she claims that everyone has “extra-sensory perception”, in varying
> degrees, but has been brainwashed into suppressing it, and that
> schizophrenia is the name of our blindest contemporary prejudice.”
>
> *Why It’s Required:* Lessing won the 2007 Nobel Prize and wrote *The
> Golden Notebook*, which frequently appears on college syllabi — but the
> Children of Violence trilogy is the series on which she spent arguably the
> most time, and in many ways the cornerstone of her work. Earlier parts of
> the Children of Violence series appear on college syllabi pretty often.
> <http://www.longwood.edu/staff/lundmc/parts.html>
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Four-Gated-City-Children-Violence-ebook/dp/B003XDUCJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632958&sr=8-1&keywords=lessing%2Bfour-gated%2Bcity&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=acd77be066c0571700cb6ad221cc9d7428eed944&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7CB003XDUCJU%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/four-gated-city-doris-may-lessing/1100151017?ean=9780060976675>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780060976675> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/four-gated-city/oclc/12594&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Four-Gated-City-Children-Violence-ebook/dp/B003XDUCJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632958&sr=8-1&keywords=lessing%2Bfour-gated%2Bcity&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=2c6d5be2e4d45672fd7e89ec9f2c10227de33606&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7CB003XDUCJU%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> The Four-Gated City (Children of Violence)
> <http://www.amazon.com/Four-Gated-City-Children-Violence-ebook/dp/B003XDUCJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632958&sr=8-1&keywords=lessing%2Bfour-gated%2Bcity&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=6099c19bc2f069ee0a3ea7eebecd5a7aa9710c8f&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7CB003XDUCJU%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Four-Gated-City-Children-Violence-ebook/dp/B003XDUCJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443632958&sr=8-1&keywords=lessing%2Bfour-gated%2Bcity&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=c4a8c36b504c89d6d1c49689a4592b70ed21009f&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7CB003XDUCJU%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *3) Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* The novel follows Valentine Michael Smith, son of the
> first astronauts to explore Mars, as he is reintegrated into human society
> after being raised as a Martian. Valentine believes a bunch of strange
> things, Valentine believes in a bunch of strange things, including the
> rightness and sacredness of consuming your friend’s flesh after he/she
> dies, the superfluity of clothing, and the obvious self-evidence of an
> afterlife, based on his experiences on Mars. He founds the Church of All
> Worlds, in which sexual liberation blends with psychokinesis.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* In addition to winning the 1962 Hugo Award for Best
> Novel, *Stranger in a Strange Land* is considered a bona fide classic,
> frequently mentioned on the lists of the best science fiction books of all
> time. One of its invented Martian words, “grok” has even entered the Oxford
> English Dictionary. You can also see it on Pearson’s Recommended High
> School Reading List.
> <http://www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/reading_list/high_school.html>
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633093&sr=8-1&keywords=stranger%2Bin%2Ba%2Bstrange%2Bland%2Bheinlein&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=e29728449385a6bb8f359cfaff8b6e7742ff1483&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0441788386%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stranger-in-a-strange-land-robert-a-heinlein/1100171693?ean=9780441790340>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780441790340> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/stranger-in-a-strange-land/oclc/604321&referer=brief_results>
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> 1
> <http://io9.com/this-is-probably-the-only-cover-for-ubik-i-ve-ever-seen-1733921455>
> *4) Ubik by Philip K. Dick*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* From lunar telepaths to mysterious product placements
> to a kid named Jory who sucks the life force out of other people, this is a
> book that doesn’t particularly care about making sense. Did we mention that
> half the characters might be dead? As Conceptual Fiction
> <http://www.conceptualfiction.com/ubik.html> explains, “Ubik keeps you
> guessing at almost every step along the way, and your hypotheses about what
> is actually transpiring will probably change several times as the story
> progresses. From this regard, the work progresses much like a conventional
> mystery, with clues to be deciphered and puzzles to be solved. Only here
> the questions are peculiar ones – not who committed the murder, but whether
> a murder actually took place, not finding the body but understanding what a
> body might be and become, not avenging a death but reassessing the
> boundaries between life and death.”
>
> *Why It’s Required:* Most often found in science fiction class syllabi,
> *Ubik* is also used as an example of of late-‘60s paranoia about reality
> and government or corporate control of life. And Time Magazine named it as
> one of the 100 best novels written in English between 1923 and 2005. At one
> point, Michel Gondry was working on a movie version.
> <http://io9.com/5813130/how-will-michel-gondrys-ubik-live-up-to-philip-k-dicks-legacy>
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Ubik-Masterworks-Philip-K-Dick/dp/1407239961/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633207&sr=8-2&keywords=ubik&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=1518b269375f4896258defc21267417add893628&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1407239961%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ubik-philip-k-dick/1100321675?ean=9788445078655>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780547572291> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/ubik/oclc/23652238&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Ubik-Masterworks-Philip-K-Dick/dp/1407239961/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633207&sr=8-2&keywords=ubik&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=a99af737cfe89b7ca5f5169ea17633a67e71ac09&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1407239961%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> Ubik: SF Masterworks
> <http://www.amazon.com/Ubik-Masterworks-Philip-K-Dick/dp/1407239961/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633207&sr=8-2&keywords=ubik&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=3643834412d50f92c73add06be10e09fad7bee2c&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1407239961%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Ubik-Masterworks-Philip-K-Dick/dp/1407239961/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633207&sr=8-2&keywords=ubik&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=3cf22862d3d28a06c7cb53de68d66bd937783d6e&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1407239961%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *5) The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* This is a novel about time travel, and as such it comes
> with all the expected weirdnesses - time paradoxes, alternate realities,
> etc. However, the really weird part of this book is the way that the
> protagonist interacts with past and future versions of himself. While he
> starts off with the generic stuff, like betting with his past self on
> sporting events of which he already knows the outcome, he graduates to
> having sex and a relationship with his past and future selves, including
> massive time-traveling orgies. He eventually impregnates a female version
> of himself, and she may turn out to be his own mother. Basically,
> time-wimey, orgy-porgy.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* This novel was nominated for two prestigious genre
> awards, the 1973 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1974 Hugo Award for
> Best Novel. It also appears
> <https://gustavus.edu/chemistry/syllabi/.../TG2012JNDL-138SciFi.pdf> on
> lots <http://facweb.bhc.edu/academics/science/harwoodr/readings.htm> of
> college <http://home.adm.unige.ch/%7Eroosli/time/syllabus.htm> syllabi
> <http://phobos.ramapo.edu/%7Ekfowler/sfthemes.html>.
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Folded-Himself/dp/1932100040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633326&sr=8-1&keywords=man%2Bwho%2Bfolded%2Bhimself&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=fe9ca1be6476823a001441435361df89c39eac21&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1932100040%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/man-who-folded-himself-david-gerrold/1100410439?ean=9781932100044>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9781932100044> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/man-who-folded-himself/oclc/415437&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Folded-Himself/dp/1932100040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633326&sr=8-1&keywords=man%2Bwho%2Bfolded%2Bhimself&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=eb1fb21ed44398bf00c767e0393b1d716192f1b9&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1932100040%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> The Man Who Folded Himself
> <http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Folded-Himself/dp/1932100040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633326&sr=8-1&keywords=man%2Bwho%2Bfolded%2Bhimself&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=dbbe89d5ffb3bdafa0a452be0e74c742c24fc290&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1932100040%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> $11.85
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Folded-Himself/dp/1932100040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633326&sr=8-1&keywords=man%2Bwho%2Bfolded%2Bhimself&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=dc2fc673bd75549d9bdacc97008b873618fceef9&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1932100040%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *6) The Female Man by Joanna Russ*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* In *The Female Man*, four women from different
> realities are brought together, and after experiencing each other’s
> gendered (or not) cultures, come away with new ideas about womanhood and
> gender roles. The catalyst for their meeting, Jael, comes from a dystopia
> which literalizes the “battle of the sexes” into an actual war between men
> and women. Another woman, Janet, comes from a world called Whileaway, where
> all the men were killed in a gender-specific plague more than 800 years ago.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* Nowadays, it’s read as a representative work from
> the 1970s feminist movement, but it’s also picked up a crop of awards. Like
> many works in this list, it was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best
> Novel (in 1975), and it also won a Retrospective Tiptree Award in 1996 and
> Gaylactic Spectrum Hall of Fame Award in 2002.
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Female-Man-Bluestreak-Joanna-Russ/dp/0807062995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633406&sr=8-1&keywords=female%2Bman%2Bjoanna%2Bruss&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=4bf42b1889fae4abbefe9dfea6a4367ab900ec2e&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0807062995%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-female-man-joanna-russ/1000276285?ean=9780807062999>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780807062999> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/female-man/oclc/14241315&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Female-Man-Bluestreak-Joanna-Russ/dp/0807062995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633406&sr=8-1&keywords=female%2Bman%2Bjoanna%2Bruss&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=eb7616485148e62bc8ac1eb16ebf52944682ed03&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0807062995%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> The Female Man (Bluestreak)
> <http://www.amazon.com/Female-Man-Bluestreak-Joanna-Russ/dp/0807062995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633406&sr=8-1&keywords=female%2Bman%2Bjoanna%2Bruss&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=3af01510d470a00e2798b6190c0468694119ce6b&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0807062995%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> 17 purchased by readers • Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> $16.20
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Female-Man-Bluestreak-Joanna-Russ/dp/0807062995/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633406&sr=8-1&keywords=female%2Bman%2Bjoanna%2Bruss&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=dbc761ad78c36b1c8d8b9001efd92419210e3514&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0807062995%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *7) Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* The novel follows a healer through a post-apocalyptic,
> desert-like landscape, as she looks for a replacement “dreamsnake.”
> Dreamsnake bites produce hallucinations similar to acid trips. So in a
> sense, what we’re looking at here is one long roadtrip dedicated to the
> pursuit of LSD.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* *Dreamsnake* swept the awards when it was first
> published, winning the 1979 Hugo Award, the 1978 Nebula Award, and the 1979
> Locus Award. It was also nominated for the 1979 Ditmar Award in
> International Fiction. We went to a fascinating panel at WorldCon to
> discuss this book
> <http://io9.com/we-just-got-a-sneak-peek-at-the-gorgeous-trailer-for-th-1725907675>,
> and learned a lot about it there.
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dreamsnake-Vonda-McIntyre/dp/0440117291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633527&sr=8-1&keywords=dreamsnake%2Bvonda&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=d3113d8613f525b3dc6c6e5c588ee7fb514f1114&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0440117291%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreamsnake-vonda-mcintyre/1102187091?ean=9780440117292>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9781433254888> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/dreamsnake/oclc/3558965&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dreamsnake-Vonda-McIntyre/dp/0440117291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633527&sr=8-1&keywords=dreamsnake%2Bvonda&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=de38685e93afa9923b5f52c1c519266758270cef&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0440117291%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> Dreamsnake
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dreamsnake-Vonda-McIntyre/dp/0440117291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633527&sr=8-1&keywords=dreamsnake%2Bvonda&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=8a3a604b823a53bcc92d6ebd536b7a897e8aefff&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0440117291%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Dreamsnake-Vonda-McIntyre/dp/0440117291/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633527&sr=8-1&keywords=dreamsnake%2Bvonda&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=c7f80aa0dbe99c56da96e321e7e7ce67305c6574&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0440117291%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
> ------------------------------
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *8) Lilith’s Brood (Previously Xenogenesis) by Octavia Butler*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* The most famous feature of the three novels in *Lilith’s
> Brood* is the Oankali, an alien race which has three sexes - male, female
> and ooloi. Their goal is to replace the human race with human-Oankali
> hybrids after a massive near-genocide has almost wiped out humanity. The
> main character, Lilith, is a human who spends most of her time among the
> Oankali, and eventually sides with them against humans. Mating is probably
> where it gets weirdest. All three sexes are necessary for reproduction. The
> ooloi take genetic material directly from the bodies of the other two
> partners as needed to create new life; although the female stores the child
> in her body, she doesn’t have a uterus, and the baby will exit through a
> random location after about 14-15 months.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* *Lilith’s Brood* was written by multiple Nebula- and
> Hugo-winning author Octavia Butler. It’s taught in college classes
> <http://faculty.csuci.edu/renny.christopher/5700S02.html>, and often
> appears
> <http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2011/08/see-nprs-choices-for-top-100-sff-and.html>
> on lists of the best science fiction and fantasy books of all time. We
> recently interviewed the producer who’s trying to turn it into a TV series
> <http://io9.com/how-the-tv-show-of-octavia-butlers-dawn-will-stay-true-1728791278>
> .
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Liliths-Brood-Octavia-E-Butler/dp/0446676101/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633657&sr=8-3&keywords=octavia%2Bbutler%2Bdawn&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=688d709b029cc6a4103dddcb7e53c98cb3a84d0f&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0446676101%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liliths-brood-octavia-e-butler/1112212075?ean=9781453271728>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780446676106> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/liliths-brood/oclc/43542182&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Liliths-Brood-Octavia-E-Butler/dp/0446676101/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633657&sr=8-3&keywords=octavia%2Bbutler%2Bdawn&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=8aa47248841071fcfaa7544b10ae5482e2ffade1&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0446676101%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> Lilith's Brood
> <http://www.amazon.com/Liliths-Brood-Octavia-E-Butler/dp/0446676101/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633657&sr=8-3&keywords=octavia%2Bbutler%2Bdawn&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=434238c800a31844e90c63130a80497c6c0eb2f2&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0446676101%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> 48 purchased by readers • Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> $15.83
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Liliths-Brood-Octavia-E-Butler/dp/0446676101/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633657&sr=8-3&keywords=octavia%2Bbutler%2Bdawn&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=1cd61e037c8a4e6b0ae4261906b6d0d034fd5166&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C0446676101%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> 2
> <http://io9.com/in-the-days-before-rule-34-people-didn-t-know-1733860551>
> *9) The Mount by Carol Emshwiller*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* In the world of the novel, humans are used as riding
> mounts for an alien race called the Hoots. And most of them are pretty cool
> with it. As we wrote back in 2007
> <http://io9.com/324469/humans-become-beautiful-ponies-for-aliens-in-the-mount>,
> “Hoots have weak legs that fit perfectly around human necks, as well as
> superior weapons that easily convert the disobedient to dust. What’s
> compelling about this beautifully-written novel, though, is that it’s no
> simple “aliens oppress humans” tale. It explores what happens when humans
> get used to, and even enjoy, their servitude.”
>
> *Why It’s Required:* It won the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award and was
> nominated for the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novel.
>
> Amazon
> <http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Novel-Carol-Emshwiller/dp/1931520038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633762&sr=8-1&keywords=carol%2Bemshwiller%2Bthe%2Bmount&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=8973c2e7432d86f5754e8ac3cbddc934c29afe01&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1931520038%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> | Barnes & Noble
> <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mount-carol-emshwiller/1100069752?ean=9780142403020>
> | Mysterious Galaxy <http://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780142403020> |
> WorldCat
> <https://www.worldcat.org/title/mount-a-novel/oclc/50289922&referer=brief_results>
>
>
> <http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Novel-Carol-Emshwiller/dp/1931520038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633762&sr=8-1&keywords=carol%2Bemshwiller%2Bthe%2Bmount&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=e06626034ac93501f7c429bb4d04b8d90b95a077&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-image%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1931520038%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
> The Mount: A Novel
> <http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Novel-Carol-Emshwiller/dp/1931520038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633762&sr=8-1&keywords=carol%2Bemshwiller%2Bthe%2Bmount&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=edd0b97063f02ceb94a36ace171d56d1716036bf&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-title%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1931520038%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> 40 purchased by readers • Gawker Media may get a commission
>
> $13.87
>
> Buy Now
> <http://www.amazon.com/Mount-Novel-Carol-Emshwiller/dp/1931520038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443633762&sr=8-1&keywords=carol%2Bemshwiller%2Bthe%2Bmount&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=b3acb5934ba750806178147e21b2da8a58c2dff4&rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%5Bt%7Cmod-button%5Bp%7C5892742%5Ba%7C1931520038%5Bau%7C5717343349271019063>
>
> Amazon
> ------------------------------
>
> [image: 10 Ultra-Weird Science Fiction Novels that Became Required Reading]
> *10) The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway*
>
> *Why It’s Weird:* Bombs in this world attack matter by “removing
> information” from it. This process causes the matter to disappear entirely,
> and is supposed to represent a “clean” weapons system without the radiation
> side effects of previous powerful weapons. However, the bombs do leave
> behind their own waste, referred to as “stuff,” that floats around the
> world in giant storms. When these storms come in contact with the
> noosphere, they take the form of whatever the nearest person is thinking
> about, resulting in horrific apparitions and “new” people popping out of
> nowhere. In the post-war world that constitutes the novel’s present, this
> “stuff” is kept at bay with whatever comes out of the Jorgmund pipe.
>
> *Why It’s Required:* It was nominated for a 2009 Locus Award for Best
> First Novel and a BSFA Award for Best Novel.
>



-- 
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