January 2 is National Science Fiction Day

National Science Fiction Day is celebrated every January 2, and commemorates the birthday of prolific science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

One might ask, what constitutes a true science-fiction read?  There have been debates over the definition of science fiction. I explain to patrons that “sci-fi books are set in the near future or distant future, and explore change through technological innovations or discoveries.”*

Sci-fi stories deal with topics like artificial intelligence (AI), genetic engineering, post-apocalyptic times, aliens, ahead-of-their-time inventions, dystopias, space travel, and time travel.

Science-fiction stories written in the past include elements that are present in today’s technology. Consider that a type of technology prevalent now existed in comic strips and books written in the early 20^th century. A smartphone wrist watch resembles a watch worn by Dick Tracy in the comic strip that bears his name. Also, 3D holograms were inspired by the robot R2D2 from Star Wars. Today, 3D holograms are being used by medical doctors to examine diseases and injuries.

Young readers can celebrate National Science Fiction Day by reading any one of the several books available in the Mercer County Library System’s collection.  

Picture Book Titles

Ages 3-5

Rex Time Machine Dinos in De-Nile by Jared Chapman

(Time Travel) When their time machine lands two hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Nile River, King Tut mistakes them for the Egyptian god Sobek and invites them to a feast--but when the aliens working on a mysterious "triangle project" expose them as dinosaurs, they once again flee in their time machine with no idea where they will land next.

The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker

In an alternate past--or possible future--a mighty tree stands on the banks of a winding river, bearing silent witness to the flow of time and change. A family farms the fertile valley. 

What a Trip! by Arthur Yorinks

(Space and Time) Mel, an ordinary kid from New Jersey, trips and lands in another dimension. 

Juvenile Titles

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm

Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid-he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Ages 9-12

The Night the Heads Came by William Sleator

When aliens abduct both Leo and his artist friend Tim, Leo tries to determine why these creatures from outer space want particularly to use his friend's talent.

YA Science Fiction Titles

Feed by M.T. Anderson

In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble. 

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He

In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth's last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted. 9781250258564

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. 9781439519233

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ostracized or incarcerated her whole life, seventeen-year-old Juliette is freed on the condition that she use her horrific abilities in support of The Reestablishment, a post-apocalyptic dictatorship, but Adam, the only person ever to show her affection, offers hope of a better future. 9780062085481

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life.  The decision is made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all. 9780062024022

*Levy, Michael. (2006). Science Fiction.  The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature V3. New York: New York, Oxford University Press.   P. 417-422.

- by Susan S., Ewing Branch