AKICOLJ: A book for tom

[coalescent]

The esteemed Mr Anderson passes on this request for book recommendations:

... an SF book for a reading group - needs to be something that non-SF readers would appreciate, not too hard to read, something to get them started with SF. Any ideas? Also needs to be in cheap-ish paperback I suppose.

The need for it to be readily available in paperback probably implies something fairly recent; it needs to be science fiction, not fantasy; and obviously, it needs to be good. Tom is already suggesting The Separation, The Prestige, and ("through gritted teeth") Cloud Atlas. What else should be on this list? (Tom notes that he will find and kill, horribly, anyone who suggests Air.)

(On a separate note, for anyone who might be interested my books-read-in-2006 roundup is here.)

EDIT: Tom has listed the suggestions so far here.

Comments

[giantbedsprings.livejournal.com]

What about Player of Games? That's lots of fun and not really heavy at all.

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I like it but it gave me nightmares, to me it seemed heavy

[giantbedsprings.livejournal.com]

Strange. What part gave you nightmares? (If I may ask)

Flowers for Algernon is also a good one, but a serious tear-jerker...

[communicator.livejournal.com]

Towards the end of the tournament, he starts to lose his lust to win I think, because the 'forfeits' paid by the loser get quite gruesome. To make him get his aggression back the drone shows him progressively more offensive material from the empire, progressing to violent snuff porn. I think there was a heavily pregnant woman being killed etc. It made me feel dreadful. And from that point on the story gets very bloodthirsty I think.

[giantbedsprings.livejournal.com]

It's been a while since I read it and I don't remember that bit ;)

Maybe I repressed it!