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

[talvalin.livejournal.com]

I'm down with The Sparrow, The Dispossessed and The Player Of Games.

Also, Lord Of Light could be considered. Indian mythology + SF.

[twic.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

Not read that one; sounds fascinating, but quite bonkers. How well do you think it would go down with people familiar with neither SF nor Indian mythology?

-- tom

[ajr.livejournal.com]

I suspect they'd conclude Zelazny was quite clearly on drugs when he wrote it. It's very good, but perhaps a little too out there for a virgin audience.