(ReacTor) Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence

[James Nicoll]

Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence

Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-stories-with-a-refreshing-lack-of-violence/

[Christian Weisgerber]

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...

James P. Hogan, _Inherit the Stars_ (1977). There is historical
violence, but none in the contemporary plot line, which is just the
the thrill of scientific discovery: A dead astronaut is discovered
on the moon. The body is 50,000 years old. WTF?

The sequels face diminishing returns, but this is possibly the most
suspenseful novel I've ever read. Very much recommended.

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...

James P. Hogan, _Inherit the Stars_ (1977). There is historical
violence, but none in the contemporary plot line, which is just the
the thrill of scientific discovery: A dead astronaut is discovered
on the moon. The body is 50,000 years old. WTF?
The sequels face diminishing returns, but this is possibly the most
suspenseful novel I've ever read. Very much recommended.

A brauva debut, and unfortunately, his best novel.

[Scott Lurndal]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...

James P. Hogan, _Inherit the Stars_ (1977). There is historical
violence, but none in the contemporary plot line, which is just the
the thrill of scientific discovery: A dead astronaut is discovered
on the moon. The body is 50,000 years old. WTF?
The sequels face diminishing returns, but this is possibly the most
suspenseful novel I've ever read. Very much recommended.

A brauva debut, and unfortunately, his best novel.

_Thrice Upon a Time_ is right up there, as is
_The Two Faces of Tomorrow_. The latter is rather
relevent now given the current soi disant AI fears.

I personally liked _The Genesis Machine_ as well.

[Christian Weisgerber]

Post by Scott Lurndal

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence

James P. Hogan, _Inherit the Stars_ (1977).

A brauva debut, and unfortunately, his best novel.

_Thrice Upon a Time_ is right up there,

... and, I think, also features a non-violent plot.

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Scott Lurndal

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence

James P. Hogan, _Inherit the Stars_ (1977).

A brauva debut, and unfortunately, his best novel.

_Thrice Upon a Time_ is right up there,

... and, I think, also features a non-violent plot.

Yes, I recall that one favorably. Much more so than his standard
physical object time travel book which turned out to be a secret history,
which I generally despise.

[Titus G]

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-stories-with-a-refreshing-lack-of-violence/

Among my favourites are _Flowers for Algernon_, Daniel Keyes and
_Little, Big_, John Crowley.

[William Hyde]

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-stories-with-a-refreshing-lack-of-violence/

Violence is rare in Clarke's novels. There is a brief battle in
"Earthlight", one regretted by both sides thereafter.

I have not read some of the collaborations, though.

William Hyde

[Tony Nance]

Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Stories With a Refreshing Lack of Violence
Tired of weapons and explosions? How about some stories that move the
plot along in other ways...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-stories-with-a-refreshing-lack-of-violence/

In thinking about this off and on, it seems to me that a lot of the big
names of the past wrote stories that fit here - Asimov, Bradbury,
Clarke, Simak, Verne... .

Closer to the present, I would include Hughart's Master Li and Number
Ten Ox stories, and some of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar stories.

Seems like Zelazny probably wrote a few of these...ah, I see Roadmarks
mentioned in the comments. Is there any violence to speak of in Jack of
Shadows?[1]

Tony
[1] Hm. I wonder if this means I'm forgetting enough details to start
re-reading Zelazny.[2] Possibly just this Zelazny, but even so, woohoo!
[2] I don't do well re-reading stuff if I remember too much of it.