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Scifi that starts normal then goes cosmic (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 week ago by DSN9@lemmy.ml to c/books@lemmy.ml
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I really enjoy sci-fi that starts grounded in reality — that eases you in with a slow build, a sense of normalcy, before the shift. I love when the story begins in the everyday, then opens into something strange and vast. Think the beginning of The Matrix or Old Man’s War, perhaps? That kind of vibe. Any recommendations?

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[-] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago

Using "Old Man's War" and "The Matrix" as a vibe guide (intimate stories with some brain bending twists), here's some I haven't seen mentioned here, yet:

  • "The Long Earth" by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
  • "The Peace War" by Vernor Vinge
  • "A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge
  • "Walkaway" by Corey Doctorow
  • "Paycheck" and "The Minority Report" by Philip K Dick - Both also got decent movies and much of Philip K Dick's work fits this vibe, actually.
  • "The Door Into Summer" by Robert Heinlein
this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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