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/lit/ - Literature

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1371049 No.1371049 [Reply] [Original]

My parents are hosting an exchange student this year, and he's a nerd so I'm thinking about getting him some scifi novels for Christmas to help his English. I've read a few scifi books, but can you guys recommend any that you think would be good for a non-native speaker and/or are classics of the genre? I'm thinking maybe Dune, 2001 A Space Oddessy, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

>> No.1371065

Get some Asimov; his prose is very clear and direct so it would be good for a non-native speaker.

>> No.1371081

>>1371065
foundation trilogy perhaps?

>> No.1371246

>>1371065
Thanks, other suggestions?

badumpbadump

>> No.1371277

it seems that calling people nerds is a distinctly american phenomenon. c/d?

i don't think there's an equivalent in china or japan

>> No.1371287

Yeah, probably not Dune, eh? If you're still learning the language a large work full of scads of fictional terms like Bene Gesserit and uncommon words like haruspex probably isn't the place to start.

>> No.1371303

>>1371277
I don't think it's particularly American. The Japanese word is otaku and the Korean (which the exchange student is) is olgani.

I didn't mean it in a derogatory way. I'm a nerd too so I thought I'd get him some good gifts.

>> No.1371309

>>1371303
i don't think otaku is nerd equivalent. nerd is someone singularly interested in intellectual pursuits, particularly science. otakus are dropout shut ins.

>> No.1371329

>>1371309
Otaku is anyone with an obsessive interest in a topic. Hikkomori is the word for shutins.

>> No.1371331

ender's game, man

>> No.1371338

The Hunger Games Trilogy or The Dark Tower series.

They are both just so good.

>> No.1371483

Revelation Space by Alistair Reyonolds

>> No.1371498

Michael Crichton's prose is pretty simple; maybe that would be good? I mean, he's kind of sexist, and his science is a little meh, but the psychological aspects of his books can be interesting and he's easy to read. (I'd recommend Sphere if you go this route)

>> No.1371509

>>1371081
Go for the robots trylogy or something like that. The saga that comes before Fundation. It's easier to read and has a nice noir feeling. He'll finish that book knowing more english and being more suave.

>> No.1371680

I loved ender's game when I was a kid so I also recommend ender's game.

>> No.1371689

The Culture series and William Gibson really are the way to go.

>> No.1371711

Bender's Game

definitely.