Cross-posted to [email protected]
It is not possible to read all the Sci-Fi books out there. So you must have a process for selecting what you do read. Reading a book is an investment in your time. Your time is valuable. No one wants to waste that time reading unworthy books.
I have never codified my criteria. And it has changed and evolved over time. I suspect it will continue to change moving forward, as who I am tomorrow is not who I was yesterday.
What is your criteria to date?
Mine is that it must meet ALL the following criteria, some objective and some subjective.
- it must have at least 1,000 reviews
- it must have at least 70% 5-star reviews
- if after reading about it I get the suspicion that it’s a romance disguised as Sci-Fi, I automatically reject it no matter what
- if it’s YA, it really needs to be exceedingly compelling to choose it
- Space Opera also needs to be exceedingly compelling
- if I get the feeling it’s trying to preach I’ll reject it
- if i get the feeling it has (messaging, strong opinions, or political overtones) about today’s societal issues, I probably won’t choose it. Not judging; I primarily read for escapism.
I guess that’s about it. There’s probably more but I just haven’t put that much thought into it yet.
I’m very interested in how y’all decide to choose a book to spend your valuable time reading.
I would sometime read a back cover, and sometime I won't. Then when I was reading White Tiger, reached a point in first few chapters (don't remember exactly when) and there was a moment where I went "what!?" Read the back cover and that "what!?" was written in big letters. So I was glad I didn't read the back cover or I wouldn't have gotten that surprise moment. Since then I have strictly stopped reading the back cover. Now I only read it once I have read more than 50% of the novel.
Same thing in so many other books. It's not like they spoil the ending or anything, but they allude to things that can be a good surprise, sometime even as far as 25-30% of the book.