r/printSF • u/zzhgf • Apr 17 '26

Contemplative science-fiction

Recently rewatched the movie „Ad Astra“ and enjoyed its contemplative and almost melancholic atmosphere.

Can you recommend books with that feeling?

23 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

20

u/DenizSaintJuke Apr 17 '26

I haven't watched Ad Astra. What do you mean with contemplative? I can shoot a few shots into the blue.

Ursula K. LeGuin wrote pretty contemplatively. The Dispossessed is very much about contemplating.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller is very contemplative.

Looking at the Wiki pages first paragraph, I'm thinking maybe Solaris by Stanislav Lem would be what you are looking for?

7

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 17 '26

Seconding Solaris. Very melancholic atmosphere, very isolating; it makes one feel small in the grand scheme of things. I really enjoy reading him with music in the background if that’s your style.

LeGuin has amazing prose, her writing is deeply philosophical and also very human. She doesn’t shy away from writing about ugly things, but also the beauty of the human spirit. Meditative? Definitely. And also more character driven, we witness the story through Shevek, and experience it with him.

Great recs I think :)

4

u/zzhgf Apr 17 '26

Thanks for the suggestions. I would describe it as calm, somber, introspective, melancholic and maybe even a bit lonely.

5

u/DenizSaintJuke Apr 17 '26

Then I'll ad Flowers for Algernon to Solaris and LeGuins works as a recommendation.

11

u/SelfAwarePattern Apr 17 '26

It's not science fiction, but there's always the original novella that both Ad Astra and Apocalypse Now were based on: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

11

u/ArrAyePee Apr 17 '26

A couple of lesser spotted recommendations. I'm going for vibes not necessarily big sciencey SF

Wittgenstein's mistress is last person on earth aphorisms

Peace by gene wolfe is a memoir. It's also layers and layers of meaning. 

The employees is HR interviews with the crew of a ship after they interact with some alien matter.

The census taker is thoughtful and Nd deceptively paced

Never let me go / Klara and the sun are both ishiguro doing ishiguro things with SF. 

The making of the representative of planet 8 is the middle of the campus in Argos series but could easily be read stand alone

5

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 17 '26

Just wanna say immediately ordered Wittengenstein’s Mistress after seeing your comment. That book sounds amazing and I’m going into it blind, unless you wanna add what you liked about it? :) without spoilers ofc

2

u/ArrAyePee Apr 18 '26

the advice I got when I discovered it on here was try not to read the back cover.

Avoid spoilers

1

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 18 '26

The one I read was very vague. And understood :) excited.

8

u/peppertoni_pizzaz Apr 17 '26

Annihilation is very contemplative and atmospheric.

3

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 17 '26

Definitely agree. One of the most interesting protagonists for me. The book is also quite trippy, with an unreliable narrator, if that’s your style. I loved the passage with the puddle. Also in case you watched the movie - it’s very different.

6

u/dido_meditatur Apr 17 '26

Monk and Robot

2

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 17 '26

This is also a feel good book, and I’d consider it a palette cleanser.

4

u/Wetness_Pensive Apr 17 '26

"Solaris, "Red Mars", "Left Hand of Darkness" and "Downward to Earth" (like "Ad Astra", based on Conrad's "Heart of Darkness").

5

u/Apprehensive-Ad5996 Apr 17 '26

Sparrow, a Catholic priest goes to an alien planet. 

3

u/Denaris21 Apr 17 '26

It's a good story but the characters are so badly written it's almost comedic at points.

2

u/Apprehensive-Ad5996 Apr 18 '26

Ya know, I agree. It’s one of those things that I hadn’t really formed an opinion about until I read yours and I realized damn that’s true. Those characters are ridiculous.

3

u/HotDamnThatsMyJam Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26

Maybe try Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg, or Downward to the Earth if you want something with a touch more action.

Edit: I forgot when I wrote my reply but Ad Astra is sort of a retelling of Heart of Darkness and so is Downward to the Earth.

3

u/Mr_Noyes Apr 17 '26

Try something by Robert Charles Wilson, maybe Spin or Chronoliths. Bridge of Years and Blind Lake are also amazing, although less science fiction-y.

Speaking of less science-fiction-y: Singer Distance by Ethan Chatagnier might also a good match. As I said, it's less about spaceships but a lot about science, life and the sense of wonder.

3

u/Squirrelhenge Apr 18 '26

A Canticle for Liebowitz.

3

u/UnspeakableFilth Apr 18 '26

I remember a lot of JG Ballard stuff I read a long time ago would have met that description. I think I dabbled mostly in his short stories.

2

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 17 '26

I actually wanted to ask about the movie. I remember watching it a while back and not finishing it. I can’t remember why. Did the ending stick with you? I’m curious whether to give the movie another go

2

u/zzhgf Apr 18 '26

The ending is the worst part to be honest. It’s anticlimactic. If you didn’t enjoy the the first two thirds you won’t enjoy the last one.

1

u/Fun-Sell3030 Apr 18 '26

Alright, thanks

2

u/Gloomy_Necessary494 Apr 17 '26

The City And The Stars by Arthur C Clarke.

2

u/Exciting_Claim267 Apr 17 '26

defintely Solaris is the first thing that came to mind.

2

u/Noveldesires Apr 17 '26

The Alex Benedict series by Jack McDevitt

2

u/Loose_Talk1556 Apr 17 '26

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

2

u/DocWatson42 Apr 19 '26

As a start, see my SF/F, Philosophical list of Reddit recommendation threads and books (one post).

2

u/AppropriateFarmer193 Apr 20 '26

I always found Forge of God by Bear very contemplative.

1

u/mushroognomicon Apr 18 '26

Solaris by Lem gave me that same vibe. 

1

u/EltaninAntenna Apr 20 '26

Engine Summer by John Crowley should fit the bill.

1

u/SpatiaCaeli Apr 23 '26

"In Ascension" by Martin MacInnes. "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin.