IO9, just provided me with a good chuckle…
Somebody wrote to the Wall Street Journal’s book advice column to ask how you go about convincing your 13-year-old nephew to stop reading science fiction. Thank goodness the WSJ’s in-house book nerd was smart enough to say: You don’t.
Be glad that when you were a teenager, you didn’t have an aunt like the person who wrote to the Journal’s ‘Book Lover’ column to ask this question:
My 13-year-old nephew is a voracious reader, but he tends to limit his reading to science fiction. He recently read ‘Brave New World,’ because he thought it was sci-fi. Any suggestions on how to expand his horizons to include other genres?
A 13 Year old voluntarily reading Huxley…? In the words of the MiddleMan… My Little Pony!!! How dare he consider Huxley, quick give him some Maxim, or GQ, or some Spandex wearing Superheroes!
Sorry, I just don’t want to admit that I haven’t read Brave New World…. (Don’t tell anyone you’ll ruin my reputation) But more seriously, as IO9 suggests don’t try to prevent him from reading Science Fiction or Science Fantasy, read David Weber, Asimov, Heinlein, Eric Flint, and other quality Science Fiction authors.
Banning books never works, if you don’t like Science Fiction, and think he should be reading Historicals, offer up Eric Flints “1632 series”.