Books
9 Sci-Fi Novels Every Ravenclaw Will Love
There's more than one way to belong to the House of Ravenclaw. You've got your smart, sporty Ravenclaws like Cho Chang. You've got your weird, creative Ravenclaws like Luna Lovegood. I don't remember anything about the character Terry Boot, but I think he was also in Ravenclaw. But no matter their differences, all Ravenclaws share a love of knowledge, learning, and fun facts. And if you consider yourself a Ravenclaw, chances are you'll find something to love in one of these sci-fi books.
I think it's safe to say that all Ravenclaws are voracious readers. So really, any book is a perfect Ravenclaw book. But science fiction is especially suited to the keen Ravenclaw mind. Science fiction, after all, is all about exploring the "what ifs" of life. Like, What if artificial intelligence grows beyond human ability to control it? What if the concept of a tesseract could be harnessed for inter-planetary travel? What if apes takes over the world? Sci-fi asks us to think beyond the ordinary, to apply what we know about the laws of universe to extraordinary circumstances. To imagine the realities of life in other galaxies, or in the distant future. Plus, there's a lot of useless techobabble for Ravenclaw nerds to memorize.
So for any Ravenclaws interested in the strange and scientific, here are some science fiction gems:
1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I know, I know—a world where book burning is the law is probably every Ravenclaw's worst nightmare. But if you love books with every fiber of your being (like any normal Ravenclaw should), then you need to find yourself a copy of Fahrenehit 451. It's a dystopian classic about a world in which books are outlawed, and why literature is so incredibly important to the survival of the human race.
2. Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler's Patternmaster series is sci-fi for all the Ravenclaw history buffs out there. It's the story of two immortals engaged in a strange, rocky relationship that stretches over centuries. One is a shapeshifter. The other is something even stranger. Yes, some of the more fantastical elements aren't really scientifically possible. But if you're looking for an intelligent story that weaves history into science fiction, this is the place to start.
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Maybe you're the kind of Ravenclaw who likes to kick back in the common room with a butterbeer and the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. If so, check out Station Eleven at once. It paints a rather dark portrait of the future: a plague has ravaged humanity, and a small troupe of actors is left to bring cheer to the decimated population through the Bard's words. It's a post-apocalyptic novel that every literature nerd can get behind.
4. The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
At first glance, this may seem like more of a Hufflepuff book. It's just so darn heartwarming. But The Ship Who Sang is the story of Helva, a human woman destined to live out her life as an effective brain in a jar. She's been "installed" into a space ship, as its "brain". Unable to move on her own, she's forced to think her way out of misadventure after misadventure, just like a Ravenclaw would.
5. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
For the math-minded Ravenclaw, Flatland is the way to go. It's a strange little book about a square and a sphere on an inter-dimensional adventure, but it's guaranteed to make geometry sounds interesting. Any Ravenclaw who's ever been excited about the idea of hypercube needs to venture into the mathematically fascinating world of Flatland (with some good old fashioned social satire thrown in there for good measure).
6. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
If you're a Ravenclaw, chances are you've had to explain to someone that the title Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea refers to the distance traveled and not the depth. Common misconception. At any rate, Jules Verne is the original hard sci-fi geek, and the mechanically-minded Ravenclaw will go nuts over the detailed account of submarine technology.
7. The City & The City by China Miéville
Two cities co-exist in one physical city. I don't mean that there is one city, divided by a wall into two cities. There are two cities existing in the same exact location, right on top of each other, studiously ignoring each other's existence. But a murder in one city leads to investigations in the other and borders begin to blur... a mind-bending read for the thoughtful Ravenclaw.
8. Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
For the Ravenclaw coder, the computer geek, or the tech-enthusiast, there is Alif the Unseen. Set in an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, Alif tells the story of a talented young hacker who is jilted by the woman he loves. That would be bad enough, but his ex's new beau just happens to be the head of state security... meaning Alif must find away to save himself using only his brains and his hacking prowess (and quite possibly some magical Jinn).
9. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
Not all Ravenclaws need to be tech geeks or history buffs. There are also the witty, wildly intelligent philosophy nerds. If you're more of an off-beat Ravenclaw, who enjoys reading the Quibbler on occasion, you'll want to pick up Charles Yu's meta-fictional masterpiece. It's science fiction about science fiction. The main character is the author, Charles Yu, accompanied by Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog. Together they hurtle through time, space, and fiction, in search of his father. The result is a hilariously smart take on the science fiction genre as a whole.
Images: Warner Bros
