Ask HN: How to transition from non-fiction to fiction reading?

[elayabharath]

I'm a dev who's been living off a steady diet of non-fiction for years — think self-help at 17, then into pop science and psychology. It's been awesome, but I've got this nagging feeling that my brain's become a bit too linear? Plus, I'm starting to think my English could use some flair beyond the facts and figures.

I've heard fiction is great for stretching your brain and buffing up your language skills. I would like some of that, but every time I open a novel, I end up zoning out and reaching for something with a bit more facts and data.

So I'm curious—any of you been in these shoes? - How'd you flip the switch and start getting lost in a good story? - Are there fiction books that you would recommend starting on? - Or maybe some of you have some hacks or mindset tricks that made fiction click for you in the initial days?

Would love to hear your thoughts or advice!

[cratermoon]

Are you reading by opening up to page 1 and reading through to the end? Don't do that. I know, I know, spoilers, but unless you're reading mysteries, it's not a big deal. The best fiction isn't just the ending. Everyone knows Captain Ahab dies at the end of Moby Dick, but that doesn't spoil anything.

So, read the first chapter. Read the beginning and end of the rest of the chapters – a few paragraphs, a page, something. Read the last chapter.

Analyze the story: make a list of characters and their relationships to each other. If there are people related to each other, make a family tree. Consider the locations: map them out, especially if they reference real world locations. Get a feel for how the story moves through the world. Tolkien's books are famous for including the family trees of his characters, timelines, and world maps. Do that.

Try reading a novel that's been made into a good film. Follow along reading and comparing the film adaptation to the novel. Something like C. S. Forester's book The African Queen and the 1951 film directed by John Huston.

Pick a novel that riffs on subjects you're already into. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar involves psychology as a major plot element, as do One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Requiem for a Dream. All three have been adapted into excellent films.

[philomath_mn]

I was in a very similar position but have been reading more fiction in the last year or two (though I did read _some_ fiction in the preceding decade)

I think some "hard scifi" might be a good bridge? Andy Weir is a good example: he spends a lot of time on the "factual" details of the universe but there are still twists/turns/character arcs/satisfying resolutions. _The Martian_ and _Project Hail Mary_ were both very good.

[pillefitz]

I'm struggling with the same problem and found biographies to be a good middle ground with typically some (life) story arcs, emotional situations and sometimes flowery language to describe the characters and events.

The only thing that helps me to enjoy fiction is the feeling of having pure, unadulterated leisure time that sometimes emerges in the final days of a long vacation.

[philomath_mn]

I like biographies for the same reason. Same with some "true crime/fraud" books like _The Cult of We_, _Smartest Guys in the Room_, _American Kingpin_, etc

[wrp]

I know some tech people who are capable of absorbing difficult material, but who never read for pleasure (and that means especially fiction). I think dyslexia may play a part in it.

If reading is really a chore for you, try looking for movies with more literate scripts. Many good writers have written for film, and in most genres.

If reading itself is not the problem and you are just easily bored, don't try to start with "serious" literature, but look for anything that grabs your attention. Not all of these are to my taste, but they have been broadly popular: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Big Sleep (1939), The Color out of Space (1927) (short), The Hunt for Red October (1984), Hondo (1953), Get Shorty (1990).

[its-summertime]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction sounds like what you might want, though I don't know anything about books.

[vlod]

Maybe some fiction with facts? You might like "Andy Weir" (sci-fi)

- Project Hail Mary

- Artemis

- The Martian

Maybe watch the movie "The Martian" first if you don't want to commit. As always, the books are better.

Also "I Robot" by Asimov is short stories. (Not like the movie)

[srirangr]

Great answer!

You can read books by master story tellers too. Those will never be boring and will be full with twisted facts and interesting relationships. You can start with Crime thrillers, Murder mysteries.

Adding to the above list:

Jeffery Archer and Dan Brown present some very interesting books in the form of "Kane and Abel" and "Angels and Demons".

Another good book that you might find interesting is "Flatland - a romance of many dimensions" by Edwin Abbott.

[gnz11]

How about a classic “science” author? Jules Verne - The Mysterious Island. I was bored with 20,000 Leagues but the Mysterious Island enthralled me immensely and provided some good escapism.

[wtdbloopsody]

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson

Check out Stanislav Lem and anything from these lists:

https://www.hilobrow.com/golden-age-sci-fi/

And it's not your English that needs a bit of flair, you do. I'm saying this with love and a feeling of kinship.

Neal Stephenson made it click by simply spelling out a lot of techy details. He's easy enough, though.

Just look for the narrative equivalents of the self-help-, psychology-, fiction facts and figures in the stories you will read. Have fun.

[scrapheap]

One thing to remember is that you may not get on with works that other people gets engrossed in - so you'll probably need to try a variety of styles to work out what works for you.

Books worth trying to see if you like the styles include:

* Rivers Of London - Magic in a modern London setting

* Burning Chrome - A collection of classic Cyberpunk short stories

* Leviathan Wakes - The start of the Expanse series of works, a harder style of sci-fi

* All Systems Red - The start of the Murderbot Diaries, a softer style of sci-fi

* Permutation City - Existential sci-fi

[andrei_says_]

How about short stories?

Maybe try some sci fi- like Alastair Raynolds’ Galactic North for example. His worldbuilding is incredible.

[matt_s]

If you like movies, pick books that were made into movies you like. The books are always much better and provide a lot more detail. I tend to like books that are rooted in some version of our reality and not sci-fi or fantasy, etc.

There also is historical fiction - authors deeply researching that period of time to paint a realistic narrative but with fictional characters.

[paulcole]

This is a great suggestion.

And I think a fun twist is to try books where the movies are better as well.

Some examples:

• The Godfather

• Jaws

• The Wizard of Oz

[Quinzel]

I can’t be bothered with fiction but in english, but I’ve been learning German and I find it easier to stay focused while reading fiction in German so that’s how I have made the switch - but I literally have had to switch language to be able to enjoy fiction. Not helpful if you’re trying to expand your English vocab!

[greenyoda]

> every time I open a novel, I end up zoning out

Maybe you could start by reading short stories rather than novels. Given the constraints of this literary form, they need to get to the point much more quickly than novels do. If you find an author whose short stories you like, then maybe try reading one of their novels.

[sn9]

Just go through lists of recommended fiction and pick something that sounds interesting.

For example: https://www.reddit.com/r/books/wiki/books

[codingdave]

Listen to all the recommendations you hear, but you need to keep trying different authors and genres until you find what grabs you. We all have different tastes, so if you don't yet know what you like, sample a bit of everything until you do know.

[nathants]

lookup fiction, fantasy, and scifi book awards. go backwards chronologically and read all the nominees. so many interesting ideas out there. glhf!

[ecesena]

Stories of your life and others.

It’s a collection of short stories, a good way to test what you like without too much commitment.

[justanotherjoe]

maybe you are not reading something engaging enough?

You are hard to please and that can be a good thing. I have a friend who is hard to please and i always come to him for recommendations. Cause that means if he likes it, then it must be really good.

I would suggest anything that is dark and gritty. Violent, even. Those are the ones that is the easiest to focus on.

[jacknobody]

Read heavy fiction. Try Jorge Luis Borges, or the Nobel winning J M Coetzee.

Krishnamurti is worth a read.

[wtdbloopsody]

Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson

[progfolio]

I usually go left to right, top to bottom.