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.