The Friday Face-Off: First Sci-Fi Read #SciFiMonth

The Friday Face-Off was created by Books by Proxy, where each week bloggers can showcase books with covers centered around a weekly theme. You can visit Lynn’s Books for a list of upcoming themes. Join in the fun each Friday by finding a book whose cover is based on the theme!

This week’s theme: First science fiction read

I read House of Stairs a LONG time ago, maybe before I was in high school, and I could not remember what it was called until I hit up Google, lol. I remember I found it in the library, and I had never read anything like it. I honestly don’t remember the part about all the stairs, but the part where the kids have to figure out a way to get food out of the strange machine really made an impression on me. (Also I just now ordered a copy from Amazon because I want to reread it! I can’t believe it’s still in print…) Surprisingly for book published in 1974, there aren’t that many covers.

Avon mass market edition, 1975 | Dutton hardcover edition, 1974

Puffin Books paperback, 1991 | Finnish edition, 1988

Scholastic edition, 1991 | MacDonald edition, 1988

So, the covers. Covers back in the 70s weren’t that great for the most part, so do I love any of these? Not really. I think my favorite if I had to choose would be the Avon mass market, just because it shows the kids doing the weird dance that they figure out will award them food from the machine. Think Pavlovian response, and you’ll get the gist of the story.


Has anyone out there read House of Stairs? I’m doing a reread, I want to see how well I remember certain elements:-)

Posted November 5, 2021 by Tammy in The Friday Face-Off / 7 Comments

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7 responses to “The Friday Face-Off: First Sci-Fi Read #SciFiMonth

  1. I haven’t read House of Stairs, but it sounds SO familiar. It sounds like something the hubster would read. Maybe he told me about it. I like the same cover you do because all the staircases make the image more bizarre.
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  2. I’ve never encountered House of Stairs – it sounds a fascinating read and your description slightly reminds me of Naomi Novik’s Scholomance school… As for the covers – yep, your choice is without doubt the best of the pick:).

  3. I’m not familiar with this one, but I like your pick best, as well. I want to do the same as you are, reread some of the very earliest books or stories I read when younger, see what I think now.

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