Many good tips so far in this thread. If your friend reads a lot of papers, they might be able to "leap" into classics without being bogged down by the language

Many good tips so far in this thread. If your friend reads a lot of papers, they might be able to "leap" into classics without being bogged down by the language and sometimes dense prose - but I'd still err on the side of accessible for getting someone into reading for pleasure. I'd recommend for example (in no particular order - just some great books imnho): Earthsea quartet by LeGuin Dune by Herbert South of the Border by Murakami Islands in the Net by Sterling Foundation trilogy by Asimov Speed of Dark, by Moon Accelerando, by Stross Murderbot diaries, by Wells A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vinge (and Rainbow's End by same) 2312, by Robinson And many more, I'm sure :)