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A guide to how to 'personalize' an Amazon gift card.

Just giving someone a gift card doesn't seem very personal but if you have an idea of the kinds of things they like, giving the card along with a group of suggestions, including links might just be the way to go.

Recently during our family 'secret Santa' drawing, one of us got a person they didn't know very well. After asking around the family it was discovered this person really liked Science Fiction. The gift limit was set for $50. The secret Santa was not very familiar with many science fiction books, movies or tv series so was concerned on how to proceed. Giving a $50 gift card from Amazon was a great idea, especially since the recipient lived far away in Houston, Texas but, it would not a very personal gift. But not being a Sci-Fi aficionado it would have been difficult to pick gifts in this genre and besides, one person's science fiction is another's fantasy. It is an uneven field.

By taking the time to search out some possible options from informal questioning of family members, friends and checking the search engines for 'top ten' choices a list of potential suggested was generated, as shown below. From here, off to Amazon to find and embed the link to the item and put them all on the list by category. Included here are Books, Movies, TV Shows, Board Games with a science fiction theme.

When you send the gift card along with the list, you've given a thoughtful present. Not only does the recipient get the money to use but suggestions for new and different items they might not have considered. No messy returns and most of the shopping done. Bound to be the best way to send a gift card.

Books

Current

A Game of Thrones - George RR Martin

Quicksilver: Baroque Cycle #1 - Neal Stephenson

Old Man's War - John Scalzi

The Reality Dysfunction: Night's Dawn #1 - Peter Hamilton

Classics

Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov

Neuromancer - William Gibson

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

A Fire Upon The Deep - Vernor Vinge

Ringworld -Larry Niven