Reading List
I got this from kiwiria: from NPR Books, a list of The Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books. This category is a favorite of mine. I am surprised by some inclusions and exclusions. No Madeleine L'Engle, Tad Williams, Garth Nix, or Trudi Canavan? No Dresden Files by Jim Butcher? The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? And, seriously, no Harry Potter? Why those Terry Pratchett books and not others?
Bold: Read
Italic: Want to read.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Love. A classic.
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Love. A classic.
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin. I enjoyed the first book, but my enjoyment is waning with each installment.
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. It was a good book, but it is one of the very few I enjoyed more as a movie.
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan. Liked the beginning books, but I lost interest later.
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss. Loved the first book, but I could have excised several chapters from the second book. I must have a short attention span, as some series can't seem to maintain the initial interest they spark in me.
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. A classic.
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Atwood is a good writer, but I don't like something about her. Some writing styles fit easier than others.
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury's writing is delicious to me. I'll read anything he writes. My favorite is Dandelion Wine. When I read it, I swear I used to be a young boy in a Midwestern town who slammed screen doors, ran through the streets with my friends, and breathed in the warm smell of cut grass.
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams. Another classic everyone should read.
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller. This has been in my to-read pile for years. It's a big book, so it's a good foundation for the stack.
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys. Don't read the book; the short story is so much better. It's excellent--so, so good. Read it!
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White. I had heard of this for so long that when I finally read it, I suffered letdown.
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. Gritty, dark, and creepy. I enjoyed it. Until I read this, I thought Gaiman was over-hyped.
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Miles Vorkosigan is one of my favorite characters, especially in the early books.
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind. Read the first half-dozen or so, but I got tired of page after page of repetitive speeches from Richard.
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. This is pure torture to read if you have a proofreading background.
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks. Read the first few, but they were pale imitations of Tolkien.
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I'll read anything by Hobb.
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Didn't like it. Didn't hate it, but I'm unlikely to read anything by her again.
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. Read this for Halloween! Creepy good.
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher.
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis. This author is amazingly diverse: she writes drama, comedy, science fiction, and fantasy. She's one of those writers you can't put into a box, which might make her lose readers, as they never know what they are going to get. I like it all. This particular book is exceeding hard and sad. But good!
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis. I know I read these in the '70s (I still have the copies), but I don't remember a thing except what the cover art looks like. I need to read them again.
Bold: Read
Italic: Want to read.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Love. A classic.
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Love. A classic.
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin. I enjoyed the first book, but my enjoyment is waning with each installment.
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. It was a good book, but it is one of the very few I enjoyed more as a movie.
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan. Liked the beginning books, but I lost interest later.
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss. Loved the first book, but I could have excised several chapters from the second book. I must have a short attention span, as some series can't seem to maintain the initial interest they spark in me.
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. A classic.
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Atwood is a good writer, but I don't like something about her. Some writing styles fit easier than others.
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury's writing is delicious to me. I'll read anything he writes. My favorite is Dandelion Wine. When I read it, I swear I used to be a young boy in a Midwestern town who slammed screen doors, ran through the streets with my friends, and breathed in the warm smell of cut grass.
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams. Another classic everyone should read.
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller. This has been in my to-read pile for years. It's a big book, so it's a good foundation for the stack.
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys. Don't read the book; the short story is so much better. It's excellent--so, so good. Read it!
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White. I had heard of this for so long that when I finally read it, I suffered letdown.
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. Gritty, dark, and creepy. I enjoyed it. Until I read this, I thought Gaiman was over-hyped.
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Miles Vorkosigan is one of my favorite characters, especially in the early books.
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind. Read the first half-dozen or so, but I got tired of page after page of repetitive speeches from Richard.
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. This is pure torture to read if you have a proofreading background.
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks. Read the first few, but they were pale imitations of Tolkien.
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I'll read anything by Hobb.
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Didn't like it. Didn't hate it, but I'm unlikely to read anything by her again.
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. Read this for Halloween! Creepy good.
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher.
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis. This author is amazingly diverse: she writes drama, comedy, science fiction, and fantasy. She's one of those writers you can't put into a box, which might make her lose readers, as they never know what they are going to get. I like it all. This particular book is exceeding hard and sad. But good!
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis. I know I read these in the '70s (I still have the copies), but I don't remember a thing except what the cover art looks like. I need to read them again.