Sci Fi Book List Meme
Grabbed from jalilifer, 'cos it's making the rounds and everyone loves lists.
This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you've read, strike-out the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved.
1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert
*4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
*9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight, James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
*17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
*18. Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
*20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
*21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
*22. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
*23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson (I know, probably giving away too much with that asterisk.)
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
*27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
*31. Little, Big, John Crowley
32. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34. Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
*35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36. The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith (Can't remember this specifically, but I was sure I'd read *everything* by Cordwainer Smith. So I'd put this as "maybe.")
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
Not being sure what they mean by "loved," I asterisked the ones I re-read for pleasure rather than because I was out of other books. Nothing I hated, unless you count the ones I never could get through. (I don't finish books I hate. Which doesn't mean I hated the italicised books; maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for that writing style at the time.)
This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you've read, strike-out the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved.
1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert
*4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
*9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight, James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
*17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
*18. Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
*20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
*21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
*22. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
*23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson (I know, probably giving away too much with that asterisk.)
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
*27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
*31. Little, Big, John Crowley
32. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34. Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
*35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36. The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith (Can't remember this specifically, but I was sure I'd read *everything* by Cordwainer Smith. So I'd put this as "maybe.")
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
Not being sure what they mean by "loved," I asterisked the ones I re-read for pleasure rather than because I was out of other books. Nothing I hated, unless you count the ones I never could get through. (I don't finish books I hate. Which doesn't mean I hated the italicised books; maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for that writing style at the time.)