Required Reading
So the discussion here has turned to books, specifically required reading in the category of sci-fi, and it occurred to me that I haven't really updated my reading lists in a while. So, for my amusement, here are the books that I consider Required Reading in various categories. I'll note down something about each one as well, just in case there's any confusion.
Science Fiction
"Stranger In A Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein - spirituality, religion, and love, mostly
"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - children and war
"Snow Crash" by Neil Stephenson - language, hacking, and samurai
"Idoru" by William Gibson - the future of the internet, pop stardom
"The Long Run" by Daniel Keys Moran - hacking, stealing, and morality
"The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein
"The Uplift War" by David Brin - alien races, gorilla fighting (yes, I meant to spell it that way)
"The Ship Who Sang" by Anne McCaffery - thinking space ships, music, and love
"The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" by Douglas Adams - hitchhiking, the Ultimate Question, British humor
"Dune" by Frank Herbert - politics, desert, religion
Fantasy
"Bridge Of Birds" by Barry Hughart - an ancient China that never was
"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkein - the original High Fantasy
"Dragonsong" by Anne McCaffery - dragons, music
"The Princess Bride" by Morgenstern sort of - pirates, swordfighting, giants, torture, and true love
"The Sword Of Maidens' Tears" by Rosemary Edgehill - elves in modern-day life
"Sing The Four Quarters" by Tanya Huff - music, politics, love
"The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis - alternate universes, allegory
Anything and everything by Terry Pratchett. Yes. ALL of it. If you haven't read him yet, get up from the computer, go to the library or bookstore, and start.
Weird
"Raiders of Gor", "Captive of Gor", or "Slave Girl of Gor" by John Norman - slavery
"The Last Dancer" by Daniel Keys Moran - dancing, the origin of man, death
"Watership Down" by someone whose name I forget - rabbits, politics, survival
"They Shoot Canoes, Don't They" by Patrick McManus - humor, hunting, fishing, rustic life
"Diamond Age" by Neil Stephenson - growing up, politics, not-so-distant future
"The Pig, The Prince, And The Unicorn" by another someone I can't remember - a pig, a prince, and a unicorn, of course
Anything and everything by Terry Pratchett. No, seriously, go read him.
...there would be more, but yeah, stuff. *wanders off*
Science Fiction
"Stranger In A Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein - spirituality, religion, and love, mostly
"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - children and war
"Snow Crash" by Neil Stephenson - language, hacking, and samurai
"Idoru" by William Gibson - the future of the internet, pop stardom
"The Long Run" by Daniel Keys Moran - hacking, stealing, and morality
"The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein
"The Uplift War" by David Brin - alien races, gorilla fighting (yes, I meant to spell it that way)
"The Ship Who Sang" by Anne McCaffery - thinking space ships, music, and love
"The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" by Douglas Adams - hitchhiking, the Ultimate Question, British humor
"Dune" by Frank Herbert - politics, desert, religion
Fantasy
"Bridge Of Birds" by Barry Hughart - an ancient China that never was
"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkein - the original High Fantasy
"Dragonsong" by Anne McCaffery - dragons, music
"The Princess Bride" by Morgenstern sort of - pirates, swordfighting, giants, torture, and true love
"The Sword Of Maidens' Tears" by Rosemary Edgehill - elves in modern-day life
"Sing The Four Quarters" by Tanya Huff - music, politics, love
"The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis - alternate universes, allegory
Anything and everything by Terry Pratchett. Yes. ALL of it. If you haven't read him yet, get up from the computer, go to the library or bookstore, and start.
Weird
"Raiders of Gor", "Captive of Gor", or "Slave Girl of Gor" by John Norman - slavery
"The Last Dancer" by Daniel Keys Moran - dancing, the origin of man, death
"Watership Down" by someone whose name I forget - rabbits, politics, survival
"They Shoot Canoes, Don't They" by Patrick McManus - humor, hunting, fishing, rustic life
"Diamond Age" by Neil Stephenson - growing up, politics, not-so-distant future
"The Pig, The Prince, And The Unicorn" by another someone I can't remember - a pig, a prince, and a unicorn, of course
Anything and everything by Terry Pratchett. No, seriously, go read him.
...there would be more, but yeah, stuff. *wanders off*