Top 100 Sci-Fi Novels
Gacked from smittywing: Bold if you've read, italicize ones you fully intend to read, underline if it's a book or series you've read part but not all of.
This list includes fantasy novels. It should have been called the Top 100 SF/Fantasy novels. And if we are including Fantasy, where is Narnia. It has been just as influential if not more then some of the ones chosen.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (Oh how I love these books! It's so hard to rec them to the un-we. It's SF but it's crazy and whimsical and nutty and the humour is off the wall. JUST READ THEM!)
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (I like Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. The rest seem like a turgid treatise on Card's world view of politics and religion)
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert (The first three are good then it just gets dumb. Don't even talk about the "continuations/prequels/blatant money grabbing books for years after his death!)
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin (I read the 1st and part of the 2nd before the raping and incest did me in. Plus, every time I like someone they die)
6. 1984, by George Orwell (This is by far my pick for the most depressing book you will ever read)
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (This should be required reading EVERYWHERE. Ironically, it made it onto the banned books list)
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov (Such a comfort read. Love it love it love it. The first three are magnificent)
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley (It's sitting on my friend's dresser)
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (hee hee, reading this is like watching the movie with interpolations on the guilder vs the florin, court fashions and any other stream of thoughts)
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan (I've read everything by Robert but haven't picked up his son's continuation)
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell (Another of my picks of the most hopeless books ever)
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov (Love this book. The movie. eh. That's what you get when you "loosely base")
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
22. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
23. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood (So chilling. I always wish we could know what happened to her)
24. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
25. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
26. The Stand, by Stephen King
27. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
28. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
29. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
31. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
32. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein (This book rocks. The closest I've seen to it onscreen is the CGI series Roughnecks)
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey (I love the early stuff so MUCH! Renegades is my top favourite)
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller (Ah the cyclical nature of human stupidity)
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
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 (started but my goodness, it does not move quickly)
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White (The first half of the book is a rollicking good time then once you are caught, bam, out of nowhere comes a poli-sci class lecture)
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (So great! I wish the series hadn't been so awful)
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 (I tried to read this but got bored, Now I'm reading A Man Called Intrepid which has the Real World events he bases it on)
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 (My favourite space opera! She manages to keep the SF hard and the humour light and the emotions deep. So enjoyable. I have copies in every format)
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
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
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
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
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
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 (My second favourite Merlin series. First, of course, is Jack Whyte's saga)
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 (Very little of SW:EU is good. This set the bar. Reading this trilogy feels like watching three sequels. I also rec the X-Wing series. Great action and hilarious humour)
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan (Read pretty far then got bored by the increasing emphasis on romancing 'n stuff)
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 (I love Elijah Baley. I remember actually mourning with R. Daneel)
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson (Such a cool series. The feeling of triumph is a bit underdone by the venality of everyone)
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis
This list includes fantasy novels. It should have been called the Top 100 SF/Fantasy novels. And if we are including Fantasy, where is Narnia. It has been just as influential if not more then some of the ones chosen.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (Oh how I love these books! It's so hard to rec them to the un-we. It's SF but it's crazy and whimsical and nutty and the humour is off the wall. JUST READ THEM!)
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (I like Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. The rest seem like a turgid treatise on Card's world view of politics and religion)
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert (The first three are good then it just gets dumb. Don't even talk about the "continuations/prequels/blatant money grabbing books for years after his death!)
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin (I read the 1st and part of the 2nd before the raping and incest did me in. Plus, every time I like someone they die)
6. 1984, by George Orwell (This is by far my pick for the most depressing book you will ever read)
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (This should be required reading EVERYWHERE. Ironically, it made it onto the banned books list)
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov (Such a comfort read. Love it love it love it. The first three are magnificent)
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley (It's sitting on my friend's dresser)
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (hee hee, reading this is like watching the movie with interpolations on the guilder vs the florin, court fashions and any other stream of thoughts)
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan (I've read everything by Robert but haven't picked up his son's continuation)
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell (Another of my picks of the most hopeless books ever)
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov (Love this book. The movie. eh. That's what you get when you "loosely base")
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
22. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
23. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood (So chilling. I always wish we could know what happened to her)
24. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
25. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
26. The Stand, by Stephen King
27. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
28. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
29. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
31. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
32. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein (This book rocks. The closest I've seen to it onscreen is the CGI series Roughnecks)
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey (I love the early stuff so MUCH! Renegades is my top favourite)
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller (Ah the cyclical nature of human stupidity)
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
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 (started but my goodness, it does not move quickly)
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White (The first half of the book is a rollicking good time then once you are caught, bam, out of nowhere comes a poli-sci class lecture)
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman (So great! I wish the series hadn't been so awful)
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 (I tried to read this but got bored, Now I'm reading A Man Called Intrepid which has the Real World events he bases it on)
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 (My favourite space opera! She manages to keep the SF hard and the humour light and the emotions deep. So enjoyable. I have copies in every format)
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
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
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
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
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
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 (My second favourite Merlin series. First, of course, is Jack Whyte's saga)
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 (Very little of SW:EU is good. This set the bar. Reading this trilogy feels like watching three sequels. I also rec the X-Wing series. Great action and hilarious humour)
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan (Read pretty far then got bored by the increasing emphasis on romancing 'n stuff)
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 (I love Elijah Baley. I remember actually mourning with R. Daneel)
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson (Such a cool series. The feeling of triumph is a bit underdone by the venality of everyone)
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis