Top list of science fiction and fantasy
After reading nontacitare's post and link to the NPR voting list for the top 10 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, she got me thinking of my own list. Like her, I'll go with a top 20 list.
I'm also not going to use any particular order, but I'll throw some blurbs in for why I think they're important.
1. 1984 - A cautionary tale that still resonates today, it merges the mindset of the Cold War with technology we've achieved today. Even in a post-Soviet era it's not hard to find societies grimly reminiscent of what Orwell warns us against.
2. A Canticle for Leibowitz - Fascinating story of a cycle of destruction followed by technological and societal rebirth.
3. Contact - Confession, I haven't read this one yet (completely) but the influence of Carl Sagan envisioning the future can't be underestimated.
4. The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester was cyberpunk decades before the term was coined. I've liked everything I've read from him, but this is rightly known as his most famous work and its influence casts a long shadow.
5. Dragonflight - I'm not actually a fan of Pern. I don't dislike it, but it's not my style. However, it is definitely the style for a large and devoted fan base and was a breath of fresh air into the genre.
6. The Dune Chronicles - World-building at its finest. The political intrigue is delightful.
7. The Elric Saga - Like Conan, Elric presents a vast and (even more) well realized non-Tolkien world. Elric is also a model on how to right an anti-hero.
8. Ender's Game - Though I liked this book, it was a bit over-hyped for me. However it's an intriguing and challenging story.
9. Fahrenheit 451 - Another classic tale of a dystopian future, where controlling knowledge and pacifying the populace are the weapons of oppression.
10. Frankenstein - Though again I haven't completely read the original, I'm well versed in the story, and it's hard to find a better meditation on what it means to be human, or to strive to be god.
11. The Hyperion Cantos - One of the most original and compelling science fiction tales to come out in recent years. "Instant classic" is a term made for stories like this.
12. The Lensman Series - What Tolkien is to fantasy, E.E. "Doc" Smith was to space opera. While the writing hasn't aged as well, the concepts were direct inspirations to Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, the Green Lantern books, and many others.
13. Lord of Light - Taken in whole, it's my favorite of Roger Zelazny's works.
14. Lord of the Rings - Really, not much needs to be said.
15. Neuromancer - The book that coined the term "cyberspace" and ignited the cyberpunk genre.
16. The Silmarillion - Yeah, not a lot of people are fans of this one. I am. I love the creation myths and the epic scale of the earlier ages of Arda.
17. Snow Crash - Showing that you can keep the "punk" in cyberpunk but still have your tongue in cheek, this book is not only fun, but has the most realistic depiction of cyberspace that I've read.
18. Starship Troopers - One of the first military sci-fi novels I ever read and still one of my favorites.
19. The War of the Worlds - If you've never read the original, it's worth the time. It's definitely different from both the radio drama and any of the movies. One of the best alien invasion stories ever done.
20. The Worm Ouroboros - This one is a bit harder for modern readers to get into, but if you're looking for a world as fantastic as anything in the Arabian Nights, but written in a more recent era, this is worth a look.
I'm also not going to use any particular order, but I'll throw some blurbs in for why I think they're important.
1. 1984 - A cautionary tale that still resonates today, it merges the mindset of the Cold War with technology we've achieved today. Even in a post-Soviet era it's not hard to find societies grimly reminiscent of what Orwell warns us against.
2. A Canticle for Leibowitz - Fascinating story of a cycle of destruction followed by technological and societal rebirth.
3. Contact - Confession, I haven't read this one yet (completely) but the influence of Carl Sagan envisioning the future can't be underestimated.
4. The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester was cyberpunk decades before the term was coined. I've liked everything I've read from him, but this is rightly known as his most famous work and its influence casts a long shadow.
5. Dragonflight - I'm not actually a fan of Pern. I don't dislike it, but it's not my style. However, it is definitely the style for a large and devoted fan base and was a breath of fresh air into the genre.
6. The Dune Chronicles - World-building at its finest. The political intrigue is delightful.
7. The Elric Saga - Like Conan, Elric presents a vast and (even more) well realized non-Tolkien world. Elric is also a model on how to right an anti-hero.
8. Ender's Game - Though I liked this book, it was a bit over-hyped for me. However it's an intriguing and challenging story.
9. Fahrenheit 451 - Another classic tale of a dystopian future, where controlling knowledge and pacifying the populace are the weapons of oppression.
10. Frankenstein - Though again I haven't completely read the original, I'm well versed in the story, and it's hard to find a better meditation on what it means to be human, or to strive to be god.
11. The Hyperion Cantos - One of the most original and compelling science fiction tales to come out in recent years. "Instant classic" is a term made for stories like this.
12. The Lensman Series - What Tolkien is to fantasy, E.E. "Doc" Smith was to space opera. While the writing hasn't aged as well, the concepts were direct inspirations to Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, the Green Lantern books, and many others.
13. Lord of Light - Taken in whole, it's my favorite of Roger Zelazny's works.
14. Lord of the Rings - Really, not much needs to be said.
15. Neuromancer - The book that coined the term "cyberspace" and ignited the cyberpunk genre.
16. The Silmarillion - Yeah, not a lot of people are fans of this one. I am. I love the creation myths and the epic scale of the earlier ages of Arda.
17. Snow Crash - Showing that you can keep the "punk" in cyberpunk but still have your tongue in cheek, this book is not only fun, but has the most realistic depiction of cyberspace that I've read.
18. Starship Troopers - One of the first military sci-fi novels I ever read and still one of my favorites.
19. The War of the Worlds - If you've never read the original, it's worth the time. It's definitely different from both the radio drama and any of the movies. One of the best alien invasion stories ever done.
20. The Worm Ouroboros - This one is a bit harder for modern readers to get into, but if you're looking for a world as fantastic as anything in the Arabian Nights, but written in a more recent era, this is worth a look.