SF Book Club's Top 100. meme! My opinions.
Let's see. Put asterisks*** by the titles you like.
Embolden the titles you've read. If you've read other books by that author, please embolden the name.
Put into italics the books you began reading, but didn't finish.
Strike out the titles of the books you disliked.
Other suggestions for excellent books are always welcome!
1. ****The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (I re-read this every year or so. There's always something interesting. Didn't like the movies very much.)***** Oh, and it's not science fiction...le de dah...
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert Exciting once. I really liked the Lady Jessica.
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein- Where is *****=The Moon is a Harsh Mistress=*****??
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson Where is Rudy Rucker, who actually invented cyberpunk, thank you very much?
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 this book is dull. Read the prequel. Didn't like it. Read her Darkover novels 20 years ago.l They were better than these, though frustrating at times. She has astute, intelligent words to say about the dumbing down of writing and the lack of polish in writing since the invention of the word processor.
10. *******Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe (can't stand him, Have never forgotten anything I've read by him.)
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 (can stand him less than I can stand Wolfe. Never forgot any of the garbage he's written which I've read. Poor me!)
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 (this man can't write his way out of a paper bag)
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman (I also started The Forever Peace)
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling Boring, boring, and predictable.
27. ***************The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (Loved the radio play, the books, the record. Never saw the movie or tv series)
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice (at the time, adored it. Waited 10 years for the next book to come out and laughed at her joke on the readers. I didn't see it coming....
30. ****The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin**** Regardless of whether one likes =what= she writes, =how= she writes is incomparable. This woman has "got it".
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
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute (I love Nevil Shute. This is the only "sf" he wrote, and it isn't sf and it isn't his best. All of his books are good reads.)
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke (how dry I am.....)
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys (have we reached "clear", yet?
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 (ICK ,ICK Tolkien rip-off!!! Why does this man prosper!!?????)
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer (Tarzan, anyone?)
A ti te toca. (It's your turn)
Embolden the titles you've read. If you've read other books by that author, please embolden the name.
Put into italics the books you began reading, but didn't finish.
Strike out the titles of the books you disliked.
Other suggestions for excellent books are always welcome!
1. ****The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (I re-read this every year or so. There's always something interesting. Didn't like the movies very much.)***** Oh, and it's not science fiction...le de dah...
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert Exciting once. I really liked the Lady Jessica.
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein- Where is *****=The Moon is a Harsh Mistress=*****??
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson Where is Rudy Rucker, who actually invented cyberpunk, thank you very much?
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 this book is dull. Read the prequel. Didn't like it. Read her Darkover novels 20 years ago.l They were better than these, though frustrating at times. She has astute, intelligent words to say about the dumbing down of writing and the lack of polish in writing since the invention of the word processor.
10. *******Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe (can't stand him, Have never forgotten anything I've read by him.)
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 (can stand him less than I can stand Wolfe. Never forgot any of the garbage he's written which I've read. Poor me!)
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 (this man can't write his way out of a paper bag)
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman (I also started The Forever Peace)
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling Boring, boring, and predictable.
27. ***************The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (Loved the radio play, the books, the record. Never saw the movie or tv series)
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice (at the time, adored it. Waited 10 years for the next book to come out and laughed at her joke on the readers. I didn't see it coming....
30. ****The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin**** Regardless of whether one likes =what= she writes, =how= she writes is incomparable. This woman has "got it".
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
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute (I love Nevil Shute. This is the only "sf" he wrote, and it isn't sf and it isn't his best. All of his books are good reads.)
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke (how dry I am.....)
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys (have we reached "clear", yet?
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 (ICK ,ICK Tolkien rip-off!!! Why does this man prosper!!?????)
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer (Tarzan, anyone?)
A ti te toca. (It's your turn)