Birthday stuff/Significant SF/F novels meme
Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes! I'm breaking my usual no-LJ-during-work-hours rule today, and it's very hard to focus on work. H has been teasing me unmercifully about my prezzies, and my co-workers are taking me out to a Chinese restaurant for lunch.
I know savoytruffle didn't write Or Forever Hold Your Peace specifically for me, but since she's posting it on her LJ and in fall_for_sx today, it feels like a birthday present. Check it out!
By way of liz_marcs, anelith, and a few others: The most significant SF/F novels from 1953-2006 according to Time.
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.
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
Dune, Frank Herbert*
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein*
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin*
Neuromancer, William Gibson <-- on my "to read" shelf
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe <-- on my "to read" shelf
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. <-- on my "to read" shelf
The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov*
Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
Cities in Flight, James Blish
The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester*
Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Gateway, Frederik Pohl
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling*
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin*
Little, Big, John Crowley
Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
On the Beach, Nevil Shute
Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
Ringworld, Larry Niven
Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson*
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner <-- on my "to read" shelf
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester <-- on my "to read" shelf
Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
Timescape, Gregory Benford
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
I agree with anelith that The Sword of Shannara has no business being on this list... unless the definition of "significant" includes the fact that it succeeded because of clever and aggressive marketing, not because it's a good book.
I know savoytruffle didn't write Or Forever Hold Your Peace specifically for me, but since she's posting it on her LJ and in fall_for_sx today, it feels like a birthday present. Check it out!
By way of liz_marcs, anelith, and a few others: The most significant SF/F novels from 1953-2006 according to Time.
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.
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
Dune, Frank Herbert*
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein*
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin*
Neuromancer, William Gibson <-- on my "to read" shelf
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe <-- on my "to read" shelf
A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. <-- on my "to read" shelf
The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov*
Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
Cities in Flight, James Blish
The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester*
Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Gateway, Frederik Pohl
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling*
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin*
Little, Big, John Crowley
Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
On the Beach, Nevil Shute
Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
Ringworld, Larry Niven
Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson*
Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner <-- on my "to read" shelf
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester <-- on my "to read" shelf
Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
Timescape, Gregory Benford
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
I agree with anelith that The Sword of Shannara has no business being on this list... unless the definition of "significant" includes the fact that it succeeded because of clever and aggressive marketing, not because it's a good book.