[meme] NPR's top 100 sci-fi/fantasy books meme

[juldea]

Hi guys! I'm going to create a meme here, based on many before me.

NPR just released the results of its summer readers' poll looking for the top 100 science fiction and fantasy books (or series.) Let's do a "which ones have we read" poll!

Bold what you've read completely
Italicize what you have read partially

Comments

[rushthatspeaks]

The major thing I have to say here is read Watership Down. It is a brilliant, brilliant book, Livy's history of the founding of Rome retold with actually non-human-feeling rabbits. Not a children's book, for one thing.

I desperately love the first two books of Lewis's Space Trilogy but will freely admit they are not for everybody. Gorgeous, gorgeous descriptions and the rest depends on how interested you are in theology, though much more so in the second than the first-- Out of the Silent Planet will work as a simple adventure travelogue if you aren't into Christian metaphysics. Perelandra is probably the greatest theological fantasy ever written, the best fusion of fantasy and theological argument, but I can see not liking that. The third one just sucks, and I say this as one who loves Lewis.

And I'm glad you know about The Last Unicorn. :)

[juldea]

You know, for all that I've heard Watership Down mentioned throughout life, absolutely nowhere and from no one had I been told it was based on Livy. o_O That ups its spot in my to-read list considerably!

You know, I'm not even sure why it is that The Last Unicorn was the one I was certain to receive comments on, but somehow I knew. :)

[butsuri]

I haven't read The Last Unicorn either (it is on my list). I can't believe you haven't read The Left Hand of Darkness, which might be my favourite book; at least, it's hard to think of one I prefer to it.

[juldea]

It's true, I haven't read that! I don't think I've even heard you mention it; maybe this book list should be discussed during my next show to bring out opinions? :)

[faerieboots]

While other people are plugging things, I'm going to go ahead and put in a plug for Connie Willis--she has a very wry style I think you would like.

Also, this meme made me really happy and I appreciate you putting it together. :)

Also, I am going to go ahead and defend The Last Unicorn, purely because reading the book made me realize just how faithful the movie was, and made me appreciate the movie more. Unless there is context for the book that I am missing?

[juldea]

My context for, "Yes, I know!" was that I often hear of the book with high praise and know that I'm behind the times for not reading it--and I've also not seen the movie! It's a big chunk of pop-culture I'm not a part of.

You're welcome for putting together the meme. When I opened NPR's page and started comparing the list to the books I had read, it followed quickly that I should co-opt similar memes to do this. So quickly, in fact, that I searched a bit to make sure I wasn't copying anyone who already did it. :)