NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books archived
Aug 19, 2011 at 1:07pm
Aug 19, 2011 at 2:00pm Edited
Very heavy on the Sci-Fi side, it looks like. EDITED: Ray Bradbury (not Vonnegut) seems to be heavily represented too. Not that I'm quibbling. Have read a surprising number of the top 20, a bit less of the top 50.
Here's the list again, possibly more readable?:
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
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
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
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
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
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
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
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
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
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
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
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
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
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
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
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
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
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
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
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
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
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
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
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
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
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
You guys appear to really enjoy the genre. Do you have your personal top 5 or 10?
Missing from both lists:
The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K Dick
Any works by Stanislaw Lem
Any works by Italo Calvino
The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K Dick
Any works by Stanislaw Lem
Any works by Italo Calvino
Agreed, Dave.
And I don't see that Animal Farm is either Sci Fi or Fantasy. Political allegory, yes. It no more fits than Charlotte's Web fits.
And I don't see that Animal Farm is either Sci Fi or Fantasy. Political allegory, yes. It no more fits than Charlotte's Web fits.
I also would never put the Simarillion anywhere near the top 100. And there should be room somewhere on there for Harlan Ellison and Jack Vance.
USMNTFan said:
Very heavy on the Sci-Fi side, it looks like. .
Mr LL was complaining that it was very heavy on the fantasy side.
mfpark said:
And I don't see that Animal Farm is either Sci Fi or Fantasy. Political allegory, yes. It no more fits than Charlotte's Web fits.
And that was Mr. LL's EXACT quote when I announced Animal farm. Great minds and all/////
Aug 19, 2011 at 10:49pm Edited
love that Canticle for Liebowicz is there; surprised at a lot of authors that aren't, and that only one Dragon book is (not the series) and that that's the only McCaffrey. Thought that in this day of wikileaks that Stainless Steel Rat might have rated....
We were chatting a bit more when offline and wondered that writers like Mercedes Lackey and Elizabeth Moon are completely missing this time, that the entire DiscWorld wasn't listed (only two volumes) and no Darkover... no Riverworld (or Phillip Jose Farmer), little in the way of true humour in the genre (like Ben Elton etc); personally I like to see Galouye but I know he's obscure these days; D just mentioned Aldiss, Brin, Bear & Doc Smith wistfully... I know there are new writers/more writers and the lists keep growing. What's interesting is the way the 'classics' aren't being listed even by series or collection.
George R. R. Martin's books will overtake Tolkien when enough people read them.
Aug 20, 2011 at 4:09am Edited
A bit surprised that Battle Circle (Piers Anthony) never made the list... and the Silmarillion? Tough slogging there.
Ender's Game at #3 surprised me too - but I think it's well deserved. Ringworld might be a tad higher though. Of course, the real issue with the list is more personal than anything else... William Gibson needed to have hit the top 10 with Neuromancer.
Oh, and even though Jack McDevitt doesn't seem to be on the list right now... give it some time. The guy is a stone-cold clear successor to Asimov and Clark.
Ender's Game at #3 surprised me too - but I think it's well deserved. Ringworld might be a tad higher though. Of course, the real issue with the list is more personal than anything else... William Gibson needed to have hit the top 10 with Neuromancer.
Oh, and even though Jack McDevitt doesn't seem to be on the list right now... give it some time. The guy is a stone-cold clear successor to Asimov and Clark.
I would read Ender's Game if the author didn't seem like such a throwback.
Perhaps that's part of his charm? He sold really really well when I worked at the bookshop; books seemed to walk out the door whenever there was a new edition.
Ender's Game is truly a masterpiece of sci-fi. I'd give it a try for sure!
what a coincidence...or is it?
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/h_p_lovecraft_birthday_mark_e_smith/
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/h_p_lovecraft_birthday_mark_e_smith/
I am really surprised by The Silmarillion and Anathem. The Silmarillion is well-nigh unreadable, and Anathem is at best second-rate Stevenson - he has always needed a good editor to set him straight and for Anathem he clearly didn't have one.
The Dune Chronicles is not a book - it's a shelf-worth of books, one of which is great (Dune), a few more of which are very good - the rest range from run-of-the-mill to excruciating.
dave said:
I would read Ender's Game if the author didn't seem like such a throwback.
Ender's Game is very relevant now, with the explosion of "Gamification" topics in corporate and social science circles. A favorite of mine, and only read it recently.
jeffmarkel said:
Where are Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions books?
I love Dangerous Visions. Are collections of short stories OK or must these be novels?
Edited to add: there are other collections, so agreed.
I want to see Snow Crash made into a 3D movie. That could be teh AWESOME.
jeffmarkel said:
I am really surprised by The Silmarillion and Anathem. The Silmarillion is well-nigh unreadable, and Anathem is at best second-rate Stevenson - he has always needed a good editor to set him straight and for Anathem he clearly didn't have one.
Anyone that I've ever engaged in a Tolkein conversation admits that they couldn't get through The Silmarillion. We all bought it and we all tried - but man is it BORING. Now.. this was an NPR survey, so perhaps the responding audience is a lot more intelligent and highbrow than us mere mortals - but I don't understand how this book made the list either.
Really good to see Vernor Vinge made it, I agree that Harlan Ellison should be there too.
I also agree that The Man in the High Castle should be there...
Generating a top 5 but it's ridiculously difficult - so many great reads there... It IS a strange list, like they put in some real SF and mixed in popular reads. The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is great but it's not really something I think of as SciFi even though it's clearly got some SciFi elements. I wish every person would at least read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and learn TANSTAAFL.
Off topic but I was flying back to the states from NZ on Friday and showing one of my fellow travellers my Nook. He was an older Gent and was surprised to see I had Nevil Shute's 'On The Beach'.
The only way to come up with 5 with any fairness would be by going with sub genre.
I also agree that The Man in the High Castle should be there...
Generating a top 5 but it's ridiculously difficult - so many great reads there... It IS a strange list, like they put in some real SF and mixed in popular reads. The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is great but it's not really something I think of as SciFi even though it's clearly got some SciFi elements. I wish every person would at least read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and learn TANSTAAFL.
Off topic but I was flying back to the states from NZ on Friday and showing one of my fellow travellers my Nook. He was an older Gent and was surprised to see I had Nevil Shute's 'On The Beach'.
The only way to come up with 5 with any fairness would be by going with sub genre.
Dave - I also agree about Lem being there. His SF really was outstanding. I've tried convincing others to give the original Solaris movie a try (even though Lem didn't love it) and really found most people hate it especially hard SF fans.
I started wondering if the folks who like it are more into stuff that's way more subjective like lots of PKD's stuff. VALIS!
I started wondering if the folks who like it are more into stuff that's way more subjective like lots of PKD's stuff. VALIS!
tarpitcoder said:
The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is great but it's not really something I think of as SciFi even though it's clearly got some SciFi elements.
Reminds me of that little exchange from Firefly.
Wash: "Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction."
Zoe: "We live in a space ship, dear."
You can not reply as this discussion is Closed!
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books
One of my all time personal favorites, Ender's Game, comes in at 3 - a lot higher than I would have though. I hear they're making a movie.
here's the list. (reformatted - thanks to usmtfan for the idea)
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
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
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
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
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
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
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
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
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
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moor****
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
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
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