This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. 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.
Kellie's Addition: Indicate whether you have this book in your TBR pile and/or if you've seen the screenplay version.
1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien - Screenplay
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert - Screenplay(s)
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin - Screenplay
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
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 - Screenplay
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury*
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
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
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 - TBR
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling* - Screenplay
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams* - Screenplay
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice - Screenplay
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
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 - Screenplay (and now I have "Waltzing Matilda stuck in my head, dammit)
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
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 - Screenplay
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
Yeah. So that's 3 books out of 50 read, 3 out of 50 I tried to read, 1 in the hopper, and 8 of which have titilated me in all their movie glory (and 2 of those 8 also count for 2 of the 3 I've actually read). Remember how I said that I haven't paid any homage to SF's history by reading its founding fathers? Just in case you thought I was joking or being modest...
Friday, December 01, 2006
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2 comments:
I've read all but 42 of them...*S*
"Stranger in a Strange Land" and "Slaughterhouse 5" I feel really force the reader into some twisted intellectual gymnastics.
I keep meaning to read some Vonnegut. And I have read other books by some of these authors. Still, I don't think that I'll ever read more than ten from this list.
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