Caitlin Kittredge ([info]blackaire) wrote,
2006-11-14 20:52:00
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a meme in which the author reveals her woeful ignorance

ETA: Because I have no recall for stuff I read.

The most significant SF/F novels from 1953-20062002 according to Time Science Fiction Book Club.  Bold the ones you have read, strikethrough the ones you read and hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put a star next to the ones you love.  I think the fact that I am woefully ill-read on this list is because I'm an urban fantasy nut and most of that has come out in the last 10-15 years (and some of it is not a "significant" work, let's be real here.)  And no deductions for not reading Harlan Ellison's stuff because he's a wacky old pervert and I never liked his writing, anyway.  And where the fuck is Neil Gaiman on this list?

1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein*
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson** (I had a near-religious experience reading this book at age 13.  It literally changed my life and dropped me into the world of cyberpunk SF, from which I never fully emerged.)
7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick* (even though I never finished, I loved it.)
9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley*
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury (I did read all of Something Wicked This Way Comes.)
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
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman*
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams****
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice I absolutely positively cannot stand this book, and yet I read it.  Twice.  What's wrong with me?
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
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
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks (I agree with this, so I left it.)
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer
Tags: books, meme

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  • 6 comments

[info]rhonawestbrook

November 15 2006, 12:15:04 UTC 5 years ago

I've only read a few of these because I'm not into Sci-Fi at all. I also read most of Ann Rice's books....hated them but couldn't help myself....tis nice to know I'm not the only one! That woman has a gift for addicting the reader to her characters particular torture.

For what it's worth...I love all the ideas behind Ann Mcaffry's books, but find most of them dull and disappionting.

Now....where is Robin Hobb????? Isn't she one of the top fantasy writers ever???? or am I deluded?

[info]db2305

November 15 2006, 13:13:35 UTC 5 years ago

I read most of it, although I wouldn't want to know for lots of those books.

But ya know, most of this was written before 1970, or certainly before 1980. I'm betting someone pretty old put this list together.

I agree with only a few of them as 'greats', and some of them are my most hated books of all times (***koff***Thomas Covenant*koff:***leprosy anyone?**)

[info]loupnoir

November 15 2006, 14:32:00 UTC 5 years ago

Someone my age or older put this together. American Gods was probably the best book I read two years ago. Neverwhere? C'mon. Definitely belongs on any "best of" list.

I think the newest thing on there is Little, Big.

Loved Ringworld, anything by Moorcock (but those were coming out back in my teenager days and were perfect for angsty teen!me), Slaughterhouse-5 is good in a very weird way, Ted Sturgeon's short stories are wonderful but there's a real dated feeling when I read them now, Snow Crash bored me, etc.... Hated Donaldson's trilogy but was compelled to finish it, because back then I liked to finish what I started.

So, what's your top ten urban fantasies? I think personal lists are more fun than any "official" one.

I'm still working on my first cup of coffee, but I'll toss out War for the Oaks, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, Bitten, Blood and Chocolate (yeah, I like werewolves), Neverwhere,American Gods, the whole damn Sandman series, er...can I work on this later after the caffeine hits my system?

[info]rhonawestbrook

November 15 2006, 14:49:37 UTC 5 years ago

Ohh you have my taste in books!

Kitty and Bitten are some of my faves....along with Dead Witch Walking, Moon Called and anything by CT Adamns and Cathy Clamp... their Sazi series rocks!

[info]robinellen

November 15 2006, 15:57:50 UTC 5 years ago

Is it Ringworld or Riverworld by Niven? Hm...I've read Riverworld (at least that's what i thought it was called) -- it was weird. I've read almost none of these books, sad to say. The only science fiction I read is YA (except OSC, whom I adore) -- so I've read HP, of course. I haven't even read Tolkein past HOBBIT, though I like that a lot...I'm an embarrassment ;) (I even took a scifi/fantasy lit class in college -- where i read niven -- but I didn't read many of these!)

Anonymous

November 20 2006, 21:40:37 UTC 5 years ago

Meh, haven't read most of those, either

What I've read:

1. The Lord of the Rings (still read it from time to time)

10. Fahrenheit 451 (read it in high school, which was many moons ago ;-))

22. Ender's Game (couldn't stand this one at all; I read it when I was about 40 or so; I think people in their 20s get more out of it, for some reason)

26. All of the Harry Potter books (liked them all, except for the one that had too many damned exclamation points!!!!!!)

27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (this is probably blasphemy, but the funny stuff wore on me after a while; and that's saying a lot for me, because I love humor in the stories I read)

30. The Left Hand of Darkness (I read this because I was curious about Le Guin; I finished it, and it wasn't bad, but it sure was weird)

41. The Silmarillion (I attempted to read this twice, giving up after about the 4th or 5th chapter; too dry for me, although hubby has read it through twice ::shrugs::)

48. The Sword of Shannara (if this is the one I think it is, I read the first page or two, decided it was a bad imitation of Tolkien, and never read it again)

I *have* read Azimov - I, Robot (although I'd like to read the Foundation series at some point).

How about The Belgariad by David Eddings? I've read through it several times (5 books), and get a good laugh each time. It's sort of like The Lord of the Rings, but there's a ton of humor in it...and the characters are great (esp. Silk, Belgarath, and Polgara).

Ah, so many books, so little time!

~Nancy
http://writerlystuff.blogspot.com
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