Nerd Time

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 (or surround with # signs) the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved.

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
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
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#
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
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
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer

Hmnmm. Exactly half. Gotta finish a few, it seems.

Comments

From now on, we'll bracket it with # signs
Frater Yechidah said…
I'm so ashamed I haven't read more of these! :O

Hold on, I'll put up my list in 1 year's time ;)

-D
Juliana said…
I am fast coming to the conclusion that I am severely ill-read in the Sci Fi arena. Although a few of these are classics and I have read them.

So what does your average Sophianic chick do then? Post a list of titillating fiction from "our" perspective?

Now that's got me thinking. What WOULD be on that list anyway? And will I be hauled off by the Feds for posting such a thing?

Alas - nobody reads anymore anyway, it's all on film now. And most of that bad.

We need a Gnostic Film School - Jordan wants to run one I think. ;) And why not... I just sort of insist that the first release be something steamy and unintellectual. A Thinking Man's sort of erotica, to be sure... but for the man who's put down his book.

;)
but for the man who's put down his book.

Any man who's put down his book is no man in my book. :)

Sorry, I'm an unapolgetic bibliophile. I've turned down trips to the movies for reading, numerous times.

Don't even get me started on TV.
Juliana said…
Ok, I should have said "for the man who's put down his book for a temporary change of scene."

Perish the thought that I'd advocate any man like seriously not reading. Yikes!

:) So read on, Rev.!

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