Science Fiction and Fantasy Books meme
Dec. 16th, 2008 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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pazi_ashfeather, aisaku, allieflowlight & daffodil_aura
"According to the Science Fiction Book Club, these are the 50 most significant SF & Fantasy Books of the last 50 Years, 1953-2002. Bold the ones you've read, strike the ones you hated, italicize the ones you couldn't get through, asterisks for the ones you loved (more asterisks, more love)."
I'm also underlining the ones I want to read some day (or own already). I was gonna put the cover art to many of them but it was hard to track down the ones I really liked. So here are the books themselves.
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - own, the single special edition (Paperback).
2. The Foundation Trilogy* by Isaac Asimov (only one book and on tape...and "Forward the Foundation" the prequel). It felt very dry for a space opera. Not a lot of tension or continuity. It felt like a series of vignettes across time. I've read some of his short stories too.
3. Dune by Frank Herbert - own the Mass-Market (MM) paperback.
4. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein - someone told me it had zappy. Own the MM paperback.
5. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Leguin
6. Neuromancer by William Gibson - own (MM paperback). Read some. Feels like a fun book but I can never get enough time to really get into it.
7. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke ** - a very interesting story. Demon-looking aliens come to usher in the next level of human evolution. Would make a great movie if they didn't totally screw it up (which they would). I've read some of his short stories.
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - own...somewhere. A nice trade paperback. I've only read Martian Time-Slip by him (it was fun in its aspects of non-linear time).
9. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ** - read. It's an intriguing and relevant tale. A little dated in ways and it is full of Ray Bradbury's sometimes-ponderous (but memorable) and melancholy style (I've had some teachers note I share his style of writing).
11. The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. - own. Another trade paperback.
13. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov - own. A MM paper.
14. Children of the Atom by Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight by James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett * - read it. It was alright. It had some interesting moments and the idea of it inspired my writing at an early age (the fantasy novel satire/comedy). It never really stood out for me when I read it. I am glad I collected some of the series though. I've read Good Omens, which he co-authored (a fair and interesting Apocalypse comedy tale).
17. Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
18. Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester - own. A very pretty, glossy trade paper (total book collector ^^;;; ).
20. Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
21. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
22. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card * - read it. A decent sci-fi story. It's not the best written and the author kinda turns me off personality-wise. It has a great opening though and some really nice war bits and style. I own some of the later volumes of the series.
23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson
24. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman * - read it. A good sci-fi war tale. The sequel kinda ruins my enjoyment of it. I read the spiritual sequel, Forever Peace (it was meh).
25. Gateway by Frederik Pohl - own. Old old paperback from a used store.
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling ** - read it. It's best when it's laying out the details of a new world and playing around with them through Harry's eyes. A decent fantasy novel with a lot of points for connection and sympathy. I've read up to her fourth book.
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams **** - read. A very captivating and fun sci-fi novel. I own the omnibus version with all four/five parts of the trilogy. The game is also very fun as well (had zappy). I've read to the fourth book in the series (but not finished the fourth book).
28. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin - own and tried to read (old MM paperback).
31. Little, Big by John Crowley
32. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick - own (another nice trade paper).
34. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
35. More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon - own (another trade paperback). I've read a lot of books by him (the kind-of-vampire one...Some of Your Blood, The Cosmic Rape - a darkly-humorous, hive-mind alien invasion tale with an interesting ending, and Venus Plus X - a future of ambiguous genders.
36. The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith
37. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke - own a paperback version of it. Read some. Nice intro.
39. Ringworld by Larry Niven - Dad bought it. Old book. Has some interesting ideas and aliens, never read far into it.
40. Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut - own, trade paperback.
43. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - own the trade paper and would really like to read some day.
44. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner - own an olllllllld paperback version of it. Read some but never really got far (the thing falls apart a little when you hold it).
45. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester - own a glossy trade paper version.
46. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - own a used MM paper version.
47. Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
49. Timescape by Gregory Benford ** - An interesting time travel and alternate worlds idea. Think of Frequency meets Contact. Change the future to prevent something like the worst-case of global warming. Good drama and good science. I also read Eater by him.
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
I want to add two more to the list.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (my favorite sci-fi book of all).
Watchmen by Alan Moore (okay...so it's more graphic novel but it's still fantastic).
pazi_ashfeather, aisaku, allieflowlight & daffodil_aura"According to the Science Fiction Book Club, these are the 50 most significant SF & Fantasy Books of the last 50 Years, 1953-2002. Bold the ones you've read, strike the ones you hated, italicize the ones you couldn't get through, asterisks for the ones you loved (more asterisks, more love)."
I'm also underlining the ones I want to read some day (or own already). I was gonna put the cover art to many of them but it was hard to track down the ones I really liked. So here are the books themselves.
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - own, the single special edition (Paperback).
2. The Foundation Trilogy* by Isaac Asimov (only one book and on tape...and "Forward the Foundation" the prequel). It felt very dry for a space opera. Not a lot of tension or continuity. It felt like a series of vignettes across time. I've read some of his short stories too.
3. Dune by Frank Herbert - own the Mass-Market (MM) paperback.
4. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein - someone told me it had zappy. Own the MM paperback.
5. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Leguin
6. Neuromancer by William Gibson - own (MM paperback). Read some. Feels like a fun book but I can never get enough time to really get into it.
7. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke ** - a very interesting story. Demon-looking aliens come to usher in the next level of human evolution. Would make a great movie if they didn't totally screw it up (which they would). I've read some of his short stories.
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - own...somewhere. A nice trade paperback. I've only read Martian Time-Slip by him (it was fun in its aspects of non-linear time).
9. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ** - read. It's an intriguing and relevant tale. A little dated in ways and it is full of Ray Bradbury's sometimes-ponderous (but memorable) and melancholy style (I've had some teachers note I share his style of writing).
11. The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. - own. Another trade paperback.
13. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov - own. A MM paper.
14. Children of the Atom by Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight by James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett * - read it. It was alright. It had some interesting moments and the idea of it inspired my writing at an early age (the fantasy novel satire/comedy). It never really stood out for me when I read it. I am glad I collected some of the series though. I've read Good Omens, which he co-authored (a fair and interesting Apocalypse comedy tale).
17. Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
18. Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester - own. A very pretty, glossy trade paper (total book collector ^^;;; ).
20. Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
21. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
22. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card * - read it. A decent sci-fi story. It's not the best written and the author kinda turns me off personality-wise. It has a great opening though and some really nice war bits and style. I own some of the later volumes of the series.
23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson
24. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman * - read it. A good sci-fi war tale. The sequel kinda ruins my enjoyment of it. I read the spiritual sequel, Forever Peace (it was meh).
25. Gateway by Frederik Pohl - own. Old old paperback from a used store.
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling ** - read it. It's best when it's laying out the details of a new world and playing around with them through Harry's eyes. A decent fantasy novel with a lot of points for connection and sympathy. I've read up to her fourth book.
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams **** - read. A very captivating and fun sci-fi novel. I own the omnibus version with all four/five parts of the trilogy. The game is also very fun as well (had zappy). I've read to the fourth book in the series (but not finished the fourth book).
28. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin - own and tried to read (old MM paperback).
31. Little, Big by John Crowley
32. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick - own (another nice trade paper).
34. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
35. More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon - own (another trade paperback). I've read a lot of books by him (the kind-of-vampire one...Some of Your Blood, The Cosmic Rape - a darkly-humorous, hive-mind alien invasion tale with an interesting ending, and Venus Plus X - a future of ambiguous genders.
36. The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith
37. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke - own a paperback version of it. Read some. Nice intro.
39. Ringworld by Larry Niven - Dad bought it. Old book. Has some interesting ideas and aliens, never read far into it.
40. Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut - own, trade paperback.
43. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - own the trade paper and would really like to read some day.
44. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner - own an olllllllld paperback version of it. Read some but never really got far (the thing falls apart a little when you hold it).
45. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester - own a glossy trade paper version.
46. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - own a used MM paper version.
47. Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
49. Timescape by Gregory Benford ** - An interesting time travel and alternate worlds idea. Think of Frequency meets Contact. Change the future to prevent something like the worst-case of global warming. Good drama and good science. I also read Eater by him.
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
I want to add two more to the list.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (my favorite sci-fi book of all).
Watchmen by Alan Moore (okay...so it's more graphic novel but it's still fantastic).
