WEBSITES TOP 51 SF BOOKS
(MAINLY NOVELS)--------------------------AUTHOR--------------YES-------REASON
-------------------------------------------------------------OR NO
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy--------ADAMS, Douglas-------NO--------(M/CLASSIC)----**
I, Robot-----------------------------------ASIMOV, Isaac--------NO--------CLASSIC--------**
Foundation--------------------------------ASIMOV, Isaac--------YES-------CLASSIC--------**
Oryx and Crake----------------------------ATWOOD, M-----------NO--------NC-------------**----U
Fahrenheit 451----------------------------BRADBURY, Ray---------N/Y (L3)--CLASSIC
Red Rising---------------------------------BROWN, Pierce---------NO--------NC-------------**
A Clockwork Orange------------------------BURGESS, A------------N/Y (L4)---CLASSIC
Parable of the Sower-----------------------BUTLER, Octavia-------NO--------NC-------------**----U
Ender’s Game------------------------------CARD, Orson Scott-----YES-------CLASSIC-------**
Cyteen------------------------------------CHERRYH, C.J.---------NO--------NC--------------------U
Stories of Your Life and Others
(reissued as Arrival)------------------------CHIANG, Ted----------NO--------NOT A NOVEL
The Three-Body Problem-------------------CIXIN, Liu--------------NO-------NC--------------**
2001: A Space Odyssey--------------------CLARKE, Arthur C.------N/Y (L2)—CLASSIC--------**
Ready Player One--------------------------CLINE, Ernest----------NO-------NC---------------------U
Jurassic Park------------------------------CRICHTON, M----------NO--------NR--------------**
Dhalgren----------------------------------DELANY, S R.----------N/Y (L4)---NR(CLASSIC)
The Man in the High Castle-----------------DICK, P.K.-------------YES-------CLASSIC
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?-------DICK, P.K.-------------N/Y (L2)---CLASSIC
Neuromancer------------------------------GIBSON, William--------YES--------M/CLASSIC-----**
The Forever War---------------------------HALDEMAN, Joe--------YES-------CLASSIC--------**
Stranger in a Strange Land-----------------HEINLEIN, Robert-------N/Y (L4)---CLASSIC
Ingathering: The Complete People Stories---HENDERSON, Z---------NO--------NR(CLASSIC)---(**)
Dune--------------------------------------HERBERT, Frank--------YES-------CLASSIC--------**
Brave New World---------------------------HUXLEY, Aldous--------YES-------CLASSIC
Flowers for Algernon------------------------KEYES, Daniel---------YES-------CLASSIC
The Stand---------------------------------KING, Stephen---------NO--------NOT SF----------------U
A Wrinkle in Time---------------------------L’ENGLE, M------------NO--------NC--------------**----U
Ancillary Justice----------------------------LECKIE, Ann-----------NO--------NR(M/CLASSIC)--**
The Left Hand of Darkness------------------LeGUIN, L.K.-----------N/Y (L4)--CLASSIC
The Giver----------------------------------LOWRY, Lois-----------NO--------NC---------------------U
Station Eleven-----------------------------MANDEL, E. St. J.-------NO-------NC^^------------------U
The City & The City------------------------MIEVILLE, China--------N/Y (L2)---M/CLASSIC
Ringworld----------------------------------NIVEN, Larry-----------YES-------CLASSIC---------**
Binti---------------------------------------OKORAFOR, N----------NO--------NC--------------**----U
1984--------------------------------------ORWELL, George--------YES------CLASSIC
Red Mars----------------------------------ROBINSON, K S---------NO--------NC(M/CLASSIC)--**----U
Frankenstein-------------------------------SHELLEY, Mary---------YES-------CLASSIC
A Time of Changes-------------------------SILVERBERG, R----------NO--------NC
Hyperion-----------------------------------SIMMONS, Dan---------NO--------NC (M/CLASSIC)-**
Anathem-----------------------------------STEPHENSON, N--------NO--------NC-%%---------------U
Children of Time----------------------------TCHAIKOSKY, A---------NO-------NC--------------**----U
The Man Who Fell to Earth------------------TEVIS, Walter----------NO--------NC--------------------U
20,000 Leagues under the Sea--------------VERNE, Jules------------NO-------NR(CLASSIC)
A Fire Upon the Deep-----------------------VINGE, Vernor----------NO-------(M/CLASSIC)-----**
Slaughterhouse-Five------------------------VONNEGUT, Kurt--------N/Y (L2)--CLASSIC
The Martian--------------------------------WEIR, Andy------------YES-------M/CLASSIC------**
The Time Machine--------------------------WELLS. H.G.-----------YES--------CLASSIC
Uglies--------------------------------------WESTERFELD, S--------NO--------NC--------------**---U
Doomsday Book-----------------------------WILLIS, Connie---------NO--------NC-------------**
The Complete Book of the New Sun----------WOLFE, Gene----------NO---------NC(M/CLASSIC)-**
How to Live Safely in a
Science Fictional Universe-------------------YU, Charles------------NO---------NR
KEY
CLASSIC classic SF novel
M/CLASSIC modern classic SF novel
N/Y NO/YES not on my primary list but on a lower graded list
NR not rated – good book but considered to be lesser than chosen novels
NC not considered either because haven’t read and/or do not consider good enough and/or because part of a series
NOT A NOVEL self-explanatory – is a collection
NOT SF The Stand is a horror/fantasy novel, not SF (of course, a novel can be both)
^^ its author says it is not SF
** part of a series
U unread by me
%% ranked as Neal Stephenson’s fourth best novel by goodreads
THIRTEEN OF THESE NOVELS MADE IT ONTO MY OWN TOP FIFTY PICK.
COMMENTS
Some of these books I haven’t read and others I haven’t read and haven’t heard of (and similarly sometimes with the author).
If exclude the bizarre inclusion of a collection, then this is a list of fifty novels.
This is a fairly good list, better than others that I have seen, with many good novels on it.
However, it includes many that have to be there because of being list creator’s personal favourites, not due to being objectively the most important and best.
In middle of last year I created a similar list that I posted in a thread on SFFW (Science Fiction and Fantasy website), which also had several novels included mainly because they were favourites of mine. In response to above list I have created a new list of my top most important SF novels that is more objective, dropping those that are simply personal favourites.
This list is below.
FIRST FIFTY NOVELS SELECTED
ANDERSON, Poul------------Tau Zero
ANTHONY, Piers------------Macroscope
ASIMOV, Isaac-------------The Gods Themselves
ASIMOV, Isaac-------------Foundation-----(**)
BESTER, Alfred-------------The Demolished Man
BESTER, Alfred-------------The Stars My Destination (aka Tiger! Tiger!)
BRUNNER, John-------------Stand on Zanzibar
CARD, Orson Scott---------Ender’s Game----(**)
CLARKE, Arthur C.----------Childhood’s End
CLARKE, Arthur C.----------The City and the Stars
DICK, Philip K.--------------The Man in the High Castle
FARMER, Philip Jose---------The Unreasoning Mask
GERROLD, David------------The Man Who Folded Himself
GIBSON, William-------------Neuromancer----(**)
GUNN, James E.------------The Listeners
HALDEMAN, Joe------------The Forever War----(**)
HEINLEIN, ROBERT A.-------Starship Troopers
HEINLEIN, ROBERT A.-------The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
HEINLEIN, ROBERT A.-------Tunnel in the Sky
HERBERT, Frank------------Dune----(**)
HOYLE, Fred---------------The Black Cloud
HUXLEY, Aldous------------Brave New World
KEYES, Daniel--------------Flowers for Algernon
LEGUIN, Ursula K.----------The Dispossessed
LINDSAY, David------------A Voyage to Arcturus
MILLER, Walter M.----------A Canticle for Leibowitz
NIVEN, Larry---------------Ringworld----(**)
ORWELL, George-----------1984
PANSHIN, Alexei------------Rite of Passage
REYNOLDS, Alastair--------House of Suns
REYNOLDS, Alastair--------Pushing Ice
ROBERTS, Adam-----------Stone
SHELLEY, Mary W.---------Frankenstein
SILVERBERG, Robert--------Dying Inside
STAPLEDON, Olaf----------Sirius
STAPLEDON, Olaf----------Star Maker
STAPLEDON, Olaf----------Last and First Men (with Last Men in London)
STEAKLEY, John-----------Armor
VANCE, Jack--------------To Live Forever
VAN VOGT, A.E.----------The Voyage of the Space Beagle
WEIR, Andy---------------The Martian----(**)
WELLS, H.G.--------------The Island of Doctor Moreau
WELLS, H.G.--------------The Time Machine
WELLS, H.G.--------------The War of the Worlds
WILHELM, Kate-----------The Killer Thing (aka The Killing Thing)
WYNDHAM, John----------The Day of the Triffids
WYNDHAM, John----------The Kraken Wakes
WYNDHAM, John----------The Midwich Cuckoos
ZAMYATIN, Yvgeny-------We
ZELAZNY, Roger-----------Lord of Light
(**) ENTRIES-----THESE ALL ARE FIRST NOVELS OF A DUOLOGY, TRILOGY OR SERIES
ASIMOV, Isaac-----------Foundation
CARD, Orson Scott-------Ender’s Game
GIBSON, William----------Neuromancer
HALDEMAN, Joe----------The Forever War
HERBERT, Frank----------Dune
MILLER, Walter M.--------A Canticle for Leibowitz (sequel is Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman (with Terry Bisson)
NIVEN, Larry-------------Ringworld
WEIR, Andy--------------The Martian (its sequel is Artemis)
NOTE THAT COULD HAVE EASILY ADDED THE FOLLOWING FIRST NOVELS OF SERIES TO ABOVE LIST IF THERE WASN’T ALREADY TOO MANY QUALIFYING STANDALONE NOVELS:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, A Case of Conscience, Downbelow Station,
2001: a Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama, Mission of Gravity,
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Deathworld, The Stainless Steel Rat, Colossus,
Out of the Silent Planet, Altered Carbon, Dream Park, The Mote in God’s Eye,
The Legacy of Heorot, Logan’s Run, Gateway, Berserker, Hyperion, The Star King,
A Fire Upon the Deep, Hell’s Gate.
SIMILARLY WITH THESE FIRST NOVELS OF DUOLOGIES:
Fantastic Voyage, Needle, Pandora’s Star, A for Andromeda, The Second Experiment, Hiero’s Journey, The Big Time, Ilium, The Weapon Shops of Isher, The Risen Empire.
THE EIGHT ACTUALLY INCLUDED ARE PARTICULARLY FAMOUS AND IMPORTANT.
