Top 100 Sci Fi and Fantasy

[beth]

Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books

More than 5,000 NPR listeners nominated books, more than 60,000 voted.

Here are the results.

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert

5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin

6. 1984, by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan

13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson

15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore

16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss

19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King

24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

25. The Stand, by Stephen King

26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman

30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey

34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein

35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller

36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne

38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys

39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny

41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings

42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson

44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven

45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin

46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien

47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White

48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

50. Contact, by Carl Sagan

51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons

52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

54. World War Z, by Max Brooks

55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman

57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett

58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson

59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold

60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett

61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind

63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist

67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks

68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard

69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb

70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne

73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore

74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi

75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson

76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey

78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson

82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde

83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart

85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher

87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe

88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn

89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan

90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock

91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley

93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge

94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson

96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville

99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony

100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

Go to NPR for cover shots and quick capsule previews of each book.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the list, Beth.


The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov perhaps merited a higher place.

In 1965, the Foundation Trilogy beat several other science fiction and fantasy series (including The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien) to receive a special Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series." It is still the only series so honored. Asimov himself wrote that he assumed the one-time award had been created to honor The Lord of the Rings, and he was amazed when his work won.


The list is a good one.

Among the listed works, I have read:

6. 1984, by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne

38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys

39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven

49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Disappointed that The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is omitted. Did not notice any other Wyndham either, IMO he is a far better author than several included in the list.

Prashna

[beth]

Well, the thing is, this isn't a critical list of "best" books but a popular list compiled by readers from the general public. I also think it's U.S. readers so their tastes may be a little different.

I've read quite a few, and I'll list them before the end of the day.

Yours is a very nice reading list. I like Ray Bradbury, too.

Should add that my favorite, Snowfall (Mitchell Smith) is missing.

[beth]

I've read these:

My favorites were/are The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hitchhiker's Guide series, American Gods, The Princess Bride, The Stand, Lucifer's Hammer (not on the list, Snowfall, Good Omens, Long Dark Teatime of the Soul)

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

6. 1984, by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson

17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

25. The Stand, by Stephen King

29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman

32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett

47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White

48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson

63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart

96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony

[beth]

Has anyone else read both The Stand and Lucifer's Hammer? If so .. which did you like best and why?