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March 19, 2006
Index of The 100 Science Fiction Books You Just Have To Read
Index of the 100 science fiction books you just have to read.
I've always read more horror, dark fiction, and mystery than science fiction. I have read a few on the list. Here are the ones I've read. Which ones have you read?
Foundation by Isaac Asimov. (I read the first book in the Foundation series.)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1984 By George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Here are books on the list that I would like to read:
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (The Count has the book, and he gave it to me last night. I plan to read this after I read The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.)
The Day of the Triffids by John Syndham
The War Of The Worlds by H. G. Wells
Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Vernse
Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Lathe Of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Posted on March 19, 2006 at 10:22 AM | Permalink
Comments
I think you'll have a better shot looking up John Wyndham. ;) That said, I find his 'The Chrysalids' a more thought-provoking read than 'Triffids.'
Posted by: Tam at Mar 19, 2006 2:43:44 PM
I've read 1984, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Neuromancer, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 541, The Doomsday Book, Cat's Cradle, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and its four sequels).
Posted by: Alon Levy at Mar 19, 2006 2:50:48 PM
I've also read Alice in Wonderland - apparently I missed it the first time I went over the entire list.
Posted by: Alon Levy at Mar 19, 2006 2:52:01 PM
A good list that brought back many good memories. I've read 59 of them, some at least 20 years ago. I read a lot of SF in my youth - not so much nowadays. The sword and sorcery direction of a lot of later SF put me off, as well as books the size of housebricks and interminable series.
You can't go wrong with (earlier) Le Guin, her take on gender really made me think. I did like some Heinlein although there was a much more right wing feel to his politics, although I wonder whether if I read him now I would see it differently.
Never got into Borroughs - not sure why!
Anyway, enjoy. I will definitely go back to some of these classics (Philip K Dick was another favourite).
Posted by: sabele26 at Mar 19, 2006 3:27:25 PM
Oh god, you haven't read Hitchhiker's Guide? You absolutely must! Alright, so I'm a little obsessed. The only circumstance in which I would suggest you don't read it is if you absolutely hate British humour. Otherwise, Douglas Adams is amazing. And don't forget to bring your towel!
Posted by: Ruthi at Mar 19, 2006 11:07:58 PM
Well they didn't put Norstrilla by Cordwainer Smith. So that list is bogus.
There is a lot of good books there though.
Posted by: Bryant at Mar 20, 2006 8:58:29 AM
I liked "The Doomsday Book," but it's a little heavy on the cheese.
Posted by: aldahlia at Mar 20, 2006 7:35:54 PM
I seem to have read about 56 of them, though the accuracy of that total depends heavily on my memory also being accurate. I don't know if "Norstrilia" belongs among the 100 must-reads, but, after all, if you're going to read 100 SF books you might as well read 101. A good game, arguing over what gets in and what doesn't. I suppose the next step is the argument over which are really SF and which are fantasy, followed by the argument over what qualifies as SF anyway. Could be a few months' worth of entertainment in that.
Posted by: Ledasmom at Mar 22, 2006 1:40:30 PM
put "the lathe of heaven" at the top of your 'i'd like to read' list, it's incredibly wonderful.
Posted by: janine at Mar 23, 2006 12:03:14 AM
I have read most of them. Golly, I must be a geek!
Just a note on The Doomsday Book: there's a lot of change-ringing in there, and the author obviously hung around enough change-ringers to pick up some of the flavor, but unless the rules changed drastically after the last Pandemic, there are quite a few errors, too (in the change-ringing bits,I mean - I can't speak for the historical bits).
Posted by: Lee at Mar 30, 2006 12:18:31 PM
Two glaring omissions are Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon The Deep" and "A Deepness In The Sky". Two of the best speculative fiction novels of the last 50 years.
Posted by: Brent Rasmussen at Apr 14, 2006 4:02:37 PM
