26 percent – i failed sci-fi.
from my brother-in-law’s blog, an interesting book meme:
“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 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
Read: The Lord of the Rings Stranger in a Strange Land (which I loved) Fahrenheit 451 The Colour of Magic (which I thought was cheesy, but good cheesy) Hitchhiker’s Guide Slaughterhouse 5 Starship Troopers I haven’t read a sci-fi book in probably 12 years. I should pick one up, maybe some Heinlein for old time’s sake.
stb. December 23rd. 2006. 3:36 am.
it’s a marketing campaign: “heinlein. for old time’s sake.”
jnf. December 23rd. 2006. 8:54 am.
I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, so I was a little surprised that I had actually read about a third of these. Of the novels listed, I’d say that these are certainly among my favorites, regardless of genre: The Lord of the Rings — J.R.R. Tolkien Dune — Frank Herbert Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury A Canticle for Leibowitz Harry Potter and the Whatever (all six, soon to be seven of ‘em) — J.K. Rowling The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas Adams Slaughterhouse 5 — Kurt Vonnegut There was a time — my sophomore year in high school, I think — when just about all I read was Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut. There are a lot worse ways one could go. I like Harlan Ellison a lot, too, although my favorites of his books (“I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” “Repent, Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman”) aren’t on the list.
AndyWhitman. December 24th. 2006. 5:48 pm.