SFBC.com's top 50 SF and Fantasy Books

Post by **dukkha** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 2:21 pm

1953-2002, according to SFBC.com

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

What do you think?

Post by **Sevothtarte** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 3:42 pm

To sum it up: Rubbish.

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:05 pm

I agree for the most part. Where the hell is Amber? And, unfortunately, I'd expect Wheel of Time and some of Edding's stuff there?

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 5:33 am

Yeah, but guys, there are also some darned good books on there!

But they are missing some, too -- like Amber, as Lord Mhoram pointed out. What about the Hyperion/Endymion books by Dan Simmons? ASOIAF by George Martin? the Neverness books by Zindell? the Uplift books by David Brin (especially Startide Rising!!!!)

Maybe they should expand their list to the top 100?

Post by **dukkha** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 2:35 pm

I love Wizard of Earthsea....but #5? Heinlein wrote about 5 better novels/short story collections than Starship Troopers. The list has the usual "SF is better than fantasy" bias

Post by **Prince of Amber** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 3:53 pm

I can't believe there's a Terry Pratchett book there, but there are some real gems - To your Scattered Bodies go is a wonderful book. I'm worried about the Terry Brooks book which is (frankly) rubbish, and I'm not a fan of the Harry Potter books (although I've secretly enjoyed the films with the kids)

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:40 pm

And where are Lois McMaster Bujold and Neil Gaiman???

Post by **Worm of Despite** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 5:27 pm

At least LOTR's in its proper place!

Post by **dukkha** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 7:27 pm

Prince of Amber wrote:I can't believe there's a Terry Pratchett book there, but there are some real gems - To your Scattered Bodies go is a wonderful book. I'm worried about the Terry Brooks book which is (frankly) rubbish, and I'm not a fan of the Harry Potter books (although I've secretly enjoyed the films with the kids)

The Sword of Shannara. I wonder what--or who--Terry Brooks had to do to get on this list.

Hey, that means I get to use my favorite smiley!

And Harry Potter - well, the poll is "most significant", and you can't deny that Harry Potter is significant.

duchess of malfi wrote:And where are Lois McMaster Bujold and Neil Gaiman???

How could anybody think that Sword of Shannara is better than Neverwhere or Stardust?

duchess of malfi wrote: But they are missing some, too -- like Amber, as Lord Mhoram pointed out. What about the Hyperion/Endymion books by Dan Simmons? ASOIAF by George Martin? the Neverness books by Zindell? the Uplift books by David Brin (especially Startide Rising!!!!)

I'd want the Kim Stanley Robinson Mars books as well (Red Mars, Green mars, Blue Mars)

Post by **Mick Axbrewder** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 10:00 pm

I love Snow Crash. But it's not the 2nd most important cyberpunk novel. How about Bruce Sterling's Mirrorshades anthology? Or even Stephenson's other novels, which are more significant than Snow Crash.

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Apr 22, 2003 8:02 pm

Wolfe and Donaldson made it on the list, so I'm happy. As for Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, would it really have made it on the list if it hadn't been made into Blade Runner? I like Dick's work, but I wouldn't rate that piece that highly.

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Tue Apr 22, 2003 11:16 pm

I'm just happy that The Hitchhiker's Guide is on there!

Post by **Vain** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:13 am

There's many lists and they prolly all have a problem

www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/6113/t100255.txt

www.sffworld.com/authors/reviewsrating.html

The truth is out there somewhere

Maybe we should start up our own version

Post by **danlo** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:21 am

I agree wish everything every1 else has said--obviously these people don't kno of Neverness' xistence. "Green Eyes" is a cyper-punk book that must b on there. Even Brin's The Postman (not 2 b confused w/movie) is a must! Thank god A Canticle for Liebowitz is there...Much as I love Earthsea I'd rank The Chrons of TC # 5...the Gap Saga ranks right up there 2, fools!

2 quote Sev, "rubbish!"

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 10:58 am

dukkha wrote:I love Wizard of Earthsea....but #5?

I agree!! The whole Earthsea series should definitely be #2, right after TCTC!! (Maybe #3. I like both better than LOTR, but you gotta give points for being the first, especially when it's of such quality.)

dukkha wrote:Heinlein wrote about 5 better novels/short story collections than Starship Troopers.

It's been years, but I love Time Enough for Love.

Post by **Damelon** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:43 am

I find these lists silly.

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 5:17 pm

That is true, Damelon, but on the other hand, nitpicking can be fun.

Post by **Infelice** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 2:53 am

I agree with the #1 choice but Chronicles should be higher on the list and where the hell is David Eddings?

He should have made it to the top 50 before Terry Pratchett.

I`m with you Damelon, these lists are rather silly and who are the numbskulls that compile them?

Post by **Ryzel** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 2:51 pm

No way is Eddings better than Pratchett, but the Color of Magic is not Pratchetts best.

The Sword of Shannara should be stricken from the list. Some of Brooks other stuff could qualify, if there were a lack of contenders.

Post by **[Syl]** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 8:55 pm

It's a popularity contest run by self-proclaimed uber-geeks, so they're not going to pick exactly the best (see my earlier comment about Dick).

Yeah, I can't believe neither Eddings nor Piers Anthony made the list. Whatever

*snoogins*

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

SFBC.com's top 50 SF and Fantasy Books

SFBC.com's top 50 SF and Fantasy Books