Post by bullmikey on Sept 18, 2015 13:25:18 GMT -5
Twenty-five works of science fiction that I consider pivotal to the genera:
The Time Machine H. G. Wells
Who Goes There John W. Campbell
Foundation Isaac Asimov
Childhood’s End Arthur C. Clark
The Mote in God’s Eye Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin
A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Last Castle Jack Vance
The Stars Are My Destination Alfred Bester
The Moon is A Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein
Dune Frank Herbert
The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick
Neuromancer William Gibson
Bable-17 Samuel R. Delany
Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner
The Weapon Shops of Isher A. E. van Vogt
Nightwings Robert Silverberg
Hyperion Dan Simmons
Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey
The Forever War Joe Haldeman
Gateway Federik Pohl
Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
More Than Human Theodore Sturgeon
Ringworld Larry Niven
I’ve been reading science fiction ever since I moved from comics to the printed page. Say seriously from about the age of 8 or 9 on (I'm 67 now). I’ve read a lot of it, though nowhere nearly all of it. I’ve read through the various ages, from the Golden Age, through the 2nd Golden Age, through Dangerous Visions, all the way past Cyberpunk. It’s my favorite genera and I’ll never fall out of love with it. There is no other form of literature that can do what it does. The best way I can describe what it does is to say it makes you put the book down in the middle of reading it, look up, and mutter “Wow!” When that happens you know you got a game changer.
Lately I’ve been considering listing the works I’ve read that I consider pivotal to the genera. There are lots of top 10, 20, 100 lists on the internet. Some I’ve agreed with, some not so much. Anyway, here’s 25 works (books/stories) that I consider to be pivotal to my love of science fiction. This list is by no means all inclusive – it’s just what I came up with off the top of my head – and the order of the list has no bearing on the importance of the works (they are all equally important to me).
Anyway, I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of good stuff, so anyone else out there that’s a lover of good science fiction and has an idea of what’s missing, please enlighten me. Or if you wish to discuss any of these works or any others, I welcome the opportunity.
The Time Machine H. G. Wells
Who Goes There John W. Campbell
Foundation Isaac Asimov
Childhood’s End Arthur C. Clark
The Mote in God’s Eye Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin
A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Last Castle Jack Vance
The Stars Are My Destination Alfred Bester
The Moon is A Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein
Dune Frank Herbert
The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick
Neuromancer William Gibson
Bable-17 Samuel R. Delany
Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner
The Weapon Shops of Isher A. E. van Vogt
Nightwings Robert Silverberg
Hyperion Dan Simmons
Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey
The Forever War Joe Haldeman
Gateway Federik Pohl
Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
More Than Human Theodore Sturgeon
Ringworld Larry Niven
I’ve been reading science fiction ever since I moved from comics to the printed page. Say seriously from about the age of 8 or 9 on (I'm 67 now). I’ve read a lot of it, though nowhere nearly all of it. I’ve read through the various ages, from the Golden Age, through the 2nd Golden Age, through Dangerous Visions, all the way past Cyberpunk. It’s my favorite genera and I’ll never fall out of love with it. There is no other form of literature that can do what it does. The best way I can describe what it does is to say it makes you put the book down in the middle of reading it, look up, and mutter “Wow!” When that happens you know you got a game changer.
Lately I’ve been considering listing the works I’ve read that I consider pivotal to the genera. There are lots of top 10, 20, 100 lists on the internet. Some I’ve agreed with, some not so much. Anyway, here’s 25 works (books/stories) that I consider to be pivotal to my love of science fiction. This list is by no means all inclusive – it’s just what I came up with off the top of my head – and the order of the list has no bearing on the importance of the works (they are all equally important to me).
Anyway, I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of good stuff, so anyone else out there that’s a lover of good science fiction and has an idea of what’s missing, please enlighten me. Or if you wish to discuss any of these works or any others, I welcome the opportunity.