Posted on 08/01/2015 1:29:27 PM PDT by EveningStar
Science fiction and fantasy offer a rich legacy of great books--but that abundant pile of reading material can also be daunting. So sometimes, it's easier to fake it. We asked some of our favorite writers, and they told us the 10 books that everyone pretends to have read. And why you should actually read them.
From Asimov to Pynchon, science fiction contains some fantastic, ambitious works of genre fiction. But a lot of us get overwhelmed. And it's not that hard to fake a first-hand knowledge of these books, because they're everywhere, and we've heard people talk about them so many times. We SF fans are good at pretending. But these books are classics for a reason -- and they're worth reading.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
Foundation provides useful insights into the mindset of social engineers and technocrats.
Others that every Science Fiction reader should own...
The Mote in God’s Eye (A must for “hard” SF readers)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
A Canticle for Lebowitz.
Forever war (Yes, liberal as hell, but a great book)
The Martian Chronicles
On The Beach (Again, liberal)
Atlas Shrugged
A Clockwork Orange
Rendezvous with Rama
Enders Game
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Brave New World
I thought the same thing, but Heinlein was neither pretentious or long-winded. For Heinlein fans, I would suggest the Childe Cycle series by Gordon R. Dickson. Damn shame he died before finishing it.
Rondezvous with Rama or Childhood’s End? I would favor Childhoods End
Good list, I would add the Old Man’s War series to it.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a new show on BBC America that started a few weeks ago. It looked interesting from the few commercials I’ve seen, but haven’t watched it.
Crighton needs to be somewhere on the list. ? Timeline? or one of his others....
Agree, but Scalzi is best in small doses for me :)
Another list? SF books we’ve loved but won’t admit...I’ll start the ante with John Ringo’s “Dark Tide Rising” series.
I rank Foundation (+Foundation and Empire, +Second Foundation) with the Lens series, which should have been listed. The Lens series came up second only to Asimov’s Foundation trilogy for the Hugo award for best all time series.
You don’t like Sci-Fi?
Bill the Galctic Hero, by Harry Harrison
Clockwork Orange
Brave New World is appropriate now in light of Planned Parenthood
work on humans and genetic engineering.
I’ve been reading SF since I was 4, and I’ve only read 3 of those books on the list.
Dhalgren was interesting but there’s at least one section that graphically depicts homosexual sex...so you’ve been warned.
Delany’s earlier book Nova is one I’d have on my list, and no queer sex!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dune and 1984 I read and liked, haven’t read any others on the list. I might add Stranger in a Strange Land, Lucifer’s Hammer, Alas Babylon..all 3 rather dated but classic IMHO.
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Yes, I've read all three. Classics, imho.
The only one I have read is 1984 and that only because we were required to do so in school.
I do very little reading anymore but I have read all 4 of Travis McGee’s books.
I have read or skimmed all of Winston Churchill’s
History of WWII”.
Now that I think about it, I have read a lot of books, just none on the list.
Made it through Dhalgren in high school, that is one messed up book.
Me too but to never heard of 1984?
I am out of touch. I only read Dune. I am reading Foundation and I keep putting it down. Very readable, but I just have no clue where its going and the multi-generational character changes make me shift gears to often. So far, I really don’t understand why this book is so highly esteemed. If I can stick with it to the end, maybe I will understand why.
Ever read “Footfall” by Pournell and Niven? If you liked Lucifer’s Hammer you’d like Footfall...”hard” SF invasion story.
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