Posted on 08/11/2011 5:46:33 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith
More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. The winners of NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey are an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles.
A quick word about what's here, and what's not: Our panel of experts reviewed hundreds of the most popular nominations and tossed out those that didn't fit the survey's criteria (after — we assure you — much passionate, thoughtful, gleefully nerdy discussion). You'll notice there are no young adult or horror books on this list, but sit tight, dear reader, we're saving those genres for summers yet to come.
So, at last, here are your favorite science-fiction and fantasy novels. (And a printable version, to take with you to the bookstore.)
-Robert Browning-
I would have included the following authors:
Andre Norton for the Time Traders or her Solar Queen series.
Keith Laumer for Retief of the CDT
A. Bertram Chandler for John Grimes of the Survey Service.
I also prefer SF to fantasy. I’ve read 41 of these entries and of the remainder I recognize, most are fantasy.
“My mother, I, and both of my brothers, all without prior coordination, gave each other copies of “A Canticle” for Christmas one year.”
Now that is a very cosmic story!
You all must be very linked in with one another.
That makes me think of another book on the list “Cat’s Cradle” which again I don’t remember well, but I do remember the concept of the “duprass” and whatever the other word was. Groups of people who are very connected on a metaphysical plane. Or however Vonnegut put it. I actually think the duprass were couples, such as those who live together their whole lives and then die within a short time of each other, there was another “_prass” for larger groups, iirc.
I read pretty much all of Vonnegut, right up through breakfast of champions. He was a good writer, but as I’ve said about many of these books I’m not sure what I’d really think of him today.
I’ll say one thing I could NEVER get through “Stranger in a Strange Land”. We tried reading this as a class when I was in, I can’t remember, I think it must have been Jr. High. And we were ALL bored to death with it, we actually voted to stop reading it. I tried it once after that, since I still had the book. Couldn’t do it.
That and “Emma” by Jane Austen. They say if you can get to the end of Chapter 3, or something like that, Emma is then a great book.
Couldn’t just ever get there.
Bump
A book less than a thousand pages is a novella for teenagers.
Literally, I would take a two-hundred-page book to school every morning, and finish it before school let out.
“Stranger in a Strange Land” may be strange, but is an easy read.
“Stranger in a Strange Land” may be strange, but is an easy read.”
Like “Emma” I think I’ve given up on that one.
I’m a fast reader too, I remember reading “The Great Gatsby” one afternoon while I babysat.
That was one of my big problems when I was commuting by bus/train years ago, staying in reading material.
And it’s a big part of the reason why I love the internet, and my kindle, so very much.
“Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. One of the funniest books I’ve ever read.”
YES!!! My copy is dog-eared. (AND signed by both Pratchett & Gaiman! Woohoo!)
Green with envy here. Not sure where my copy is, but
wherever it is someone is laughing!
Your copy is probably still traveling from hand to hand! That’s what happened to my first copy. I had to get a second copy for signing.
I’ll make you still more envious .... My husband and I actually had lunch with Sir Terry once! Back in 1997 at the Worldcon in Austin. We offered to buy him a banana daquiri and he asked for lunch instead. :) It was the day after Princess Diana bought the farm, and Pratchett was quite sure the Royals had finally done her in. An interesting perspective from him.
Your copy is probably still traveling from hand to hand! That’s what happened to my first copy. I had to get a second copy for signing.
I’ll make you still more envious .... My husband and I actually had lunch with Sir Terry once! Back in 1997 at the Worldcon in Austin. We offered to buy him a banana daquiri and he asked for lunch instead. :) It was the day after Princess Diana bought the farm, and Pratchett was quite sure the Royals had finally done her in. An interesting perspective from him.
I’m confused. Aren’t NPR listeners total lib morons? They clearly don’t see the obvious conservative tomes in the novels.
I’d think in there version they’d be happier if Frodo had just have negotitated an agreement.
And why did they have to change the ending? The Shire was wiped out.
I mean in the movies, not the novels.
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