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 ...
In the early 1960’s our high school required that we read “Brave New World” and “1984”. Sadly the future described in both of these books is or has come true despite our being warned about it. If today’s students read them, I fear they would accept the conditions described as the norm, not something to be feared.
You’ve never heard of it r are you asking me? I first read “1984” when I was 11 or 12...and find it fascinating to this day.
“A boot stamping on a human face, forever”.....chilling quote in that that too many people try to justify oppression as “for our own good”.
As fantasy is included...
The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
The Space Trilogy - CS Lewis ( only Christian SF ever written )
This is an opportunity I’ve been waiting for...
Years ago, someone posted here on F R, a book about the negative consequences of a successful SETI contact.
It sounded fascinating, but I’ve searched here and Google, etc., and I’ll be damned if I can find it. Does anyone here know or remember it? If so, please post.
Thanks in advance.
No, I have read 1984.
My question was directed at Harleylady27 (who I posted to origanaly) who said that she had not heard of any of the books.
Athat most any American over the age of 30 would have heard of 1984 and particularly any Freeper over the age of 30 would have heard of 1984.
Cryptonomicon is a long and difficult read but worth it
If one adds precursor SF types
The HP Lovecraft Necronomicon bases series are very good for their time
House of Suns
The Fractal Prince (Bk 1)
The Quantum Thief (Bk 2)
The Causal Angle (Bk 3)
The Foundation Trilogy
Dune
Neuromancer
All four books of the Hyperion Cantos
And so many more...
I should reread that book
I was reading “The Note In God’s Eye” by Larry Niven when I went to boot camp. My Drill Sargent took it from me before I finished it.
Years later I found it and finished it. It was worth the wait.
Love “This Perfect Day”
Amen to Heinlein
The Mote In Gods Eye
This kinda falls into the "I read it, I liked it, I'll never admit it" catagory :)
Phillip K Dick is underrated. Many of his 1950s short stories have become modern movies. For instance “Second Variety” became the “Screamers” flicks.
I read four out of the ten and although I’m an obsessive re-reader, I have not read any of them more than once, except maybe Dune but it was a long time ago and I may just be remembering one of the sequels.
I don’t know what hard core scifi folks stick to but I did enjoy The Hunger Games series and the Divergent series. Although I doubt I’ll read them again. I read them because my teenager read them.
My all time favorite scifi is C.S.Lewis’s trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Paralandra; and That Hideous Strength.
For the most part I prefer fantasy.
I still read "Battlefield Earth" at least once a year.
Gormanghast Trilogy
Worm Ouroborus
Blade Runner and The Minority Report
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