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 ...
Marx, Wood, Wei and Christ-all but Wei were sacrificed.
Me, too-I was in college the first time I read it-everyone on campus was reading and talking about it, jokingly calling each other “hater” and “brotherfighter”-it is just as chilling, no matter how many times I read it...
I think I read that one-but it was a long time ago-it didn’t really stick with me.
I recommend the others. Highly.
Very high on my list. I've read it several times.
Books are like guns. If you know how many you have, you don't have enough. I don't know if I have a copy of "This Perfect Day" or not.
Another book I recall enjoying was "Dark December", at least in part because it took place near where I was living. I don't remember much about it now.
I have a lot of favorite Heinlein books, but one of the ones I like best is still Farnham’s Freehold-politically incorrect as only Heinlein could be...
I haven’t read”Footfall” but I’ll give it a go...thank you!!
The Earth Abides has been re-released.
It is a great book. I remember talking far into the night with friends after reading it. And it, more than anything else helps us realize that normal can turn abnormal quickly.
Worth the reads.
One of my all-time favorite books. I usually reread it once a year now.
Sgt. Bobby Shaftoe is one of my all-time favorite literary characters! He alone is worth the time to read this novel.
Well,being a dude it was Julie Christie that got *my* pulse racing.To each his (or her) own. ;-)
But it *is* one of my all time favorites.
Same here.
The first Foundation book is odd, the first chapter is beautiful and after that it reads like a high schooler wrote it.
Thanks-I’ve been a fan of SF since middle school.
There were 20 Travis Magee books, by John D. MacDonald. I guess I’m not understanding.
The End of Reason by Ravi Zacharias
Brave New World by Huxley
Joel Rosenbergs books
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Kids should read Animal Farm as early as they are capable
The premise that everyone pretends to read fantasy books seems flawed.
Wouldn’t Lord of The Rings be on the list?
Did you read the whole series? Absolutely loved it.
or Childhood’s End? I would favor Childhoods End
Did not see the ending coming at all.
The Martian was an excellent read, I hope they do not F* up the movie
Phillip Jose Farmer wrote a short novella-Riders of the Purple Wage-in 1967 that I’ve read countless times, too. It is about the welfare state, and is one of the most hilarious stories I have ever read-it even has a happy ending.
Excellent read...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.