Comments on: Top 25 SFX Books

By: Maclac

Maclac — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:07:21 +0000

Good list. There are only 2 novels there I have not read.

Significant missing books (IMO):

- Altered Carbon – Richard K Morgan

- On the Beach – Nevil Shute

- Use of Weapons – Iain M Banks

- Forever War / Forever Peace – Joe Haldeman (plus a multitude of his books but let’s keep it simple)

- Farnham’s Freehold – Robert A Heinlien (a bizarrely entertaining time travel book from a post-cuban missle crisis viewpoint – and also Starship Troopers/Moon is Harsh Mistress)

and a recent fave authour of mine:

- John Birmingham. The Axis of Time trilogy starting with Weapons of Choice is great.

Those are some I would consider worthy of being in (or at very least near) the top 25.

Malc

By: AffronterBias

AffronterBias — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:27:53 +0000

Bit heavy on the fantasy side. No Iain M Banks, Alastair Reynolds, William Gibson, really? Potter (s’okay)in the same list as American Gods (unmitigated genius) really? No Max Brooks? Sorry guys, need to see a top 100.

By: Wolfdream » Top 25 SFX Books…

Wolfdream » Top 25 SFX Books… — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:17:13 +0000

[...] sfx.co.uk released a list of their top 25 SFX books… Is it bad that I have read so many of [...]

By: jonnyb57

jonnyb57 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:54:47 +0000

Sad to see that the Forever War didn’t get in there at all, but some good titles (I’ve read all but 2). I have to say that I think that Dune, HHG2G and LoTR, whilst all great books are also all overrated. And what’s with all the Pratchett? He gets about 4 whilst Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke get zip between them?? Also, Philip K Dick, anyone??? My top 3 (in no particular order) would be Ender, A Game of Thrones and the Forever War.

By: Kudos

Kudos — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:00:05 +0000

That would be cool if you could Dave , it would be interesting to see what got votes and how the rest faired, as top tens and top twenty (especially book) lists often feature the same sets of name and faces. I’d like to see what sort of lesser known stuff is getting voted for as well.

By: AntipathyArtisan

AntipathyArtisan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:49:34 +0000

If you can get those top 100s up that would be fantastic :) Nice countdowns as they stand, all the same.
Surprised to see no Iain M Banks here, what a pity. I didn’t get any of mine into the list (and one a Pratchett, imagine!) but musn’t grumble, a few there that i’ll look for on those write ups alone. And that’s what it’s all about, really :)

By: cordas

cordas — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:35:16 +0000

It would be great if you could, and I am sure I won’t be the only person who reads the post. If you can’t do top 100 the best you have would be appreciated.

By: Dave Golder

Dave Golder — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:00:07 +0000

Hmmm, after I post the top 25 TV shows nest week, I may post one round up article with the rest of the Top 100s for all three (movies, books, TV shows). Let me look into the logistics…

By: cordas

cordas — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:41:49 +0000

Great list, and I am only missing a couple from my private library but have read them all. I was glad to get 3 of my votes recognised with War of the Worlds, 1984 and Day of the Triffids (i know they are easy pics).

I am very happy to see how many old books are in this list, having really got into ‘classic scifi’ (pre 70s) over the last couples of years I am constantly encouraged by the quality of books I find (for the most part) and try to get as many books as I can passed on to friends. Bit surprised Asimov or Clark didn’t make the top 25 though.

Any chance of you publishing the top 100, just as list would make great reading and might hopefully inspire future reading.

By: Gaspar

Gaspar — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:49:14 +0000

Correction to my post: i didn’t vote for It, as in It, by Stephen King, i voted for American Gods, but i didn’t noticed the commentaries weren’t for an exclusive book… :)

By: Gaspar

Gaspar — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:47:06 +0000

Voted for it, a place truly deserved in the pantheon of the great titles in the Fantasy genre. Anansi Boys is also excelent, a bit underrated, i think, but it improves with further readings.

By: Kudos

Kudos — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:35:07 +0000

No surprises on that list really. Pratchett and Tolkien always do well on these and there haven’t been any really stand out books since the last time a list like this was compiled. I was expecting to see Peter F. Hamiltion on there somewhere, he seemed to be doing quite well in the voting thread. Ho hum.
Glad Ender’s Game did well, so that’s at least one book I voted for in there anyhow ;)
Well done to Hitchhiker’s for nabbing silver.

By: Tao

Tao — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:49:19 +0000

Nice to see two of the books I’d voted for in there (Dune and LOTR). Pity there’s no Heinlein though, I think he deserved a spot for at least one of his books (Stranger In A Strange Land being my third vote).

By: SFX's Top 25 SFF books - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

SFX's Top 25 SFF books - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:26:18 +0000

[...] Top 25 SFF books Interesting list here, as voted by the public: Top 25 SFX Books The slideshow format can get a bit annoying, so for the sake of ease of reference: [...]

By: Roses's Tin Dog

Roses's Tin Dog — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:09:46 +0000

I’d put the Harry Potter book below anything written by Neil Gaiman especially a novel so rich and beguiling as “American Gods” but that is the nature of polls especially among sci-fi fans.
Now let the accusations and ugly debate begin.

By: saint mark

saint mark — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:09:01 +0000

Jeez the Pratchett crowd really worked at it this time.

No big surprises really.

By: Richard L

Richard L — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:03:56 +0000

A very interesting list.

Can I add some of my own?

1. Midshipman’s Hope (And basically all of the first 4 books in that series, especially Prisoner’s Hope.) David Feintuch
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
3. Jingo, by far the best of Pratchett’s books.
4. Final Frontier, by Diane Carey. I have reread it countless times. Some of it grates, but in the main it’s great. The dates are wrong, and her other books are piss poor in comparison buuut.

But I read Historical fiction more than fantasy, less annoying made up names and words, and people who might well have existed. Recently read Collingwood (biography) and Treason’s Harbour by Patrick O’Brian. O’Brian in particular totally defeats and mullers most Sci Fi fiction, while still keeping the themes of shipboard warfare, exploration, feuds, and action.

Can’t really think of that many fantasy/sci-fi books I like beyond this five.