Update (08/08/2009): 146 people have submitted their top 3, over Twitter, Comments, and the SFF Chronicles Forum.
Go ahead and post your top three science fiction and fantasy books/series in the comments section so we can increase the sample size, and I will edit accordingly. May the best literature win!
Share this post with the button at the bottom!!!
37 comments:
Yeah, see, the thing is with Wheel of Time is they got sooo long and convoluted...I can't remember what is going on. (But I'll snap up the final 3).
And the Time Traveler's Wife? Don't even get me started! ICK!
Forgot all about the Belgariad, red it back in HS, great series.
I personally have not picked up the Time Travelers wife yet, but my significant other has been pushing me to read it. The funny thing is I made her promise to read the whole WoT series first! So I guess I have a bit before I need to tackle it.
It's hard to choose my own top 3, Hitchhikers Guide would most likely be one of them...I'm just happy that neither Harry Potter nor Twilight are on the list
Hitchhiker's Guide
All 6 books of Kushiel's Legacy
A Wrinkle In Time
It's really hard to choose just three. I should probably throw Good Omens in there, but I can't really rank it above the ones I've already listed above, so I guess it just gets an honorable mention.
@mtgwanderer
Hmm I know what you mean. I have the new Kushiel trilogy in my to read pile, can't wait to get to it.
Updates edited in.
Top 3...hmmm, is this still open?
Anyway, mine would be:
1. A Plague of Change by L. Warren Douglas
2. Brain Plague by Joan Slonczewski
3. Songmaster by Orson Scott Card
(I still like Ender's Shadow more than Ender's Game though.)
And I still haven't read A Time Traveler's Wife either.
1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
I also want to put Ender's Shadow up there (I agree it's much better than Ender's Game), but only 3 =/
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (1977)
Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange by Suzanna Clarke (2005)
Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)
I'm really surprised nobody has put something by Neal Stephenson yet.
I think there should be a different list for fantasy. Ok. Here are my top 3:
Foundation
1984
Hitchhikers Guide...
But there are so many left aside. Having to choose one is extremely difficult. Although these ones come to mind easily on first thought. There are some rare classics missing but the list is short of course.
Top Series: The Chronicles of an Age of Darkness by Hugh Cook.
Raymond Feist's Daughter of Empire Trilogy
Peter F Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy.
All great reads.
Edited into post with cept for Dan, which I'll get on the next edit run. Keep em coming!
Meh, Wheel of Time is ok, but the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is so so much better. My top three are probably: Ender's Game, Sword of Truth (esp. Faith of the Fallen) and The Hunger Games.
Though, as soon as I submit this I'll probably think of three more that I really like.
Oh man. Top three? That's tough. I need to think on this before I come up with definitive choices. The last couple of years have seen some fantastic fiction come on to the scene too. I mean, do I choose something by Scott Lynch over Anne McCaffrey? Joe Abercrombie over David Eddings (whom I loved as a kid but not as much now..)? I'm also in love with John Scalzi now but top three? Must mull a little bit.
@NotNessie
<3 for daring to but some Goodkind up there!
@SQT
So many people are saying that exact same thing. That is why I didn't make it top ten. Three picks is a fun challenge. I'm still mulling over mine....
Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey
The Company series by Kage Baker
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I submitted my picks via Twitter, and assume you got them even though I didn't #sff, but (1) I'm surprised by those listing A Wrinkle in Time. Love the book but consider it Young Adult at best. Also surprised by the Kushiel's Legacy votes. Love them too, but think they are kind of fluffy -- romance novels in a fantasy setting. Anything by Card, Heinlein or LeGuin, or for that matter even Anne McCaffrey or Katherine Kurtz, should outrank her, IMO.
@ mutineer826
I am definitely inclined to agree with you. As it stands the sample size is well under statistically significant, especially considering the open ended nature of the submissions.
Once we get to four hundred ish posts the list will be much more legitimate. As it stands it still gives too much weight to a few posts and is consequently skewed.
This is still an open project that I plan to update indefinitely so we will get there eventually. I have only found one other list of this kind and it was done a while back in a format I didn't totally agree with.
Old Man's War
Dresden Files
Ender's Game
1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
2. Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling
3. A Game of Thrones by GRRM
Updated
I already mentioned one on Twitter, but I didn't realise we could pick three, so can I pick another two, please?
The Raine Benares series by Lisa Sharin
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
Cheers! :)
Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny.
Lord of the Rings.
The Regiment Wars, by John Dalmas
A Game of Thrones (which I voted for) is actually the first book of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. So you could technically just put it with that...but then again, I think the first book was the best =)
Heh Lots, yea i just grouped it in since 90% of the people just vote for GRRM, so its much easier for me. If you reallllllly want I will make an entry for just the book though!
UPDATED
1. A Song of Ice and Fire
2. Kingdoms of Bone and Thorn (series) by Greg Keyes
3. Summerland by Michael Chabon
1. LotR
2. Legend - Gemmell
3. Tigana - Kay
1. Stranger in a Strange Land, Heinlein
2. Stand on Zanzabar, Bruner
2. Gone Away World, Harkaway
1. The Lord of the Rings -Tolkien
2. Hel's Crucible Duology by Dennis L. McKiernan
3. Nightside series by Simon R. Green
There are so many more!
I loved the Time Travelers Wife
Three favorite Science fiction:
1. The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
2. Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton
3. Do Androids Drean of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick
Dune
Snow Crash
Ender's Game
1. A song of Ice and Fire
2.Malazan Book of the Fallen
3.Lion of Macedon
It's tough picking just 3!!
UPDATED
Foundation series (Asimov)
Forever War (Joe Haldeman)
Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons)
Wheel of time.
Wheel of time.
song of fire and ice.
wheel of time gets two because it has been the story of the last 20 years. begane reading when i was 11 am now 30. only series to keep me hooked and rereading all this time.
How about entry level stuff? piers anthony or robert asprin, love xanth and the myth...
UPDATED
I started on this post because I thought it was for Sci Fi but now realize it is combined but there is a big difference and don't get me started on the difference between Science Fiction and Science Fantasy.
Top Three
1. Childhood's End by Clark
2. The Secret of Life by Rudy Rucker
3. Perdido St. Station by Mieville
My picks are:
1. Wheel of Time
2. Sword of Truth series
3. Farseer Trilogy
Post a Comment