I've been a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy ever since I was in 3rd Grade, and Star Trek came on the air and the space program was in full swing. I was about first in line to see 2001: A Space Odyssey. I watched every televised moonwalk (I've never forgiven the news directors of the day for skipping so many transmissions, with their excuse that people didn't find them exciting enough. What did they want? WWF Wrestling on the Moon? Bloody "I Dream of Jeanie"?) Here is my list of the very best Sci-Fi novels of all time (not ranked, just listed as they pop into my memory):
|
Childhood's End |
Arthur C. Clarke |
|
Rendezvous with Rama |
Arthur C. Clarke |
|
2001: A Space Odyssey |
Arthur C. Clarke |
|
The City and the Stars |
Arthur C. Clarke |
|
Tales from the White Hart |
Arthur C. Clarke |
|
The Foundation Trilogy |
Isaac Asimov |
|
I, Robot |
Isaac Asimov |
|
Dune |
Frank Herbert |
|
The God Emperor of Dune |
Frank Herbert |
|
Battlefield Earth |
L. Ron Hubbard (no Scientology mail, PLEASE!) |
|
The War of the Worlds |
H. G. Wells |
|
Ender's Game |
Orson Scott Card (no Mormon mail, PLEASE) |
|
Speaker for the Dead |
Orson Scott Card |
|
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Douglas Adams |
|
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe |
Douglas Adams |
|
Life, the Universe and Everything |
Douglas Adams |
|
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish |
Douglas Adams |
|
The Dispossessed |
Ursula K. LeGuinn |
|
Partnership |
Anne McCafferey |
In high school, I accidentally discovered the realm of fantasy by picking up "Bored of the Rings" by the Harvard Lampoon. Like the brainless teenager I was, I even did a book report on it for an English class. Later, I found an ancient storehouse of books squirreled away by my sister with 1960's paperback copies of the "Lord of the Rings" books. After a few abortive attempts to read them, I got to the part where the adventurers reach Bree, and I was hooked. Later, I picked up "The Hobbit" to read to my son James when he was 8 years old. Just LOOK at what it has done to him!
My favorite fantasy series/books of all time (ever notice how few stand-alone fantasy books there are?):
|
The Silmarillion |
J.R.R. Tolkien |
|
The Hobbit |
J.R.R. Tolkien |
|
The Lord of the Rings |
J.R.R. Tolkien |
|
Earthsea Trilogy (the first 3 only!) |
Ursula K. LeGuinn |
|
Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser |
Fritz Lieber |
|
The Wheel of Time |
Robert Jordan |
|
Harry Potter |
J. K. Rowling |
|
His Dark Materials |
Philip Pullman |
On a personal note, I have written a little bit if Sci-Fi, myself. Read, if you dare!
