So, I guess this book list has been going around, but … well. The Science Fiction Book Club has released their list of The Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years, 1953-2002. I was going to ignore it, but … well… I was looking at it and I’m not sure what tools they used to determine which books were “significant”. Since I haven’t even heard of most of them. Here’s a chart:
Note: Potentially interesting continuation below.
1 = Heard of the author
2 = Heard of the book
3 = Started reading it
4 = Finished reading it
5 = I own it
6 = I liked it (if finished)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Title, Author |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien | ||
| 1 | 2 | The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Dune, Frank Herbert |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein | |||
| A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Neuromancer, William Gibson |
| 1 | Childhood’s End, Arthur C. Clarke | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick | ||
| The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury | ||||
| The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe | ||||||
| A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. | ||||||
| 1 | The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov | |||||
| Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras | ||||||
| Cities in Flight, James Blish | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 5 | The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett | |||
| 1 | Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison | |||||
| 1 | Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison | |||||
| The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester | ||||||
| Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany | ||||||
| 1 | Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey | |||||
| 1 | 2 | Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card | ||||
| The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson | ||||||
| The Forever War, Joe Haldeman | ||||||
| 1 | Gateway, Frederik Pohl | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams |
| I Am Legend, Richard Matheson | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice | ||
| The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin | ||||||
| Little, Big, John Crowley | ||||||
| 1 | Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny | |||||
| 1 | The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick | |||||
| Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement | ||||||
| 1 | More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon | |||||
| The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith | ||||||
| On the Beach, Nevil Shute | ||||||
| 1 | Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | Ringworld, Larry Niven | |
| Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson |
| Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner | ||||||
| The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein | ||||
| 1 | Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock | |||||
| 1 | The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks | |||||
| Timescape, Gregory Benford | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer |
Okay, so what this says is what? I know I’m not very well read, but I was pretty sure I had a good grasp on ‘significant’ authors, at least, especially in the genre of books of which I have read the most. Maybe it says their list isn’t as good as it is meant to be. Maybe I just need to get through these books on my own before I say whether these books are ‘significant’ or not. Except… not ever even having heard of most of them OR many of the men who wrote them, I’m not sure how feasible that is.
If you have a copy of any of these books you’d lend me (I am very good with borrowed books, generally. Zoe once commented something to the effect that I am ‘the only person [he] knows that returns books in better condition than they were lent in,’ thought I expect he must be exaggerating.) I would be glad to read them. My lifestyle here in Pine calls for not less than three days a week (soon five) with nearly full days that can be spent reading. I was going to practice languages and then start going through my standing collection of books (and will likely move books from this list to the top of ‘the stack’), but if I could get access to the rest of these books, that would be a good thing. Maybe we could make a virtual book club out of this list.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to arrange a virtual book club anyway. I was thinking we could have a book selected to be read by a particular date and then get several people together at a pre-determined time in an IM conversation to discuss the book. Then post the log of the discussion in Reviews or a new section on Modern Evil. This could be done even if a few people were passing around a couple copies of the book if there’s enough lag before the discussion. I’m guessing Zoe would be up for it, anyone else want to throw their hat in the ring?
But I don’t wear hats. Head too big!
But I don’t wear hats. Head too big!
I like the sound your hat makes.
Well, throw something else in the ring. Or … in my general direction. or… just join the book club.
I like the sound your hat makes.
Well, throw something else in the ring. Or … in my general direction. or… just join the book club.
I’d be willing to lend you Mists of Avalon (MZB), and if you give me your address I’ll send it to you. I have about 5 others on the list, but I liked that one best.
Also, I’d like to join the book club, as long as I don’t have to fill out paperwork.
I’d be willing to lend you Mists of Avalon (MZB), and if you give me your address I’ll send it to you. I have about 5 others on the list, but I liked that one best.
Also, I’d like to join the book club, as long as I don’t have to fill out paperwork.
Oh! I was… actually, I don’t know what I was, but that’s not the point. I’ve never seen Tank Girl. Have you seen Tank Girl? Because I never have, and I’m not sure wether to be upset about it or not.
I think there’s supposed to be another h in that word.
Oh! I was… actually, I don’t know what I was, but that’s not the point. I’ve never seen Tank Girl. Have you seen Tank Girl? Because I never have, and I’m not sure wether to be upset about it or not.
I think there’s supposed to be another h in that word.
You know I would be up for it. I also have several of those books that you dont :>
You know I would be up for it. I also have several of those books that you dont :>
I could think of 1000 bette Anne Rice books.
Oh, and I saw Stand on Zanzibar at a used bookstore the other day. Freaked out b/c my uncle is John Brunner. Well, not that one, but he is one.
I could think of 1000 bette Anne Rice books.
Oh, and I saw Stand on Zanzibar at a used bookstore the other day. Freaked out b/c my uncle is John Brunner. Well, not that one, but he is one.
I remember reading at least 8 of them. Some of them I packed and moved out of the room when you moved in. 🙂
I remember reading at least 8 of them. Some of them I packed and moved out of the room when you moved in. 🙂