The Top 100 Must-read Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of All Time Poll.

Alessandra Kelley

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John Scalzi, Old Man's War, science fiction, 2005

A brilliant version and subversion of military sf, with depth, pathos, compassion, serious questions of what it means to be human, and a little humor.
 

Jayje_Athravein

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  • Title: Master of the Five Magics
  • author's name: Lyndon Hardy
  • copyright date: October 12, 1985
  • genre:Fantasy
  • ONE sentence describing why this book belongs in the list: This was the book that got me started reading and writing Fantasy novels!!!
 
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Jayje_Athravein

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  • Title: Neuromancer
  • author's name: William Gibson
  • copyright date: August 15, 1986
  • genre: Sci Fi
  • ONE sentence describing why this book belongs in the list: The first and best example of cyber punk fiction ever written!!!
 

GiantRampagingPencil

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I second The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.

Michael Scott Rohan's The Winter of the World trilogy. (fantasy) The Anvil of Ice, 1986, The Forge in the Forest, 1987, and The Hammer of the Sun, 1988. The idea that the Ice Age was a war by the elder gods to destroy humans is fascinating and the books are beautifully written.
 

Rachel Udin

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I read mostly women authors, so excuse me while I do nominations for the sake of rounding out the list.

I think Anne McCaffrey should at least be nominated once since she invented the whole pet fantasy subgenre.
Dragonriders of Pern series. (1967 to present continued by son, Todd) Science Fantasy
(Though personally, I like the PartnerShip (1992, Science Fiction) with Margaret Ball book the best). You wouldn't be writing dragons so much without her.

Marion Zimmer Bradley--Eh~ Why didn't she make the cut? Also didn't mention her because I was convinced that someone would nominate Mists of Avalon (1983, Historical Fantasy.). (That whole series also has companion novels, which I liked more.... but I don't think many have read those? the rest of the Avalon series with Diana L. Paxson)

Mercedes Lackey I personally like the Serrated Edge series (1992-1997) the best, though I know it's not that popular. And the Halfblood Chronicles (with Andre Norton 1991-2002, last book in question Science Fantasy) (who should have at least gotten one mention? No? She's prolific at least)) Mercedes Lackey is better known for the whole Valdemar series (1987 to present, fantasy, though borders on Science Fantasy sometimes)... I'll randomly nominate it not particularly because it's my favorite, but because it needs to be on the list.

Andre Norton for Beast Master (should have made the list, 1959, Fantasy)

Samuel Delaney-- no one has anything to nominate for him? Really? Really?

Parable of the Sower series by Octavia Butler. (Forgot the official name of the series.)

NK Jemisin (I'd nominate all her books thusfar... but I'm clearly biased) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010) at least?

I'll vote up Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin, if I haven't already. (another vote)

And though no one has heard of her, probably, I love the historical fiction of Morgan Llewellyn. She paints Ireland/Scotland very well. Particularly Druids (Historical Fantasy is well-plotted, 1991). My Dad originally spotted her in the bookstore.

Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan NZ author. Good book. Christian fiction for those of you who are all over C.S. Lewis for the same thing, with a strong female protagonist to boot. (Notice I'm not Christian and still liked it.) (1993)

No one wants to nominate Tobias S. Buckell's books? I haven't gotten around to it, so I can't nominate in good faith.

And because I like AW plugs, Cindy Pon's series... Silver Phoenix (Historical Fantasy, 2009) and Fury of the Pheonix (2011). (Though I want to nominate the PoC cover on the First book, First edition. Not only because it has a PoC, but because it's gorgeous and communicates the book the best.)

Melanie Rawn for the Exiles series (1994-present, High Fantasy) A great study on women and feminist issues (without the soapbox). The only series I know that puts women into power without making them amazons. Great world building too...

The Sunsword Series (1997-2004, High Fantasy) by Michelle West (also goes by Michelle Sagara) Japanese Canadian. High roughly Asian-based fantasy before the 2009 Race Fail. So love this series, for the rich descriptions, PoCs on the cover no holds bar (not even blocked out faces) and fair treatment to the cultures mentioned without it feeling like cultural misappropriation. Pretty good treatment of women as well, and I feel that the men are equally well mapped out. If you need a study of how to do it right, this series is the ticket.

The Raven Ring
(Fantasy, 1994) by Patricia Wrede and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (1990-1995, fantasy) (She made it on the NPR list at 80 for YA--plus the messed up fairytale wave started pretty much with this series.) Magic and Malice Series (Urban Fantasy, 1991, 1997) And most of you quote her world building advice anyway, so definitely should make the list.

Wise Child Series (1997-2004, YA historical fantasy) by Monica Furlong mainly because it showed me that one can write about domestic life of a woman, make it interesting, and still have magic. Should be good for women's studies.

The Great Alta series (1988-1998, High Fantasy) by Jane Yolen British. It's a great study of Anthropology at the same time... also a good study in women's studies. Has a slight aim for a Native American feel, I think? (I get more of a feeling of NE Native American tribes, though this might be familiarity bias on my part.)

The Neverending Story (Really?!! No one?) (Fantasy, 1979) by Michael Ende (I know, ironic title, right?) I like my world fiction... so I hope I don't have to explain this one.

Nnedi Okorafor for Who Fears Death (Science Fiction/Fantasy, 2010) Won a BUNCH of awards. Main character is of mixed heritage.

I hope that rounds out the list more. More women and PoC authors. Also adding world fiction.
 
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Dave Hardy

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Good point about women writers. I failed to mention a couple I recommend to SF/Fantasy fans: Leigh Brackett, the creator of the hard-boiled Sword & Planet story, my favorite, The Sword of Rhiannon. And CL Moore, for her romantic Space Opera & Fantasy series Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry.
 

Rachel Udin

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George Macdonald is more critical than C.S Lewis and Tolkien combined. He started the wave of modern fantasy with a hero's quest, as purposeful fantasy. Also predates Tolkien and Lewis as well as being a major influence both US and Britain. He's been credited with influencing more authors. So he definitely should be nominated. If Tolkien is the Granddaddy of epic fantasy, the George MacDonald is the great Granddaddy... Phantastes (1859, Fantasy), The Princess and the Goblin (1872, Fantasy), At the Back of the North Wind (1871, Fantasy), and Lilith (1895, Fantasy) Should be on the list on principle alone.
 

Jayje_Athravein

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How about Fred Saberhagen's "Book of Swords" Series? I loved those books and I STILL haven't read them all yet!!!
 

djrashn

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I didn't read the entire thread, but if no one has suggested it yet:

The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
published 3/27/2007

Best fantasy story I've read in a long time.
 

Fallen Angel

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Discworld, Terry Pratchet
The Culture Series, Ian M Banks
American Gods and the sequel Anansi Boys, Gainman

 

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seconding Mithgar series by Dennis L. Mckiernan

Epic fantasy that re-defines elves, dwarves, dragons, goblins, ogres...every fantasy trope, made awesome and wonderful.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Pellucidar series by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Ringworld by Larry Niven

Seconding the New Sun books by Gene Wolf

Macroscope by Piers Anthony

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
simply astounding approach to science fiction world building and a gripping tale.
 

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Adding votes to two more books nominated by other people:

George MacDonald (especially Phantastes and Lilith)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede


Author name correction: I went to look up descriptions for a few of these books. When I went to look up Winter of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon, nominated by Rachel Udin, I found Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan.
 

Alessandra Kelley

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John Christopher, Tripods trilogy (science fiction, 1967, 1967, 1968)

An epic young-adult trilogy about a boy discovering that aliens conquered the Earth, devastated everything, and enslaved the population with thought-regulating tech applied to people at adolescence, and what he does about it. Brilliantly realized.

I second André Norton's Beastmaster.
 
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Alessandra Kelley

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And CL Moore, for her romantic Space Opera & Fantasy series Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry.

I'd just like to point out that Shambleau and Others, which I nominated earlier, is another name for the Northwest Smith stories. I'm pretty sure it's the same book.

And I second Jirel of Joiry. Female-centered epic fantasy from when such a thing was unheard-of.
 

druid12000

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The Madness Season, 1990, by C.S. Friedman
A visonary tale. nuff said

This may be pushing the edges of 'sci/fantasy' and crossing into urban fantasy but I'll present it anyway:
Memory and Dream, 1994, by Charles DeLint
The richest, most evocative tale I have ever read.
 

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This thread hasn't been closed yet, so one more nomination (how has this not been mentioned yet?): Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke, 2004, fantasy.

Adding votes for:

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
The Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula le Guin
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula le Guin
Wild Seed, Octavia Butler
Sandman, Neil Gaiman
Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Orlando, Virginia Woolf
The Night Watch, Sergei Lukyanenko
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
 

Rachel Udin

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Adding votes to two more books nominated by other people:

George MacDonald (especially Phantastes and Lilith)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede


Author name correction: I went to look up descriptions for a few of these books. When I went to look up Winter of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon, nominated by Rachel Udin, I found Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan.

My fault. That's a correct correction.

Oh and Tamora Pierce? I haven't read her (yet), but I thought she'd be mentioned. There has to be something her fans want to nominate...
 

Alessandra Kelley

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List of all nominated works (not final list)

This is the master list of all the works that have been nominated. It is not the final list of tallied votes yet (working on it).

I believe I have listed every book nominated in this thread, but it's always possible I've made an error somewhere. If I've missed anything, please let me know.

Anonymous, Beowulf
Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide (series)
Alma Alexander, The Secrets of Jin-Shei
Piers Anthony, Macroscope
Isaac Asimov, Foundation
Isaac Asimov, Foundation (series)
Isaac Asimov, I, Robot
Isaac Asimov, Robot (series)
Robert Asprin, Thieves' World
Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake
Margaret Atwood, The Year of the Flood
Iain M. Banks, The Culture Series
L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination
Jorge Luis Borges, Labyrinths
Leigh Bracket, The Sword of Rhiannon
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury, The Golden Apples of the Sun
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
Marion Zimmer Bradley & Diana L. Paxson, Avalon Series
Terry Brooks, The Sword of Shannara
Emma Bull, War for the Oaks
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Martian (series)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Pellucidar
Jim Butcher, Dresden Files (series)
Octavia E. Butler, Dawn
Octvia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower
Octavia E. Butler, Wild Seed
Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game
Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Legacy (series)
Jacqueline Carrey, The Sundering (series)
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
C.J. Cherryh, The Chronicles of Morgaine
C.J. Cherryh, Downbelow Station
John Christopher, The Tripods Trilogy
Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End
Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park
John Crowley, Aegypt (series)
John Crowley, Little, Big
L. Sprague de Camp, The Goblin Tower
Charles de Lint, Memory and Dream
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle
Philip K. Dick, Radio Free Albemuth
Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly
Philip K. Dick, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Philip K. Dick, The Transmigration of Timothy Archer
Philip K. Dick, VALIS
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Stephen R. Donaldson, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (series)
Stephen R. Donaldson, Lord Foul's Bane
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World
David Drake, Lord of the Isles (series)
Harlan Ellison, Dangerous Visions
Harlan Ellison, Deathbird Stories
Carol Emshwiller, The Mount
Michael Ende, The Neverending Story
Philip José Farmer, To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Raymond Feist, Faerie Tale
Alan Dean Foster, Icerigger
C.S. Friedman, The Coldfire Trilogy
C.S. Friedman, The Madness Season
Monica Furlong, Wise Child Series
Neil Gaiman, American Gods
Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys
Neil Gaiman, Sandman
John Gardener, Grendel
William Gibson, Neuromancer
Tom Godwin, The Survivors
William Goldman, The Princess Bride
Terry Goodkind, The Sword of Truth
Phyllis Gotlieb, Sunburst
Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales
Joe Haldeman, The Forever War
Barbara Hambly, Mother of Winter
Peter F. Hamilton, The Night's Dawn Trilogy
Lyndon Hardy, Master of the Five Magics
Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers
Robert Heinlein, Stranger In a Strange Land
Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
Zenna Henderson, Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson
Frank Herbert, Dune
Frank Herbert, Dune (series)
Robin Hobb, The Farseer Trilogy
Homer, The Odyssey
Nalo Hopkinson, Midnight Robber
Robert E. Howard, the Conan (series)
L. Ron Hubbard, Battlefield Earth
Barry Hughart, The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
N.K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Diana Wynne Jones, The Merlin Conspiracy
Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time (series)
Sherryl Jordan, Winter of Fire
Guy Gavriel Kay, Lions of Al-Rassan
Guy Gavriel Kay, Tigana
Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon
Stephen King, The Dark Tower (series)
Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon
Stephen King, The Stand
Katherine Kurtz, Deryni Chronicles
Mercedes Lackey & Andre Norton, Halfblood Chronicles
Mercedes Lackey, Serrated Edge Series
Mercedes Lackey, Valdemar Series
Tanith Lee, The Silver Metal Lover
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
Fritz Leiber, the Fafhrd & Gray Mouser (series)
Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Stanislaw Lem, Solaris
Morgan Llewellyn, Druids
H.P. Lovecraft, The Complete Works
Sergei Lukyanenko, Nochnoi Dozor (The Night Watch)
George MacDonald, At the Back of the North Wind
George MacDonald, Lilith
George MacDonald, Phantastes
George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin
George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire (series)
Richard Matheson, I Am Legend
Anne McCaffrey, Dragonriders of Pern (series)
Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Dennis McKiernan, the Mithgar (series)
Patricia McKillip, Song for the Basilisk
Robin McKinley, The Hero and the Crown
China Miéville, Bas-Lag series
China Miéville, Perdido Street Station
Walter M. Miller, A Canticle For Leibowitz
David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
L.E. Modesitt, Jr., the Saga of Recluce (series)
Elizabeth Moon, The Deed of Paksenarrion
Michael Moorcock, the Elric series
Michael Moorcock, The Eternal Champion (series)
Alan Moore, Watchmen
C.L. Moore, Jirel of Joiry
C.L. Moore, Shambleau and Others (also known as Northwest Smith)
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, Lucifer's Hammer
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, The Mote in God's Eye
Larry Niven, Ringworld
Andre Norton, Beast Master
Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death
Ben Okri, The Famished Road
George Orwell, 1984
Mervyn Peake, Gormenghast
Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan
Charles Perrault, The Complete Fairy Tales
Cindy Pons, Fury of the Phoenix
Cindy Pons, Silver Phoenix
Tim Powers, The Anubis Gates
Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic
Terry Pratchett, Discworld Series
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials
Melanie Rawn, Exiles I: The Ruins of Ambrai
Melanie Rawn, Exiles Series
Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat
Michael Scott Rohan, The Winter of the World (trilogy)
Patrick Rothfuss, The Kingkiller Chronicle
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter (series)
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Joanna Russ, The Female Man
Fred Saberhagen, The Book of Swords (series)
R.A. Salvatore, Homeland
Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn: The Final Empire
Robert J. Sawyer, Calculating God
John Scalzi, Old Man's War
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus
Mary Shelley, The Last Man
Dan Simmons, Hyperion
William Sleator, House of Stairs
E. E. "Doc" Smith, the Lensman (series)
John Steakly, Armor
Neal Stephenson, Anathem
Neal Stephenson, The Baroque Cycle
Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
Bruce Sterling and William Gibson, The Difference Engine
Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave
Bram Stoker, Dracula
Theodore Sturgeon, E Pluribus Unicorn
Theodore Sturgeon, Some of Your Blood
Theodore Sturgeon, Venus Plus X
Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels
James Tiptree, Jr., Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Joan D. Vinge, The Snow Queen
Vernor Vinge, A Fire Upon the Deep
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
David Weber, Honor Harrington (series)
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Manly Wade Wellman, Who Fears the Devil
H.G. Wells, The Time Machine
H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds
Michelle West, Sunsword Series
T.H. White, The Once and Future King
Eudora Welty, The Robber Bridegroom
Connie Willis, All Clear
Connie Willis, Blackout
Connie Willis, Doomsday Book
Scott Westerfeld, The Succession
Gene Wolfe, The Book of the New Sun
Virginia Woolf, Orlando
Patricia Wrede, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Patricia Wrede, Magic and Malice (series)
Patricia Wrede, The Raven Ring
Jane Yolen, The Great Alta Series
Roger Zelazny, The Chronicles of Amber (series)
 

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Hitch Hiker's Guide (series)
Ender's game
LOTR (trilogy)
Watership Down
Through the Looking Glass
Ring world
Through your scattered bodies go
The Princess Bride
How to become King, J. Terlouw
The Thirteen Clocks, J. Thurber
The Mouse that Roared, Leonard Wibberley
The Princess of Babylon, Voltaire
The Princess or the Tiger, Smullyan
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid, Douglas Hofstadter
Pippi Longstocking, Lindgren
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Dahl
Crusade in Jeans, Thea Beckman
Four-square Round Forest, Ervin Lázár
 
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The Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne
Journey to The Center of The Earth, Jules Verne
The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis
Game of Thrones