# 100 Must Read Sci-Fi Books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167 "2004-08-17T01:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/101 "2004-08-21T20:39:27Z")
> [@](#): > > So just how does one find stellar SF? For starters, why don’t you try out these 100 narrative works. Each one should be part of every SF reader’s—not to mention every SF writer’s—repertoire. The introductory paragraph doesn’t actually claim that all of the books are sf, although it would be easy to get that impression. The list is described as a list of narrative works that should be part of every sf reader’s repertoire. Based on that criterion, I don’t see any problem with religious texts, children’s books, or fantasy being on the list. The sf fan who limits himself only to books that are clearly and inarguably science fiction is missing out on a lot of good reading, and I would argue is likely limiting their enjoyment of good sf by not having a good knowledge of related materials. Based on that standard, I think that the Old Testament would make a good foundation book for understanding and fully appreciating a lot of good sf, while not being science fiction itself, it could well belong on a list of books every sf fan should read. My score was 26/100, though I have about 20 of those on my books to be read list. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/102 "2004-08-21T21:01:11Z")
Quoth **Adoptamom II** : > [@](#): > > Quick question - my son will be 13 this fall and loves science fiction. I’m not a fan and have always been unsure which books to buy him. Would this list be considered a good choice in helping him build his library? This list would not be a good starting place for your purposes. Some of the books would be just fine, of course, but some others would be very age-inappropriate. _Stranger in a Strange Land_, for instance, has some pretty explicit sex in it, and he might not fully appreciate dystopian novels like _Brave New World_ or _1984_ (but then again, he might). One excellent place to start would be Heinlein’s juvenile novels. My favorite is _Space Cadet_; other good ones include _Farmer in the Sky_, _Red Planet_, _The Rolling Stones_, _Tunnel in the Sky_, and _Podkayne of Mars_ (as well as several others; all of Heinlein’s juvies are good). Also good would be _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_, _Starship Troopers_, and _Double Star_. Anything by Asimov would also be OK: Nothing of his is nearly as good as Heinlein’s best, but (unlike Heinlein) even his worst is still pretty decent. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/103 "2004-08-21T21:40:47Z")
This is a personal pet peeve, so take it with a grain of salt. **Adoptamom II** : Do not start your son on 50-year-old sf that may turn him off the field entirely. Start with books by modern authors with modern sensibilities. There are dozens of great authors writing great young adult fantasy and science fiction today. At [scifan.com](http://scifan.com), you can find the most comprehensive listing of young adult f&sf I’ve ever seen. [http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH\_themeid=77](http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=77) It’s in chronological order, so go to the bottom of the page, click on the “last” button and work backward from page 113. Each book has a link that gives information about it, and each author has a link to the rest of that author’s works. Let your son find and develop his own classics, not rely on memories of adults. BTW, the [main themes page](http://www.scifan.com/themes/) at that site has listings for almost 300 other themes. An amazing resource. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/104 "2004-08-22T06:52:36Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > At [scifan.com](http://scifan.com), you can find the most comprehensive listing of young adult f&sf I’ve ever seen. > > [http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH\_themeid=77](http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=77) > > It’s in chronological order, so go to the bottom of the page, click on the “last” button and work backward from page 113. > > Each book has a link that gives information about it, and each author has a link to the rest of that author’s works. > > Let your son find and develop his own classics, not rely on memories of adults. > > BTW, the [main themes page](http://www.scifan.com/themes/) at that site has listings for almost 300 other themes. An amazing resource. I’m getting a 400 error (never seen that before) on both links, **Ex**. DD ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/105 "2004-08-22T16:23:04Z")
Both links work when I click on them. And in both IE and Netscape. So I have no answer. Anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/106 "2004-08-22T17:34:08Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Both links work when I click on them. And in both IE and Netscape. So I have no answer. > > Anybody else? They work for me, too. Maybe the site was down briefly. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/107 "2004-08-22T18:40:54Z")
I’ve read 45 of them Maybe more, some were rather forgettable. I, too find the list a little strange. I would include _Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang_ by Kate Wilhelm. - We Have Always Lived in The Castle\* and \* The Haunting of Hill House\* by Shirley Jackson, should be there if _Frankenstein_ and \* The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde\* are included. - Lucifer’s Hammer\* by Larry Niven (and Frederik Pohl?) ( I think) I’ve always been convinced that David Brin got his _Postman_ from LH. Where is _Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever_? Oh no! brain fart! I can’t remember who wrote it… Enough… We probably all have our 100 must reads to qualify as a true Science Fiction aficionado. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/108 "2004-08-22T21:16:38Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > - Lucifer’s Hammer\* by Larry Niven (and Frederik Pohl?) ( I think) I’ve always been convinced that David Brin got his _Postman_ from LH. > Where is _Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever_? Oh no! brain fart! I can’t remember who wrote it… Not **Fred Pohl** … **Jerry Pournelle**. And the\* Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever \* were written by **Stephen R. Donaldson.** ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/109 "2004-08-22T21:21:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not **Fred Pohl** … **Jerry Pournelle**. And the\* Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever \* were written by **Stephen R. Donaldson.** Thanks :smack: Well, They both have vowels… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/110 "2004-08-22T21:36:38Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > At [scifan.com](http://scifan.com), you can find the most comprehensive listing of young adult f&sf I’ve ever seen. > > [http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH\_themeid=77](http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=77) > > It’s in chronological order, so go to the bottom of the page, click on the “last” button and work backward from page 113. That’s a neat site. Maybe you should do a thread to see how many of _those_ books people have read. It would be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/111 "2004-08-22T21:38:01Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > At [scifan.com](http://scifan.com), you can find the most comprehensive listing of young adult f&sf I’ve ever seen. > > [http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH\_themeid=77](http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=77) > > It’s in chronological order, so go to the bottom of the page, click on the “last” button and work backward from page 113. That’s a neat site. Maybe you should do a thread to see how many of _those_ books people have read. It would be interesting. (and if people had access to a database copying and pasting would be an easy way to keep track of a list that long…) ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/112 "2004-08-23T00:15:16Z")
I’ve read maybe ten of these. Maybe 11 depending on the answer to this question: Is the “Upanishads” title referring to _the_ Upanishads? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/113 "2004-08-23T08:17:24Z")
I just look again at the list, and something struck me. Are we sure this isn’t simply their overstock SF books? Don’t mind me, I’ve always been cynical. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/114 "2004-08-23T18:08:22Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I just look again at the list, and something struck me. Are we sure this isn’t simply their overstock SF books? > Don’t mind me, I’ve always been cynical. Well, since Phobos is a small press, since none of their own publications are on the list, since the “Buy” link goes to Amazon, and since nobody would have “overstock” on 100 random old famous sf books, three of whom don’t even have “Buy” links in the first place, my guess is that cynical isn’t exactly the right word. ---
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/115 "2004-08-24T03:39:24Z")
> [@Adoptamom\_II](#): > > Quick question - my son will be 13 this fall and loves science fiction. I’m not a fan and have always been unsure which books to buy him. I should have responded to this sooner, but for that age I highly recommend William Sleator. His books _The Green Futures of Tycho_ and _Interstellar Pig_ were some of my favorites, but everything of his I’ve read is great. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167/116 "2004-08-24T03:56:49Z")
I think these guys really are referring to _the_ Upanishads. Wtf? How does a collection of Hindu sacred texts wind up on a Sci-Fi book list? I know somebody wrote about a spaceship called “Rama”, but come on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-must-read-sci-fi-books/260167.md?page=5)