# 50 Essential Science Fiction Novels for a Public Library **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193 "2014-04-28T15:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/101 "2014-05-02T11:39:52Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Solaris is on the second list. Definitely one of the best Science Fiction novels ever IMHO. I wanted to read for years before I got my hands on it. Usually, that’s a great way to be disappointed but in this case, I’d say that it was even better than I expected. Essential reading. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/102 "2014-05-02T12:03:03Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’ve read all the Gold Age Astoundings. Heinlein created modern science fiction from the writing side - Campbell did it from the editing side. While Clarke, Asimov, Pohl and a host of others stood on the sidelines and did nothing. Riiiiiight. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/103 "2014-05-02T13:25:43Z")
I’m going to put some lesser-known works and authors in my list, since I figure others will hit the big ones that end up on every “essential” list. Some of these **should** be much more famous than they are. Effinger, George Alec — [_When Gravity Fails_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Gravity_Fails). It’s set in the Middle East, which is vastly different from most SF. One of the first depictions of cybernetic technology that modifies personality, as well as providing “downloadable” skills and abilities. Vinge, Vernor — _True Names … and Other Dangers_ or a later story collection with both _True Names_ and _Bookworm, Run!_. The first because it’s one of the first depictions of “cyberspace”, predating _Neuromancer_ by at least 3 years, and the second because it’s one of the first stories with technologically-enhanced intelligence. _A Fire Upon the Deep_ is interesting and ambitious, but I think the stories in the _True Names_ collection provide access to most of his groundbreaking ideas. _A Fire Upon the Deep_ won an award, but I think it’s not as good overall as some of his short stories. _Across Realtime_ collects his Bobble books, which flesh out his technological singularity idea, something which is introduced in those _True Names_ stories. Not essential, but I actually consider these better than _A Fire Upon the Deep_ or possibly even _A Deepness in the Sky_ which must have been difficult as hell to write since much of the narrative takes place from an alien point of view. Williams, Walter Jon — [_Aristoi_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristoi_(novel)). This book takes risks on every level and is executed brilliantly. He depicts a post-scarcity society with massive resources, mutable bodies, and mastery of nanotech. There’s an elite class that are quite literally insane by our standards, who are in fact **required** to become functional split personalities. The very format of the text is experimental as he shows simultaneous points of view and concurrent action by splitting the narrative into columns. A short story collection containing [_The Machine Stops_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Machine_Stops) is almost essential. This is the earliest predictive depiction of many later technologies and social developments such as instant messaging, reliance upon technology for survival, and constant connection to entertainment and information. Bear, Greg — _Blood Music_, _Forge of God_, or _Queen of Angels_ deserve a place, in that order of precedence. The first is both one of the first depictions of a “grey goo” nanotech apocalypse and an ambitious narrative experiment. The second deals with some big ideas about cosmology and human development, as well as showing a realistic way to destroy the earth. And the third shows some realistic social developments in response to technological advances, as well as a really well-done “alien” point of view in the AI character. Varley, John — _The Persistence of Vision_ or _Steel Beach_. The first is a short story collection. The title novella is hauntingly beautiful and painful; absolutely excellent. There are introductions to many of his other common themes and ideas in other stories in the collection, and every single one is damn good. _Steel Beach_ is the best single novel in his Eight Worlds setting, which features ambitious explorations of gender and social roles in a society kicked off earth by invading aliens, but who enough technology to live just about anywhere. Butler, Octavia — Her _Xenogenesis_ series has “human” protagonists with a very alien viewpoint. The main characters are human hybrids created by an alien race that uplifts humans after we bomb ourselves back into the stone age. Deserves a place for the alternate point of view and incorporation of genetic alterations and aliens into society, if nothing else, but she also is an excellent writer. Tepper, Sheri S. — Probably [_The Gate to Women’s Country_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gate_to_Women%27s_Country) would be the best single novel to choose, but with a few exceptions almost everything she has written is excellent. She writes “soft” SF, concerned with cultural and linguistic changes in response to a change in society, and often has strong feminist themes without stridency. If there’s a _True Game_ collection, that would also be ideal. Any of those 9 books are good, and they are all interconnected, though each stands alone quite well. LeGuin, Ursula — Damn near everything she wrote is worthy of a place in some top 50 list. _The Left Hand of Darkness_ is both beautifully written and deals extremely well with gender politics in a society of humans who shift gender and sexes. _The Dispossessed_ contrasts two societies in a nearly allegorical treatment of capitalism and collectivism. _The Lathe of Heaven_ is probably her most SF-y story, since it deals with speculative technology instead of the “softer” social/anthropological stories she usually writes. Vinge, Joan D. — (Yes, she was married to **that** Vinge when she established her career.) _The Heaven Chronicles_ are an excellent hard science treatment of a semi-anarchist society of people who live in the asteroid belts. _The Snow Queen_ deals with a society on a planet that is periodically visited by an imperial court traveling at relativistic speeds, also early depictions of nanotechnology and bioengineering. Her writing is similar to LeGuin in the depth of societies she develops and in her use of language. L’Engle, Madeline — _A Wrinkle in Time_ is a classic in literature, a classic in science fiction, and a great children’s story. Her explanation of a tesseract prepared me for dealing with Lorentz Contractions and General Relativity later on. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/104 "2014-05-02T15:14:49Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > … > Walter M. Miller - _A Canticle for Liebowitz_ > … > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > …Also, a public library in an affluent town of 30K really ought to have Starship Troopers on the shelf… A Canticle for Liebowitz and Starship Troopers are both good, classic examples of the human/social side of SF, but in different ways. Canticle discusses how technological change and social change interact with each other to produce the future - what humanity becomes depends on both factors. It also vividly expresses the opinion that Humanity is trapped in an endless cycle of war, destruction, recovery, and renewed war. Starship Troopers goes heavily into discussions of social structures, hierarchies, and attitudes toward leadership, and the qualities, qualifications, and expectations of leaders. The SF is really more for color and background - it’s very much a people story, which is a refreshing break from SF that spends dozens of pages discussing the blast radii of quasar bombs and why jumpgates don’t work within ten parsecs of a white dwarf. Shines the name! > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > … > Heinlein, Robert A. - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress > … If they don’t include this book in the collection, you can throw rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/105 "2014-05-02T15:52:33Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > …LeGuin, Ursula — Damn near everything she wrote is worthy of a place in some top 50 list. _The Left Hand of Darkness_ is both beautifully written and deals extremely well with gender politics in a society of humans who shift gender and sexes… It’s a great book and definitely deserves to be on the list, but the gender-shifters are humanoid aliens, not humans. Stephen King’s _11/22/63_ is a time-travel story that deals at some length with temporal paradoxes and alternate universes. I have no problem calling it sf (and a damn good read, too). ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/106 "2014-05-02T18:26:00Z")
I love pretty much everything N. Shute has ever written, but if you needed to make room on the list I think it is maybe a bit of a stretch to define **On The Beach** as primarily science fiction. I found **The Road** both unbearably painful to read and quite well done, but would offer it in the same “not necessarily primarily science fiction” grouping. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/107 "2014-05-02T18:28:33Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > I love pretty much everything N. Shute has ever written, but if you needed to make room on the list I think it is maybe a bit of a stretch to define **On The Beach** as primarily science fiction. I found **The Road** both unbearably painful to read and quite well done, but would offer it in the same “not necessarily primarily science fiction” grouping. Yeah; these (and Stephen King) are books I’d expect to find in a library’s (general) fiction collection, not its SF collection. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/108 "2014-05-02T20:48:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yeah; these (and Stephen King) are books I’d expect to find in a library’s (general) fiction collection, not its SF collection. Where they might be shelved doesn’t matter. Of the books that they have from the original list of 47, nearly half are shelved with general fiction. More later… ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/109 "2014-05-02T20:54:21Z")
I’d like to throw in an outlier here, _Wool_ by Hugh Howey. A very recent book (and the first part of a trilogy). I was given it and really expected to be disappointed with it but found it very compelling. Also, as an alternative to the already mentioned books of Iain M Banks (RIP), I think that _Against A Dark Background_ is possibly his best novel. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/110 "2014-05-02T21:36:56Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > Public librarian checking in. > > If you want to save a slot in your 50, **Frankenstein** (actually, ALL of those) would already be in the catalog as a classic (required in the collection for schoolwork) so it doesn’t have to be in the SF list. > > I’d say the others (1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451) were too far into speculative fiction to be on a specifically SF list, but that tends to be a very personal judgement call. > Asimov needs to have **Foundation** , and something with the Robots. Actually, for the Robots, a good short story collection would be the best representation of the 3 Laws universe. I nominate **The Complete Robot** for the spot. > > Anyone noted Kim Stanley Robinson’s **Red Mars** yet? > > Also, I think **Snow Crash** was pretty influential. > > Something from Bank’s **Culture** ought to be on the list, but I don’t know the series well enough to say which. Likewise Brin’s **Uplift** series is notable, but I don’t know which of them would be best to list. Personally I’d choose **Brightness Reef** , but I’m a sucker for dolphins. I love David Brin- But I like ‘Startide Rising’ best. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/111 "2014-05-02T21:38:49Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I am making a list of the 50 science fiction novels that every public library, large and small, should have on the shelf. > > To save us some time and effort and to get us started, here are a few books that are on the list that I don’t think too many people would argue with. > Adams, Douglas - Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy > Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451 > Card, Orson Scott - Ender’s Game > Herbert, Frank - Dune > Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World > Le Guin, Ursula K. - Left Hand of Darkness > Orwell, George - Nineteen Eighty-Four > Pohl, Frederik - Gateway > Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein > Simmons, Dan - Hyperion > Wells, H.G. - War of the Worlds > > So whatcha’ got? I have read and enjoyed 'Hitchhiker’s Guide", but really NOT so important or seminal. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/112 "2014-05-03T02:21:27Z")
THE LIST OF 50 Adams, Douglas - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Asimov, Isaac - Foundation Asimov, Isaac - I, Robot Asimov, Isaac - The Caves of Steel Atwood, Margaret - The Handmaid’s Tale Bacigalupi, Paolo - The Windup Girl Bester, Alfred - The Stars My Destination Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451 Brin, David - Startide Rising Brooks, Max - World War Z Burgess, Anthony - A Clockwork Orange Card, Orson Scott - Ender’s Game Chabon, Michael - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union Clarke, Arthur C. - 2001: A Space Odyssey Clarke, Arthur C. - Childhood’s End Clarke, Arthur C. - Rendezvous with Rama Dick, Philip K. - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Dick, Philip K. - The Man in the High Castle Frank, Pat - Alas, Babylon Gibson, William - Neuromancer Haldeman, Joe - The Forever War Heinlein, Robert A. - Starship Troopers Heinlein, Robert A. - Stranger In A Strange Land Heinlein, Robert A. - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Heinlein, Robert A. - The Past Through Tomorrow Herbert, Frank - Dune Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World Le Guin, Ursula K. - The Dispossessed Le Guin, Ursula K. - The Left Hand of Darkness McCarthy, Cormack - The Road Miller Jr., Walter M. - A Canticle For Leibowitz Niven, Larry - Ringworld Niven & Pournelle - Lucifer’s Hammer Niven & Pournelle - The Mote In God’s Eye Orwell, George - Nineteen Eighty-Four Pohl, Frederik - Gateway Russell, Mary Doria - The Sparrow Scalzi, John - Old Man’s War Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft - Frankenstein Shute, Nevil - On the Beach Simak, Clifford - Way Station Simmons, Dan - Hyperion Stephenson, Neal - Snow Crash Verne, Jules - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Vinge, Vernor - A Fire Upon the Deep Vonnegut, Kurt - Slaughterhouse Five Wells, H. G. - The War Of The Worlds Wells, H.G. - The Time Machine Willis, Connie - Doomsday Book Wilson, Robert Charles - Spin Comments: - I ask you to consider the parameters and the comments below as stated before criticizing this final list. - Most importantly, remember that this is a list of individual books, not authors, so comments like “no love for Joe Blow?” didn’t affect this list of 50. It’s no insult that they’re not on this particular list. The overall importance of the author’s oevure was only the most minor of considerations. Your input will have an enormous impact on Group 2, however. - All comments and criticism were considered and taken into consideration. I spent an enormous amount of time and effort in research and contemplation before putting together the initial list, and quite a bit more since I posted this thread. You may not agree with everything on it, but it was absolutely not pulled out of thin air or my own imagination. - In doing the final tie-breaker, I introduced a new factor that is a bit contrary to the spirit of the list - year published. I looked at how many books of the 47 were from each decade from 1950 - 2010, and found that the 70s, 80s, and 90s were really underrepresented. Thus, The Sparrow, Startide Rising, and The Dispossessed filled the final slots. I’m pretty satisfied with that. The '00s are probably a little over-represented, but I don’t mind that as it adds a bit of freshness to the list and also acknowledges that there is some great stuff happening in the field right now. - I admit that I’m iffy on whether The Yiddish Policemen’s Union should be on a SF list, and I’ve thought long and hard about whether to cut it. In the end, the fact that it won the Hugo, the Nebula, the Locus for best SF novel (not fantasy) and was the first runner-up for the Campbell can not be ignored. As a bonus, it’s written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author well-known amongst general fiction readers. It deserves its spot. - I’m sort of dreading doing Group 2, but I shall soldier on. Do you all want to see it? Thanks again for all the comments and discussion! P.S. Special thanks to Kerry, who exists In Real Life. She may not be a hardcore sci fi geek, but I trust her more than y’all put together. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/113 "2014-05-03T02:27:21Z")
Damn. Where’s Robert Silverberg? My nominees: _Hawksbill Station_, _Dying Inside_, _Shadrach in the Furnace_ I blame myself! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/114 "2014-05-03T03:03:39Z")
It’s the oddest sort of discrimination to exclude literature from science fiction. Atwood, Pynchon, and Orwell are obviously not thought of as science fiction authors in the way that Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov are. The former three made forays into science fiction (probably without even thinking about it, at least in Orwell’s case); the latter three made their names in the genre. It should be noted that the latter three have all written in other fields-- in Asimov’s case, extensively and often. The claim that science should be the heart of the science fiction story excludes many classics of the genre. The science of _Starship Troopers_ is laughable, and was at the time when it was written. Heinlein must have known that his giant exoskeletons aliens were impossible, and the explanation for the MI’s armor is pretty much “negative feedback”. Further, the focus of the story is not science, it’s social. Heinlein spends many pages explaining his setting and none, to my recollection, on how they manage to gallivant around the galaxy like a battleship sailing across the Pacific. It’s clear to me, anyway, that Heinlein by this point was no more letting physics get in the way of his story than Vonnegut did. Even odder, the science fiction purist may grudgingly accept fantasies like Star Trek and Star Wars as part of the genre, apparently due to popular misconceptions. Why on Earth would anybody, having made that unfortunate concession, then want to exclude a classic like _1984_? Added: The final list is fine, I’ve seen many worse and few better. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/115 "2014-05-03T03:22:51Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > I thought about suggesting John Brunner’s _Stand on Zanzibar_ in my earlier post, but it’s been more than 20 years since I read it. I had reservations that it might not have held up, or that my impressions from so long ago wouldn’t. It’s definitely highly regarded, especially in the apoc subgenres. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on the shortlist. I look forward to keeping an eye out for his predictions. > [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > No love for Bruce Sterling? He’s the best idea guy in SF. He invented cyberpunk. I recommend his Islands in the Net - great characters, great story, and the best near-future extrapolation I’ve ever read. It’s also very accessible. His short story collection Crystal Express kicks ass! Have you read the collection A Good Old-Fashioned Future? I don’t think it’s particularly well-known, but it’s pretty good. I’ve read through it a few times because I own it. > [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](#): > > And you have _got_ to have something by Brian Aldiss - Hothouse, Non-Stop or the Heliconia Trilogy would be my choices. All 3 are being considered for group 2. Hothouse is on my apoc reading shortlist. I think I ordered it from Amazon earlier in the week, but I got a number of books, so I’m not sure. Incidentally, I ordered a stack of apocalyptic stuff from a place called Quality Bargain Mall of all things. I’m only mentioning it because it was a surprisingly good source for cheap used books, including out-of-print and hard to find titles. They have a really wide selection of SF in stock and I found it easier to order a bunch through there than getting every one piecemeal through Amazon Marketplace. Shipping is $4.99 for the first book and $2.49 for each additional book, which is at least better than Amazon’s minimum of $3.99 per book. A lot of the books were 99 cents, including a near-perfect hardcover of Eternity Road! Overall the condition of the books was satisfactory, but I’m not too picky about that. > [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Definitely one of the best Science Fiction novels ever IMHO. I wanted to read for years before I got my hands on it. Usually, that’s a great way to be disappointed but in this case, I’d say that it was even better than I expected. Essential reading. Have you read The Cyberiad? Lem sure has an interesting way of looking at things. Really weird and fun. It occurred to me that once I get Group 2 in place, it would be fun to make some companion lists that have included items that fall into various categories, like female authors, non-white authors, or books originally written in another language. Translations can never quite capture everything. Maybe some person who reads Polish would like to know about _Cyberiada_. > [@Sleel](#): > > I’m going to put some lesser-known works and authors in my list, since I figure others will hit the big ones that end up on every “essential” list. Some of these **should** be much more famous than they are. I’ve read a ton of Tepper, most of them multiple times, and I agree she should be more known than she is. She offers a great combination of interesting ideas and compelling plots. I’d say her stuff generally has a foot in each of sci fi and fantasy, but I’m willing to put up with the magical/fantasy elements because she’s worth it. The more time goes by, the more I’m disturbed by her anti-sexual attitude, however. I agree that Gate to Women’s Country is the one to pick. (Sometimes I get the urge to remark “There’s no fucking in Hades!” but I resist.) Grass is popular, but is definitely much more on the fantasy side of things. I was so blown away by the twist in The Family Tree that as soon as I finished it, I immediately read the whole thing again. My personal favorite is The Visitor. I’m still not sure how she managed to cram ALL those elements into one book and still not have it feel rushed or cramped. > [@Myglaren](#): > > I’d like to throw in an outlier here, _Wool_ by Hugh Howey. > > A very recent book (and the first part of a trilogy). > I was given it and really expected to be disappointed with it but found it very compelling. I see Wool being mentioned more and more, but I thought it was awful. So many things just didn’t add up, and it was boring besides. But a lot of people seem to have really enjoyed it. I’ll give it props for a catchy title. Speaking of catchy titles, I have to give a shout-out to How To Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. I didn’t enjoy it too much but damn, that’s a good title. > [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > I have read and enjoyed 'Hitchhiker’s Guide", but really NOT so important or seminal. You can’t possibly be serious. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/116 "2014-05-03T03:57:56Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Added: The final list is fine, I’ve seen many worse and few better. Well, thanks. It’s nice to get some positive feedback for a change. 😛 Here are some lists that I really liked, though they are very different than my own: The Forbidden Planet list. [https://forbiddenplanet.com/picks/50-sf-books-you-must-read/](https://forbiddenplanet.com/picks/50-sf-books-you-must-read/) My list is 50 books that should be in the library. This is a list of books you should actually read. My list makes for a good reading list on its own, but in many ways, this one is better. It omits a lot of items that are also considered literary classics and goes light on Heinlein/Asimov/Clarke, leaving room for more breadth. It puts things in a pretty unusual order too. It’s really top-notch. The abebooks list of 50 > **[50 essential science fiction books](https://www.abebooks.com/books/features/50-essential-science-fiction-books.shtml)** > > Discover 50 essential science fiction books from Jules Verne to China Miéville and Neal Stephenson. This list has a one book per author limit and they went for variety in themes, etc. There is some neat stuff here that you don’t usually see. Check out the awesome old book covers. I loved this comment: “_I wanted to show the unbelievable breadth of this galactic-sized genre and, of course, I failed because this is just the tip of the spaceberg – there are probably 500 essential science fiction books, not 50._” Yup, I know the feeling. The Basic Science Fiction Library from the Gunn Center at U of Kansas [http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/sflib.htm](http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/sflib.htm) IMHO, it includes far too much to be called a basic library but it’s a great resource. Also, in the “not too different than my own” category: The NPR Top 100 > **[Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books](https://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books)** > > More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. The winners are an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles. This was done by popular vote and includes fantasy novels. Any popular-vote list will be heavily skewed against lesser-known and newer works. Then again, if it’s popular, it’s probably for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/117 "2014-05-03T06:29:04Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > While Clarke, Asimov, Pohl and a host of others stood on the sidelines and did nothing. Riiiiiight. Asimov gives full credit to Campbell. Have you read his first stories? Clarke came later - Rescue Party was past the Golden Age already. Astoundings from the first half of 1939 had a lot of the old style stories. The difference is obvious. Heinlein, who had the wisdom to shove his first novel deep into his desk drawer, came out with great stories from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/118 "2014-05-03T14:14:27Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > doesn’t science fiction need to be set in space, have aliens visiting earth or involve time travel. i would say that is the bare minimum for science fiction. > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I’m sorry, but that’s incorrect. Right, it doesn’t. “Space” stores only became dominant in SF in the 1930’s. There were some space stories published in the 1800’s (e.g. _From the Earth to the Moon_, _War of the Worlds_), but stories about creating, altering, and enhancing human life were important in a major way. E.g. Shelley’s _Frankenstein_, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s _Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde_. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/119 "2014-05-03T16:46:32Z")
This thread has provided me with much pleasant diversion as I go throughout my day, considering this, rejecting that. It has been many years since I read it, but anyone have any thoughts about David Gerrold’s **When Harly Was One**? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193/120 "2014-05-03T20:21:32Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I was planning to do exactly that! 🙂 I was thinking that for each book I could do 1-3 sentences with whatever information seemed right. That could include subgenre, impact, key sequels, what it’s about, major awards, etc. I don’t know that anybody outside the sci-fi world cares about sci-fi awards, but I’d say a Pulitzer is worth mentioning. I don’t want to make a big deal out of adaptations in other media (this is about books, dammit!), but I’m not going to be able to resist saying that Starship Troopers is totally unlike the movie. > > I figure that if someone is scanning through the list, something in one of those blurbs is likely to catch their eye. “Time travel from the future Oxford to the time of the black plague? Cool!” Or “I don’t know what ‘cyberpunk’ is but I want to find out.” Does that sound about right? Close. I would put some work into the introduction. Personally, I’m looking for an entry point: when I visit a Sci-Fi bookstore or one of your internet lists, my eyes glaze over. So write about your intent when you compiled the list, and include some hand holding. Oh. You might include references to other works in your 1-3 sentence review, to convey an idea of possible reading paths. (Currently I have a collection of short stories by Vignor Vinge on my kindle, along with this [this 2013 work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DWFCA30/ref=oh_d __o01_details_o01__ i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) which was on sale.\* I should probably read Dune some day. But I really want to read Foundation. So that one comes next. ) - It alludes to regressions and big data. Cool! My back of the mind worry is that the author might have nothing to say about that: I tend to prefer theme over characterization. And sometimes the underlying ideas can be pedestrian, in which case I feel I’ve sorta wasted my time and effort. That’s a critique of fiction in general and not sci fi. ETA: What are the genres of sci fi and fantasy anyway? I’m guessing somebody here knows of a good annotated internet list. (I’d google for it, except that I couldn’t assess quality.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-essential-science-fiction-novels-for-a-public-library/687193.md?page=7)