# The Classics of Science Fiction (poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831 "2013-03-02T16:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/21 "2013-03-03T04:07:40Z")
I think I’ve read almost every book on that list, but, despite their being classic novels, I don’t feel compelled to re-read them. This includes the Ursula K. LeGuin offerings, and Childhood’s end (which I think is overrated) ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/22 "2013-03-04T06:27:56Z")
Voted for those I read & liked or considered a powerful work even if I didn’t care for it. Otherwise, no vote. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/23 "2013-03-04T06:44:23Z")
The quintessential classics are both H.G. Wells’s _The Time Machine_ and \*War of the Worlds. \*Although several of my favorites are up there (and I picked them) and some not, the aforementioned two along with _Flowers for Algernon, Rendezvous With Rama_ and _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ are closest to my nerd-shaped heart. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/24 "2013-03-04T07:00:00Z")
Kind of a weird list, if you ask me. Looks like it’s attempting to rank novel-length works (although, isn’t Flowers for Algernon more of a novella), yet there are some anthologies listed among them. ?? Nice to see Hyperion make the cut, though. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2013, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/25 "2013-03-04T07:42:44Z")
I voted for ones I’ve read and thought I might enjoy reading again someday. I know Atwood has offended science fiction fans in the past, wonder if that’s why _The Handmaid’s Tale_ didn’t make the list. Probably not. Vonnegut offended fans, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ferengi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Ferengi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferengi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/26 "2013-03-04T10:41:10Z")
Good list, though naturally I have some quibbles with it. Red Mars is ranked way too low, and even though I enjoyed the Child Cycle, Dorsai was a pretty middling book. From that list, my favorite’s probably Rama. That book introduced me to sf. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/27 "2013-03-04T11:25:51Z")
I voted for all the ones I like. Surprised so few rate Hal Clement, he always seemed the most 'sciency" of SF authors to me. I must admit, even though _Mission of Gravity_ is the better-known work, I prefer Clement’s _Close to Critical_. I’m not surprised at the low rating the (few) women on the list get. I don’t like that that’s the case, but I’m not surprised. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/28 "2013-03-04T13:42:54Z")
Way too much stuff on the list that is total drivel, IMO. Too many books on it that are “arty, therefore classics.” The type of stuff that critics want on the list because it makes them feel special but that nobody ever reads in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/29 "2013-03-04T13:44:14Z")
\ I didn’t realize I could vote for more than one until I had already voted. I voted for Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, but there were quite a few others I would have added if I had realized that I could. \ ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/30 "2013-03-04T14:16:27Z")
I have read 1984 but I couldn’t bring myself to vote for it because it does’t fall into the category of science fiction, at least to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/31 "2013-03-04T14:53:27Z")
I was going to bitch loudly about where Jules Verne went, and then I saw at the first link that he’s 52nd on the list, right after Neuromancer. Still, if the list is of the Classics of Science Fiction, how is _20,000 Leagues_ not in the top 50? Some omissions off the top of my head. Neal Stephenson, _Snow Crash_. Only one Larry Niven? Really? No _The Mote in God’s Eye_ or _Lucifer’s Hammer_? _Fantastic Voyage_ needs to be on there, if you’re going to list 5 different Asimovs. None of the Culture books? No _2001_? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/32 "2013-03-04T18:07:27Z")
I am surprise how many people like\* Lord of Light \*and _A Canticle for Lebowitz_. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/33 "2013-03-04T18:12:17Z")
I picked a handful. Much of what makes them my favorite is the order I read them in and my age at the time, so it’s not a real good evaluation of them independently on their merits. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/34 "2013-03-04T18:15:34Z")
You can guess at least one I voted for, I bet :). I just finished **The Demolished Man** this weekend. It was cool-but-weird; I realized at some point that all the science in the book was basically Freudian Psychology, the debunking of which made it an especially unusual book. Beautifully written, though. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/35 "2013-03-04T18:25:39Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I am surprise how many people like\* Lord of Light \*and _A Canticle for Lebowitz_. **Lord of Light** is one of my all-time favorites :). But I like Zelazny in general, something about his style and choices of subject matter clicks for me. I tend to re-read most of his stuff, often multiple times. But then I like a number of authors that aren’t getting much love on that list, like Simak, Cherryh or Pohl. **A Canticle for Leibowitz** I respect, but wouldn’t re-read. Haven’t voted because I’m not sure how to vote. Favorites? Or worthy of being called “classics” even if I’m not a fan? A.E. van Vogt was once a big name and influential ( ‘fans are slans’ ), but I don’t care for most of his stuff. Ditto, sadly, with Asimov - I’ve read the **Foundation** books, but wouldn’t again. Yet Asimov clearly deserves his iconic status. But I’m pleased to see **Dune** leading the pack. Both a favorite AND an inarguable classic. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/36 "2013-03-04T19:48:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Way too much stuff on the list that is total drivel, IMO. Too many books on it that are “arty, therefore classics.” The type of stuff that critics want on the list because it makes them feel special but that nobody ever reads in real life. \*“A classic is something everybody wants to have read, but no one wants to read.” \*–Mark Twain That said, I’ve read 56 of the 193, 28 of the top 50 and each of the top ten so I have to disagree that nobody reads these books IRL. I think SF works (along with most genre fiction: mystery, adventure, westerns, etc.) are more utilitarian and less pretentious than traditional classics. We’re not exactly talking Uyslses here. If they get read and fans enjoy them, they made his list according to his [methodology](http://classics.jameswallaceharris.com/index.php). ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/37 "2013-03-04T19:58:07Z")
I probably shouldn’t have voted seeing as how Dune and 1984 are the only books from this list that I read. But I love them both tons so I voted for both. Glad to see Dune in the lead. A phenomenal piece of literature. Oh poop ☹ I just now noticed Flowers For Algernon on the list. That’s a personal favorite of mine, one of the only books I’ve read more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/38 "2013-03-04T20:09:52Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > (although, isn’t Flowers for Algernon more of a novella) It was a great short story that he added a bunch of useless fluff to and turned it into a much weaker novel. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/39 "2013-03-04T20:46:36Z")
Until recently, I would re-read _Dune_ and the _Foundation_ stories once a year. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831/40 "2013-03-04T22:25:13Z")
I picked up _Dune_ last year from the library, thinking I’d enjoy re-reading it but put it down quickly enough due primarily to the style. I remember not finding the characters likable when I first read it, but not that the manner of the book was annoying. I quite liked the book in high school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classics-of-science-fiction-poll/651831.md?page=3)