# What's the funniest SF title of all times? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907 "2000-12-04T05:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/1 "2000-12-04T05:16:06Z")
I like Robert Sheckley’s _ **Zirn Left Unguarded, the Jenglik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerly Dead** _. ---
**Author:** ![dave99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@dave99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dave99)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/2 "2000-12-04T07:37:11Z")
Of the SF movies I’ve seen, the oddest title was **The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension**. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/3 "2000-12-04T07:46:03Z")
Can we say odd instead of funny? “Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede” certainly grabs your attention. Bradley Denton has a way with titles. A very fine short story of his is called “The Calvin Coolidge Home For Retired Comedians.” It may be apocryphal, but I recall reading of a Vonnegut title called “The Big Space Fuck.” Sir ---
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/4 "2000-12-04T08:28:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sir Rhosis \* > \*\* > It may be apocryphal, but I recall reading of a Vonnegut title called “The Big Space Fuck.” > \*\* Not aprocryphal. It’s from Harlan Ellison’s AGAIN, DANGEROUS VISIONS. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/5 "2000-12-04T13:39:12Z")
My favorite (and I wish I’d bought the book, since I can’t remember the author) is “The Platypus of Doom” ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/6 "2000-12-04T15:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*My favorite (and I wish I’d bought the book, since I can’t remember the author) is “The Platypus of Doom” \*\* I’m pretty sure it’s Arthur Bryan Cover. I’m _almost_ positive it is. And it’s The Platypus of Doom and Other Nihilists Fenris ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/7 "2000-12-04T16:08:08Z")
A title that always made me smile was “Charles Fort Never Mentioned Wombats.” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/8 "2000-12-04T16:08:50Z")
Would _Sorority Babes at the Slimeball Bowl-A-Rama_ qualify? ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/9 "2000-12-04T17:11:44Z")
- - - Years back I saw a listing in the B-movie section of a video catalog for a movie titled “Cannibal Grannies”. Anybody seen it? - MC ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/10 "2000-12-04T17:24:38Z")
_Childhood’s End_, by Arthur C. Clarke. The title just _screams_ pedophilia. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/11 "2000-12-04T17:27:54Z")
_The Zork Chronicles_ by George Alec Effinger. Hard to find, but well worth the effort. Sort of a Campbell themed satire of all things SF, fantasy, and mythical. Also, _The Crown Jewels_ and the other Mysjistal books from Walter Jon Willams, unusual in humor SF in that it’s not a satire . . . – “By Thragg’s bloody sheep!” ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/12 "2000-12-04T17:33:01Z")
“Who’s Afraid of Beowulf.” -Tom Holt. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2000, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/13 "2000-12-04T18:07:37Z")
_Bimbos of the Death Sun_ by Sharyn McCrumb. (It’s not really a sci-fi book, but a mystery set at a sci-fi convention, but the title makes me giggle.) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/14 "2000-12-04T18:20:19Z")
I was gonna suggest Bimbos, Greeny. ^**^ It IS a hillarious title, and kind of fits, since it’e the title of 'Jay Omega’s (serious) SF novel in the book. ^**^ ---
**Author:** ![diamud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@diamud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diamud)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/15 "2000-12-04T21:23:21Z")
I can think of some funny/suggestive titles: The Galactic Pot Healer – PKDick Friends Come in Boxes – Coney The World Inside – Silverberg ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/16 "2000-12-04T23:37:54Z")
I know I’ve said this before… **Spaceballs** It’s short, sweet, and just rolls off the tongue so well. After many years of saying it, it just sounds goofier and goofier. And when you take into account the content behind the title… BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/17 "2000-12-04T23:58:39Z")
For cheesey grade D sci-fi movies: “Hercules Meets The Moonmen” or: “Santa Claus Versus The Martians” Pretty hard to beat those. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/18 "2000-12-05T00:00:58Z")
“What Entropy Means to Me” by George Alec Effinger “Up Schist Creek” by Piers Anthony “Sign at the End of the Universe” by Duane Ackerson “The Ultimate One-Word First-Contact Story” by Ian Watson “A Typical Terran’s Thought When Spoken to by an Alien from the Planet Quarn in its Native Language” by Derrel Mallet and Forrest J. Ackerman “Why Booth Didn’t Kill Lincoln” by Edward Wellen (the shortest story ever). “How Much For Just the Planet” by John M. Ford ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-funniest-sf-title-of-all-times/43907/19 "2000-12-05T01:04:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > [B} > “Sign at the End of the Universe” by Duane Ackerson > “The Ultimate One-Word First-Contact Story” by Ian Watson > “A Typical Terran’s Thought When Spoken to by an Alien from the Planet Quarn in its Native Language” by Derrel Mallet and Forrest J. Ackerman > “Why Booth Didn’t Kill Lincoln” by Edward Wellen (the shortest story ever). > \*\* Are you sure that the Wellen story is the shortest? (Isn’t the whole story “He did.”?) Wouldn’t Forrest’s Ackerman’s “Cosmic Report Card: Earth” be the shortest, the whole story being: ``` F ``` ? Or am I misremembering the story in question? Fenris