100 Science Fiction Books You Just Have to Read

# TITLE AUTHOR
1 Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke read it several times in childhood.
2 Foundation Isaac Asimov read it when I was 10
3 Dune Frank Herbert not Herbert's best, in my opinion
4 The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick haven't read
5 Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein should be required for High School literature. the movie, however, was all special effects and no philosophy
6 Valis Philip K. Dick haven't read
7 Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley read the cliff notes, but not the original
8 Gateway Frederik Pohl not bad
9 Space Merchants Frederik Pohl better than gateway
10 Earth Abides George R. Stewart never even heard of it!
11 Cuckoo's Egg C.J. Cherryh most excellent
12 Star Surgeon James White loved it! (and all the others in the series)
13 The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch Philip K. Dick one of these days I will read more Dick.....
14 Radix A. A. Attanasio never heard of it
15 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke one of those where the movie was better than the book
16 Ringworld Larry Niven and you also need to read the other books set in this universe
17 A Case of Conscience James Blish I think I read it a long time ago, don't remember the detail
18 Last and First Man Olaf Stapledon haven't read
19 The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham weird and good
20 Way Station Clifford D. Simak and also read a lot of other Simak -very Catholic in my opinion
21 More Than Human Theodore Sturgeon thoughtful but tough reading
22 Gray Lensman E.E. "Doc" Smith Rollicking good space opera
23 The Gods Themselves Isaac Asimov probably the most boring thing Asimov wrote
24 The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin worth reading, best when intoxicated
25 Behold the Man Michael Moorcock I was not impressed
26 Star Maker Olaf Stapledon ditto
27 The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells Best listened too, the classic radio broadcast
28 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne a great book
29 Heritage of Hastur Marion Zimmer Bradley Not her best Darkover book, but very readable
30 The Time Machine H. G. Wells a classic
31 The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester ditto
32 Slan A. E. Van Vogt I preferred "The world of null-A" - it got me to read about philosophy and math when I was a child. Better yet from Van Vogt was "The Weapon Shops of Isher"
33 Neuromancer William Gibson yup, very good
34 Ender's Game Orson Scott Card I don't know why they put this in the juveniles!
35 In Conquest Born C. S. Friedman Never heard of
36 Lord of Light Roger Zelazny immunized me against a lot of new age crap
37 Eon Greg Bear readable, butl ong
38 Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey not as agenda driven as some of her other stuff,
39 Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne haven't read
40 Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein read with caution, it makes outlandish ideas seem reasonable.
41 Cosm Gregory Benford haven't read
42 The Voyage of the Space Beagle A. E. Van Vogt haven't read
43 Blood Music Greg Bear haven't read
44 Beggars in Spain Nancy Kress the best cautionary tale about genetic engineering that I have read yet
45 Omnivore Piers Anthony I prefer his other stuff.
46 I, Robot Isaac Asimov read the book, ignore the movie
47 Mission of Gravity Hal Clement I have read this at least 10 times
48 To Your Scattered Bodies Go Philip Jose Farmer odd, weird, typical Farmer
49 Brave New World Aldous Huxley too scary and true
50 The Man Who Folded Himself David Gerrold quasi-pornographic, I preferred Gerrold's famous Star Trek episode "The trouble with Tribbles" (A plot he shamelessly stole from Heinlein's juvenile "The Rolling Stones"
51 1984 George Orwell again a scary and nearly true dystopic vision
52 The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl And Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson classic
53 Snow Crash Neal Stephenson never heard of it
54 Flesh Philip Jose Farmer haven't read
55 Cities in Flight James Blish reas it repeatedly as a child
56 Shadow of the Torturer Gene Wolfe havne't read it yet
57 Startide Rising David Brin read it and all the uplift series, have read all the Brin I could find
58 Triton Samuel R. Delany Nova was better
59 Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner another classic dystopia. read it and then read Earth by David Brin
60 A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess haven't read it or seen the movie. tried to once
61 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury overrated
62 A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller Jr. excellent
63 Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes most excellent
64 No Blade of Grass John Christopher haven't read
65 The Postman David Brin the short story version was better. The movie was disappointing
66 Dhalgren Samuel R. Delany could never get past the first chapter
67 Berserker Fred Saberhagen not my style
68 Flatland Edwin Abbott Abbott read about it, haven't actually read it
69 Planiverse A. K. Dewdney never heard of it
70 Dragon's Egg Robert L. Forward reminded me of Mission of Gravity
71 Downbelow Station C. J. Cherryh excellent
72 Dawn Octavia E. Butler good reading
73 The Puppet Masters Robert A. Heinlein gave me nightmares for years
74 The Doomsday Book Connie Willis oh yes, I have read this one over and over again
75 Forever War Joe Haldeman sad reading, but somehow inspiring
76 Deathbird Stories Harlan Ellison nope, haven't read. Harlan creeps me out
77 Roadside Picnic Arkady Strugatsky haven't read
78 The Snow Queen Joan D. Vinge glanced through it, couldn't focus enough to read it
79 The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury overrated
80 Drowned World J.G. Ballard never heard of it
81 Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut Assigned to me by my 9th grade science teacher. addictive reading. "nice, nice, very nice"
82 Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson okay reading , a little wordy
83 Upanishads Various This is SF? I haven't read.
84 Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll must read the Annotated ALice (commentary by martin gardner)
85 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams Better listened to (BBC series)
86 The Lathe of Heaven Ursula K. Le Guin weird, but ok to read once.
87 The Midwich Cuckoos John Wyndham haven't read
88 Mutant Henry Kuttner read it, don't remember the details
89 Solaris Stanislaw Lem another classic that I have avoided
90 Ralph 124C41+ Hugo Gernsback haven't read
91 I Am Legend Richard Matheson never heard of it
92 Timescape Gregory Benford haven't read it
93 The Demolished Man Alfred Bester haven't read it
94 War with the Newts Karl Kapek never heard of it
95 Mars Ben Bova read it once
96 Brain Wave Poul Anderson don't remember it at all
97 Hyperion Dan Simmons haven't read
98 The Andromeda Strain Michael Crichton read it, wish that I hadn't. junky writing
99 Camp Concentration Thomas M. Disch haven't read
100 A Princess of Mars Edgar Rice Burroughs haven't read