Top Five Science Fiction Novels
Back in aught four, I attempted to compose a top five list of my favorite science fiction novels. In this, I failed utterly - being unable to get the list down anywhere near the target of five books. As I said then, my list is large, it contains multitudes.
In the intervening six years, I've read a couple more sf novels. One or two. Three at the outside. Some of them deserve a place on the list, and in retrospect, some deserve a kick to the curb. Hard to imagine, but in 2004, I hadn't discovered Charles Stross, Karl Schroeder, or Peter Watts! They remain excellent novels, just not on my plus-sized top five list.
You can look at the original list over here. Of these, I think that Pattern Recognition is out. Likewise Asimov's Pebble in the Sky and Schismatrix. Pastwatch was a late addition, and gets the boot - though it is still one of my favorite alt-history novels, and so does Bring the Jubilee and Lest Darkness Fall. Man in the High Castle will stand in for all alt-history novels because as fun as they are, they are rarely staggering works of genius when it comes to the writing and ideas.
I tried to think about removing some of the books from authors that have more than one title in the list. I can't. So that leaves us with:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
Player of Games, by Iain Banks
The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester
Mote in God’s Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
The Dosadi Experiment, by Frank Herbert
Dune, by Frank Herbert
A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge
A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
Cryptonomicon, by Neil Stephenson
Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
Sundiver, by David Brin
Startide Rising, by David Brin
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Mother of Storms, by John Barnes
Killing Star, by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebroski
Doorways in the Sand, by Roger Zelazny
The Greks Bring Gifts, by Murray Leinster
The City and the Stars, by Arthur C. Clark
Canticle for Liebowitz, by Walter Miller
Hyperion Series, by Dan Simmons
The Earth Abides, by George R. Stuart
Shockwave Rider, by John Brunner
Voice of the Whirlwind, by Walter Jon Williams
The Man In The High Castle, by Philip K. Dick
Norstrilia, by Cordwainer Smith
The Lensman Series, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
Cities in Flight, by James Blish
Tactics of Mistake, by Gordon R. Dickson
And here's my nominations for newly opened spots on the list:
Singularity Sky, by Charles Stross
Accelerando, by Charles Stross
Atrocity Archives, by Charles Stross
Ilium/Olympos, by Dan Simmons
Blindsight, by Peter Watts
Permanence, by Karl Schroeder
Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
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I wasn't suggesting Ringo, Drake, and the rest of the military sci-fi crowd wrote the best books. But they sure are fun to read.
Niven and Pournelle,…
Niven and Pournelle, together, formed a temporary super being that lasted just long enough to create a near perfect sf novel. Having writ, it collapsed, it's energies spent. I don't think their solo works, or their later collaborations match up to Mote. Fun stuff, but not on the same level.
Spin, on the other hand, could have a place on the list. Stirling, Ringo, Drake, Fortschen, Flint and the whole crew of military sf writers spin ripping yarns, and I enjoy them - but they aren't immortal literature.
Some of the books on that list are, I think, some of the best novels ever written. The others are so chock full of ideas hay my head exploded. The best are both.
Good list. I've probably read 2/3 of them and will add the rest to my list.
I think the list needs more Niven, however. Footfall and lots of Known Space stuff - Protector, Ring World, Crashlander, etc...
Have you read "Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson? "Sky People" and "In the Courts of the Crimson Kings" by Stirling were fun retro sci-fi.
I also get a hankering for military sci-fi and reach for the Ringo and Drake.