NPR Books Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books
- Jim
- Sep 2, 2017
- 6 min read
I’ve read a lot of science fiction and fantasy. I’m going to comment on the books I’ve read on NPR Books’ fan chosen
Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books, or have at least read or seen a derivative work. See their list for the books I don’t know.
I have to agree that this is the greatest fantasy novel of all time.
While this is far from my second favorite, these books are funny, imaginative, and clever. This is the best satirical science fiction I’ve read.
Ender’s Game is an excellent and thought provoking space war, far superior to, for example, Starship Troopers. I tried to read the first sequel, but found it dull.
Dune is the greatest science fiction novel ever written. I would put it in the subgenre of Space Opera. The sequel is weak, the third novel (Children of Dune) quite good. I never got through the fourth novel.
While I haven’t read the books, I’ve watched the Game of Thrones TV series. Game of Thrones is a well plotted and fun series, mixing pure fantasy with plenty of combat and palace intrigue.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It’s in the subgenre of hidden fantasy, like Harry Potter. I haven’t been able to get into the second half yet, the beginning of which is slow paced.
This whimsical fairy tale is fun, but I wouldn’t call it a great book. Goldman’s Lord of the Flies is far superior.
After a weak first book, this series became a great epic fantasy, before fizzling into complete crap around book 8. People tell me it improves again, and that the end of the series, finished by another author after Jordan’s death, is fairly good.
Neuromancer and its first sequel, Count Zero, are the greatest cyberpunk novels I’ve read. The detailed world building of the near future world of the Sprawl is unmatched.
Watchmen is a fascinating science fiction story set in an alternate universe. It is also a story about superheros who are, for the most part, of the garden human variety. Quite possibly the greatest graphic novel of all time.
I haven’t read the book, though I have seen the film, which was quite good.
This is Hienlein’s second rate Dune. Not a bad book, but overrated.
Shelley’s novel fails to stand the test of time. The writing is dense, the pace slow.
Dick’s novella is inferior to the film Blade Runner that was based on it. Like much of Dick’s work, it focuses on the question “what does it mean to be human?”
I never got through this incredibly slow paced dystopian science fiction.
The first book in this series is quite slow but good. The first four are an amazing fantasy/horror epic. The last three aren’t as good, and the ending is quite disappointing. The books are much better than the film.
In this case, the book, which I don’t remember, is based on the amazing (for its time) film, which was in turn based on a short story.
More epic fantasy by Stephen King, this time set in a dystopian future. This is a long one, and quite good, though nowhere close to the Dark Tower.
I vaguely remember this book as being a fairly good cyberpunk novel, but it didn’t leave much of an impression.
Possibly the most overrated science fiction book of all time. Dull as hell.
Gaimen’s fantasy graphic novels about the incarnation of sleep. These are typical of his work, very dreamy. I wouldn’t rank them nearly this high.
I haven’t read the book, but saw Kubrick’s film. As science fiction, it is weak, though it has something to say about violent human nature.
Again, I haven’t read the book. The film is fairly good. Ender’s Game has much more to say about war than the film, though I can’t speak for Heinlein’s book.
An epic story that qualifies as fantasy because it is seen through the eyes of rabbits, who it turns out are intelligent. This is an amazing book.
The Dragon Rider’s of Pern is a sword and planet epic set on an alien planet where humans have tamed the local beasts and grown them to immense size to help them defend the planet against a hostile alien life form. The first two books are worth reading, but I wouldn’t call them great.
I’ve read the Classics Illustrated comic book based on this novel, and seen the movie. It may have been the first time travel story, but is far from the best.
Though Verne’s novel was visionary in it’s time, most of what he predicted came true long ago. I haven’t read the book, but have seen the film.
One of the first alien invasion stories. I first read the Classics Illustrated comic book adaptation, then saw the film, and have since seen the Tom Cruise remake. The story holds up well.
The first Amber series, set in a multiverse of alternate universes, is a great work of fantasy, with a hip, modern hero. I started reading the second series, but never finished it.
Boring by the numbers fantasy. You are never in doubt that the good guys will win.
One of the greatest works of hard science fiction on an epic level, this is Niven’s greatest accomplishment among many great books.
One of my least favourite Le Guin novels, this straight science fiction novel is fairly dull.
Written like a history, this back story to the Lord of the Rings is a tough read. Do not expect a novel.
Possibly Gaimen’s best book, this is another hidden fantasy about a secret world that exists in the bowels and on the rooftops of London.
Another book I haven’t read that I’ve seen the film adaptation of. The film is mediocre.
Coming at a time when epic science fiction seemed dead, Hyperion blew me away. The second book wasn’t quite up to the first, but completed the story. I tried to read the third book but failed to get through it.
Yet another hidden world fantasy by Gaiman. This one I haven’t read, though I enjoyed the film.
An epic fantasy with an unlikely anti-hero, set in an alternate universe. The first trilogy is very good, with the second book achieving greatness. The second trilogy is also good.
Niven is joined by Jerry Pournelle in this novel of first encounter with an alien race. Not bad, but not their best work.
I haven’t read this post apocalyptic fiction, but saw the film, which is dark and depressing. If McCarthy’s writing is anything like it is in his first novel, Blood Meridian, the book is probably nearly unreadable.
I haven’t read this dystopian future, but saw the film, which strayed (to its doom) from the ending in the book, and had mediocre CGI effects.
The first book is a terribly written Lord of the Rings clone. The second book, Elfstones, is somewhat better. Vastly overrated.
Conan is a simple sword and sorcery fantasy. Fun, but shallow.
These fantasy books are a pale reflection of Moorcock’s Elric saga. The first is probably the best.
This alien encounter story is mediocre at best.
I haven’t read this Wizard of Oz retelling, but saw the play. Enjoyable, but not great.
I read most of Player of Games. Very cold, intellectual characters. A bit dull.
I made it part way through the first book, Furies of Calderon. Decent fantasy by the creator of the Dresden Files.
The best Star Wars extended universe books I’ve read. These should have been the basis for the new films.
I haven’t read this historical romance with a minor fantasy element, but watched the first season of the TV series. Very good, but not really fantasy.
One of the foundations of fantasy, the Elric saga introduces Moorcock’s overarching theme: the eternal battle between order and chaos.
The first book is a decent hard science fiction story about colonizing Mars. I didn’t get through the sequel.
Great disaster story by Niven and Pournelle. I like this one better than the Mote in God’s Eye, but it’s not much of a science fiction story.
This light and fluffy humorous fantasy series starts out strong, but after the first two books, begins to degenerate.
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