A few weeks ago, Shawn Speakman reported on the NPR’s Top 100 list of science fiction and fantasy novels/series of all time.
I found the list to be a pretty accurate look at the SF/F canon, and although I don’t necessarily agree with all the choices on the list (and not the books themselves, but placement, or how some books are part of a series, and others aren’t), the purpose of such lists is to spark discussion–and to get people reading.
And I can’t argue with that.
What I also can’t argue with is the fact that Random House–the parent company of Del Rey and Spectra–has published (and in many cases, continues to publish), a ridiculous number of these books:
#1: THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien
#2: THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
#5: A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series by George R. R. Martin
#7: FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury
#8: THE FOUNDATION TRILOGY by Isaac Asimov
#11: THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman
#16: I, ROBOT by Isaac Asimov
#19: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
#21: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP by Philip K. Dick
#22: THE HANDMAID’S TALE by Margaret Atwood
#26: SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson
#27: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury
#28: CAT’S CRADLE by Kurt Vonnegut
#30: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess
#33: DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey
#35: A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter Miller
#38: FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Daniel Keyes
#42: THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley
#44: RINGWORLD by Larry Niven
#49: CHILDHOOD’S END by Arthur C. Clarke
#51: HYPERION by Dan Simmons
#55: THE LAST UNICORN by Peter S. Beagle
#56: THE FOREVER WAR by Joe Haldeman
#58: THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER by Stephen R. Donaldson
#66: THE RIFTWAR SAGA by Raymond Feist
#67: THE SWORD OF SHANNARA TRILOGY by Terry Brooks
#68: THE CONAN THE BARBARIAN SERIES by Robert E. Howard
#69: THE FARSEER TRILOGY by Robin Hobb
#75: THE DIAMOND AGE by Neal Stephenson
#76: RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA by Arthur C. Clarke
#79: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
#83: CONSIDER PHLEBAS by Iain Banks
#84: THE CRYSTAL CAVE by Mary Stewart
#88: THE THRAWN TRILOGY by Tim Zahn
#89: THE OUTLANDER SERIES by Diana Gabaldon
#90: THE ELRIC SAGA by Michael Moorcock
#91: THE ILLUSTRATED MAN by Ray Bradbury
#94: THE CAVES OF STEEL by Isaac Asimov
#95: THE MARS TRILOGY by Kim Stanley Robinson
#96: LUCIFER’S HAMMER by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
#97: DOOMSDAY BOOK by Connie Willis
#98: PERDIDO STREET STATION by China Mieville
#99: THE XANTH SERIES by Piers Anthony
Granted, it’s easy math, but that’s 43% of the list.
We’re very proud of the fact that we are the home or origin for so many important pieces of science fiction and fantasy literature, and we hope we will continue to add to this list as the years go on.
Happy reading!
And while it didn’t make the list for NPR, I’d say that Ubik by Philip K. Dick should be a must read for science fiction and PKD fans.
The only thing I surprised not to find on this list (the top one hundred) was Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea series. Isn’t that considered one of the hallmarks of modern fantasy literature.