First a quick catch-up because I arrived at this a little late. This summer NPR asked its audience for the top 100 science fiction and fantasy novels. The audience dutifully responded.
Not long thereafter, SFSignal offered a massive flowchart to help the overwhelmed sort out which of the 100 would be right for them. "There are (obviously) 100 end points and over 325 decision points." So much for aiding the overwhelmed.
But that brings us to today (or actually yesterday, but I clicked it today): An Interactive Guide to NPR's List of Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books. This is the direct link.
Tricia recently made a strong Neil Gaiman pitch (sorry I don't recall the context), so the fact that he's got 4 spots on the top 100 list seals the deal for me.
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Cool. Robert Heinlein made the list.
Agree, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land informed much of my experience of growing up.
If Heinlein didn't make the list you'd pretty much have to throw the entire thing out (at least the sci-fi portion). He is accredited with creating modern science fiction space culture. Everything from Star Wars, Star Trek, to Firefly, Stargate, and so on can tie their roots directly back to Heinlein. Now whether you agreed with his fascist agenda, on the other hand...;-)
Unfortunately so did Orson Scott Card, homophobe extraordinaire.
Sweet! Thanks for the 'direct link'... all about the interactive guide.... I've read American Gods by Neil Gaiman pretty cool novel.. Look forward to your show tonight!
Cool graphic but The Wheel of Time series is listed as a complete series and it is not complete yet. Got a few good ideas though for when I finish Game of Thrones. How did you know I was reading that? You guys are good.
It is a very useful tool for finding books in your interest domain. Being a Science Fiction Fantasy fanatic I have read about 80 of the titles and tried most of the rest. Since I am also an old fanatic I was disappointed in the disproportionate size of the newer authors and titles.
No Arthur C Clarke or HG Wells to mention a couple.
Now back in my day.... :)
You sure about that? I'm pretty sure I saw War of the Worlds
An Arthur C Clarke book is the first book the guide took me to.
West Virginia Watch:
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As a member of the SF Signal crew, we are gratified by your interest in our chart. We're blown away by how popular it's become.
As a member of SF Signal, we are gratified by your interest in our chart. We're surprised at just how popular it has become.
Thanks again.
Paul Weimer
Contributor, SF Signal.
It was quite a bit of fun to see a whole bunch of things on the list that I've already read. I think I had read about 10 of the titles on the list, but a couple of them were series that have more than three books in them. The Belgariad is five books, and the list doesn't even count The Mallorean, another set of five books plus the two stand-a-lones.
Even getting into Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series can be quite an undertaking since I think there are around 20 of those if you include the stuff she has written and what her son has written alone. I'd recommend those books to anyone, but I figure it's still a good idea to warn people as to what they're getting into beforehand.
I know there are a few things on that list that are floating around my house that I haven't read since both of my parents really enjoy sci-fi/fantasy.
Love this. Except... I'm suspicious about the interactive guide. First choice, it directed me to some book with a story line about our Androids getting electronically infected with sheep??
Question everything.