How To Split An Atom - Latest Comments in 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

arakis — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:16:49 -0000

Hi. You forgot one of the greatest writers in sci-fi, Stanislav Lem and his book Solaris.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

JFrog — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:51:18 -0000

Felix is my homeboy.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

JFrog — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:49:29 -0000

Damn straight. I can't believe I forgot about that one. In fact, I think I'm going to go dig out my old Sci-Fi book club edition.....

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

JFrog — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:46:47 -0000

Agreed. I also enjoyed Illium and Olympos. Also check out The Lensemen series by E.E. "Doc" Smith, Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer, The Sheep Look up by John Bruner and Blood Music by Greg Bear. Oh and no list is complete without Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Fred — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:28:23 -0000

Thanks for the list

I have already read some of these novels, but I will try The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Timeline in a couple of days.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Dan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:25:12 -0000

1984 not Sci-Fi? It was written 35 years before it is set, and has people working on very futuristic devices...

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Mark — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:19:33 -0000

Perdido Street Station, Pollen, Hyperion, Virtual Light, The Diamond Age, The list of missing in action is endless!

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

ampat varghese — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:59:33 -0000

The Gameplayers of Zan - M A Foster

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Kip — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:51:34 -0000

There's no way you talk like that in real life.

Atlas Shrugged is garbage because it's boring and I disagree with Ayn Rand's worldviews in general.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Drug Treatment Center — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:25:44 -0000

Since my job is in SF domain I gotta say I read more than 10 books I saw listed here on this website. More then 8 of them we`re completely awesome and I would gladly read them a second time If I would not be so busy with other similar things. Nice job you did here and thanks for writing this article.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

WmLee — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:40:44 -0000

I'd have to say that "The Stars My Destination' and 'The Demolished Man', both by Alfred Bester, should be here, as well as perhaps his collection of short stories. My other nomination would have to be 'Starship Troopers' (trust me, nothing like the movie). I re-read that one about every 5 years or so and always find a whole new level of sophistication to it that I hadn't seen before.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Hal Smith — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:49:36 -0000

Interesting list. I agree with a lot of if and will pick up a few of your recommendations. I'd add some Clifford Simak, Julian May's "Jack the Bodiless", A.E. Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shops of Isher", Jack Chalker's "Well of Souls" books, some Harlan Ellison, and the mostly unknown & usually out-of-print "Agent of Chaos" by the under-appreciated Norman Spinrad - although it has some politics in it which may offend some of these commentators.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

sawcy89 — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:54:59 -0000

The Stars My Destination

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

grikdog — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:13:11 -0000

Glork! Jefferson Airplane lifted their "Crown of Creation" screed from RE-BIRTH, a novel by John Wyndham, anthologized by Anthony Boucher in _A Treasury of Great Science Fiction_ (Volume One). Always a crowd pleaser.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Bren — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:39:27 -0000

I'd say that Morgan is worth a read, but I'd recommend the second book in that series, Broken Angels. Much better than Altered Carbon, but still in the same 'verse.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Bren — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:36:16 -0000

Cherryh's Foreigner series (all half million of them) are the best I've read since Dune.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Sudhir — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:30:30 -0000

Rendezvous with Rama.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Scott — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:54:32 -0000

Some worthy additions:

Cities in Flight - James Blish
The Hyperion Cantos - Dan Simmons
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Camouflage - Joe Haldeman
Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - Phillip K. Dick
A Deepness In The Sky / A Fire Upon The Deep - Vernor Vinge (this is truly mind-blowing stuff. I laughed, cried, raged, rejoiced. Some of the best literature, SF or otherwise, written in the past century.)

I think your list suffers without any work by Gene Wolfe, long acknowledged as one of the preeminent writers working in the genre. The Book of the New Sun certainly deserves a spot on this list.

But, I'm glad that you left out some of the junk-pop that people are just gobbling up these days, like Alistair Reynolds or Iain M. Banks.

I don't think that Animal Farm or Atlas Shrugged really belong here, and I cringe at the double-dose of Hollywood Crichton.

But, all-in-all, good list! Thanks! Thumbs-up for StumbleUpon!

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Rowan — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:55:03 -0000

I've read 23, and WILL read the rest.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Hue — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:02:28 -0000

This is going to draw scorn, but 'Battlefield Earth' by L. Ron Hubbard is a great piece of Sci-fi. As far as I know Hubbard wrote it before inventing his religion.

The 2000 movie by the same name doesn't come close to addressing the complexities of the 1000 page novel.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

MadHatter — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:36:09 -0000

Thank you. Finally a list that makes some damn sense. I've stumbled across to many lists and asked myself 'who the hell wrote this?' if this list were longer i would also request Hyperion be added too, but for a limited list like this, i think its great.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

StarK Radio — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:16:39 -0000

Needle, by Hal Clement

The Margarets, by Shari S Tepper

Grass, by Shari S Tepper

Anything by James Tiptree, Jr

Passage, by Connie Willis

Great list!

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Nolte — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:41:52 -0000

I started this book and put it down after a dozen or so pages. The difficulty of this book when I was in high school was pretty intense, and it was think so I didn't know if I should stay at it. Seeing some praise for it, I guess I'll pick it back up.

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Bao66 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:02:40 -0000

Would add Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky. The intricacy of this epic plot is astounding. Vinge is the master of suspending your disbelief in some pretty wild, yet sublimely explained, situations. Spiders in jalopies never seemed so real....

Re: 32 Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read

Elliot — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:44:07 -0000

I've only read 8 on the list, but I'm familiar with all (and have seen all of the movies based on these books).

Should see Lem on the list. Star Diaries and Futurological congress are great