Best All-Time Sci-fi Novel? - Page 5

RichL · 07-11-2011, 04:00 PM

Rossum's Universal Robots- Josef Capek (actually a play but easy to read as a book)
WE - Yevgeny Zamyatin
The street that wasn't there - Simak and Jacobi

Heinlein, LeGuin, K.S. Robinson and that bunch are good as well but short and to the point resonates with me. :-)

kennyc · 07-11-2011, 04:11 PM

When did the discussion move from Best All-Time Sci-fi Novel to authors and short stories?

RichL · 07-11-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

When did the discussion move from Best All-Time Sci-fi Novel to authors and short stories?

Short Novels good sir, short novels.

kennyc · 07-11-2011, 05:14 PM

Well if you want to get technical RUR was a PLAY.

speedrrracer · 07-11-2011, 08:42 PM

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny -- can't believe it hasn't already been mentioned -- maybe I missed it. My #1 by far.

Phogg · 07-11-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtdolphins

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. I have always been bothered by the ending. Intrigued by Prof. The book made an impression on me.

Probably my second favorite sci-fi book is a Philip K. Dick collection. I have reread 1984.

Stranger in a Strange Land is on my Kindle to be read on vacation. I am on a mission to read more of Robert Heinlein this year. For some reason I overlooked this arthor, except for The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Good thread! I got some ideas out of it.

I do think that The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is Heinlein's best story, but that I Will Fear No Evil and Time Enough For Love each produced more memorable quotes. I also feel Anne McCaffrey's All The Weyrs Of Pern echoed the ending of The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress a bit.

kennyc · 07-11-2011, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phogg

I do think that The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is Heinlein's best story, but that I Will Fear No Evil and Time Enough For Love each produced more memorable quotes. I also feel Anne McCaffrey's All The Weyrs Of Pern echoed the ending of The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress a bit.

Try time enough for love - it's my favorite Heinlein.

Giggleton · 07-12-2011, 04:54 AM

I thought Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon was quite good, as well as Starmaker.

I recently read The Player of Games by Iain Banks and enjoyed that too.

montsnmags · 07-12-2011, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedrrracer

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny -- can't believe it hasn't already been mentioned -- maybe I missed it. My #1 by far.

I would certainly rate that high up there.

I'm also quite fond of Grass and Raising The Stones by Sherri S. Tepper.

I liked Hyperion by Dan Simmons, so it's way up there. Dune by Frank Herbert. Ahh, that's right...Neverness by David Zindell.

They'd all jockey at the top for me.

EDIT: Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany. Don't know how I forgot that one.

orlok · 07-12-2011, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Try time enough for love - it's my favorite Heinlein.

, with I Will Fear No Evil close behind (though I read both about 30 years ago, so my memory could be flawed...).

austinmitchell · 07-12-2011, 12:12 PM

The Time Machine - H G Wells

Followed by...
1984 - George Orwell
A Scanner Darkly - Philip K Dick
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Man in the High Castle - Philip K Dick

mboyaci · 07-12-2011, 03:12 PM

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy - Douglas Adams

taosaur · 07-12-2011, 08:16 PM

I've read and enjoyed a lot of Clarke, but looking back on his works, I would rate the vast majority more highly in terms of influence than actual quality. Foundation was fun, but underwhelming after having read the Dune series, and Childhood's End was full of great ideas, but they were somewhat clumsily and superficially explored. When I look at what Kubrick did with 2001 or even what Stephen Baxter did in the recent Time Odyssey books (or Greg Bear rehashing Rama in his Eon books), it seems obvious that Clarke's ideas had a lot more potential than he was capable of realizing as an artist. His influence was vast and deserves recognition, but I can't in good conscience elevate any of his individual works above the better efforts they inspired.

Granted, I haven't read the apparent crowd favorite, The City and the Stars--added to my list

My current Clarke favorite is Songs of Distant Earth, though I thoroughly enjoyed the Time Odyssey collaboration.

I can't do "best of all time," but the works that have impacted me most, as a teen:

Blood Music
Brave New World
The Positronic Man
Cat's Cradle (borderline sci-fi, but entrenched like a Pashtun on that border)

As an adult:

Anathem
"Repent Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (a short story, I know)
God Emperor of Dune (to pick one, Dune Messiah is also right up there)

And for something less serious, David Brin's Uplift series deserves mention, particularly the second trilogy centering on the planet Jijo, which can essentially be taken as one work. For uproarious, absurdist sci-fi, I'll take Uplift over Hitchhiker.

Joe Minton · 07-13-2011, 02:47 PM

Larry Niven: "Protector"

fantasyfan · 07-13-2011, 03:38 PM

That is really a tough choice! I'll give my top ten in alphabetical order by title.

Double Star by Heinlein
The Dying Earth sequence by Jack Vance--Vance wrote a great series of novels based on this universe but I'll stick to the very first book which is a linked group of stories.
More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon
Of Men and Monsters by William Tenn
Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson
Time and Again by Jack Finney
The Time Machine by H.G.Wells
Way Station by Clifford Simak
The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz
Wolfbane by Frederick Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth

07-12-2011, 12:12 PM	#71
austinmitchell Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 18016 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	The Time Machine - H G Wells Followed by... 1984 - George Orwell A Scanner Darkly - Philip K Dick Brave New World - Aldous Huxley The Man in the High Castle - Philip K Dick Last edited by austinmitchell; 07-12-2011 at 12:15 PM.

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07-11-2011, 04:00 PM	#61
RichL Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 1096520 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: back to x51v	Rossum's Universal Robots- Josef Capek (actually a play but easy to read as a book) WE - Yevgeny Zamyatin The street that wasn't there - Simak and Jacobi Heinlein, LeGuin, K.S. Robinson and that bunch are good as well but short and to the point resonates with me. :-)

07-11-2011, 04:11 PM	#62
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	When did the discussion move from Best All-Time Sci-fi Novel to authors and short stories?

07-11-2011, 05:14 PM	#64
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Well if you want to get technical RUR was a PLAY.

07-11-2011, 08:42 PM	#65
speedrrracer Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad2, kindle dxg	Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny -- can't believe it hasn't already been mentioned -- maybe I missed it. My #1 by far.

07-12-2011, 04:54 AM	#68
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	I thought Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon was quite good, as well as Starmaker. I recently read The Player of Games by Iain Banks and enjoyed that too.

07-12-2011, 03:12 PM	#72
mboyaci Member Posts: 21 Karma: 16 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Cyprus Device: Sony PRS 650, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage	Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy - Douglas Adams

07-12-2011, 08:16 PM	#73
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I've read and enjoyed a lot of Clarke, but looking back on his works, I would rate the vast majority more highly in terms of influence than actual quality. Foundation was fun, but underwhelming after having read the Dune series, and Childhood's End was full of great ideas, but they were somewhat clumsily and superficially explored. When I look at what Kubrick did with 2001 or even what Stephen Baxter did in the recent Time Odyssey books (or Greg Bear rehashing Rama in his Eon books), it seems obvious that Clarke's ideas had a lot more potential than he was capable of realizing as an artist. His influence was vast and deserves recognition, but I can't in good conscience elevate any of his individual works above the better efforts they inspired. Granted, I haven't read the apparent crowd favorite, The City and the Stars--added to my list My current Clarke favorite is Songs of Distant Earth, though I thoroughly enjoyed the Time Odyssey collaboration. I can't do "best of all time," but the works that have impacted me most, as a teen: Blood Music Brave New World The Positronic Man Cat's Cradle (borderline sci-fi, but entrenched like a Pashtun on that border) As an adult: Anathem "Repent Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (a short story, I know) God Emperor of Dune (to pick one, Dune Messiah is also right up there) And for something less serious, David Brin's Uplift series deserves mention, particularly the second trilogy centering on the planet Jijo, which can essentially be taken as one work. For uproarious, absurdist sci-fi, I'll take Uplift over Hitchhiker.

07-13-2011, 02:47 PM	#74
Joe Minton eReader Posts: 60 Karma: 31585 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southern California Device: Sony 650, iPod Touch 4G, iPhone 4, Nook: Touch/Glow/Color/Tablet	Larry Niven: "Protector"

07-13-2011, 03:38 PM	#75
fantasyfan Wizard Posts: 1,375 Karma: 26915798 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Ireland Device: Kindle Oasis 3, 4G, iPad Air 2, iPhone IE	That is really a tough choice! I'll give my top ten in alphabetical order by title. Double Star by Heinlein The Dying Earth sequence by Jack Vance--Vance wrote a great series of novels based on this universe but I'll stick to the very first book which is a linked group of stories. More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon Of Men and Monsters by William Tenn Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson Time and Again by Jack Finney The Time Machine by H.G.Wells Way Station by Clifford Simak The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz Wolfbane by Frederick Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth

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