SFX Magazines's Top 25 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books

[Raven]

^ The recent adaptation was pants, if you want to see a good one, get hold of a copy of the 80's version.

 

The book is really rather good though.

[Karsa Orlong]

Magician, The Day of the Triffids, Ender's Game, Game of Thrones [just ordered], Dune, HGTTG).

These all rank among my favourite books. I read Triffids years ago and thought it was excellent. If you can, seek out Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes as well. When I was about 12 my teacher decided to read a passage from it and it scared me witless. I read it for myself a few years later. Great stuff.

 

Magician, Ender's Game, Dune - all classics, particularly the latter two. I recently re-read Dune, about 30 years after I first read it, and it hasn't aged at all.

 

A Game of Thrones - the beginning of, imo, one of the best fantasy series written to date. Must start a thread about it at some point ...

 

I just bought The Stars My Destination yesterday, so looking forward to that. Would also be interested in opinion of Hyperion, as I've read a couple of Dan Simmons' books and enjoyed them (most recently The Terror).

 

Enjoy!

[Cookie]

I have already read 10 of these and have another 2 on my list. I will keep my eye out for the others if I see them going cheap.

[Raven]

These all rank among my favourite books. I read Triffids years ago and thought it was excellent. If you can, seek out Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes as well. When I was about 12 my teacher decided to read a passage from it and it scared me witless. I read it for myself a few years later. Great stuff.

 

I'll second the recommendation for The Kraken Wakes as well, it is very good!

[Steeeeve]

Stop recommending books dammit!

I am now 50 pages in to Triffids. Really enjoying it. The concept never really appealed to me but it's fantastically well done.

 

Dune is quite daunting. I want to read it but it seems like quite a big undertaking. Basically I'm lazy.

[Raven]

I am now 50 pages in to Triffids.

 

Good man!

[Ooshie]

I have read 8 of them (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Stars my Destination, It, The Stand, The Hobbit, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Lord of the Rings).

 

I am Legend is waiting on my shelf, and I'm looking forward to reading that.

 

I have been thinking of buying the His Dark Materials trilogy for ages now, and I got an email telling me it is currently on offer as a free set from The Folio Society if I buy three books from them. I love collecting their books (it is my only vice, honest - well, nearly...) so I think I will probably not be able to resist that offer.

[BookJumper]

I have been thinking of buying the His Dark Materials trilogy for ages now, and I got an email telling me it is currently on offer as a free set from The Folio Society if I buy three books from them.

I don't care that I have a signed collector's edition of Northern Lights waiting patiently on the shelf; I'm still jealous of your very likely future purchase...!

[Ooshie]

Oooh, I have signature envy now! But that FS edition will look so lovely on the shelf...

[vodkafan]

I have read masses of Sci fi but the only ones I have read out of that list are WOTW, 1984 and Dune. Terry Pratchett and LOTR have never interested me.

[Steeeeve]

Well I have about 108 pages of Triffids left so hopefully should finish today. Then maybe start Ender's Game.

I don't know if this is in every edition but my copy of Triffids has all the swear words censored which seems kind of quaint nowadays.

It's odd how little a role the triffids have actually played in the book at the moment.

[Steeeeve]

Aaaand I'm done. I'm really bad at talking about a book after I've finished it. I just end up sounding unenthusiastic when I say "I really enjoyed it". But I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how the tv series had changed it. I read that Torrence was just a mde up character for the series but he is in the book. Funnily enough his brief appearance in the book made me hate him just as much, if not more, than I did in the series.

 

Now for Ender's Game.

[Nollaig]

Would also be interested in opinion of Hyperion, as I've read a couple of Dan Simmons' books and enjoyed them (most recently The Terror).

 

I really need to get started on some of the books on this list.

 

As for Hyperion, I haven't read most of it (it being two or three biiiig books long), but I did start reading it once. The first book is done Canterbury Tales like, with several people telling their stories. I read the first one (and most of the second one, which I thought was just plain stupid but apparently it's one of the less good ones), and the first one is awesome. The first one could be an entire book in it's own right, it's so fascinating. I must read it again, actually, and try to read the other five or six stories too

[Steeeeve]

Well I've finished Ender's Game. Sooooooo good. I don't know if I'll buy the sequels though. I feel like the story ended at a good point. Unless someone thinks the sequels are really worth buying? I don't want to ruin my memory of the book with disappointing follow ups.

The story was so compelling. The way it was paced so you wanted to find out what Ender would face next without ever getting bored of where he was in the story was really well done. I'm satisfyingly annoyed with myself for not guessing the ending especially since I think it's kind of famous?

I don't know. Anyway I'm off to give my brain a rest.

[Karsa Orlong]

Glad you enjoyed Ender's Game - I loved that book

 

I read the two immediate sequels. I enjoyed them but I didn't think they were as good.

 

Re Hyperion - that's one to add to the list then ...

[Raven]

Well I have about 108 pages of Triffids left so hopefully should finish today. Then maybe start Ender's Game.

I don't know if this is in every edition but my copy of Triffids has all the swear words censored which seems kind of quaint nowadays.

 

I've not see a version where they are not (the book was originally published in 1951).

[Karsa Orlong]

Well I read Bester's The Stars My Destination yesterday. What a stunning piece of work! It's so fast-paced, so brimming with ideas and action, and has such a brilliant main character, I just couldn't put it down. I can't believe I haven't read it before now.

[Nollaig]

Okay, I'm thoroughly delighted to be seeing people highly praising Ender's Game and The Stars My Destination as they're pretty much the main two on this list I want to read

[Steeeeve]

Oooh I'm looking forward to getting The Stars My Destination now. I might make it the book I take away on holiday in June.

One book I just finished which is in the SF Masterworks range is Grass by Sherri S. Tepper (I may be spelling that wrong but I'm in bed now, not going to move). It was absolutely superb.

It kind of reminds me of the Coldfire series (don't let that put you off Raven ) but that may be because I haven't read much fantasy/sci-fi till this last year so I'm just reaching out for the most similar thing.

Also when I say it reminds me of Coldfire it also very much doesn't...basically ignore me and just read the book.

A nice mysterious planet which may hold the key to curing a plague along with a few other unknowns thrown into the mix. Tres good.

[Karsa Orlong]

Grass by Sherri S. Tepper

Haven't heard of that one <<disappears to look it up on Amazon>>

 

 

Edit: Okay, that's going on the 'to be purchased' list, thanks for the recommendation!

Edited May 5, 2010 by Karsa Orlong