10 SF Books

Looking for quick evidence that the book A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge is a reasonably well-known SF novel to settle a discussion with a friend, last night I googled “best science fiction” and the first link was this site, listing the results of an online poll. (Of course, attempting to find the link now, I don’t see it near the top of my google search; fortunately I had saved it.)

At the top of the page, you can take the online poll for yourself. You get to choose your 10 favorite SF books from a long (but by no means all-inclusive of great SF) list. Here were my selections, in alphabetical order by author:

The Real Story (The Gap Series) – Stephen Donaldson
The first book is not actually that great, but I found this series incredibly compelling for all that it is brutal, disturbing, stark, depraved, and lacking in sympathetic characters. It is not easy going, but I think it’s brilliant and ultimately very satisfying. (The more immediate feeling is of being emotionally wiped out.) Many people, however, have found the series just too horrendous to endure through the end. I will never recommend anyone purchase all of them at once unless you can get them cheap.

The Difference Engine – William Gibson & Bruce Sterling
Alternative history set in a 19th century London with computers.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress – Robert Heinlein
I was almost too mature for Heinlein’s books when I started reading them in college, and at this point, the kids’ books and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are basically the only ones I can tolerate. Rollicking lunar libertarian revolutionary fun.

Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy) – C. S. Lewis
A lovely allegorical story with some very fine writing.

A Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M. Miller
Comic yet profound post-apocalyptic novel steeped in a twisted Catholicism.

Hyperion – Dan Simmons
The tale of several pilgrims making their way to visit and attempt to endure an encounter with the ultra-scary Shrike. A top-notch series.

Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson
This hilarious, rather frenzied cyberpunk story had me from the introduction of the Deliverator on page one. It was perhaps the absolute best possible book to distract and entertain me through a very difficult and cramp-ful night in a motel on South Congress Avenue. (There was a cockroach involved.)

Diamond Age – Neal Stephenson
One of three copies of a “Young Ladies Illustrated Primer” (an interactive computer-book) falls into the hands of a poor, troubled young girl, who learns a lot about how to thrive. Delightful.

Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson
OK, I really like Neal Stephenson, all right? Even though I’m not the hard-core geek who is the perfect audience for a book about Enigma code breakers and computer engineers, I loved its wit.

A Fire Upon the Deep – Victor Vinge
The fascinating, fully-realized dog-like alien species really sticks with me. (A welcome departure from the kind of aliens who are just like human beings only more aggressive and with spikier hair.)

Honorable Mention:
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Jumper – Steven Gould
Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula Le Guin
Star Fraction – Ken McLeod
1984 – George Orwell
Anthem – Ayn Rand
To Say Nothing of the Dog – Connie Willis

Looking at the top 20 books on the list, the only ones I haven't read are the Asimov (I have only read I, Robot - Robert's copy, borrowed about a year ago - and the most excellent children's series The Norby Chronicles) and the Arthur C. Clarke books.

I was a bit taken aback to see Dune at #1. I thought it was a greatly enjoyable book, and I have no beef with its popularity, but I totally do not think of it as SF. I would classify it more as a fantasy; I know the SF/fantasy distinction is a continuum and not two discrete categories, but I would draw the line with Dune on the other side. If Dune is SF then it becomes harder for me to accept my beloved Perdido Street Station as fantasy and thus ineligible for ranking on this list. And this way lies madness.

This list - the great SF books excluded and lame books included, the relative rankings of various books, the working definition of SF that was assumed by the generator of the list of eligible books, the inherent tensions between "best" and "favorite" books, the methodology of the poll itself - could be discussed and debated ad nauseum. I will leave doing so as an exercise for the reader, if so inclined.