My List of SciFi Books you must have

[Andy44]

I was talking to a friend at work the other day and we were discussing "classic" SF books. We started to make a verbal list of which books belong in any collection of classic SF. Here's my list so far, in no particular order:

Arthur C. Clarke*: 2001: A Space Odyssey 2010: Odyssey Two
Rendezvous with Rama

Robert A. Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Starship Troopers

Ray Bradbury: Farenheit 451
The Martian Chronicles

H. G. Wells: War of the Worlds
The Time Machine

Isaac Asimov: I Robot (anthology)
Foundation Trilogy

Joe Haldeman: The Forever War

There are some I need to add to this list which I have yet to read, so I won't add them until I do, or unless enough people tell me to. These include stories by Philip K. Dick and E.E.Smith's Lensmen, which is out of print and has me searching for a copy.

Please comment!

 

[tblaxland]

I hadn't heard of The Forever War until now. Thanks for the tip.

 

[dougkeenan]

Good list! But no Fred Pohl? "Gateway?" Or "Man Plus?"

Oh and many thanks for omitting Harlan Ellison.

 

[RocketMan_Len]

"The Two Faces of Tomorrow" by James P. Hogan
"High Justice" and "Exiles To Glory" by Jerry Pournelle
"Ringworld" and "Lucifers' Hammer" by Larry Niven

(Do you have a date limit, before they're "classic"...?)

 

[Andy44]

To Doug: I haven't read any Pohl, so I can't vouch for him on my list, and I'm not sure if he is 'required' reading.

To Len: I read Hogan's book a long time ago and loved it! I recently tracked down a copy of that book in a used book store. But I'm not sure it's a 'classic' or 'required reading' along the lines of Clark and Wells. Same for Niven and Pournelle, whose stuff is top notch.

Maybe I will start a sublist of titles that should be required reading but aren't "classics". I would throw in Hogan, along with Niven/Pournelle's Footfall and The Mote in God's Eye, and Niven's Ringworld.

 

[RocketMan_Len]

Some others that I find quite enjoyable to (re)read...

"Fallen Angels" - Niven/Pournelle/Flynn
"The Exiles Trilogy" - Ben Bova
"The Trikon Deception" - Ben Bova
"The Return" - Aldrin/Barnes
"The Gatekeepers" - Daniel Graham Jr.
"The Alien Dark" - Diana Gallagher

 

[Andy44]

Well it's been a long time since I even remembered I had a blog, but I have to add something to my list:

Neuromancer by William Gibson.

Along with it I also recommend the two sequels, which all form the "Sprawl Trilogy"