The best CLASSIC Sci-fi novel of all time!

[woodsman]

1984

What, wait, it's not SF according to the serious literary types?

Stanley Robinson's Red Mars trilogy was an experience for me.
Le Guin's The Dispossessed also stands out.

 

[thatollie]

Hmm not heard of that one!

It's a middle of his career novel about underwater powerplants and government conspiracies... I think.

Anyway, I'd say that definitive No. 1s are pretty useless overall. A good selection is the goal of anyone with a bookcase (or five)... right?

 

[AE35Unit]

Anyway, I'd say that definitive No. 1s are pretty useless overall. A good selection is the goal of anyone with a bookcase (or five)... right?

Oh absolutely!

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

How about On The Beach by Neville Shute - very good book, even watched the old B&W film recently and it's still very moving

 

[old wallie]

I just thought of one of the greatest true, Sci Fi books ever. saturnalia by Grant Callin. This author wrote one other book that I could find then nothing. But the one book is great.

 

[Williamlk]

I just thought of one of the greatest true, Sci Fi books ever. saturnalia by Grant Callin. This author wrote one other book that I could find then nothing. But the one book is great.

I have never heard of that one...Thanks for sharing, I'm going to check it out.

 

[Kyndylan]

Umm, so I'm feeling slightly embarrassed about my lack of classic science fiction reading right now. I love Dune, and Ender's Game, but I think that's it from what's been mentioned so far.

I think I'd put The Forever War up there as well - that'll do for my contribution at least.

 

[clovis-man]

No from memory the cover was Luke in the middle with the other characters flanking him either side. I think that it was from the original cinema poster.

From my fading memory banks:

I first saw this exact book, bought it and read it shortly before the movie came out:

It's my understanding that Alan Dean Foster was the real author, but Lucas seemed to take credit for it at the time. I don't have it anymore.

Oh, and I have to vote for Dune as the best I have read (Is that an okay qualifier?).

 

[Williamlk]

From my fading memory banks:

I first saw this exact book, bought it and read it shortly before the movie came out:

It's my understanding that Alan Dean Foster was the real author, but Lucas seemed to take credit for it at the time. I don't have it anymore.

Oh, and I have to vote for Dune as the best I have read (Is that an okay qualifier?).

I am a Dune fan also, it gets my vote as well.

I never saw this version of Star Wars. Do you know if it's available for a kindle?

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

If I'm not mistaken (which I very well may be!) Alan Dean Foster wrote the novel version of the Alien movies too

 

[AE35Unit]

If I'm not mistaken (which I very well may be!) Alan Dean Foster wrote the novel version of the Alien movies too

yea I had the first 3 novelissations in paperback,very good they were too!
Also he did Alien Nation, Krull, The Thing,some Star Trek books etc etc.

 

[redmeat]

Redmeat: The book, the trilogy, or the extended universe of stories?

My take on that would be book=good; series=better; extended universe=Okay.

The trilogy. My take on it is pretty much the same as yours. The extended universe get a bit amorphous in places, and the books not written by Asimov are so-so but I admire the attempt at integrating the robot stuff.

 

[psikeyhackr]

How old does it have to be to qualify as "Classic"?

psik

 

[Vaz]

I hope it qualifies if so my vote goes to Larry Niven's Ringworld.

C'mon who didn't want a pet Kzin after reading it!!

 

[clovis-man]

From my fading memory banks:

I first saw this exact book, bought it and read it shortly before the movie came out:

It's my understanding that Alan Dean Foster was the real author, but Lucas seemed to take credit for it at the time. I don't have it anymore.

Oh, and I have to vote for Dune as the best I have read (Is that an okay qualifier?).

Image problem. Here's what it looked like FWIW.\:

 

[psikeyhackr]

From my fading memory banks:

I first saw this exact book, bought it and read it shortly before the movie came out:

I read it and was telling people at my job that it was crap.

Then I went a saw it after being told I was full of crap.

LOL

It was a lesson in the difference between movies and books. But it has become a matter of all of the 10 years old kids that were programmed back then. The story still isn't that good, it was just such a different movie done so well at the time.

psik

 

[AE35Unit]

How old does it have to be to qualify as "Classic"?

psik

I dont think a book has to be old to be considered a classic per se. I just think it has to be around long enough for people to be talking about it and passing it on.
Iain M Banks' Consider Phlebas was written in the late 80s. I'd consider that a classic.

 

[Vince W]

I'd consider most of Banks' writing as classic or soon to be classic.

 

[Rodders]

Seconded for Banks.

 

[Randy M.]

From my reading experience, I'd have to choose from a list including,
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells
Davy by Edgar Pangborn
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Gateway by Frederick Pohl

I feel like there are others I'm not thinking of. Oh, well.

Randy M.