What do you think Are the Best Classic Fantasy And Science Fiction Books and Stories of All Time?

The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula K Leguin.

Eye in the Sky, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and VALIS by Philip K Dick.

We Who Are About To... by Joanna Russ

All are books I've read in the last few years, and which stuck with me. I think it's something about their unflinching way of looking at humanity with a wry, dark humour that doesn't omit the capacity for a person to be 'bad' or make mistakes. Great reads.
 
Jo Zebedee said:
It isn't naff at all. Or no more naff than me naming Dune as the classic sf book so many try to emulate. Big world, good future concepts, cracking characters. I think he's the sf classic of the similar ilk.
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In my opinion, Dune is the greatest sci-fi novel ever written.

That wasn't written by Terry Pratchett of course.
 
Duncton Wood by William Horwood. First read it when I was 15, and it made quite an impression after reading dozens of sword and sorcery books. At the time it struck me as a grown up version of Watership Down(which is not fair). Both are equally impressive and important works.

Of course there will always be LOTR and The Hobbit, although my enjoyment of them has diminished over the years for varying reasons they still hold a special place in my heart.

Can I mention Don Quixote. Not fantasy but magical and moving.
 
SPoots said:
In my opinion, Dune is the greatest sci-fi novel ever written.

That wasn't written by Terry Pratchett of course.
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Dune is to science fiction what Lord of The Rings is to Fantasy.:cool:
 
For me, Dune wins over Lord of the Rings in that I find it more readable and accessible.
Lord of the Rings wins over Dune by having more than one book in the series that's really good.
 
Did anyone mention The Hobbit?
It was my favorite book in high school, and still is one of my favorites. I think to this day, it is the only book I read three times. Couldn't stand the first movie, though. I was looking forward to it, but it was just all wrong. I can't say I have much interest in checking out the other two.
 
LeonDaydreamer said:
Did anyone mention The Hobbit?
It was my favorite book in high school, and still is one of my favorites. I think to this day, it is the only book I read three times. Couldn't stand the first movie, though. I was looking forward to it, but it was just all wrong. I can't say I have much interest in checking out the other two.
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An excellent choice and welcome to Chrons.:)
 
The Silmarillion J R R Tolkien. I read it along time ago, great stuff. (y):cool:
 
so, i daresay alot of lists have somewhat of a consensus on the major players.ive thought on it a couple days...
Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

mine would be:
LOTR(my favorite Return of the King)
The Hobbitt
The Wheel of Time(my favorites- Dragon Reborn,Fires of Heaven,Crossroads of Twilight, Memory of Light)
Mars series/Burroughs(fave: Princess of Mars, Thuvia, Maid of Mars, Llana of Gathul, Swordsman)
Game of Thrones(not complete, so wont name a fave)
Chronicles of Narnia(faves- Lion,Witch&Wardrobe,Voyage of the Dawn Treader,Magician's Nephew)
The Once and Future King

but after that, i have a list that while maybe not defined as classic, are still in my fave list:
Maia- Richard Adams
Mists of Avalon- Marion Zimmer Bradley
Stormblade-Nancy Varian Berberick
Last Unicorn- Peter Beagle
Outlander series-Gabaldon(mainly just first 3 books)
Dragonriders of Pern- McCaffrey
Crystal Singer-McCaffrey
Malazan- Erickson(tough read though, imo and i felt like the storylines i wished to know more of were unfulfilled)

not really sff:
Through a glass darkly- Koen
Pillars of the Earth-Follett

so, i know Dune is not on this...but i havent read it! only seen the movie a lot of times and wished for a decent remake.lol
 
Amberlen said:
so, i daresay alot of lists have somewhat of a consensus on the major players.ive thought on it a couple days...
Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

mine would be:
LOTR(my favorite Return of the King)
The Hobbitt
The Wheel of Time(my favorites- Dragon Reborn,Fires of Heaven,Crossroads of Twilight, Memory of Light)
Mars series/Burroughs(fave:princess of Mars, Thuvia, Maid of Mars, Llana of Gathul, Swordsman)
Game of Thrones(not complete, so wont name a fave)
Chronicles of Narnia(faves- Lion,Witch&Wardrobe,Voyage of the Dawn Treader,Magician's Nephew)
The Once and Future King

but after that, i have a list that while maybe not defined as classic, are still in my fave list:
Maia- Richard Adams
Mists of Avalon- Marion Zimmer Bradley
Stormblade-Nancy Varian Berberick
Last Unicorn- Peter Beagle
Outlander series-Gabaldon(mainly just first 3 books)
Dragonriders of Pern- McCaffrey
Crystal Singer-McCaffrey
Malazan- Erickson(tough read though, imo and i felt like the storylines i wished to know more of were unfulfilled)

not really sff:
Through a glass darkly- Koen
Pillars of the Earth-Follett

so, i know Dune is not on this...but i havent read it! only seen the movie a lot of times and wished for a decent remake.lol
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Quite a good list . (y):cool:
 
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