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

[galanx]

Among the earliest science fiction is THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll, which is also fantasy. I'd raise this above many another SF classic. I've read it, read an abridged child's version of it, seen a Disney film of it and heard a radio dramatization of it. ("Oh, off with MY head, is it?")

Eh? How is that SF? Fantasy, yes.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

 

[BAYLOR]

The Island of Dr Moreau by H G Wells

 

[Eni6ma]

2 of my favorite scifi books The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt and The Nimrod Hunt by Charles Scheffield!

 

[BAYLOR]

2 of my favorite scifi books The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt and The Nimrod Hunt by Charles Scheffield!

Absolutely.

 

[BAYLOR]

THE WIZARD OF OZ is also part sf, part fantasy (in addition to the Alice books of Carroll). And of classic stature.

Indeed.

 

[Amanda Winters]

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.

 

[BAYLOR]

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.

An absolute classic.

 

[Caliban]

Books

Best -
More Than Human - by Sturgeon
Adulthood Rites - by Butler
American Gods - by Gaiman
Stolen Faces - by Bishop

Worst -
The Last Battle - by Lewis
Vulcans Hammer - by Dick

Short Fiction

Best -
Faith of Our Fathers - by Dick
The Infinity Box - by Wilhelm
How To Talk to Girls at Parties - by Gaiman
The Tain - by Mieville

Worst -
Dream Houses - by Valentine
Early Lovecraft Stories

All views expressed are my own and others are available.

 

[dask]

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov
and if it isn't a classic yet it eventually will be: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer

 

[clovis-man]

I'm loving the responses. Just picked up a copy of More Then Human recently and have had A Wizard of Earthsea on my shelves for years (Can't believe I haven't read it. I'm old enough to have read books by her father, Alfred Kroeber, when I was an anthropology grad student). Thanks for the motivation.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm loving the responses. Just picked up a copy of More Then Human recently and have had A Wizard of Earthsea on my shelves for years (Can't believe I haven't read it. I'm old enough to have read books by her father, Alfred Kroeber, when I was an anthropology grad student). Thanks for the motivation.

Both terrific.

 

[Randy M.]

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake: Not much happens, but what does happen shakes an empire and is written in a prose beautifully translating the author's artist's (painter, illustrator) perceptions into language.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke: Historical fantasy written deftly and with a light touch, as when a character transported by a fairy to a dour and barren land asks if it is the fairy's realm and the fairy responds that it is Scotland. The story is engrossing and the footnotes are marvelous fun.

"The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" and "The Screwfly Solution" by James Tiptree, Jr.: Writing that feels written on the brink of hysteria, these two stories are among the most frightening s.f. I've read, and more effective as such than most novels.

"The Homecoming" by Ray Bradbury: Transcendent prose using the furniture of horror and fantasy -- vampires, spirit travel, mummies, a man with wings -- to tell a story of a young boy inescapably an outsider to the family he loves and of the love they have for this poor, limited mortal.

"The Adder" by Fred Chappell: Lovecraft-inspired, Chappell cleverly plays with lines from Milton's Paradise Lost; funny until it's not and then it's chilling.

The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan: One of the best uses of the unreliable narrator I've encountered. Sarah Crowe is unstable and aware of it. How much her instability is her mind and how much the old house she rents is up to the reader to determine.


Randy M.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Food of the Gods by H G Wells

 

[BAYLOR]

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov
and if it isn't a classic yet it eventually will be: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer

Good choices.

 

[Ajid]

Without a doubt This comes down to 2. H.G.Wells The time machine and other stories.

My grandfathers book and we did say book and the first sci fi I ever read.

And it was sci fi once. i of course refer to my single most exciting reading experience of all time

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

 

[Beamer01]

I have to admit to not currently reading much classic science fiction. I tend to look for new stories, or series these days. But looking back I would say my favorite classic individual book would be "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Heinlein. and favorite set " The Cities in Flight" books by Blish. I have read and own at a guess 60-70% of the books mentioned in this thread. Currently in science fiction I read a lot of military types like Weber, Ringo, Campbell, Douglas, and a lot of other types of books, fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, paranormal, and even a thriller now and again. I was born in 55 though and started reading science fiction at about 6 or 7 when there was not a lot of authors to choose from and most of them would now be considered classics.

 

[Extollager]

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake: Not much happens, but what does happen shakes an empire and is written in a prose beautifully translating the author's artist's (painter, illustrator) perceptions into language.

Caitlin Kiernan

Agreed about the Peake.

By the way, can anyone tell me if Kiernan pronounces her first name "Kate Lin" or "Kathleen"? The latter is the original Irish pronunciation, but here in the States I think the name is typically pronounced in the former way.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Lost Continent by C J Cutcliffe Hynd written in 1899 it was the first fantasy novel about Atlantis. In terms of overall style and story telling , it reads like a modern fantasy story and was re-issued in the Ballantine Adult fantasy series.

 

[BAYLOR]

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake: Not much happens, but what does happen shakes an empire and is written in a prose beautifully translating the author's artist's (painter, illustrator) perceptions into language.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke: Historical fantasy written deftly and with a light touch, as when a character transported by a fairy to a dour and barren land asks if it is the fairy's realm and the fairy responds that it is Scotland. The story is engrossing and the footnotes are marvelous fun.

"The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" and "The Screwfly Solution" by James Tiptree, Jr.: Writing that feels written on the brink of hysteria, these two stories are among the most frightening s.f. I've read, and more effective as such than most novels.

"The Homecoming" by Ray Bradbury: Transcendent prose using the furniture of horror and fantasy -- vampires, spirit travel, mummies, a man with wings -- to tell a story of a young boy inescapably an outsider to the family he loves and of the love they have for this poor, limited mortal.

"The Adder" by Fred Chappell: Lovecraft-inspired, Chappell cleverly plays with lines from Milton's Paradise Lost; funny until it's not and then it's chilling.

The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan: One of the best uses of the unreliable narrator I've encountered. Sarah Crowe is unstable and aware of it. How much her instability is her mind and how much the old house she rents is up to the reader to determine.


Randy M.

Excellent list.