Most popular science fiction novels - how many have you read?

[Brian G Turner]

Ursa posted this link from GoodReads in another thread, and I thought it would be good to see how many books different members have read according to the GoodReads popularity list:

The 100 Most Popular Sci-Fi Books on Goodreads

Dystopias, alien invasions, regenerated dinosaurs, space operas, multiverses, and more, the realm of science fiction takes readers out of this world ...

www.goodreads.com

Btw, good to see a Bobiverse book up there from our own @Dennis E. Taylor .

 

[Vince W]

According to that list I've read 51 of them, mostly the classics you'd expect.

 

[Ori Vandewalle]

Depends on what counts as having read a book. Finished? Picked up but eventually put down? Bought with every intention of reading but now just inspires guilt when you spot it on the shelf?

 

[soulsinging]

36, 18 of the first 25, then 18 of the next 75. I lean more to fantasy, so it makes sense I’m heavy on the classics but less versed in the deeper cuts.

 

[Ursa major]

Btw, good to see a Bobiverse book up there from our own Dennis E Taylor.

Yes, and both good and deserved (IMHO).

 

[Elckerlyc]

I would describe that list as The Good The Bad and the Ugly.
I have read 40 of them, which obviously represent the Good part.

 

[tachyon]

Depends on what counts as having read a book. Finished? Picked up but eventually put down? Bought with every intention of reading but now just inspires guilt when you spot it on the shelf?

This is a good question and as such I'll give 2 answers to the OP:

Finished: 39
DNF: 7
Total: 46

Here's another question: What is the first book on the list that you haven't read?

My answers (two again, one for never read, one for DNF):

#11. The Martian - never read this one (but I did enjoy the movie.)
#7. Frankenstein - Read a good chunk of it but it was a slog. DNF.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I make that 31, with 8 DNF, and a handful more on my TBR pile.

 

[hitmouse]

50. I have to say that not all of the books in that list are classics.

 

[The Crawling Chaos]

I finished 4 books from that list. Even with the DNFs, I'd probably be under 10, definitely under 12. I just realized that while SF&F are my favorite genres to write, I almost exclusively read non-fiction and reference books.

 

[Bick]

Hmm, most popular at this moment in time, seems to be a very poor barometer of quality.
43 for me, for what it’s worth.

 

[nixie]

I'm sorely lacking in science fiction, I've read 9. Would be interesting to see a purely fantasy one.

 

[williamjm]

I've read 37 (I also started but DNF Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea). I suspect I'd get a better score for a fantasy equivalent of the list.

 

[soulsinging]

I'm sorely lacking in science fiction, I've read 9. Would be interesting to see a purely fantasy one.

I tried looking for one but admit I don’t know the site well despite having an account for what must be 15 years now.

 

[JimC]

I've read 50 of them, all older. Not many of the newer ones. Most of these would not make my list of the top one hundred.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I just miss the fifty percent mark, having read 49 of them.

The highest listed one I haven't read is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The lowest listed one I have read is Red Mars.

I very much liked almost all of the ones I have read. Ones that I didn't particularly like, and thought were somewhat overrated (without being really "bad") are Ender's Game, Dune, The Road, The Stand, and Doomsday Book.

Interesting to note that the top five books are all classic dystopias.

 

[dask]

22, what a catch.

 

[Pyan]

49. About average, and heavily weighted toward the older books. I'm sorry to see a Timothy Zahn fan-fiction book lumped in with some of the giants of the genre, though, even way down at #81...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

19 finished but if I count everything I’ve started and dnf then around 40

 

[mosaix]

Lost count but somewhere between 40 and 50.