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

[JunkMonkey]

42 some so long ago I can remember bugger all about them apart from the fact that I read them - and a couple more I started but didn't finish.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I've only read 15 of these. Clearly my greater love of fantasy has prevented me from seeking out these treasures. Also, The Handmaid's Tale is straightforward dystopian, not sci-fi. Animal Farm is obviously fantasy.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Also, The Handmaid's Tale is straightforward dystopian, not sci-fi.

You could say exactly the same thing about Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fahrenheit 451, or a Clockwork Orange.

...and cueing endless debate trying to define what SF actually is in three.... two... one....

 

[Guttersnipe]

@JunkMonkey Sort of. The ones you listed, especially Nineteen Eighty-Four, contain technology we don't have. Fahrenheit 451 does have the Hound, Seashells, etc. Maybe I'm not as sure about A Clockwork Orange. The Handmaid's Tale doesn't have that at all.

 

[JunkMonkey]

@JunkMonkey Sort of. The ones you listed, especially Nineteen Eighty-Four, contain technology we don't have. Fahrenheit 451 does have the Hound, Seashells, etc. Maybe I'm not as sure about A Clockwork Orange. The Handmaid's Tale doesn't have that at all.

As far as I recall the only tech in Nineteen Eighty-Four were helicopters ( in use at the time of writing) and the all-seeing surveillance system which only an imagined application of tech available in 1948. (and whatever record keeping system Winston Smith was employed to amend all the time - micro fiches?).

The Handmaid's Tale is SF. It set in the future and speculates about the widespread infertility of women caused by pollution and radiation. It's just as much SF as Greybeard by Brian Aldiss (all humans become sterile) or any number of J G Ballard stories in which 'something' has happened and people sit around in distorted landscapes suffering endless middle-class unhappiness and erudite disgruntlitude. OK, it's not Hard SF. No space ships, zap guns, or BEMs but it's SF.

 

[Guttersnipe]

As far as I recall the only tech in Nineteen Eighty-Four were helicopters ( in use at the time of writing) and the all-seeing surveillance system which only an imagined application of tech available in 1948. (and whatever record keeping system Winston Smith was employed to amend all the time - micro fiches?).

The Handmaid's Tale is SF. It set in the future and speculates about the widespread infertility of women caused by pollution and radiation. It's just as much SF as Greybeard by Brian Aldiss (all humans become sterile) or any number of J G Ballard stories in which 'something' has happened and people sit around in distorted landscapes suffering endless middle-class unhappiness and erudite disgruntlitude. OK, it's not Hard SF. No space ships, zap guns, or BEMs but it's SF.

I promise that I'm not disagreeing to be difficult. We can agree that it's speculative. However, dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic are subgenres of speculative fiction that don't always contain sci-fi elements. Stories set in the future aren't automatically science fiction--look at G.K. Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill, which takes place in a future with no technological developments. Also, having something scientific happen doesn't necessarily signify sci-fi. We have pollution and radiation today and have observed its effects.

If you search Google: handmaid's tale not science fiction, you'll find an ample amount of people who agree with me. The author herself says it is not sci-fi, which I think is worth mentioning.

Trust me on this one, buddy. I've done my research.

 

[hitmouse]

I promise that I'm not disagreeing to be difficult. We can agree that it's speculative. However, dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic are subgenres of speculative fiction that don't always contain sci-fi elements. Stories set in the future aren't automatically science fiction--look at G.K. Chesterton's The Napoleon of Notting Hill, which takes place in a future with no technological developments. Also, having something scientific happen doesn't necessarily signify sci-fi. We have pollution and radiation today and have observed its effects.

If you search Google: handmaid's tale not science fiction, you'll find an ample amount of people who agree with me. The author herself says it is not sci-fi, which I think is worth mentioning.

Trust me on this one, buddy. I've done my research.

I agree with @JunkMonkey as I am sure would most SF commentators.
One’s personal definition may vary, but there is lots of dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction that lacks special technologies, but which is generally considered part of the sf canon e.g. The Earth Abides, Greybeard, High Rise.

We haven’t had one of those wearisome “what is SF?” arguments for a couple of years now. Usually it starts from the “Star Wars is actually fantasy, trust me on this one buddy, I have done my research” premise, and then proceeds to a non-edifying discussion which gets nowhere.

 

[dask]

I don’t need the whole pot. Just the whiff of sf gets my attention.

 

[JunkMonkey]

The author herself says it is not sci-fi, which I think is worth mentioning.

'Serious' authors often deny their science fiction books are 'science fiction' because of some sort of received wisdom that SF is "that Buck Rogers stuff" and their readers wouldn't be seen dead reading it.

 

[Toby Frost]

We haven’t had one of those wearisome “what is SF?” arguments for a couple of years now. Usually it starts from the “Star Wars is actually fantasy, trust me on this one buddy, I have done my research” premise, and then proceeds to a non-edifying discussion which gets nowhere.

Yes, thank goodness, it's been a while since that came up. It's one of the more tedious aspects of SFF, and just annoys people (me included).

 

[Fiberglass Cyborg]

59, not counting a few I started and never finished. I found the list itself a fascinating mix of evergreens and new growth.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I've read twenty five of them. Not too bad.

 

[psikeyhackr]

46

There are a few more I started but never finished. Long Way - Small Planet, Consider Phlebas. It is funny, stuff I started and didn't finish has recommendations by Anne Leckie. I quit her Rasch series. Maybe I should avoid whatever she recommends. LOL