Locus Best SF/F Books of the 20th, 21st Century - Page 2

kennyc · 12-27-2012, 01:41 PM

I started it (old mans war), read the first few chapters, but it just didn't hold my attention or maybe other things were just more attractive....

Fbone · 12-27-2012, 01:46 PM

Asimov's Foundation is listed twice. Once as a trilogy and then as a single novel. If you combine them, it would be #2 on the list.

And I was hoping Clifford Simak would be higher on the list.

DrNefario · 12-27-2012, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I would've bumped Bradbury and Orwell, and possibly Foundation (it's not really a novel or even a Trilogy but rather a series of shorter stories).

I'd have bumped Foundation because it's really boring.

It's very much a list of the accepted favourites, with a few weird things appearing when the number of votes gets low, but I wouldn't know where to begin with creating my own top 10.

Jozawun · 12-27-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtw

I've read all of them, and there's not one that I would put in my personal top 5. 1984 and Neuromancer might just break the top 10, but only because of their influence on the genre, not because they're great writing.

Funny, I would have said that those 2 should have been automatically excluded because of their turgid writing.
One can only assume that this is also why Clarke and Heinlein didn't make the list.

kennyc · 12-27-2012, 04:34 PM

I'm yet to complete either of them. Neuromancer in particular I read the first chapter or so and throw it across the room --- fortunately it's a paperback not an ebook. 1984 I've tried a couple of times but it just doesn't grab me....maybe I've just never gotten far enough into it.

And as far as Foundation boring....I've had it in my top 2/few SF books for decades. The one that is missing(at the bottom of the link's list) for me is Dhalgren -- that's the other of my top 2 SF books.

silasgreenback · 12-27-2012, 05:07 PM

Ender's Game, yet again. I can't help but wonder if people keep voting for it in all the polls that place it in the top or second slot because they feel they're supposed to.

Sure, it's decent, even three star decent, but I'd rate anything by Frederik Pohl, C. J. Cherryh or Nancy Kress over Ender's Game in any "best of" ranking.

fjtorres · 12-27-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

And as far as Foundation boring....I've had it in my top 2/few SF books for decades. The one that is missing(at the bottom of the link's list) for me is Dhalgren -- that's the other of my top 2 SF books.

A classic case of "different tastes"...
Dhalgren is the *one* SF book I simply could not finish. (Or get particularly deep into.)

I somehow managed to force myself to finish Heinlein's Number of the Beast and any number of really really bad books (out of sheer stubborness) but Delany defeated me.
I know the book is acclaimed and all but I just couldn't get into it.
(shrug)
As Harry Callahan said; "A man's GOT to know his limitations."

DrNefario · 12-28-2012, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jozawun

Funny, I would have said that those 2 should have been automatically excluded because of their turgid writing.
One can only assume that this is also why Clarke and Heinlein didn't make the list.

Clarke and Heinlein are both just outside the top 10. (Stranger in a Strange Land, at 11, is the first one I haven't read, and I'll be reading it soon. Fairly reluctantly.)

I'd have said that Neuromancer is one of the few books in the list that attempts any kind of style. Obviously it doesn't work for everyone.

To be honest, I can't remember very much about it. I might have to read it again.

DrNefario · 12-28-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silasgreenback

Ender's Game, yet again. I can't help but wonder if people keep voting for it in all the polls that place it in the top or second slot because they feel they're supposed to.

Sure, it's decent, even three star decent, but I'd rate anything by Frederik Pohl, C. J. Cherryh or Nancy Kress over Ender's Game in any "best of" ranking.

I'm disappointed at that, too. I'm a big fan of Cherryh, but would her vote have been too divided? Has she written too many good books without any one really standing out? It's notable that Tolkien and Herbert, the two winners, clearly have only one great book each. (Okay, maybe two for Tolkien, but it's still not really splitting the vote.)

And I think Pohl's Gateway might be my favourite idea anywhere. It is in the list at number 20, which is more than Cherryh and Kress can manage, but I'd agree that Ender's Game is hugely overrated. Being a popularity poll, it's always going to end being the books that everyone has read, no matter how great something else might be.

I'd have been very disappointed if Ender's Game had won, but at least I can respect Dune.

BenG · 12-28-2012, 07:01 AM

Eight more books and I will have read all of the top 50 SF and fantasy lists.
I didn't fare so well with the 21st century lists.

kennyc · 12-28-2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

Eight more books and I will have read all of the top 50 SF and fantasy lists

12-27-2012, 04:34 PM	#20
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	I'm yet to complete either of them. Neuromancer in particular I read the first chapter or so and throw it across the room --- fortunately it's a paperback not an ebook. 1984 I've tried a couple of times but it just doesn't grab me....maybe I've just never gotten far enough into it. And as far as Foundation boring....I've had it in my top 2/few SF books for decades. The one that is missing(at the bottom of the link's list) for me is Dhalgren -- that's the other of my top 2 SF books. Last edited by kennyc; 12-27-2012 at 04:36 PM.

12-28-2012, 07:01 AM	#25
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Eight more books and I will have read all of the top 50 SF and fantasy lists. I didn't fare so well with the 21st century lists. Last edited by BenG; 12-28-2012 at 07:07 AM.

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12-27-2012, 01:41 PM	#16
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	I started it (old mans war), read the first few chapters, but it just didn't hold my attention or maybe other things were just more attractive....

12-27-2012, 01:46 PM	#17
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	Asimov's Foundation is listed twice. Once as a trilogy and then as a single novel. If you combine them, it would be #2 on the list. And I was hoping Clifford Simak would be higher on the list.

12-27-2012, 05:07 PM	#21
silasgreenback New Leaf Turner Posts: 260 Karma: 1026664 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hadestown Device: Kobo Glo	Ender's Game, yet again. I can't help but wonder if people keep voting for it in all the polls that place it in the top or second slot because they feel they're supposed to. Sure, it's decent, even three star decent, but I'd rate anything by Frederik Pohl, C. J. Cherryh or Nancy Kress over Ender's Game in any "best of" ranking.

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