Twenty Core SF Books Every True SF Fan Should Have On Their Shelves

[kjn]

Per james_davis_nicoll; books I have are bold, books I have are bolded, books I've read are italics. Authors I have or read other works by get the same treatment.

A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
A Voice Out of Ramah by Lee Killough
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
China Mountain Zhang by Maureen McHugh

Don't Bite the Sun by Tanith Lee
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Galactic Derelict by Andre Norton
Gate of Ivrel by C.J. Cherryh

Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle
Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Female Man by Joanna Russ
The Many Colored Land by Julian May
The Next Continent by Issui Ogawa
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Warm Worlds and Otherwise by James Tiptree, Jr.

So I have 11/20 in my library and have read 7/20.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

Not a single one by Heinlein or Anderson? I'm not sure I've even heard of half of those. My list of 20 core books would be quite different, though I would include Frankenstein.

[kjn]

It's twenty sf books per James Nicoll. But like most such lists (including those made up of Heinleins and Andersons) I view them as recommendation lists or as starters for discussion.

I think you'd appreciate Tanith Lee's books.

[rosefox]

Not a single one by Heinlein or Anderson?

[jukkahoo.livejournal.com]

Good books, but an odd list. 18 female and two male authors, if I'm not mistaken. I believe I have 12, but have read 8.

[kjn]

19 female (Lee Killough and James Tiptree are nom de plumes) and one trans male.

And it's no odder than a list made up of all men, which I think is James's point here.

[jukkahoo.livejournal.com]

I believe Issui Ogawa is also male. Anyway, I'm afraid my pondering about the list was not just about the strong presence of female authors, for there is shouldn't be anything strange or odd about that. If it is indeed just a list of 20 good SF/F books, with no rhyme or reason behind it, OK. Good to have such lists.

I was just baffled whether there was something additional that joins these 20 books together, since they are from different eras, different genres, possibly even age groups, part of series and so on. It feels a bit like a list from a "Recommended Books" discussion at Åcon, compiled by a panel of somewhat different readers. (Which gives me an idea for Åcon 9 Recommended Books discussion group subject!)

[kjn]

I'd guess it'd be more constructive to ponder over at Nicoll's place. I understand he is planning to post lists like this weekly or so from now on.

[jukkahoo.livejournal.com]

Full disclosure, I'm too tired to think and when I just happenstanced to your LJ post, I just typed a fraction of my immediate thought here. I didn't even bother reading the subject line, that states boldly "Twenty Core SF Books Every True SF Fan Should Have On Their Shelves". Which again, baffles me even more, but in a good way.

I don't know Nicoll and only occasionally check up on LJ, since there are couple of people left that keep on using it as their preferred mode of communication. Like your good self.

This has given me a good ideas for next Åcon and a welcome brain wrestle. So thanks to you and Mr. Nicoll!

[filkferengi]

Here's another challenge for you: How many of those books have filk songs about them? Of those, how many do you know?

[kjn]

Now that's hardcore! The only filk song I know based on one of these is Don't Bite the Sun (ttto "The Sign" by Ace of Base)..

I've seen a filk song based on Ancillary Justice, and Gary's filkindex gives me also two based on Gate of Ivrel and Frankenstein. Bit further than that, I don't know, but I'm sure there is several more.

[filkferengi]

Joey Shoji has an Octavia Butler song, but I'm not sure which series it's based on.

Heather Alexander's whole album "Songsmith" is based on that Andre Norton novel.

Semi-local filker Teri Wachowiak [a Goh at the Uk Filkcon, her concert there was on filkarchive] has some songs based on Le Guin's Earthsea series.

I know I've heard songs about Jirel, Frankenstein, and Madeleine L'Engle [although not altogether--want to write one? ;)], but can't remember by whom or when right offhand.