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

[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.