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Bloomsbury Good Reading Guides
100 Must-read Science Fiction Novels
Want to become a science fiction buff? Want to expand your reading in your favourite genre? This is a good place to start! From the publishers of the popular Good Reading Guide comes a rich selection of some of the finest SF novels ever published. With 100 of the best titles fully reviewed and a further 500 recommended, you'll quickly become an expert in the world of science fiction.
The book is arranged by author and includes some thematic entries and special categories such as SF film adaptations, SF in rock music and Philip K. Dick in the mass media . It also includes a history of SF and a new definition of the genre, plus lists of award winners and book club recommendations. Foreword by Christopher Priest, the multiple award-winning SF author.
The book is arranged by author and includes some thematic entries and special categories such as SF film adaptations, SF in rock music and Philip K. Dick in the mass media . It also includes a history of SF and a new definition of the genre, plus lists of award winners and book club recommendations. Foreword by Christopher Priest, the multiple award-winning SF author.
194 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 22, 2020
While this has a varied selection of books, I didn't find that much that I'm hyped to read. These novels are probably great, but I don't think the authors always manage to make a good case for them. The descriptions sometimes sound generic and after reading the texts, I don't feel well equipped to know if I would like these books. There isn't much about the style or where a certain concept goes, so I might as well just have read some backcovers.
This might just be my impression, but certain subgenres like cyberpunk and post-earth-distruction stories are pretty dominant while others are rather rare. There weren't that many books were the concept alone was enough to make me want to read them.
However, the books I already knew were some I think deserve the praise.
It kinda does what it sets out to do, however I spent more time googling the novels than reading the actual book, and a lot of them didn't have that many helpful reviews. I personally would have needed more info on why I should read certain stories, however, if you only need this as a list of suggestion, it'll do just fine.
This might just be my impression, but certain subgenres like cyberpunk and post-earth-distruction stories are pretty dominant while others are rather rare. There weren't that many books were the concept alone was enough to make me want to read them.
However, the books I already knew were some I think deserve the praise.
It kinda does what it sets out to do, however I spent more time googling the novels than reading the actual book, and a lot of them didn't have that many helpful reviews. I personally would have needed more info on why I should read certain stories, however, if you only need this as a list of suggestion, it'll do just fine.
February 8, 2025
Stephen E. Andrews aka The Outlaw Bookseller has indirectly become a reoccurring character on the only SF Discord I regularly frequent in spite of the fact that I don't think he is even aware it exists. He is generally treated as a serious advocate for SF (Don't call it Sci-Fi around him!) who Knows His Shit and as an unstoppable tide of Old-Man Complaints with unfashionable (many out of date) opinions. Watching one of his videos is a surefire way to learn something interesting about a writer you didn't know about, though there's a real chance of agitation when he goes on one of his rants about cancel culture. He reveals a hidden door to SF's literary history and we all lean in. He says something grouchy and we all laugh. He says something prickly about identity politics and we all hold our breath like embarrassed nephews around a loose-cannon uncle.
"The Top 100 List" as an exercise is best kept to the realm of barroom arguments rather than critical exercises aiming for objectivity (there's a reason why The Literary Canon does not have a fixed number), but Andrews does a good job of walking the line between a robust critical survey and a shot in the arm of pure enthusiasm about the books a lifelong reader and semipro-scholar of SF has fallen in love with. The result is what you want from a list like this: Not a definitive pantheon or even a ranking, but a composite picture of the genre's first full century as told by one of its most fabulously well-read connoisseurs-- A fan's case.
Each placement on the list comes with a host of recommendations about books with similar ideas, themes, or expressions-- adding to the sense that Andrews is not trying to calculate greatness and itemize them that way, but instead to capture movements and the best expressions of certain SF staples. I loved Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. Do I think it's one of the 100 best SF novels of all time? Most likely no-- but it remains to this day possibly the best story ever written about clones/cloning, making it essential to a SF fan or scholar's sense for what's out there. This is where the specificity of the title comes into play. Andrews offers not a "Best-of-the-Best" list nor is it his stab at a canon. This is an enthusiast who has given an immense deal of thought to sitting down next to you and trying to provide the most comprehensive list possible that will validate similarly minded readers and likely point you toward some neglected gems. What's important is not that you read the great texts, but that you read the texts about all the major food groups about what SF can do, what it has done. In this way, A person who has read piecemeal around the last century has a more robust view of SF than someone who has read the entire Golden Age. I agree wholeheartedly.
The route Andrews takes is invaluable and surprising, and the magnitude of how well read he is grips you in each summary or table. It takes a certain amount of courage and self-inventory of one's own taste to create a list as interesting as this (and, obviously, one must possess an entire library's worth of experience over decades of reading both the greats of the genre and its many back-alleys). It is not too specific to his personal tastes as to become alienating, but also unmistakeably The Outlaw Bookseller.
Using an Author-First mentality allows for a more total celebration of an author's work with more than a few intriguing choices (it is rare to see someone pick The Man in the Maze as Robert Silverberg's best book. Ditto for Heinlen and Orphans of the Sky and Priest's The Glamour. I appreciate his candor and creativity.
Octavia Butler is a very noticeable omission, though I would say it's the only decision worth being incredulous over, which to me is a feat for a project of this scope. Women in general seem to be a weird trouble spot for him, and pretty much every woman to make the list gets some mention about how it is notable that they are a woman (wow!) in their blurb.
I would have much preferred a more extensive case made for each book to explain why it deserves its place on the list. Here all we get is 1-2 pages for each book that is a majority plot summary and author biography. Over and over again, Andrews's methodology is to sell the premise of his book as well as he can and let that stand on its own two feet. That's not an invalid approach at all, and in fact it's directly in line with the book's promise and ethos. But that makes this more of a fun read and a good index for off-beat books rather than a compelling argument.
"The Top 100 List" as an exercise is best kept to the realm of barroom arguments rather than critical exercises aiming for objectivity (there's a reason why The Literary Canon does not have a fixed number), but Andrews does a good job of walking the line between a robust critical survey and a shot in the arm of pure enthusiasm about the books a lifelong reader and semipro-scholar of SF has fallen in love with. The result is what you want from a list like this: Not a definitive pantheon or even a ranking, but a composite picture of the genre's first full century as told by one of its most fabulously well-read connoisseurs-- A fan's case.
Each placement on the list comes with a host of recommendations about books with similar ideas, themes, or expressions-- adding to the sense that Andrews is not trying to calculate greatness and itemize them that way, but instead to capture movements and the best expressions of certain SF staples. I loved Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. Do I think it's one of the 100 best SF novels of all time? Most likely no-- but it remains to this day possibly the best story ever written about clones/cloning, making it essential to a SF fan or scholar's sense for what's out there. This is where the specificity of the title comes into play. Andrews offers not a "Best-of-the-Best" list nor is it his stab at a canon. This is an enthusiast who has given an immense deal of thought to sitting down next to you and trying to provide the most comprehensive list possible that will validate similarly minded readers and likely point you toward some neglected gems. What's important is not that you read the great texts, but that you read the texts about all the major food groups about what SF can do, what it has done. In this way, A person who has read piecemeal around the last century has a more robust view of SF than someone who has read the entire Golden Age. I agree wholeheartedly.
The route Andrews takes is invaluable and surprising, and the magnitude of how well read he is grips you in each summary or table. It takes a certain amount of courage and self-inventory of one's own taste to create a list as interesting as this (and, obviously, one must possess an entire library's worth of experience over decades of reading both the greats of the genre and its many back-alleys). It is not too specific to his personal tastes as to become alienating, but also unmistakeably The Outlaw Bookseller.
Using an Author-First mentality allows for a more total celebration of an author's work with more than a few intriguing choices (it is rare to see someone pick The Man in the Maze as Robert Silverberg's best book. Ditto for Heinlen and Orphans of the Sky and Priest's The Glamour. I appreciate his candor and creativity.
Octavia Butler is a very noticeable omission, though I would say it's the only decision worth being incredulous over, which to me is a feat for a project of this scope. Women in general seem to be a weird trouble spot for him, and pretty much every woman to make the list gets some mention about how it is notable that they are a woman (wow!) in their blurb.
I would have much preferred a more extensive case made for each book to explain why it deserves its place on the list. Here all we get is 1-2 pages for each book that is a majority plot summary and author biography. Over and over again, Andrews's methodology is to sell the premise of his book as well as he can and let that stand on its own two feet. That's not an invalid approach at all, and in fact it's directly in line with the book's promise and ethos. But that makes this more of a fun read and a good index for off-beat books rather than a compelling argument.
June 1, 2008
This is a great list of recommended novels for science fiction fans (and for each recommendation there's 'further reading' lists so you get more than 100). I've already added a good number to a to-read list. Where it fails is in being a good gateway for non-fans to find interesting books in the genre. The forward by Christopher Priest and the introduction are both well-written and serve both a fan and non-fan audience. The individual book summaries, however, are not as carefully written are often clunky. A fan of the genre (like me) will still likely find a lot that sounds interesting regardless, but a non-fan is likely to read some of the summaries and just come away with a "that sounds totally ridiculous" impression. I think David Pringle's "100 Best Science Fiction Novels", which has an inferior and not as current list of recommendations, nevertheless does a better job making a case for each book in a way that can appeal to newcomers as well as genre fans.
July 26, 2019
Each book only gets a small page or two; some authors get one entry and some get two - HG Wells gets three.
I quite liked the 'read on a theme' segments that followed entries, sometimes on similar books by the author, or similar plotlines, or similarities to the author (minorities).
As the book mentions, there are few women listed, though not pitifully few it seemed. It's dominated by caucasian males, but then it also seems to bias somewhat toward older, 'classic' works (understandably, given it's surveying the whole field). It did remind me of books I'd intended to read, as well as inspired me to pick up others. There were a number of cases that the book selected may be somewhat surprising for the author (compared to more well known works by them) but often there would be justification for that.
Includes a glossary of terms, and a listing of several of the major SF award novel winners until the book's printing (~2007), though obviously those could just be looked up online.
I quite liked the 'read on a theme' segments that followed entries, sometimes on similar books by the author, or similar plotlines, or similarities to the author (minorities).
As the book mentions, there are few women listed, though not pitifully few it seemed. It's dominated by caucasian males, but then it also seems to bias somewhat toward older, 'classic' works (understandably, given it's surveying the whole field). It did remind me of books I'd intended to read, as well as inspired me to pick up others. There were a number of cases that the book selected may be somewhat surprising for the author (compared to more well known works by them) but often there would be justification for that.
Includes a glossary of terms, and a listing of several of the major SF award novel winners until the book's printing (~2007), though obviously those could just be looked up online.
May 2, 2024
Degelijk en hapklaar. Niet fundamenteel.
De insteek is fijn: de auteurs gaan niet per definitie op zoek naar de 100 beste scifi-titels, maar naar diegene die het genre mee bepaald, verbreed, vernieuwd hebben of conventies veranderden. Ons leeslijstje met mogelijke scifi parels die we graag willen lezen is dus weer flink gegroeid, maar het ontbrak ons aan enthousiasme en sprankelende aanbevelingen.
Droog, feitelijk en grondig is niet wat we zoeken als we boeken-over-boeken ter hand nemen, dan willen we vuurwerk en overtuigingskracht.
De insteek is fijn: de auteurs gaan niet per definitie op zoek naar de 100 beste scifi-titels, maar naar diegene die het genre mee bepaald, verbreed, vernieuwd hebben of conventies veranderden. Ons leeslijstje met mogelijke scifi parels die we graag willen lezen is dus weer flink gegroeid, maar het ontbrak ons aan enthousiasme en sprankelende aanbevelingen.
Droog, feitelijk en grondig is niet wat we zoeken als we boeken-over-boeken ter hand nemen, dan willen we vuurwerk en overtuigingskracht.
October 18, 2012
This book lists 100 Science Fiction novels every SF fan should read. For each book there is a paragraph or two plot summary (usually without giving away the ending) and some additional paragraphs on the author and how the book fits the "required reading" definition. There are some obvious classic books here (with a sampling of 1800's Verne, Wells, and Shelly novels) along with more than a few golden age standards (Heinlein, Asimov, and Pohl) and even some books written in the 90's. I wouldn't say I agree with all the selections - there are some really important books left out, and probably too much emphasis has been given to UK writers (it is a UK book). It is nice to see how many of these books actually are crossovers into the general public/literary realm - Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and others. It's also interesting to realize how many of these books were written in the first half of the 20th century, predicting issues and technologies the world is very familiar with today (environmental issues, communication technologies, biological advancements, etc.).
August 5, 2016
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels is, like its fantasy counterpart, pretty predictable in many ways. There are some I hadn't heard of, but it's still predominantly from the white male establishment. There is some lip service to the increasing diversity of science fiction in the introduction, but that isn't really carried through to the books. Flicking through it, I landed on female SF writers only twice in 84 pages.
On the other hand, the introduction is an interesting whip through of the foundations of the SF genre, and there are a fair number of novels here that I hadn't heard of or hadn't got round to yet that are now (higher) on my reading list. As long as you realise that it is limited in scope and not a definitive list of the best SF novels out there, it could be a useful resource.
On the other hand, the introduction is an interesting whip through of the foundations of the SF genre, and there are a fair number of novels here that I hadn't heard of or hadn't got round to yet that are now (higher) on my reading list. As long as you realise that it is limited in scope and not a definitive list of the best SF novels out there, it could be a useful resource.
June 19, 2011
this is a fascinating little book which i must admit has made me interested in reading more from its series. However it is far from perfect but this is my personal taste and they do warn this in the introduction. They give you a brief overview of that that book is about - but stopping short of what happens. Now for me i will read a book even if i know exactly what happens as to me its the "journey" that i am reading for. However i am sure there are those out there who would refuse to read a book if they felt they knew what was going to happen next. However this is my review and i would have liked to have seen more in the way of what is happening with the storyline,
Read
March 28, 2009had this for, literally, years. its not a big book, but it is one you dip into. as with all such books you question what has been icluded and what has been left out. but it is a good sweep of sf writing and has given me some ideas to explore and reminded me of some books i've loved. some good little essays too.
October 9, 2013
This is the kind of thing I gravitate to when I'm suffering from readers block. I'm usually hoping to find either a little insight into something old or something new to look in to when the blockage is gone.
There wasn't anything spectacular here, but there are a few things that I haven't seen before...and that's a good thing.
There wasn't anything spectacular here, but there are a few things that I haven't seen before...and that's a good thing.
December 6, 2025
a wealth of knowledge any dedicated fan of sf should delve to better understand its breadth and depth
August 23, 2023
I've always enjoyed a good book-about-other-books but, despite reading hundreds and hundreds of science fiction books, I've never actually read a true SF reference book before *100 Must Read Science Fiction Novels*; the closest I'd gotten was actually Nevada-Lee's *Astounding*, an engaging and informative read for sure, but a it's biography and not an informed list of influential and/or high-quality books that tells you why you need to read them, which is exactly what Stephen E. Andrews (AKA The Outlaw Bookseller) does in this book.
Who is the Outlaw Bookseller? Well, to put it simply, he's a well-read and opinionated YouTuber who publishes frequent content on a wide array of subjects, but nowadays, mostly about science fiction literature. He's my favorite YouTuber and has taught me a lot about science fiction, especially of the British New Wave which he adores so much. And that British taste is resonant throughout the book; in fact, some people might say that there are too many British SF books listed here in comparison to other nationalities. Before we get to his actual picks, though, what format is this book actually written in?
Basically, this book contains 100 entries on books, alphabetized by author's last name. Each entry contains a synopsis of the book in question (sometimes seeming spoiler-y enough for me to only skim through it) and then a paragraph, occasionally two, on what that book influenced or something interesting about the author's past or something else interesting about the text. There are also always "Read on" suggestions made up of either works by the same author, works that or similar, or works that are grouped in explicit thematic groups, like "First Contact" or "Genetic Alteration," for example. There are also lists of ten-or-more books that fall under larger themes, like "Non-English-First SF" or "From Short Stories/Novels to Movies." These topic names are paraphrased, but you get the idea.
Overall, I got a kick out of the book. My biggest complaint is that there was too much synopsis and not enough information about the books and their history and all of that good stuff. Each entry could've been twice as long and I would've happily soaked it up. Now, based on what Andrews has said on YouTube, I assume that he didn't have the choice to write such a long book do to his publishers, but I wish that he had. Regardless, this is a relatively good list of 100 novels that show what science fiction is about. It's got the uber-classics of the genre (*Frankenstein*, Verne, Wells) to selections from the Golden Age and the Big Three to influential books of the nineties like *China Mountain Zheng* (If it's *that* important; I haven't read it yet) and *Snow Crash*. If I have any issue with the selections in the book, it's that they're a little too British in their estimation of what's important and what's not (for example, does D. G. Compton deserve a spot here?). That being said, I have only read 23 of the 100 books listed, so what do I know? I would like to write my own assessment of the genre like this, but I'm obviously not well-read enough - yet - to undertake such a challenge. I would love to have a group of people that I could really discuss these selections with, though; Top 100 lists are always great conversation starters.
At the end of the day, how do I rate this book? I'm going with an 8/10; I wanted to give it an 8.5, but I think the critical commentary is just a little too sparse and therefore slightly too forgettable to objectively back up the nerdy euphoria that I felt while reading this. Still, it was a pretty enjoyable time, and in addition to my quest to buy all the books referenced here when I find the, in the wild, if the Outlaw Bookseller does get a second edition of this book on print-on-demand next year, you can rest assured that I'll be here to review it shortly after it comes out. Maybe you even feel so inclined to check on my profile to see if I ever reviewed that; who knows. Until then, though, stay safe, keep calm, and go read some of these 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels.
Who is the Outlaw Bookseller? Well, to put it simply, he's a well-read and opinionated YouTuber who publishes frequent content on a wide array of subjects, but nowadays, mostly about science fiction literature. He's my favorite YouTuber and has taught me a lot about science fiction, especially of the British New Wave which he adores so much. And that British taste is resonant throughout the book; in fact, some people might say that there are too many British SF books listed here in comparison to other nationalities. Before we get to his actual picks, though, what format is this book actually written in?
Basically, this book contains 100 entries on books, alphabetized by author's last name. Each entry contains a synopsis of the book in question (sometimes seeming spoiler-y enough for me to only skim through it) and then a paragraph, occasionally two, on what that book influenced or something interesting about the author's past or something else interesting about the text. There are also always "Read on" suggestions made up of either works by the same author, works that or similar, or works that are grouped in explicit thematic groups, like "First Contact" or "Genetic Alteration," for example. There are also lists of ten-or-more books that fall under larger themes, like "Non-English-First SF" or "From Short Stories/Novels to Movies." These topic names are paraphrased, but you get the idea.
Overall, I got a kick out of the book. My biggest complaint is that there was too much synopsis and not enough information about the books and their history and all of that good stuff. Each entry could've been twice as long and I would've happily soaked it up. Now, based on what Andrews has said on YouTube, I assume that he didn't have the choice to write such a long book do to his publishers, but I wish that he had. Regardless, this is a relatively good list of 100 novels that show what science fiction is about. It's got the uber-classics of the genre (*Frankenstein*, Verne, Wells) to selections from the Golden Age and the Big Three to influential books of the nineties like *China Mountain Zheng* (If it's *that* important; I haven't read it yet) and *Snow Crash*. If I have any issue with the selections in the book, it's that they're a little too British in their estimation of what's important and what's not (for example, does D. G. Compton deserve a spot here?). That being said, I have only read 23 of the 100 books listed, so what do I know? I would like to write my own assessment of the genre like this, but I'm obviously not well-read enough - yet - to undertake such a challenge. I would love to have a group of people that I could really discuss these selections with, though; Top 100 lists are always great conversation starters.
At the end of the day, how do I rate this book? I'm going with an 8/10; I wanted to give it an 8.5, but I think the critical commentary is just a little too sparse and therefore slightly too forgettable to objectively back up the nerdy euphoria that I felt while reading this. Still, it was a pretty enjoyable time, and in addition to my quest to buy all the books referenced here when I find the, in the wild, if the Outlaw Bookseller does get a second edition of this book on print-on-demand next year, you can rest assured that I'll be here to review it shortly after it comes out. Maybe you even feel so inclined to check on my profile to see if I ever reviewed that; who knows. Until then, though, stay safe, keep calm, and go read some of these 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels.
February 21, 2022
Usually with any 'best of' list is it's one person's opinion of what they, themselves, deem as THE BEST. Most of these lists are taken with a grain of salt or dust or what have you, yet can be used to reach your own opinion.
This volume is actually decent as a quick resource.
This volume is actually decent as a quick resource.
July 14, 2024
A great guide to 100 SF novels with some suggested further reading. I have a read a few of these and just need to get round to the rest!
February 6, 2026
Concise and to the point. There are also plenty of reading suggestions as well as the main sections introducing the books and authors.
December 11, 2009
This is where this list gets its name. Its an awsome little book with a write up for 100 Sci-fi novels that provide a good sample of the scope of Science Fiction. It also provides you with hundreds more books to read in similar veins as those written up in the book. Its a pocket sized reference no Sci-fi fan should be with out.
July 20, 2013
Neat little SF intro.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews