Chaos Reading discussion

Here's a list from The Portalist on SF books they think everyone should read. Have you read all of them? Any you think don't belong on the list? Which other books do you think they should have included?

https://theportalist.com/classic-scie...

I have a copy of Dhalgren on my shelf. Waiting to be read.

Jennifer wrote: "I have a copy of Dhalgren on my shelf. Waiting to be read."

I read that a long time ago. It was definitely ground-breaking (and mind-blowing). It's on my list for a re-read, hopefully it holds up! What about the others on the list?

I have read The Forever War, Dune, 1984.


We should be on the list.

The ones with hyperlinks below are the ones I've read (6 of 13):
The Time Machine, H. G. Wells
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Kindred, by Octavia Butler
Dune, Frank Herbert
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury
I, Robot, Isaac Asimov
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

I agree with Jennifer on We being an omission. I might add The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and possibly one or two contemporary selections (maybe Binti or All Systems Red).

I'm betting Whitney has read all of these except maybe one... Am I right?

I know I will read Kindred one day, and I should really read Brave New World.

Mark, The Forever War is really good.

Just added The Forever War to my TBR list---thanks!

I read Kindred last month for the first time and Dune was a 2017 read for me. Pretty sure I read Frankenstein, Nineteen Eighty-four, and Brave New World for school a good 25 years ago... (Excuse me while I go recolor my hair... )

Marc wrote: "Just added The Forever War to my TBR list---thanks!

I read Kindred last month for the first time and Dune was a 2017 read for me. Pretty sure I read Frankenstein, Ninete..."

I read some of them at school 40 years ago. And there is nothing wrong with a beautiful shade of grey:-)

Hah! Having never had looks, I don't actually have to worry about losing them. :P

I still can't believe I haven't read any Asimov or Heinlein... Only so many books you can cram into each year, I suppose. What's the last sci-fi book you read and really enjoyed, Claire?

Marc wrote: "I agree with Jennifer on We being an omission. I might add The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and possibly one or two contemporary selections (maybe Binti or All Systems Red).

I'm betting Whitney has read all of these except maybe one... Am I right? .."

We and Hitchhiker's Guide are excellent choices for a place on the list. As for having a more contemporary choice, I probably wouldn't, just because I agree with those who say we know a classic by how well it survives the test of time. But I wouldn't be surprised to find Binti on lists in 50 years or so. It is a defining book in afro-futurism, and the current trend in quality SF (IMHO) is from those voices overturning the dominance of the western colonial model that has largely defined the genre.

I was surprised, but not disappointed, that Heinlein wasn't on the list. The ones that are there are all great books (again, IMHO). There are certainly a lot more great SF books, but this selection was all ones that were highly influential on books that followed. I suspect that it would have been a different P.K.Dick book chosen if not for Bladerunner.

And, yes, Marc, I've read all but one :-) 20,000 Leagues is my failure.

Marc wrote: "Hah! Having never had looks, I don't actually have to worry about losing them. :P

I still can't believe I haven't read any Asimov or Heinlein... Only so many books you can cram into each year, I s..."

As a matter of fact, I read today City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin and I really enjoyed it.
My all time favourites would be Dune and the The Foundation Trilogy

I've read Dune, Ender's Game, Do Androids .., 1984 and BNW.
My intro to sci-fi was Andre Norton.
I think as well as those already suggested that there should have been some Iain Banks and William Gibson on the list.

Susan wrote: "I've read Dune, Ender's Game, Do Androids .., 1984 and BNW.
My intro to sci-fi was Andre Norton.
I think as well as those already suggested that there should have been some Iain Banks and William ..."

True that. I think Gibson certainly deserves a place in the canon as the writer that most launched the cyberpunk (still hate that moniker) books of the 80's which helped move SF from it's hardware-bound roots into a more software-centric model.

Iain Banks Culture novels certainly have their fans, but you don't see him crop up on as many American "must read SF" lists. Do you think he's been much more influential on British writers? Where so you see him fitting into the science fiction canon?

yeah I rethought what I wrote. Wasn't really thinking canonical, only what was important to me (!).
I like Banks because his books are playful and also, like Douglas Adams, mess with the stereotypes.
Gibson should definitely be there.

Susan wrote: "I like Banks because his books are playful and also, like Douglas Adams, mess with the stereotypes...."

I've only read a couple Banks (two Iain M banks and one Iain Banks), but always intend to read more. Which are your favorites? And where do you most see his playfulness?

Also, coincidentally, Amazon just announced that they're making a series based on the Culture novels: https://io9.gizmodo.com/amazon-is-tur...

There are several discussions floating around about 'this' list or similar of late. I thought I had posted on the Chaos Group one, but maybe not or it became a vanishing post!

Anyway, I've read them all, have copies of all but two in my library and feel this list is not very good. Two short story collections representing single authors is O.K. but there are far better representations of their work. The Robot stories are important and classic but I'd have preferred something else. Martian Chronicles always pops up because every library has a copy. Fahrenheit 451 is usually in as many collections but is more 'controversial', i.e. BETTER! I'd prefer if short stories were required that it was an anthology from multiple authors.

Ender's Game is just pandering to a newer crowd. The whole story line as a collection might be fine, not sure I'd call this Classic . . . yet.

Orwell, Wells, Huxley, pick one! Or make all the selections for a classic list be at least 50 years since their first publication.

Omitting Heinlein just about negates the value of this list for me. The lack of Phillip Jose Farmer, Vonnegut, and Silverberg is equally inexcusable. I concur that Gibson should be on this list, probably. His work may not have been around long enough to be 'classic'.

The era of pulp SF while important is almost always ignored in these lists. Smith, Cherryh, etc. are great story tellers and get left out too often.

The list is not of that unusual of works by the authors in question, some of the best work by them is omitted, and the selections look haphazard and reckless as they are overly easy picks.

I could fuss further but I'll finish with this thought, while these are all fine reads if not all great classics of the genre, how can you have representative SF classics without Arthur C. Clarke??

Where is Arthur C Clarke?? He should be on this list definitely. I do love C.J. Cherryh, I feel she is way under rated.

List like this are always guaranteed to spur contentious disagreement! There were some glaring absences, but the sentence from the intro "We're here to let you know there’s a whole world of classic science fiction out there that you may not have discovered yet" makes me think the intent might have been "SF for people who don't read SF", which may help explain some of those absences. (But, not Clarke, what the hell?). The list does seem a bit random, like someone with a deadline looking around their bookshelves.

I also thought Ender's Game was a bit of a pander. Wham bam action and fun to read, but a classic?

I could have sworn I'd read C.J. Cherryh, but looking over her books I don't think I have! Which do you fan-types recommend? Downbelow Station?

Do people think Vonnegut will survive the ages? I certainly hope so.

Whitney wrote: "List like this are always guaranteed to spur contentious disagreement! There were some glaring absences, but the sentence from the intro "We're here to let you know there’s a whole world of classic..."

That is one of her books I have not read. But I plan to at some point. Its is right over there on my book shelf. I recently read her The Chanur Saga and loved it. Great Science Fiction. The Morgaine Saga is one series that I re-read. It just speaks to me. I also liked Hammerfall
I have read the first three of her Foreigner series. I enjoyed them, but personally don't like the MC . But the world building is amazing. She builds amazing places and people and cultures.

I have never read Orson Scott Card and don't plan on it.

Jennifer wrote: "I have never read Orson Scott Card and don't plan on it ..."

I'm glad I read Ender's game and it's sequels, as well as some other Card, before I knew what an asshole he is; I certainly won't be reading anymore. I don't buy the "an author's personal life shouldn't affect your appreciation of their art" argument, especially when they're a completely hateful little troll who supports hateful little troll legislation.

We have the Ender's Game set of books (a gift my brothers got my son a couple years ago), but I haven't read any. I didn't realize Card was such a dick. I don't know anything about him.

I forgot to mention The Faded Sun Trilogy . I think my next read will be Downbelow Station

Jennifer wrote: "I forgot to mention The Faded Sun Trilogy . I think my next read will be Downbelow Station"

Sweet, that's the one that I thought I'd read. Let me know how it compares.