SF Masterworks Group discussion

Are there any great SF books that you feel should be included in this series but aren't yet?

For the sake of argument, we might as well set a limit in that the book/series must have been published at least 20 years ago. Oh, and if anyone nominates another PKD book, they must select one of the 14 existing Dick novels for eviction from the series! ;)

For starters I will nominate the following:

The Death of Grass by John Christopher.

A great, disturbing apocalyptic novel portraying the collapse of civilization (and civility) after a virus wipes out all species of grass around the world.

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

Quite possibly the authors greatest work and contains three interconnected stories that cover a range of fascinating insights and ideas.

The Blue World by Jack Vance

A wonderfully told story about the lives of the descendents of colonists that settled on a planet with no land and who have become dominated by the roving sea monsters.

The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. Van Vogt

A fix-up novel that whilst retaining an episodic feel works remarkably well. Action, adventure, fascinating concepts explored and marvelously depicted alien beings.

A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg

A gripping tale of one man's journey of self discovery and liberation from his social conditioning.

Hothouse by Brian Aldiss

I loved the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. The original book 'Hyperion' just sneaks into the 20 year limit (published March 1990).

I would have to say:
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- a novel by Isaac Asimov (can't pick which if I had to pick only one)
- Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
- (maybe) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Well, "The Day of the Triffids" is alraedy in the series (in hardback) and "Cat's Cradel" is on it's way.

As for "Brave new World"...I much preferred "1984" but that's available already in so many different editions. What about We by Yevgeny Zamyatin instead? That's not so widely known and a forerunner to both of the others.

I've had We suggested to me a couple of times, but have never got around to it even though it sounds very interesting. I've now added it to my book list and (hopefully) I won't forget about it this time. It is hard to believe that it's not widely known, considering it does pre-date stories with similar themes. But this is (unfortunately) true of many works of the fathers of sci-fi (H.G. Wells, Olaf Stapledon, Edwin A. Abbott, A.E. Van Vogt, etc.)

Star Maker is definately not a standard novel in any sense of the word. In fact, I'm sure it wouldn't even be classed as a novel by definition. It's more of a science fiction based philosophical adventure (PhiloSciFi, anyone?), where he (Stapledon) jumps from one concept to another. The novel(?) really appealed to the "Wow, what if that were true?" part of my mind, and it appears to have done the same to the following generation of sci-fi writers, with many borrowing some of his concepts. It is even more amazing when considering his lack of influences - H.G. Wells offering only humanoid aliens from Mars and giant ants (no disrespect intended, H.G.), Verne with deep sea monsters, etc. - all while Stapledon imagines the biologies and minds of whole civilisations, many fundamentally different from our own.

I would agree that it is not a good read, in that you can't just pick it up, get drawn and fly through it all the way to the end. It really has to be absorbed to be enjoyed, and with concepts as 'heavy' as those in Star Maker, and that can take a while.

"...most writers would create an entire novel out of what he sprays across a couple of pages..." - Many writers HAVE written entire novels out of what he has put in a couple of pages. Such is the influence he has had on the science fiction genre.

The one thing that makes me a little sad about the list (aside from its complete lack of Asimov, though I'd vote for putting I, Robot on there) is how few female authors are represented. Titles by women that I think belong include:

--Wild Seed, by Octavia E. Butler (or another of her titles, but that's the one I'd pick)
--Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, by James Tiptree Jr. (or another collection of her short stories)
--Something by C.J. Cherryh, which would most likely be Cyteen or Downbelow Station, though for my personal taste I'd rather see The Faded Sun Trilogy

And in two years it will have been 20 years from the publication of:
--Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold
--Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
(You see how I get around the strictures of the question? *wink*)

And let me make myself clear: I don't list these books because they're written by women; I list them because I honestly feel they belong on the list. I mention the lack of women only because every time I look at a "best"-type list I do little tally, and when a single author (Philip K. Dick) has more than DOUBLE the number of titles that my whole gender has, I feel a little alienated.

I agree with ya, phoenixfalls, but even sadder
than the lack of Ike A and female writers is
the absence of writers named Walter. ;^)
Toward that end, I'll throw in these two:

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Mockingbird by Walter Stone Tevis

As far as women authors, how bout the obvious? Dame Ursula!!
Been itching to read this one lately:

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

Just thought of this one I read last year,
since Dick has been precluded,
here's one that's even trippier:

The Futurological Congress by Stanisław Lem

I thought A Canticle for Leibowitz was already on there somewhere! Must check. . . aha! According to Wikipedia it was Hardcover V. So there. ;p

And Le Guin has a couple titles on the list already (The Dispossessed, The Lathe of Heaven, The Left Hand of Darkness) so I didn't list any more by her, though her catalog is definitely strong enough to support a few more entries. . . :)

Have you guys read Iain M. Banks?

I think his Consider Phlebas from the epic 'The Culture' series should squeeze into a SF Masterworks release.

I haven't read "Consider Phlebas" but of his early SF novels that I have read, I would nominate The Player of Games if I had to pick one.

and I would second that!

Yes, the Player of Games is excellent. A good read, and some interesting ideas too.