NPR contest for best SF/Fantasy

[Selmy]

I think a big problem is that so many people these days can't separate themselves from their arguments. If I don't agree with someone, I'm not saying that they're stupid or somehow less, just that I don't agree with their argument.

[Kalbear]

Ya know, I have a lot in common with most serial killers. I suspect we eat some of the same food. Most of them are male. Probably around my age, even.

Won't stop me from telling them to fuck off either.

Just because you like something I like doesn't mean that you have good taste or that your opinion is somehow more valid. On this forum especially, people are going to mock you for your shitty taste in books. If you don't want to be mocked for it, stop having shitty taste in books. That doesn't mean you're a horrible person or that you're stupid. I have a weakness for Star Wars novels, for instance - and I know they're badly written and plotted. I enjoy them and have fun with them. But I wouldn't claim that they're high literature or on par with Asimov or Brin or Mieville.

[SkynJay]

Well, you've helped prove what's horribly wrong with that last in general..

But more to the point, the list suffers because it's too subjective. The list of 100 was gleaned from suggesions? Not a panel. And how are some listings individual books from a series (Going Postal, Dragonflight) and other listed a series as a whole?

Vote as you will, but the final results will be far far from definitive...in my opinion...

Not really mean, and a good point. The fact is, the list is slightly off by the inclusion of the series to most on the board. I don't see any part of the post that goes after you personally.

Not at all I just prefer to be nice and positive. I thought this was a place where everyone has at least 1 thing in common which is really cool and I didn't expect people to be so mean

It is a great place with a lot of people who love good books. Doesn't mean there are not arguments aplenty, which honestly this thread hasn't even touched.

Ya know, I have a lot in common with most serial killers. I suspect we eat some of the same food. Most of them are male. Probably around my age, even.

Won't stop me from telling them to fuck off either.

Just because you like something I like doesn't mean that you have good taste or that your opinion is somehow more valid. On this forum especially, people are going to mock you for your shitty taste in books. If you don't want to be mocked for it, stop having shitty taste in books. That doesn't mean you're a horrible person or that you're stupid. I have a weakness for Star Wars novels, for instance - and I know they're badly written and plotted. I enjoy them and have fun with them. But I wouldn't claim that they're high literature or on par with Asimov or Brin or Mieville.

Ok, here is the first place where I see anyone getting mean. Here you have my sympathy.

But ya, I love crappy Star Wars books too. And have read MANY of them. Several of them multiple times. But I wouldn't put them on the list(someone did, I see, with the Zahn inclusion).

[imladolen]

This was tough, and I had to leave books/series out that I love (The Lord of the Rings being the biggest one I had to leave out). And I didn't see (though I just might have missed it) Tad William's "Memory Sorrow and Thorn" series on there. If I had seen it, it would replace my vote for the Dune stuff)

My votes went to:

The Wheel of Time (Jordan)

A Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein; IMO the most important book published in the 20th century)

A Song of Ice and Fire (by some gnome named Germ or Martin I think)

The Riftwar Saga (Feist; specifically because of the original trilogy and the Empire trilogy with Wurts)

Dune Chronicles (Herbert; unfortunately the stuff his son wrote is clumped in with it)

The Deed of Paksenarrion (Moon)

The Commonwealth Saga (Hamilton)

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (Donaldson)

Mars Trilogy (Robinson)

Altered Carbon (Morgan; IMO this is the best ever debut novel in the genre, even better than Snow Crash by Stephenson)

[Selmy]

A Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein; IMO the most important book published in the 20th century)

So my dad this book to me to read when I was like 12. I think he probably figured that I liked sci-fi and he probably mostly remembered the religious imagery. I seriously doubt he remembered all the crazy sex stuff. Or at least I hope he didn't.

[SkynJay]

Cant remember my whole list(ALREADY!)

I took Small Gods in order to represent Diskworld(which should have been placed as a series).

LOTR and ASOIAF.

Actually voted for Abercrombie.

Can't believe I have already forgotten the rest.

[imladolen]

Which version did he give you? The original publication, or the UnCut Edition (with something like 60K words put back in)?

And the sex scenes in aSiaSL are nothing compared to the sex scenes in some of Heinlein's later stuff (Time Enough for Love, To Sail Beyond the Sunset to name a couple--great reading for a horny teenager!!! Gods I miss those days LOL).

Time Enough for Love has a sex scene between a guy and the two clones (sex changed clones at that) of himself that had been made. Begs the question, is that incest or masturbation?

And in To Sail Beyond the Sunset, that same character time travels to the past and does the nasty with his mom! EEEW EEEW EEEW!! Heinlein, you were a dirty old perverted man! Love ya!!

So my dad this book to me to read when I was like 12. I think he probably figured that I liked sci-fi and he probably mostly remembered the religious imagery. I seriously doubt he remembered all the crazy sex stuff. Or at least I hope he didn't.

[Shryke]

Ok, here is the first place where I see anyone getting mean. Here you have my sympathy.

Kalbear isn't being mean at all.

You are entitled to like whatever you want. You aren't entitled for other people not to tell you that what you like sucks. Especially when what you like does, in fact, suck. That's not meanness.

[nickg]

No dragonlance, contest sucks.

[Grack21]

No dragonlance, contest sucks.

:bowdown:

I actually laughed out loud. For realz, y0.

[Shryke]

No dragonlance, contest sucks.

Fixed.

[Procrastimancer]

I pretty much skimmed the list and clicked on whatever stood out as I rapidly scrolled by:

Altered Carbon, Morgan

The Book of the New Sun, Wolfe

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Leiber

The Gone-Away World, Harkaway

I am Legend, Matheson

The Lies of Locke Lamora, Lynch

Lord of Light, Zelazny

Malazan, Erikson

Starship Troopers, Heinlein

The Yiddish Policeman's Union, Chabon

[tybeechris]

I went back and voted again on a more cerebral plane. I voted for the books that blew my mind at the time I read them and then came back to haunt me, i.e. Childhood's End, Mists of Avalon, Dune. I left off the books that I thought were very great at the time but then never found them lingering like a beautiful memory, i.e. The Saga Of Pleiocene Exile. Seems there must be a disconnect between what I realize is true craftsmanship and what tugs at my heart. The two don't always reconcile. Kind of like choosing between a Vermeer and a Van Gogh. Vermeer the master talent but Van Gogh sings to my soul.

[nickg]

Fixed.

I guess that means you would say of the Tanis half elven tattoo on my back was a bad decision?

Voted for:

LotR

Dune

Book of the new sun ( would probably rate The Wizard Knight higher but it wasn't on the list )

Malazan.....

Snow Crash

ASoIaF

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

The Gap Series

I am Legend

Can't remember the last one, but honestly portions of this list would change daily, and a lot this is more than likely influenced by what I have been reading lately. Many of my favorites aren't even available as choices either......

[Shryke]

I guess that means you would say of the Tanis half elven tattoo on my back was a bad decision?

Tramp Stamps are always a bad decision.

[Lannes]

I went fairly old school-

ASOIAF

LOTR

Elric

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser

Dune

Time Enough For Love

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Flowers For Algernon

Watership Down

Ender's Game

[Happy Ent]

Surprisingly good list.

Voted for the big 3 (Tolkien, Bakker, Martin), and some other stuff that happened to be on the list.

[Rooster]

I almost vomited when I noticed that Vance didn't make it there once, but otherwise I had plenty fill in my ten, so I voted.

imlad, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn was there.

[gladius]

Voted for Bakker.

The only Martin work that would deserve a place on the list is Dying of the light, but i couldn't find it.

[SkynJay]

I went fairly old school-

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Flowers For Algernon

Glad you said that, I too voted for Flowers for Algernon. Forgot that.

You enjoyed Something Wicked? I just read it late last month, and was shockingly disappointed. Felt the same theme had been done better. I hated myself for it, because, I mean, its Bradbury!