drwex: (Default)
[personal profile] drwex
https://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books

58/100 for me, counting ones where I've read all of a series they list. This is a pretty good list compared to most I've seen. It's got a great mix of classics (20th century), real classics (19th century progenitors), and modern. It includes graphic novels (Watchmen and Sandman make it). It list series as a single entry, so you don't clutter up the list nor lose good things because people have to split their votes between vol 1 and vol 2.

Notably lacking Harry Potter, and significantly weak on women writers (Vorkosigan gets Bujold in on the SF side, a couple of notable female fantasy writers make it such as MZB and Anne McCaffrey) and writers of color (how the hell did Delaney not make it?) Also, young adult SF/F doesn't appear to be represented as such, though some of the listed authors have written explicitly YA-focused books.

Of course one can quibble with individual selections - I think "Man in the High Castle" is much better than "Do Androids..." for example and Ender's Game might make it into the top 100 but not #3, bleah! Overall I found myself generally nodding in approval. The list reads like it really was picked by people inside the community.

Date: 2011-08-12 02:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] asciikitty.livejournal.com
The nomination criteria banned YA specifically.

Date: 2011-08-12 03:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] badseed1980.livejournal.com
What bugged me is that while they list some Terry Pratchett books, they don't list the ones that are surpassingly good and deserving of "top" status! If they'd listed the entire series, I'd have voted for that. As it was, I ended up not voting for one of my absolute favorite authors. :(

Date: 2011-08-12 03:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] marius23.livejournal.com
The "No YA" policy explains no Harry Potter. Agreed on the weakness in women writers, particularly given that four of the five Hugo novel nominations this year are for female authors, though the list does include both LeGuin and Willis. Delany is woefully under appreciated on all the extended lists I've seen. I am, however, surprised to see Alfred Bester, Guy Kay and David Brin missing.

Date: 2011-08-12 05:05 pm (UTC)
ceo: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ceo
I love their description of The Silmarillion: "for those who found The Lord of the Rings too breezy and slight".

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