Collective Chronicles Reading Experience - Have We Read Everything?

What account do we give of ourselves with regard to this Gollancz Masterworks series?

www.worldswithoutend.com

SF Masterworks

SF Masterworks is a series of science fiction books published by Orion Publishing Group through it's imprints Millennium and Gollancz.
www.worldswithoutend.com www.worldswithoutend.com

Are all of these really "masterworks"?

I think I've read 1-3, 9, 12, 13, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 38, 44, 47, 55, 56, 59, 68, 69, 71, 73-77, 79, 80, 82, 85, 90, 93, 99, 104, 109, 111, 148, 153.
 
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Extollager said:
What account do we give of ourselves with regard to this Gollancz Masterworks series?

www.worldswithoutend.com

SF Masterworks

SF Masterworks is a series of science fiction books published by Orion Publishing Group through it's imprints Millennium and Gollancz.
www.worldswithoutend.com www.worldswithoutend.com

Are all of these really "masterworks"?

I think I've read 1-3, 9, 12, 13, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 38, 44, 47, 55, 56, 59, 68, 69, 71, 73-77, 79, 80, 82, 85, 90, 93, 99, 104, 109, 111, 148, 153.
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I can additionally cross off 4, 5, 6, 10, 14, 17, 26, 31, 33, 34, 37, 39, 46, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 60, 63, 64, 65, 72, 83, 92, 103, 121, 126, 127, 130, 131, 132, 143, 151, 155, 156, 157, 158, 165, 173

I'd be amazed if between us we've not read all these masterworks.
 
Extollager said:
Danny, what'd you think of Strange Invaders?
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It took some initial getting into with the Commies in their new Ice Age holdfast.
Then these refugees turned up so they just slaughtered them to save resources.
Then loads of giant lizards who somehow lived in snow attacked, no proper explanation as to why there were giant lizards.
A couple of mildly interesting battle scenes but, all in all, a very dull book that I wouldn't reread - ever TBH
 
From the link Extollager posted of SF Masterworks I've read:

The Time Machine
Flowers for Algernon
The Invisible Man
Grass
Ringworld
Dune
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The Left Hand of Darkness
Frankenstein
Doomsday Book
The Door Into Summer
The Midwich Cuckoos

(Noting that with these Masterworks series it's not just what the editors believe are the best works out there, but also the books they can get the rights to reprint.)
 
hitmouse said:
@Teresa Edgerton I have read Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, and the 2 Kai Lung books on that list.

I reckon I have read every Jack Vance novel apart from Vandals of the Void. Anyone read it?
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I’ve read it. Apologies if someone’s already said that, but couldn’t see it on my scroll through.
 
Would you count David Lindsay as obscure? He has a wiki page and many people know his A Voyage to Arcturus. I would't mind betting though that there are some of his novels that could count as SFF that no one here has read. Ones I haven't are The Haunted Woman and The Violet Apple, and I haven't read all of Devil's Tor.

Also, since I never see Colin Wilson mentioned here (an author with a large following, though more for his philosophy), I'd suggest these SF titles by him, which I haven't read:

Spider World: The Magician
Spider World: Shadowland
The Mind Parasites
The Space Vampires
 
Extollager said:
Who's read Islandia? Not I, though I have a copy. Anyone here? I couldn't tell if you have read it, Baylor, or were just running it up the flagpole to see who saluted.
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Ive not really seen this book mention , so I mentioned it. :confused:
 
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Extollager said:
My guess is that there is little or no major sf published since 1940 or so that someone or other at Chrons hasn't read, but that we might have missed a number of the earlier works that get mentioned in books like Billion-Year Spree.

I guess, too, that no one here has read all of the works of some of the major authors who wrote recognized classics and then a great deal of other stuff too, such as Brunner and Silverberg.

What about the Newcastle fantasy reprints? Note -- I don't say that these are all major works. This was the series, though, that was kind of the successor to the Ballantine series that Teresa listed.

  1. The Glittering Plain, William Morris (September 1973)
  2. The Saga of Eric Brighteyes, H. Rider Haggard (March 1974)
  3. The Food of Death: Fifty-One Tales, Lord Dunsany (September 1974)
  4. The Haunted Woman, David Lindsay (March 1975)
  5. Aladore, Sir Henry Newbolt (September 1975)
  6. She and Allan, H. Rider Haggard (September 1975)
  7. Gerfalcon, Leslie Barringer (March 1976)
  8. Golden Wings and Other Stories, William Morris (March 1976)
  9. Joris of the Rock, Leslie Barringer (September 1976)
  10. Heart of the World, H. Rider Haggard (September 1976)
  11. The Wonderful Adventures of Phra the Phoenician, Edwin Lester Arnold (April 1977)
  12. Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair, William Morris (April 1977)
  13. Shy Leopardess, Leslie Barringer (October 1977)
  14. Ayesha: the Return of She, H. Rider Haggard (October 1977)
  15. The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed, Kenneth Morris (April 1978)
  16. The House of the Wolfings, William Morris (April 1978)
  17. Under the Sunset, Bram Stoker (October 1978)
  18. Allan Quatermain, H. Rider Haggard (October 1978)
  19. The Roots of the Mountains, William Morris (April 1979)
  20. Nada the Lily, H. Rider Haggard (April 1979)
  21. Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende, translated by Alfred Elwes (October 1979)
  22. The Spirit of Bambatse, H. Rider Haggard (October 1979)
  23. When the Birds Fly South, Stanton A. Coblentz (April 1980)
  24. Allan's Wife, H. Rider Haggard (October 1980)
Of those, I have read nos. 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 20, maybe 22, and 24. I have but haven't yet read 1, 15, 16, 19. I had a copy of 3 but gave it away, I think, without having read much, having eventually realized that, for the most part, Dunsany is an author who's had his day with me.
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Ive read Eric Bright Eyes and Allan Quatermain . Ive read one book by Stanton Coblentz, but not that one. Only two on that list.
 
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tegeus-Cromis said:
Anybody read George du Maurier's The Martian (1897)?
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A couple more: Norman Matson, Flecker's Magic (1926), later reprinted as Enchanted Beggar? You may think it's obscure, but E.M. Forster praised it in Aspects of the Novel.

And how about Robert M. Coates, The Eater of Darkness (1929)? Supposedly Dada-influenced (but not really) SF thriller featuring a death ray.
 
Also, I mentioned on another thread Arthur MacArthur's After the Afternoon (1942). Greek-mythology-based fantasy. I own it, but have only read maybe the first three chapters.
 
Oh, and has anyone actually read Reza Negarestani's Cyclonopedia (2008), praised to the heavens by Jeff Vandermeer? Cyclonopedia: Best Horror Novel You've Never Heard Of - Jeff VanderMeer
I've tried. It reads like crap. And I don't mean the supposedly "theoretical" parts. I mean the narrative exposition, which reads like the most cliché-ridden airport novel you've ever laid eyes on. But it's supposed to be a classic in some circles...
 
Over the years I've bought/gained loads of SF/F books and added to my To Be Read pile.
Now, thanks to Goodreads and my cataloguing obsession, here is my to-read list, containing only those authors with a Wikipedia page.

  1. Sorceress of the Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #5) - Andre Norton
  2. The Dark Light Years - Brian W. Aldiss
  3. The Malacia Tapestry - Brian W. Aldiss
  4. The Horned Warrior (Berserker #3) - Chris Carlsen
  5. Shadow Of The Wolf (Berserker #1) - Chris Carlsen
  6. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, #1) - Christopher Paolini
  7. King Kobold - Christopher Stasheff
  8. Derai (Dumarest of Terra, #2) - E.C. Tubb
  9. The Winds of Gath (Dumarest of Terra #1) - E.C. Tubb
  10. Kalin (Dumarest of Terra #4) - E.C. Tubb
  11. Land of Terror (Pellucidar, #6) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  12. The Wizard of Venus (Venus, #5) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  13. Carson of Venus (Venus, #3) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  14. The Berserker Attack - Fred Saberhagen
  15. Shadowmancer (Shadowmancer, #1) - G.P. Taylor
  16. Tersias the Oracle (Wormwood, #2) - G.P. Taylor
  17. Wormwood (Wormwood, #1) - G.P. Taylor
  18. Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman (Kothar, #1) - Gardner F. Fox
  19. Operation Ares - Gene Wolfe
  20. The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire, #6) - George R.R. Martin
  21. A Dream of Spring (A Song of Ice and Fire, #7) - George R.R. Martin
  22. Space Viking - H. Beam Piper
  23. Pebble in the Sky (Galactic Empire #3) - Isaac Asimov
  24. The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire, #1) - Isaac Asimov
  25. Maildun the Voyager - James Reeves
  26. The Savage Horde (The Survivalist, #6) - Jerry Ahern
  27. Runelight (Runemarks, #2) - Joanne Harris
  28. Explorers of Gor (Gor, #13) - John Norman
  29. Beasts of Gor (Gor, #12) - John Norman
  30. Slave Girl of Gor (Gor, #11) - John Norman
  31. The Tritonian Ring - L. Sprague de Camp
  32. The Flight of the Horse - Larry Niven
  33. Flashing Swords! 2 - Lin Carter
  34. Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
  35. The Black Corridor - Michael Moorcock
  36. The Shores of Death - Michael Moorcock
  37. The Blood Red Game - Michael Moorcock
  38. Masters Of The Pit - Michael Moorcock
  39. Lord Of The Spiders - Michael Moorcock
  40. The Stone God Awakens - Philip José Farmer
  41. A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth #1) - Piers Anthony
  42. Murder and Magic (Lord Darcy, #1) - Randall Garrett
  43. City of a Thousand Suns - Samuel R. Delany
  44. The Towers of Toron - Samuel R. Delany
  45. Solaris / Chain of Chance / A Perfect Vacuum - Stanisław Lem
  46. The Moon People - Stanton A. Coblentz
  47. The Gunslinger - Stephen King
  48. The Illearth War (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #2) - Stephen R. Donaldson
  49. Suaine and the Crow-God - Stuart Gordon
  50. One-Eye - Stuart Gordon
  51. The Weirwoods - Thomas Burnett Swann
  52. The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Cycle, #3) - Ursula K. Le Guin

In case anyone is interested in the process, or wants to try it for themselves
  1. Export my Goodreads collection
  2. Open up the export in a spreadsheet
  3. Filter all books with the 'to-read' Exclusive Shelf and Bookshelves of either fantasy/science-fiction/science-fantasy
  4. Delete all the irrelevant columns
  5. Delete all rows with authors not on Wikipedia
  6. Copy the remaining columns
  7. Paste them here

Simple eh?
 
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M. Robert Gibson said:
Over the years I've bought/gained loads of SF/F books and added to my To Be Read pile.
Now, thanks to Goodreads and my cataloguing obsession, here is my to-read list, containing only those authors with a Wikipedia page.

  1. Sorceress of the Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #5) - Andre Norton
  2. The Dark Light Years - Brian W. Aldiss
  3. The Malacia Tapestry - Brian W. Aldiss
  4. The Horned Warrior (Berserker #3) - Chris Carlsen
  5. Shadow Of The Wolf (Berserker #1) - Chris Carlsen
  6. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, #1) - Christopher Paolini
  7. King Kobold - Christopher Stasheff
  8. Derai (Dumarest of Terra, #2) - E.C. Tubb
  9. The Winds of Gath (Dumarest of Terra #1) - E.C. Tubb
  10. Kalin (Dumarest of Terra #4) - E.C. Tubb
  11. Land of Terror (Pellucidar, #6) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  12. The Wizard of Venus (Venus, #5) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  13. Carson of Venus (Venus, #3) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
  14. The Berserker Attack - Fred Saberhagen
  15. Shadowmancer (Shadowmancer, #1) - G.P. Taylor
  16. Tersias the Oracle (Wormwood, #2) - G.P. Taylor
  17. Wormwood (Wormwood, #1) - G.P. Taylor
  18. Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman (Kothar, #1) - Gardner F. Fox
  19. Operation Ares - Gene Wolfe
  20. The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire, #6) - George R.R. Martin
  21. A Dream of Spring (A Song of Ice and Fire, #7) - George R.R. Martin
  22. Space Viking - H. Beam Piper
  23. Pebble in the Sky (Galactic Empire #3) - Isaac Asimov
  24. The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire, #1) - Isaac Asimov
  25. Maildun the Voyager - James Reeves
  26. The Savage Horde (The Survivalist, #6) - Jerry Ahern
  27. Runelight (Runemarks, #2) - Joanne Harris
  28. Explorers of Gor (Gor, #13) - John Norman
  29. Beasts of Gor (Gor, #12) - John Norman
  30. Slave Girl of Gor (Gor, #11) - John Norman
  31. The Tritonian Ring - L. Sprague de Camp
  32. The Flight of the Horse - Larry Niven
  33. Flashing Swords! 2 - Lin Carter
  34. Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
  35. The Black Corridor - Michael Moorcock
  36. The Shores of Death - Michael Moorcock
  37. The Blood Red Game - Michael Moorcock
  38. Masters Of The Pit - Michael Moorcock
  39. Lord Of The Spiders - Michael Moorcock
  40. The Stone God Awakens - Philip José Farmer
  41. A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth #1) - Piers Anthony
  42. Murder and Magic (Lord Darcy, #1) - Randall Garrett
  43. City of a Thousand Suns - Samuel R. Delany
  44. The Towers of Toron - Samuel R. Delany
  45. Solaris / Chain of Chance / A Perfect Vacuum - Stanisław Lem
  46. The Moon People - Stanton A. Coblentz
  47. The Gunslinger - Stephen King
  48. The Illearth War (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #2) - Stephen R. Donaldson
  49. Suaine and the Crow-God - Stuart Gordon
  50. One-Eye - Stuart Gordon
  51. The Weirwoods - Thomas Burnett Swann
  52. The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Cycle, #3) - Ursula K. Le Guin

In case anyone is interested in the process, or wants to try it for themselves
  1. Export my Goodreads collection
  2. Open up the export in a spreadsheet
  3. Filter all books with the 'to-read' Exclusive Shelf and Bookshelves of either fantasy/science-fiction/science-fantasy
  4. Delete all the irrelevant columns
  5. Delete all rows with authors not on Wikipedia
  6. Copy the remaining columns
  7. Paste them here

Simple eh?
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I can't possibly imagine that anyone who likes the LeGuin or the Aldiss on there would enjoy the Gor books. Or vice versa.
 
tegeus-Cromis said:
I can't possibly imagine that anyone who likes the LeGuin or the Aldiss on there would enjoy the Gor books. Or vice versa.
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In my younger days, on any visit to a second book shop or charity shop, if the cover mentioned or looked like science fiction or fantasy I would buy it regardless.
That's my excuse for the Gor books ;)
 
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