What do you think Are the Best Classic Fantasy And Science Fiction Books and Stories of All Time?

[BAYLOR]

Bill The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison This is without a doubt one of funniest science fiction novels of all time.

He did write some sequels to it.

 

[Ray Pullar]

Bill wasn't only a laughing matter. John Campbell took it accurately as an attack on his school of sf and ended his professional friendship with Harry. Harrison saw it as a turning point in his career as a writer as he broke free of the Astounding/analog approach.

 

[BAYLOR]

Bill wasn't only a laughing matter. John Campbell took it accurately as an attack on his school of sf and ended his professional friendship with Harry. Harrison saw it as a turning point in his career as a writer as he broke free of the Astounding/analog approach.

It's amazing how small minded and foolish John W Campbell truly was.

 

[BAYLOR]

Donovan's Brain By Curt Siodmak a great and underrated science fiction novel . It's also considered one the best horror novel of all time, The book adapted the the big screen in 1953. The film was a pretty good rendition of the book , Its pretty much a forgotten film.

 

[Cathbad]

@Kerrybuchanan and @Jo Zebedee stole my picks.

*glares at them*

 

[Cathbad]

I just now realized this was an old thread, and I was merely reading Page One!!

 

[BAYLOR]

I just now realized this was an old thread, and I was merely reading Page One!!

This is one of my early threads and one of my favorites.

 

[Agathon]

For me:

In fantasy, Tolkien wins hands down; with Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard running a close second.

In science fiction:

The Lensman series by E. E. Doc Smith and William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy simultaneously. Why the Foundation series by Asimov won best of all time confounds me. Foundation bored me. Dune, while a good read; I think was a mind bending work, with too much emphasis on drugs.

 

[Bick]

In fantasy, Tolkien wins hands down; with Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard running a close second.

Yes, they're fine calls. Carry on.

In science fiction:
The Lensman series by E. E. Doc Smith and William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy simultaneously.

Yes, okay, one series is classic, while one's modern, but we'll let that go.

Why the Foundation series by Asimov won best of all time confounds me. Foundation bored me. Dune, while a good read; I think was a mind bending work, with too much emphasis on drugs.

Okay, now you need to wash your mouth out. Criticism of the good Doctor, and questioning the quality of Dune all in one post! That's quite the penchant for controversy

Really, you're very welcome, I hope you like Chrons. Mutter, mutter

 

[hitmouse]

I confess I find much of Asimov really dull and I have never got past the second Foundation book. The only thing that ever really sold Asimov to me were the Chris Foss book covers.

 

[Mythopoet]

I am a big fan of The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson even though it is objectively awful in many ways. James Stoddard's The Night Land, A Story Retold is a good substitute if you don't want to deal with the objectively awful parts. But nothing has fascinated me more than Hodgson's hugely imaginative view of the distant future.

 

[Vince W]

For me:
William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy simultaneously.

The Sprawl Trilogy is considered a classic now?! I was just in my teens when it was published. Where's me zimmerframe?

 

[picklematrix]

I'm rereading Planet of Adventure by Jack Vance atm. It's one of his many classics, though not one I'd necessarily recommend to a newcomer to his work (Vance virgin).

 

[anno]

I'm rereading Planet of Adventure by Jack Vance atm. It's one of his many classics, though not one I'd necessarily recommend to a newcomer to his work (Vance virgin).

Unfortunate name for the aliens mind...

 

[picklematrix]

Unfortunate name for the aliens mind...

Hehe, the version I'm reading has it changed to 'Wannek'.
Someone must have informed him of British swear words after he first published

 

[J.C. Scoberg]

On the science fiction front, I'm a fan of The Void Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton. I enjoyed the mixture of science fiction and fantasy through the different POVs and thought it was such a well-developed world/galaxy with great ideas and characters - especially like the concept of "post-physical" species lurking somewhere out there in space.

My go-to fantasy books are still Tolkien, principally The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; the man was a genius. Although I find The Silmarillion a bit heavy going for my tastes. I also really like the political intrigue of A Song of Ice and Fire. I'm working my way through the Wheel of Time series (on book 8) and am thoroughly enjoying so far, and can see where GRRM (perhaps) found inspiration for the "Game of Thrones" / "Game of Houses" moniker. Will reserve judgment of where both sit in my favourites until (1) ASoIaF is complete, and (2) I finish WoT.

No obscure gems to recommend from me! Merely, throwing more big names back into the ring.

 

[svalbard]

Fantasy

Legend by David Gemmel. It introduced me to an amazing character called Druss and then I read Wolf in Shadow and found that Gemmel had created an even better character called Jon Shannow, The Jerusalem Man. What a monikor. Shannow is the ultimate super hero IMHO. He beats the hell out of those Avengers. He is all too human, tough as nails and has some of best lines ever written for a lead character.

Not into Sci-fi but if pressed I would say Hellconnia Spring by Brian Aldiss, although I never went on and read the other books in the series. Occasionaly I have toyed with the idea of revisiting this series.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Hehe, the version I'm reading has it changed to 'Wannek'.
Someone must have informed him of British swear words after he first published

As someone with a puerile sense of humour I had to look this up

Planet of Adventure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And then I thought "That original name looks familiar" A quick trip to my bookshelf and sure enough, there's my copy of Servants of the W... with the original title

Edit
Looks like not everyone was happy with the name change
Link to Web Archive

 

[dask]

I once wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper commenting on President Bush's "dejectagenda" and was told the letter couldn't see print unless that term was changed to "agenda of dejection." Didn't quite say what I wanted but I okayed the switch anyway. Things we do to get printed.

 

[BAYLOR]

For me:

In fantasy, Tolkien wins hands down; with Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard running a close second.

In science fiction:

The Lensman series by E. E. Doc Smith and William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy simultaneously. Why the Foundation series by Asimov won best of all time confounds me. Foundation bored me. Dune, while a good read; I think was a mind bending work, with too much emphasis on drugs.

There is are now masterworks editions of E E Doc Smiths Lensman books.