buter's BABY blog

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Chapman
Sent: Monday, 21 November 2005 10:19 PM
To: butercup
Subject: Top 20 Sci-Fi novels...

Link from Slashdot (featuring American Gods at number 17).

-----------------------------------
So anyway, rather than bore you with heading off to that link, there was a list of 20 sci-fi novels ranked according to how many geeks liked them. Of the top 20, I've read the following:

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams 85% (102)
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell 79% (92)
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley 69% (77)
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick 64% (67)
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson 59% (66)
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert 53% (54)
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov 52% (54)
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov 47% (47)
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett 46% (46)
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson 37% (37)
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson 36% (36)
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein 33% (33)
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman 31% (29)
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson 27% (27)

and
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks 34% (35) <<<-- I'm not sure if this is the one I finished, or the one I didn't. I borrowed 2 from the Michael named above, and damme if I can remember which one I liked less.

I'm obviously a geek. But the point is, I knew if I waited long enough, someone would make it easier for me to tell the universe what I like. The list from above, reordered according to my preferences, which can henceforth be used to calibrate my book reviews:

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams 85% (102)
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson 59% (66)
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson 36% (36)
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson 27% (27)
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell 79% (92)
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson 37% (37)
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov 47% (47)
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov 52% (54)
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein 33% (33)
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick 64% (67)
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett 46% (46)
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley 69% (77)
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert 53% (54)
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman 31% (29)

BTW - I just finished American Gods, and I was disappointed. I think it comes down to the fact that Gaiman gives you too much. I could predict what a character would do next, or what would happen next, and it would be correct. I much preferred having to work a bit harder for the outcome, like in Quicksilver. Now that's an excellent book. Why isn't *it* in that top 20. Sheesh!

And come to think of it, there are other books by the writers in the "top 20" that I would put on *my* list anyway. I particularly liked The Number of the Beast by Heinlein, I mentioned Quicksilver (Stephenson) and I can't leave out The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. But anyway ... consider the calibration complete.

... here endeth the lesson, kids. Now go out and read.