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My response to NPR's Top 100 SF/F Books
The NPR Top 100 SF/F Books list makes me want to brain myself, but having enjoyed seeing others's point-by-point responses to books on the list I present, in the style of a meme: what I've read, with notes.
Bold if I've read it, italicized if I plan to, underlined if I've read part but not all.
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. (I read them when the first film came out, and found them perfectly satisfying but not particularly memorable.)
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. (Ages ago, and again satisfying but not particularly memorable. If I remember correctly the humor almost worked for me, though, which is a refreshing change.)
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. (Review. Why is this on a no-YA list? Anyway, the concept and its execution sticks with still, and I appreciate it for that.)
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert. (Why this appears as a series while the above appears as a stand-alone I'll never know. Anyway, I read the first and quite appreciated it, but I think its length dulled some of its impact, for me. I'd like to reread it some time, but have no desire to continue the series.)
5. A Song of Ice and Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin. (I dislike series, and refuse to engage with incomplete series. The beat-'em'-up approach to characterization and plot does intrigue me, but I imagine it'll be some time before I pick this up.)
6. 1984, by George Orwell. (Many times, and I adore it.)
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. (Many times, have large swathes memorized; this is one of my formative texts, and perhaps my favorite Bradbury despite stiff competition.)
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov. (Read the first while studying Asimov in high school. Enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite of his texts. Likewise, I should read more Asimov, but not necessarily this series.)
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. (Read it aloud with Devon, so I enjoyed it but didn't get as much out of it as I would had I read it alone—I'm not a strong verbal learner.)
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. (Review. Eh. Most Gaiman novels are "eh" for me, to be fair; this one fell right in the middle of his trend of "interesting concept, mediocre execution.")
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. (Review. I've read it many times, and I love it just slightly more than the film. I'll never forget how embarrassed I was when I learned there was no S. Morgenstern, though.)
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan. (See: I dislike series, especially epic endless devolving ones.)
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell. (In middle school, and I have poor memory now. I should reread it.)
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson. (It's on my bookshelf. I'll get there sometime.)
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore. (Before seeing the film. I appreciate what it says, but not always what it is; I much prefer Wanted as a different approach to a similar theme—which hits faster and harder, and to greater effect.)
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov. (Perhaps my favorite Asimov, although select sections of The God Themselves provide worthy competition. Forever changed how I viewed and respected sci-fi.)
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. (Why did I never review this? It's dated, but the message stands, but Heinlein sort of makes me headdesk.)
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss.
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. (Review. Oh what a painfully early review. Read for a class on apocalypses and dystopias.)
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. (Liked it, but I think I'd like it even better now—another to reread.)
21. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick. (I prefer Dick's short fiction for the most part; this isn't quite an exception (A Scanner Darkly is), but I liked it.)
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. (Review. One of the few "eh" books from one of my favorite authors—not bad, but it's no Oryx and Crake.)
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King. (See: series.)
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke.
25. The Stand, by Stephen King.
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. (I should have reviewed this. It's fun and fast action, but appreciate it best as predictive sci-fi—all Second Life players should read it.)
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. (Review. Okay, maybe this is my favorite Bradbury. It's certainly my favorite of his short fiction.)
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut. (I liked it over Slaughterhouse-Five—a little more subtle in satire and concrete in sci-fi, both of which I appreciate.)
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman. (And I should finish it some day.)
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. (The rants I could give you about the importance of that last chapter, and therefore the film—but really I appreciate this best as an experiment in language.)
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams. (Review. Dug deep into it, and I appreciate a book that let's me do that. I have a harder time appreciating the sexism.)
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey.
34. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein.
35. A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller. (It's on my TBR list, but not exactly at the top.)
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. (I find Wells generally pleasurable, and so while I feel like I should dig into more of the troubled -isms in his work, mostly I just get a sense of ... well, a good sci-fi story.)
37. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne.
38. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keys. (In middle school, but I reread it later when I found out that version had been censored.)
39. The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells.
40. The Chronicles of Amber, by Roger Zelazny.
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings. (As a teen. It was my first grown-up fantasy, which I enjoyed at the time but may or may not have established my hatred of a) series and b) high fantasy that persisted for ... well who are we kidding: it still does.)
42. The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. (I appreciate what this does as retelling, and will never not ship Aruthur/Guinevere/Lancelot.)
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson.
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven. (I think it's on my to read list.)
45. The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Review. Appreciated it, but don't particularly remember it. That happens a little too often for me with Le Guin.)
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien. (No desire to, ever—Lord of the Rings was plenty for me.)
47. The Once and Future King, by T.H. White.
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. (Review. Excecution doesn't drag down concept, and I like the concept, so I liked this well enough—but it's not much more than entertainment.)
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke.
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan. (Perhaps eventual TBR, but no hurry.)
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons.
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. (Interesting concept mediocre execution, reprise.)
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson.
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks. (Review. I appreciate the intent but the execution was shaky, and if I'd been as sick of zombies then as I am now I may have hated it.)
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle. (And it was remarkable. I'm due for a reread.)
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman.
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett. (Based on my experience with Good Omens, I have no interest, no interest at all, in Pratchett.)
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson. (The first is on my TBR list and bookshelf; thank goodness it stands alone.)
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold.
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett.
61. The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.
62. The Sword of Truth, by Terry Goodkind. (Read the first: Review. Decent, if artless, entertainment. The sequels scare me even more than my general distaste of series and high fantasy would usually warrant.)
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. (So not genre, and suffers for it: it's all atmosphere and character but has no fucking backbone. Not all bad, for that, but I've read better of the same elsewhere.)
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. (Review. Ingenious, and contrived, but none the worse for that. Not a book I'll never need to revisit, but I enjoyed it.)
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson. (Review. I adore it. It stands up well: as bold and formative a book as it was then, it's still as striking now; I recommend it often, with great success.)
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist.
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks.
68. The Conan the Barbarian Series, by Robert E. Howard.
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. (Review. Not genre, but doesn't quite suffer for it—the romance was oppressive but the time-traveling really worked for me, which is what I appreciate and remember best.)
71. The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.
72. A Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. (Sort of ridiculous in an adorable way, and makes me want to read more Verne, but isn't at the top of my favorites list.)
73. The Legend of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore.
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi.
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson.
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke.
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey. (Read the first: Review. Eh. The BDSM really turned me off, even though it works well for so many others. The rest was perfectly readable in the way these books are.)
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (The delineation between the book's head and heart was too strong for me. This is an issue I sometimes have with Le Guin, but was particularly strong here.)
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. (This did so much less for me than it seems to do for everyone else. Perhaps I should reread.)
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. (Review. Eh. I can see how it ended up as the sensation it's become, but this version of it is problematic and sometimes outright boring.)
81. The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson.
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde.
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks.
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart. (But not since ... middle school, maybe? I should reread.)
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson.
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher.
87. The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe.
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn.
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldon. (Hello, this is what I'm reading now—well, the first. It's popcorn lit and addicting and in no way a best of anything.)
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock.
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury. (Review. Not my favorite short fiction collection from Bradbury (that'd be The Martian Chronicles , of course) but, I mean: Bradbury short fiction. Of course it's awesome.)
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. (Review. Stylistically unusual, more like what urban fantasy should actually be, but not particularly impactful and in no way belongs on this list.)
93. A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge.
94. The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov.
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson.
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis.
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville. (Review. And then I learned to give up on Miéville. Interesting concept, intricate execution, too many troubles to really sell me, ultimately eh and it ... really shouldn't have been.)
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony. (This is the best of nothing, but absolutely representative of "SF/F that everyone reads." I read it too, when I was fifteen, and after about three I was done.)
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis.
This list is in no way the best of anything, but it's representative of what a crowd of casual voters reads and thinks they should read, with uneven editor boundaries drawn between YA/adult, genre/not genre (and this genre/that genre, which is even more detrimental to this list), and book/series. What people read, by the way, are: white men (dead is optional), epic high fantasy, series (either trilogies or why-has-no-one-taken-my-pen-away endless cycles), cult-favorite authors (named Gaiman) and passing trends (called zombies), a few books which are famous just because they try to avoid the genre they write in, and a few challenging or diverse texts/harder bits of sci-fi/genre classics/books they may or may not have encountered in high school and college—or at least they read those once, and know they should again. They also read some truly random stuff because, hello, what is Sunshine doing on there?
It's not necessarily a bad list—but it's not the "best" of anything; it's pretty much just a glimpse of SF/F in popular culture. I've read—what, 52 of them? I even enjoyed quite a few. I get it. But oh god, I don't condone it.
Bold if I've read it, italicized if I plan to, underlined if I've read part but not all.
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. (I read them when the first film came out, and found them perfectly satisfying but not particularly memorable.)
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. (Ages ago, and again satisfying but not particularly memorable. If I remember correctly the humor almost worked for me, though, which is a refreshing change.)
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. (Review. Why is this on a no-YA list? Anyway, the concept and its execution sticks with still, and I appreciate it for that.)
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert. (Why this appears as a series while the above appears as a stand-alone I'll never know. Anyway, I read the first and quite appreciated it, but I think its length dulled some of its impact, for me. I'd like to reread it some time, but have no desire to continue the series.)
5. A Song of Ice and Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin. (I dislike series, and refuse to engage with incomplete series. The beat-'em'-up approach to characterization and plot does intrigue me, but I imagine it'll be some time before I pick this up.)
6. 1984, by George Orwell. (Many times, and I adore it.)
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. (Many times, have large swathes memorized; this is one of my formative texts, and perhaps my favorite Bradbury despite stiff competition.)
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov. (Read the first while studying Asimov in high school. Enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite of his texts. Likewise, I should read more Asimov, but not necessarily this series.)
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. (Read it aloud with Devon, so I enjoyed it but didn't get as much out of it as I would had I read it alone—I'm not a strong verbal learner.)
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. (Review. Eh. Most Gaiman novels are "eh" for me, to be fair; this one fell right in the middle of his trend of "interesting concept, mediocre execution.")
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. (Review. I've read it many times, and I love it just slightly more than the film. I'll never forget how embarrassed I was when I learned there was no S. Morgenstern, though.)
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan. (See: I dislike series, especially epic endless devolving ones.)
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell. (In middle school, and I have poor memory now. I should reread it.)
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson. (It's on my bookshelf. I'll get there sometime.)
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore. (Before seeing the film. I appreciate what it says, but not always what it is; I much prefer Wanted as a different approach to a similar theme—which hits faster and harder, and to greater effect.)
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov. (Perhaps my favorite Asimov, although select sections of The God Themselves provide worthy competition. Forever changed how I viewed and respected sci-fi.)
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. (Why did I never review this? It's dated, but the message stands, but Heinlein sort of makes me headdesk.)
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss.
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. (Review. Oh what a painfully early review. Read for a class on apocalypses and dystopias.)
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. (Liked it, but I think I'd like it even better now—another to reread.)
21. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick. (I prefer Dick's short fiction for the most part; this isn't quite an exception (A Scanner Darkly is), but I liked it.)
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. (Review. One of the few "eh" books from one of my favorite authors—not bad, but it's no Oryx and Crake.)
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King. (See: series.)
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke.
25. The Stand, by Stephen King.
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. (I should have reviewed this. It's fun and fast action, but appreciate it best as predictive sci-fi—all Second Life players should read it.)
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury. (Review. Okay, maybe this is my favorite Bradbury. It's certainly my favorite of his short fiction.)
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut. (I liked it over Slaughterhouse-Five—a little more subtle in satire and concrete in sci-fi, both of which I appreciate.)
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman. (And I should finish it some day.)
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. (The rants I could give you about the importance of that last chapter, and therefore the film—but really I appreciate this best as an experiment in language.)
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams. (Review. Dug deep into it, and I appreciate a book that let's me do that. I have a harder time appreciating the sexism.)
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey.
34. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein.
35. A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller. (It's on my TBR list, but not exactly at the top.)
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. (I find Wells generally pleasurable, and so while I feel like I should dig into more of the troubled -isms in his work, mostly I just get a sense of ... well, a good sci-fi story.)
37. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne.
38. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keys. (In middle school, but I reread it later when I found out that version had been censored.)
39. The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells.
40. The Chronicles of Amber, by Roger Zelazny.
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings. (As a teen. It was my first grown-up fantasy, which I enjoyed at the time but may or may not have established my hatred of a) series and b) high fantasy that persisted for ... well who are we kidding: it still does.)
42. The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. (I appreciate what this does as retelling, and will never not ship Aruthur/Guinevere/Lancelot.)
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson.
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven. (I think it's on my to read list.)
45. The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Review. Appreciated it, but don't particularly remember it. That happens a little too often for me with Le Guin.)
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien. (No desire to, ever—Lord of the Rings was plenty for me.)
47. The Once and Future King, by T.H. White.
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. (Review. Excecution doesn't drag down concept, and I like the concept, so I liked this well enough—but it's not much more than entertainment.)
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke.
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan. (Perhaps eventual TBR, but no hurry.)
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons.
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. (Interesting concept mediocre execution, reprise.)
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson.
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks. (Review. I appreciate the intent but the execution was shaky, and if I'd been as sick of zombies then as I am now I may have hated it.)
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle. (And it was remarkable. I'm due for a reread.)
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman.
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett. (Based on my experience with Good Omens, I have no interest, no interest at all, in Pratchett.)
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson. (The first is on my TBR list and bookshelf; thank goodness it stands alone.)
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold.
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett.
61. The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.
62. The Sword of Truth, by Terry Goodkind. (Read the first: Review. Decent, if artless, entertainment. The sequels scare me even more than my general distaste of series and high fantasy would usually warrant.)
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. (So not genre, and suffers for it: it's all atmosphere and character but has no fucking backbone. Not all bad, for that, but I've read better of the same elsewhere.)
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. (Review. Ingenious, and contrived, but none the worse for that. Not a book I'll never need to revisit, but I enjoyed it.)
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson. (Review. I adore it. It stands up well: as bold and formative a book as it was then, it's still as striking now; I recommend it often, with great success.)
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist.
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks.
68. The Conan the Barbarian Series, by Robert E. Howard.
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. (Review. Not genre, but doesn't quite suffer for it—the romance was oppressive but the time-traveling really worked for me, which is what I appreciate and remember best.)
71. The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.
72. A Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. (Sort of ridiculous in an adorable way, and makes me want to read more Verne, but isn't at the top of my favorites list.)
73. The Legend of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore.
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi.
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson.
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke.
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey. (Read the first: Review. Eh. The BDSM really turned me off, even though it works well for so many others. The rest was perfectly readable in the way these books are.)
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin. (The delineation between the book's head and heart was too strong for me. This is an issue I sometimes have with Le Guin, but was particularly strong here.)
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. (This did so much less for me than it seems to do for everyone else. Perhaps I should reread.)
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. (Review. Eh. I can see how it ended up as the sensation it's become, but this version of it is problematic and sometimes outright boring.)
81. The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson.
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde.
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks.
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart. (But not since ... middle school, maybe? I should reread.)
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson.
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher.
87. The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe.
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn.
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldon. (Hello, this is what I'm reading now—well, the first. It's popcorn lit and addicting and in no way a best of anything.)
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock.
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury. (Review. Not my favorite short fiction collection from Bradbury (that'd be The Martian Chronicles , of course) but, I mean: Bradbury short fiction. Of course it's awesome.)
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. (Review. Stylistically unusual, more like what urban fantasy should actually be, but not particularly impactful and in no way belongs on this list.)
93. A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge.
94. The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov.
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson.
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis.
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville. (Review. And then I learned to give up on Miéville. Interesting concept, intricate execution, too many troubles to really sell me, ultimately eh and it ... really shouldn't have been.)
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony. (This is the best of nothing, but absolutely representative of "SF/F that everyone reads." I read it too, when I was fifteen, and after about three I was done.)
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis.
This list is in no way the best of anything, but it's representative of what a crowd of casual voters reads and thinks they should read, with uneven editor boundaries drawn between YA/adult, genre/not genre (and this genre/that genre, which is even more detrimental to this list), and book/series. What people read, by the way, are: white men (dead is optional), epic high fantasy, series (either trilogies or why-has-no-one-taken-my-pen-away endless cycles), cult-favorite authors (named Gaiman) and passing trends (called zombies), a few books which are famous just because they try to avoid the genre they write in, and a few challenging or diverse texts/harder bits of sci-fi/genre classics/books they may or may not have encountered in high school and college—or at least they read those once, and know they should again. They also read some truly random stuff because, hello, what is Sunshine doing on there?
It's not necessarily a bad list—but it's not the "best" of anything; it's pretty much just a glimpse of SF/F in popular culture. I've read—what, 52 of them? I even enjoyed quite a few. I get it. But oh god, I don't condone it.