The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is my favorite science-fiction novel. What’s yours?
This week we are taking nominations to add to our list of all things best in science-fiction and fantasy. Yesterday we asked you to nominate your favorite fantasy TV shows. Today we are looking for nominations for the top science-fiction novels.
What’s the difference between science-fiction and fantasy? Our quick definitions are:
Science-ficition: Future/space/technology as primary theme.
Fantasy: Supernatural/magic/mythical as primary theme.
That’s not to say that sci-fi can’t have magic or fantasy have technology, but we ask you to look at the primary themes. If you disagree with someone else’s classification during the nomination period, we invite you to comment.
To get the ball rolling, here is my paltry list of ten science-fiction novels that have been the most significant to me. I know you will have your own, so add them in the comments for this post, and we’ll include them for next weeks voting.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The book that has had the most profound influence on my life. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, it’s just a fact.
- Ender’s Game: Despite its many sequels and retellings, this book stands by itself as a profound look at the struggles of growing up different.
- A Scanner Darkly: It’s difficult to pick just one of Dick’s novels (really, this whole list could be devoted to him), but this novel is the height of paranoid fiction.
- Neuromancer: Gibson may not have invented cyberspace, but he is its greatest prophet.
- Snow Crash: With a character name like Hiro Protagonist how can you go wrong?
- Fahrenheit 451: My question now is, “How do you burn electronic books?”
- Watchmen: Not only one of the great graphic novels, but one of the great novels of our time.
- 1984: Orwell’s book still holds as a solid analysis of how to rob a human of any hope.
- The Handmaid’s Tale: I fear sometimes that there are people who would welcome this world as portrayed by Margret Atwood, and that’s what scares me the most.
- Vurt: Although not widely known in the US, this British import is a classic in my collection.
Nominations for this category will close a 6 days from now (18 December 2012).
Nominations are still open for best sci-fi TV show and best fantasy TV show.
Tomorrow: Nominations open for best fantasy novel.
