| < James Nicoll's 100 SF/F Books | Russ Allbery > Reviews > Reading Lists | Powell's: 25 Best SF/F > |
On August 11, 2011, NPR published the results of a survey for the best 100 science-fiction and fantasy books. This list is in final voting order, with the most popular book first. NPR excluded young adult and horror books (by their panel's definitions).
Despite the list being introduced as books, many of the entries are entire series. In those cases, I've expanded the series into all of its constituent books as of the publication of the list in 2011, as is my standard practice for lists like this. There are no adjacent entries in the list by the same author, so all the cases of multiple books by the same author are the expansion of a series.
| J.R.R. Tolkien | The Lord of the Rings | 10 out of 10 |
| Douglas Adams | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | 8 out of 10 |
| Orson Scott Card | Ender's Game | 9 out of 10 |
| Frank Herbert | Dune | 8 out of 10 |
| Frank Herbert | Dune Messiah | 6 out of 10 |
| Frank Herbert | Children of Dune | 6 out of 10 |
| Frank Herbert | God Emperor of Dune | |
| Frank Herbert | Heretics of Dune | |
| Frank Herbert | Chapterhouse: Dune | |
| George R.R. Martin | A Game of Thrones | 7 out of 10 |
| George R.R. Martin | A Clash of Kings | 6 out of 10 |
| George R.R. Martin | A Storm of Swords | 7 out of 10 |
| George R.R. Martin | A Feast for Crows | 5 out of 10 |
| George R.R. Martin | A Dance with Dragons | |
| George Orwell | 1984 | |
| Ray Bradbury | Fahrenheit 451 | 5 out of 10 |
| Isaac Asimov | Foundation | 7 out of 10 |
| Isaac Asimov | Foundation and Empire | 7 out of 10 |
| Isaac Asimov | Second Foundation | 7 out of 10 |
| Aldous Huxley | Brave New World | |
| Neil Gaiman | American Gods | 7 out of 10 |
| William Goldman | The Princess Bride | |
| Robert Jordan | The Eye of the World | |
| Robert Jordan | The Great Hunt | |
| Robert Jordan | The Dragon Reborn | |
| Robert Jordan | The Shadow Rising | |
| Robert Jordan | The Fires of Heaven | |
| Robert Jordan | Lord of Chaos | |
| Robert Jordan | A Crown of Swords | |
| Robert Jordan | The Path of Daggers | |
| Robert Jordan | Winter's Heart | |
| Robert Jordan | Crossroads of Twilight | |
| Robert Jordan | Knife of Dreams | |
| Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson | The Gathering Storm | |
| Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson | Towers of Midnight | |
| Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson | A Memory of Light | |
| George Orwell | Animal Farm | 9 out of 10 |
| William Gibson | Neuromancer | 7 out of 10 |
| Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons | Watchmen | 10 out of 10 |
| Isaac Asimov | I, Robot | 6 out of 10 |
| Robert A. Heinlein | Stranger in a Strange Land | 7 out of 10 |
| Patrick Rothfuss | The Name of the Wind | |
| Patrick Rothfuss | The Wise Man's Fear | |
| Kurt Vonnegut | Slaughterhouse-Five | |
| Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley | Frankenstein | |
| Philip K. Dick | Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | |
| Margaret Atwood | The Handmaid's Tale | |
| Stephen King | The Gunslinger | |
| Stephen King | The Drawing of the Three | |
| Stephen King | The Waste Lands | |
| Stephen King | Wizard and Glass | |
| Stephen King | Wolves of the Calla | |
| Stephen King | Song of Susannah | |
| Stephen King | The Dark Tower | |
| Arthur C. Clarke | 2001 | 7 out of 10 |
| Stephen King | The Stand | |
| Neal Stephenson | Snow Crash | 9 out of 10 |
| Ray Bradbury | The Martian Chronicles | |
| Kurt Vonnegut | Cat's Cradle | |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | Preludes and Nocturnes | 7 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | The Doll's House | 7 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | Dream Country | 8 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | Season of Mists | 9 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | A Game of You | 10 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | Fables and Reflections | 7 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | The Brief Lives | 8 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | World's End | 7 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | The Kindly Ones | 7 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman, et al. | The Wake | 7 out of 10 |
| Anthony Burgess | A Clockwork Orange | |
| Robert A. Heinlein | Starship Troopers | 4 out of 10 |
| Richard Adams | Watership Down | |
| Anne McCaffrey | Dragonflight | 7 out of 10 |
| Robert A. Heinlein | The Moon is a Harsh Mistress | 6 out of 10 |
| Walter M. Miller, Jr. | A Canticle for Leibowitz | 6 out of 10 |
| H.G. Wells | The Time Machine | 6 out of 10 |
| Jules Verne | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | |
| Daniel Keyes | Flowers for Algernon | 8 out of 10 |
| H.G. Wells | The War of the Worlds | |
| Roger Zelazny | Nine Princes in Amber | 5 out of 10 |
| Roger Zelazny | The Guns of Avalon | 6 out of 10 |
| Roger Zelazny | The Sign of the Unicorn | 7 out of 10 |
| Roger Zelazny | The Hand of Oberon | 7 out of 10 |
| Roger Zelazny | The Courts of Chaos | 5 out of 10 |
| Roger Zelazny | Trumps of Doom | |
| Roger Zelazny | Blood of Amber | |
| Roger Zelazny | Sign of Chaos | |
| Roger Zelazny | Knight of Shadows | |
| Roger Zelazny | Prince of Chaos | |
| David Eddings | Pawn of Prophecy | 5 out of 10 |
| David Eddings | Queen of Sorcery | 6 out of 10 |
| David Eddings | Magician's Gambit | 8 out of 10 |
| David Eddings | Castle of Wizardry | 6 out of 10 |
| David Eddings | Enchanters' End Game | 7 out of 10 |
| Marion Zimmer Bradley | The Mists of Avalon | |
| Brandon Sanderson | Misborn | |
| Brandon Sanderson | The Well of Ascension | |
| Brandon Sanderson | The Hero of Ages | |
| Larry Niven | Ringworld | 7 out of 10 |
| Ursula K. Le Guin | The Left Hand of Darkness | 8 out of 10 |
| J.R.R. Tolkien | The Silmarillion | 7 out of 10 |
| T.H. White | The Once and Future King | |
| Neil Gaiman | Neverwhere | 8 out of 10 |
| Arthur C. Clarke | Childhood's End | 7 out of 10 |
| Carl Sagan | Contact | 6 out of 10 |
| Dan Simmons | Hyperion | 10 out of 10 |
| Dan Simmons | The Fall of Hyperion | 8 out of 10 |
| Dan Simmons | Endymion | 7 out of 10 |
| Dan Simmons | The Rise of Endymion | 9 out of 10 |
| Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess | Stardust | 8 out of 10 |
| Neal Stephenson | Cryptonomicon | 9 out of 10 |
| Max Brooks | World War Z | |
| Peter S. Beagle | The Last Unicorn | 7 out of 10 |
| Joe Haldeman | The Forever War | 7 out of 10 |
| Terry Pratchett | Small Gods | 7 out of 10 |
| Stephen R. Donaldson | Lord Foul's Bane | 5 out of 10 |
| Stephen R. Donaldson | The Illearth War | 5 out of 10 |
| Stephen R. Donaldson | The Power That Preserves | 5 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Falling Free | 7 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Shards of Honor | 4 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Barrayar | 6 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | The Warrior's Apprentice | 7 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | The Vor Game | 7 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Cetaganda | 7 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Ethan of Athos | 5 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Borders of Infinity | 6 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Brothers in Arms | 7 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Mirror Dance | 8 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Memory | 6 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Komarr | 9 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | A Civil Campaign | 9 out of 10 |
| Lois McMaster Bujold | Diplomatic Immunity | 8 out of 10 |
| Terry Pratchett | Going Postal | 8 out of 10 |
| Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle | The Mote in God's Eye | 7 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Wizard's First Rule | 7 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Stone of Tears | 7 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Blood of the Fold | 7 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Temple of the Winds | 6 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Soul of the Fire | 5 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | Faith of the Fallen | 4 out of 10 |
| Terry Goodkind | The Pillars of Creation | |
| Terry Goodkind | Naked Empire | |
| Terry Goodkind | Chainfire | |
| Terry Goodkind | Phantom | |
| Terry Goodkind | Confessor | |
| Cormac McCarthy | The Road | |
| Susanna Clarke | Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | 8 out of 10 |
| Richard Matheson | I Am Legend | |
| Raymond E. Feist | Magician: Apprentice | |
| Raymond E. Feist | Magician: Master | |
| Raymond E. Feist | Silverthorn | |
| Raymond E. Feist | A Darkness at Sethanon | |
| Raymond E. Feist | Prince of the Blood | |
| Raymond E. Feist | The King's Buccaneer | |
| Terry Brooks | The Sword of Shannara | |
| Terry Brooks | The Elfstones of Shannara | |
| Terry Brooks | The Wishsong of Shannara | |
| Robert E. Howard | The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian | |
| Robert E. Howard | The Bloody Crown of Conan | |
| Robert E. Howard | The Conquering Sword of Conan | |
| Robin Hobb | Assassin's Apprentice | |
| Robin Hobb | Royal Assassin | |
| Robin Hobb | Assassin's Quest | |
| Audrey Niffenegger | The Time Traveler's Wife | 8 out of 10 |
| Brandon Sanderson | The Way of Kings | |
| Jules Verne | Journey to the Center of the Earth | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Homeland | 4 out of 10 |
| R.A. Salvatore | Exile | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Sojourn | |
| R.A. Salvatore | The Crystal Shard | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Streams of Silver | |
| R.A. Salvatore | The Halfling's Gem | |
| R.A. Salvatore | The Legacy | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Starless Night | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Siege of Darkness | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Passage to Dawn | |
| R.A. Salvatore | The Silent Blade | |
| R.A. Salvatore | The Spine of the World | |
| R.A. Salvatore | Sea of Swords | |
| John Scalzi | Old Man's War | 6 out of 10 |
| Neal Stephenson | The Diamond Age | 7 out of 10 |
| Arthur C. Clarke | Rendezvous with Rama | 3 out of 10 |
| Jacqueline Carey | Kushiel's Dart | 9 out of 10 |
| Jacqueline Carey | Kushiel's Chosen | 9 out of 10 |
| Jacqueline Carey | Kushiel's Avatar | 10 out of 10 |
| Ursula K. Le Guin | The Dispossessed | 8 out of 10 |
| Ray Bradbury | Something Wicked This Way Comes | |
| Gregory Maguire | Wicked | |
| Steven Erikson | Gardens of the Moon | |
| Steven Erikson | Deadhouse Gates | |
| Steven Erikson | Memories of Ice | |
| Steven Erikson | House of Chains | |
| Steven Erikson | Midnight Tides | |
| Steven Erikson | The Bonehunters | |
| Steven Erikson | Reaper's Gale | |
| Steven Erikson | Toll the Hounds | |
| Steven Erikson | Dust of Dreams | |
| Steven Erikson | The Crippled God | |
| Jasper Fforde | The Eyre Affair | |
| Iain M. Banks | Consider Phlebas | 7 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | The Player of Games | 9 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Use of Weapons | 8 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | The State of the Art | 7 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Excession | 8 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Inversions | 6 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Look to Windward | 7 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Matter | 8 out of 10 |
| Iain M. Banks | Surface Detail | |
| Mary Stewart | The Crystal Cave | |
| Neal Stephenson | Anathem | 9 out of 10 |
| Jim Butcher | Furies of Calderon | |
| Jim Butcher | Academ's Fury | |
| Jim Butcher | Cursor's Fury | |
| Jim Butcher | Captain's Fury | |
| Jim Butcher | Princeps' Fury | |
| Jim Butcher | First Lord's Fury | |
| Gene Wolfe | The Shadow of the Torturer | 8 out of 10 |
| Gene Wolfe | The Claw of the Conciliator | 8 out of 10 |
| Gene Wolfe | The Sword of the Lictor | 7 out of 10 |
| Gene Wolfe | The Citadel of the Autarch | 7 out of 10 |
| Gene Wolfe | The Urth of the New Sun | 5 out of 10 |
| Timothy Zahn | Heir to the Empire | 8 out of 10 |
| Timothy Zahn | Dark Force Rising | 8 out of 10 |
| Timothy Zahn | The Last Command | 8 out of 10 |
| Diana Gabaldon | Outlander | |
| Diana Gabaldon | Dragonfly in Amber | |
| Diana Gabaldon | Voyager | |
| Diana Gabaldon | The Drums of Autumn | |
| Diana Gabaldon | The Fiery Cross | |
| Diana Gabaldon | A Breath of Snow and Ashes | |
| Diana Gabaldon | An Echo in the Bone | |
| Michael Moorcock | Elric of Melniboné | |
| Michael Moorcock | The Sailor on the Seas of Fate | |
| Michael Moorcock | The Weird of the White Wolf | |
| Michael Moorcock | The Vanishing Tower | |
| Michael Moorcock | The Bane of the Black Sword | |
| Michael Moorcock | Stormbringer | |
| Ray Bradbury | The Illustrated Man | |
| Robin McKinley | Sunshine | 9 out of 10 |
| Vernor Vinge | A Fire Upon the Deep | 7 out of 10 |
| Isaac Asimov | The Caves of Steel | 7 out of 10 |
| Kim Stanley Robinson | Red Mars | 5 out of 10 |
| Kim Stanley Robinson | Green Mars | 6 out of 10 |
| Kim Stanley Robinson | Blue Mars | 5 out of 10 |
| Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle | Lucifer's Hammer | 5 out of 10 |
| Connie Willis | Doomsday Book | 8 out of 10 |
| China Miéville | Perdido Street Station | 9 out of 10 |
| Piers Anthony | A Spell for Chameleon | |
| Piers Anthony | The Source of Magic | |
| Piers Anthony | Castle Roogna | |
| Piers Anthony | Centaur Aisle | |
| Piers Anthony | Ogre, Ogre | |
| Piers Anthony | Night Mare | |
| Piers Anthony | Dragon on a Pedestal | |
| Piers Anthony | Crewel Lye | |
| Piers Anthony | Golem in the Gears | |
| Piers Anthony | Vale of the Vole | |
| Piers Anthony | Heaven Cent | |
| Piers Anthony | Man from Mundania | |
| Piers Anthony | Isle of View | |
| Piers Anthony | Question Quest | |
| Piers Anthony | The Color of Her Panties | |
| Piers Anthony | Demons Don't Dream | |
| Piers Anthony | Harpy Thyme | |
| Piers Anthony | Geis of the Gargoyle | |
| Piers Anthony | Roc and a Hard Place | |
| Piers Anthony | Yon Ill Wind | |
| Piers Anthony | Faun and Games | |
| Piers Anthony | Zombie Lover | |
| Piers Anthony | Xone of Contention | |
| Piers Anthony | The Dastard | |
| Piers Anthony | Swell Foop | |
| Piers Anthony | Up in a Heaval | |
| Piers Anthony | Cube Route | |
| Piers Anthony | Currant Events | |
| Piers Anthony | Pet Peeve | |
| Piers Anthony | Stork Naked | |
| Piers Anthony | Air Apparent | |
| Piers Anthony | Two to the Fifth | |
| Piers Anthony | Jumper Cable | |
| Piers Anthony | Knot Gneiss | |
| Piers Anthony | Well-Tempered Clavicle | |
| C.S. Lewis | Out of the Silent Planet | 7 out of 10 |
| C.S. Lewis | Perelandra | 4 out of 10 |
| C.S. Lewis | That Hideous Strength | 6 out of 10 |
Ratings for books that don't have a review are based on my memory of the book. The rating may well change if I get a chance to read the book again.
| < James Nicoll's 100 SF/F Books | Russ Allbery > Reviews > Reading Lists | Powell's: 25 Best SF/F > |