List Challenges
Travel Movies Books Food Other
Sign In
Trending
New
Popular
type to search
Sign In
 Make a List Browse Lists Search Lists Leaders Help / Contact Newsletter

How to Be Well-Read in a Science Fictional Universe - Page 3

Our retired lit teacher and genre enthusiast comes up with 144 books that make a highly subjective, personal, and idiosyncratic core reading list in SF. He has excluded Fantasy because he believes that it should be considered a separate literary genre and therefore should have its own list. Feel free to disagree with some or all of the books listed here; the idea was to create a starting point for debate and discussion.
334 users · 1,630 views
 
made by James Loranger
avg. score: 19 of 144 (13%)
required scores: 1, 5, 11, 20, 30 
type to search

How many have you read?

Page 3 of 4
81
More Than Human (Theodore Sturgeon)
More Than Human
Theodore Sturgeon
82
The Mote in God's Eye (Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle)
The Mote in God's Eye
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
83
The Mysterious Island
The Mysterious Island
84
Neuromancer (William Gibson)
Neuromancer
William Gibson
85
Nine Hundred Grandmothers (Lafferty)
Nine Hundred Grandmothers
Lafferty
86
No Blade of Grass (John Christopher)
No Blade of Grass
John Christopher
87
Norstrilia, Cordwainer Smith (1965)
Norstrilia, Cordwainer Smith (1965)
88
Nova (Delaney)
Nova
Delaney
89
Nova Express (William S. Burroughs)
Nova Express
William S. Burroughs
90
Old Man's War (John Scalzi)
Old Man's War
John Scalzi
91
On the Beach (Shute)
On the Beach
Shute
92
Orphans of the Sky
Orphans of the Sky
93
Parable of the Talents (Octavia Butler)
Parable of the Talents
Octavia Butler
94
Past Master (R. A. Lafferty)
Past Master
R. A. Lafferty
95
The Past Through Tomorrow (Heinlein)
The Past Through Tomorrow
Heinlein
96
Pattern Recognition (William Gibson)
Pattern Recognition
William Gibson
97
The Poison Belt (Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Poison Belt
Arthur Conan Doyle
98
A Princess of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
A Princess of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs
99
Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir)
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
100
Redshirts (John Scalzi)
Redshirts
John Scalzi
101
Rendevous With Rama (Arthur C Clarke)
Rendevous With Rama
Arthur C Clarke
102
Ringworld (Larry Niven)
Ringworld
Larry Niven
103
RITE OF PASSAGE Alexei Panshin
RITE OF PASSAGE Alexei Panshin
104
Roadside Picnic (Boris and Arkady Sturgatsky)
Roadside Picnic
Boris and Arkady Sturgatsky
105
The Scarlet Plague (Jack London)
The Scarlet Plague
Jack London
106
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol. Two B (Bova)
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol. Two B
Bova
107
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume IIA (Ben Bova)
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume IIA
Ben Bova
108
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One 1929-1964 (Robert Silverberg (Editor))
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One 1929-1964
Robert Silverberg (Editor)
109
The Shape of Things to Come (Wells)
The Shape of Things to Come
Wells
110
The Sheep Look Up (John Brunner)
The Sheep Look Up
John Brunner
111
The Shockwave Rider
The Shockwave Rider
112
The Sirens of Titan (Vonnegut)
The Sirens of Titan
Vonnegut
113
Sirius (Olaf Stapledon)
Sirius
Olaf Stapledon
114
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)
Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
115
Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson)
Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
116
Solaris (Stanislaw Lem)
Solaris
Stanislaw Lem
117
The Speed of Dark (Elizabeth Moon)
The Speed of Dark
Elizabeth Moon
118
The Squares of the City (John Brunner)
The Squares of the City
John Brunner
119
Stand on Zanzibar (John Brunner)
Stand on Zanzibar
John Brunner
120
The Star Fox (Anderson)
The Star Fox
Anderson
Page 3 of 4
Click books you've read
Lists Similar to 'How to Be Well-Read in a Science Fictional Universe'
Most Annoying Fictional Kids Characters Created in the Universe
Most Annoying Fictional Kids Characters Created in the Universe
51
50
10 Science Fiction Books to Read If You Hate Science Fiction
10 Science Fiction Books to Read If You Hate Science Fiction
225
10
The 30 Best Science Fiction Books in the Universe
The 30 Best Science Fiction Books in the Universe
273
30
25 Universe-Expanding Science Fiction Books for Kids
25 Universe-Expanding Science Fiction Books for Kids
80
25
Movies in the Same Universe (DC Extended Universe)
Movies in the Same Universe (DC Extended Universe)
64
17
Crushes Fictional and Not Fictional
Crushes Fictional and Not Fictional
176
78
Films About Music (Fictional & Non-Fictional)
Films About Music (Fictional & Non-Fictional)
146
29
Fictional & Non Fictional Crushes ( Cause Kitty Has More)
Fictional & Non Fictional Crushes ( Cause Kitty Has More)
26
25
Science Fiction for People Who Don't Like Science Fiction
Science Fiction for People Who Don't Like Science Fiction
1,734
50
NPR Science Friday's Best Science Books
NPR Science Friday's Best Science Books
374
90
Science Fiction Movies for a Non-Science Fiction Fan
Science Fiction Movies for a Non-Science Fiction Fan
278
50
How to Be Well-Read in a SF Universe
How to Be Well-Read in a SF Universe
251
50
Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read
Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read
4,401
80
Amazon's 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
Amazon's 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
4,342
100
50 Science Fiction Novels That Everyone Should Read
50 Science Fiction Novels That Everyone Should Read
3,208
50
Science Fiction and Fantasy (Part 5 of 'The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read')
Science Fiction and Fantasy (Part 5 of 'The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read')
2,558
149
100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read
100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read
1,596
100
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels (Bloomsbury Guides)
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels (Bloomsbury Guides)
1,458
100
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
1,223
100
111 Science Fictions Books to Read Before a Supernova Kills Us All
111 Science Fictions Books to Read Before a Supernova Kills Us All
948
111
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Books
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Books
891
100
Have You Read More Than 29 of These Science Fiction Classics?
Have You Read More Than 29 of These Science Fiction Classics?
651
40
Best 50 Science Fiction Books to Read
Best 50 Science Fiction Books to Read
644
50
Book Riot's 100 Must-Read Science Fiction & Fantasy Debuts
Book Riot's 100 Must-Read Science Fiction & Fantasy Debuts
610
100
Science Fiction Books You May Have Actually Read
Science Fiction Books You May Have Actually Read
543
10
14 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read
14 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read
516
15
Are You Well Read? (Science Fiction Edition)
Are You Well Read? (Science Fiction Edition)
461
120
Science Fiction Books to Read
Science Fiction Books to Read
450
40
Must-Read Science Fiction
Must-Read Science Fiction
425
72
The Well-Read Retiree: Science Fiction
The Well-Read Retiree: Science Fiction
424
50
All Similar Lists
Newsletter · Help/Contact · Privacy · Copyright Claim   © 2025 App Spring, Inc. · This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
Seen It - Movies & TV 
Android & iOS
Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. You can view movies and shows in one place and filter by streaming provider, genre, release year, runtime, and rating (Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, and/or Metacritic). Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Learn more at SEENIT.FUN