That Top 20 Geek Novels Thing

[quasigeostrophy]

From britgeekgrrl:

Taken from the Technology Blog at The Guardian.

Bold = I've read it.

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams - Still a favorite from sheer silliness.
   
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell - Started it once, I think back in high school. Just didn't get into it.
   
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
   
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick - The book is cool, and very different from the film Blade Runner, which I actually like a bit better.
   
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
   
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert - A favorite.
   
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov - Cool fundamental scifi stories.
   
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
   
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett - I tried to start the Discworld series at the beginning, but just couldn't get into it. Someday I'll probably come back to this one and finish it.
   
10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
    
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
    
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons - Cool graphic novel recommended to me by elmegil.
    
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson - Thick. In several ways. And I liked it.
    
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
    
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein - Not bad, but perhaps overrated.
    
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
    
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman - IMHO already rates as a classic.
    
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
    
19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson - Amusing but overrated, IMHO.
    
20. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham

Comments

[saoba.livejournal.com]

In regards to Pratchett's Discworld, the early stuff is IMHO mildly funny. Rincewind and TwoFlowers and the Luggage, mildly funny. The wizards, sligtly funnier. The Granny Weatherwax/Nanny Ogg stuff, better yet. Death? Now he's rolling. And the Night Watch? Oh shit oh dear. I loves me my Vimes and my Captain Carrot and the rest of that crew.

Discworld does not need to be read in strict order. The ones I go back to over and over are

Night Watch
Jingo
Hogfather
Guards Guards
Men At Arms
The Fifth Elephant
The Truth
Going Postal
Reaper Man

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Death is one of my absolute favorite characters. After my aborted attempt to start at the beginning, Toni talked me into reading Moving Pictures, which is still one of my favorites. Aside from that one, so far I've read Soul Music, Hogfather, Small Gods, and Mort, and I've liked them all.

[elmegil.livejournal.com]

Any time you want to borrow Brave New World, Neuromancer, Microserfs, Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, or The Man in the High Castle, just ask :-)

I'd probably put them in the following order of priority:

Snow Crash
The Diamond Age
Neuromancer
Microserfs
The Man in the High Castle
Brave New World

[purplerifka.livejournal.com]

stranger from a strange land is about the american from mars or somewhere?

if so, i read it and thought it was interesting.
the only one on the list i've read.

nope, wait i read 1984 in hs (in 1983. i asked the teacher if they would still teach it in 1985 LOL)
don't remember if i liked it or not. i think it was ok but obviously i didn't think enough of it to re-read.

[elmegil.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's Stranger in a Strange Land. Michael Valentine Smith raised by martians comes back to the earth, and much hilarity ensues. For some value of hilarity :-)

[purplerifka.livejournal.com]

i thought it was a great book.
and a good one for technology-challenged sci-fi readers such as myself.