Greatest SF novel of all time? And why?

POSTED BY: FREESOUP
UPDATED: Monday, August 10, 2026 16:37
VIEWED: 25112
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DUTCH

Thursday, October 9, 2003 8:11 AM

My favourite would be Dan Simmons' Hyperion series.

Hyperion
The Fall of Hyperion
Endymion
The Rise of Endymion

These books mix science fiction with religion and philosophy into a really deep and moving story about the history and future of mankind. It blew my mind.

I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
--Stephen Hawking

DUTCH

Thursday, October 9, 2003 8:11 AM

Now why did it post this twice?

Oh, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is also excellent and deserves some mention here.

SPACEANGLER

Thursday, October 9, 2003 2:42 PM

Thanks Somebody for mentioning "The Mote in God's Eye!" One of my favorite sci-fi novels that never gets recognition.

But my favorites:

Dune
Ender's Game
Stranger in a Strange Land
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Sorta sci-fi)

I read Hyperion, but I just could never get into it.

BARNEYT

Thursday, October 9, 2003 6:11 PM

Wow, this question is hard! I'm trying to think of even a short-list and I'm getting nowhere...

Definitely Little Fuzzy as mentioned earlier.

I also have very fond memories of the Sector General series by James White - I loved the whole day-to-day, ordinary working life, just on a space station populated with aliens and different atmospheres. Those books (and the Fuzzy stories) were defintely the ones to get me hooked on sci-fi. I couldn't pick out any particular title though...

Off now to place a book order on amazon...

---
"I think the right place to start is to say, fair is fair. This is who we are. These are our numbers." Mr Willis of Ohio - The West Wing

ALIENZOOKEEPER

Sunday, October 12, 2003 7:15 PM

Now, as me who my favorite SF author of all time is, and his initials would happen to be RAH. However, I would lean toward The Moon is a Harsh Mistress over Starship Troopers, but then my family got out of the military and became anarchists.

I have to agree with Archer there, with an honorable mention of Citizen of the Galaxy. Thorby's father figure there is a lot like Book.

Another honorable mention to Lois McMaster Bujolds' Memory. The Miles Vorkosigan series is great Space Opera (read it!) & the Vorkosiverse is another rare 'verse with no aliens. Both Joss & Her Ladyship believe in doing the worst possible thing to their hero(ine)s. It makes for good plot & great action.

Also, Wash would die for a line like- "I was so afraid for you, i forgot to be afraid for your enemies."

Vince the alien zookeeper

EVANS

Sunday, October 12, 2003 7:58 PM

Not of all time, but of my time, The Mote in God's Eye, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Fantastic first contact.

m.
------------------------------------------------
"But ... not boring, like she made it sound." Wash, in ARIEL
"None of it means a damn thing." Mal, in OBJECTS IN SPACE

TRAGICSTORY

Sunday, October 12, 2003 8:50 PM

BEST SCI FI NOVEL/SERIES of all time: RED DWARF! The absolute funniest thing ever written. Dave Lister is my idol.

BEST SCI FI NOVEL/SERIES that has message: Starship troopers. Great commentary on our society and where it is going. (nothing like the movie, but I think everyone here already knows that)

BEST SCI FI NOVEL/SERIES that saterizes life: Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. Full of wizdom that will never let you down!

Runner ups:
Dune series-- Just got too wierd for me.

Battlefield Earth: good idea, but taken too far. Fron caveman to intergalactic banker is pushing it.... (fun read though)

some others too, but I don't feel like typing anymore.

-----------
"Societies are supported by human activity, therefore they are constantly threatened by the human facts of self-intrest and stupidity." --Peter Berger

CALHOUN

Sunday, October 12, 2003 8:58 PM

Its good to see a few other people who have read and enjoyed the Honor Harrington series, damn good reads.

Also someone above mentioned E.E.Doc.Smiths Lensman and Skylark series, these are a bit dated but also enjoyable reads. One of Smiths other series I enjoyed was the De'Alembert series.

Read the Honor Harrington series if you havent.

WILLIAMX

Sunday, October 12, 2003 10:04 PM

Tough question . . .

it's a toss up between Gibson's Sprawl novels, Voice of the Whirlwind -> Walter Jon Williams or The Forever War -> Joe Haldeman.

Since there's much discussion of Starship Troopers here I'm suprised noone has mentioned Haldeman' Forever War.
When I was a kid I loved Starship Troopers, but after my three year light infantry commo dude tour FW triumphed because it captured the military experience much more faithfully and was also a much better description of humans under extreme stress in the face of the unknown.
that aside it's also much harder science and that gives it a frightening realism. If you've not read it you should.

FREESOUP

Sunday, October 12, 2003 11:12 PM

I agree that Haldeman's "The Forever War" is worthwhile, and won RAH's admiration expressed by him personally to Joe in 1976 or thereabouts at a WorldCon.

Some see it as a rebuttal to "Starship Troopers", but both Joe and myself think it's more that RAH never had combat experience and was in the Navy, not the Army. YMMV.

What else do you think qualifies, and did my post pique your interest in "The Book of the New Sun" a tad?

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