Reviews: Science Fiction: The 100/101 Best Novels

Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels (1949-1984) (and) Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels (1985-2010)
edited by David Pringle [809.388 Pri] and Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo [823.08 Bro] 

This is actually a review of two books in one. in 1985, Interzone magazine editor David Pringle ut out Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, which covered novels from 1949’s 1984 by George Orwell and The Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, to 1984’s Neuromancer by William Gibson. Each novel featured is given two pages in this book — a brief plot description overview, the title’s publication history (if/when known), and Pringle’s explanation for why he believes that novel should be considered one of the essential works of science fiction.

For many years, Pringle’s volume was considered a kind of “bible” for scifi fans, to help them to identify the 20th century classics they shouldn’t miss if they wanted to have a full education on the best that science fiction literature had to offer. Over 25 years passed before an update was offered, in the form of Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels (1985-2010), edited by Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo, with an introduction by David Pringle. Following the exact same format as the original, this new volume covers 101 novels from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopia The Handmaid’s Tale to Hanu Rajaniemi’s 2010 The Quantum Thief. This later volume also includes reproductions of the covers of the 101 novels it reviews, which Pringle’s earlier book did not.

If you’re looking for a list of 201 of the most essential science fiction novels published from 1949 to 2010, you don’t have to look any further than these. Their lists cover social SF, hard SF, military SF, religious SF, alternate history, political SF and much, much more. These two volumes, by themselves, should be part of every SF fan’s reference collection!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The SF Book of Lists by Maxim Jakubowski, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by John Clute and Peter Nicholls, or What Makes This Book So Great?, by Jo Walton.]

[ semi-official Science Fiction 101 Best Novels web page ] | [ David Pringle Wikipedia entry ] 

Local, Lincoln-NE-area scifi fans should be aware that there is a locally run science fiction convention, ConStellation 10, taking place this coming weekend -- April 26-28 -- in downtown Lincoln. Click that link for more info!

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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