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Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010
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Scott Laz
Posted 2011-12-20 1:17 PM (#2821)
Subject: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Apologies if this has already been brought up in the forums, but just in case this hasn't been noted yet...

A new sequel of sorts to Pringle's 100 Best Novels is due out in April 2012--Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul de Filippo. Here's the description on Amazon: "Inspired by David Pringle's landmark 1985 work Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, this volume supplements the earlier selection with the present authors' choices for the best English-language science fiction novels during the past quarter century. Employing a critical slant, the book provides a discussion of the novels and the writers in the context of popular literature. Moreover, each entry features a cover image of the novel, a plot synopsis, and a mini review, making it an ideal go-to guide for anyone wanting to become reacquainted with an old favorite or to discover a previously unknown treasure. With a foreword by David Pringle, this invaluable reference is sure to provoke conversation and debates among sci-fi fans and devotees."

As a big fan of Pringle's book (his tastes match mine pretty well), I'm really looking forward to this, as I try to catch up after mostly being away from the SF world since the mid-80s.
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Administrator
Posted 2011-12-20 3:46 PM (#2822 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: RE: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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This is the first I've heard of this book - what a great idea.  We'll certainly be adding the book and the list to the site when it comes out.  Thanks for the heads up!
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htaccess
Posted 2011-12-20 5:55 PM (#2823 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: RE: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Looking forward to it!
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Scott Laz
Posted 2012-05-24 11:41 AM (#3223 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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This book isn't quite out yet, but I just stumbled across the table of contents at the publisher's web site:

The Handmaids Tale (1985) 13
Enders Game (1985) 16
Radio Free Albemuth (1985) 19
Always Coming Home (1985) 21
This Is the Way the World Ends (1985) 24
Galpagos (1985) 27
The Falling Woman (1986) 30
The Shore of Women (1986) 32
A Door Into Ocean (1986) 35
Soldiers of Paradise (1987) 38
Life During Wartime (1987) 41
The Sea and Summer (1987) 44
Cyteen (1988) 47
Neverness (1988) 50
The Steerswoman (1989) 53
Grass (1989) 56
Use of Weapons (1990) 58
Queen of Angels (1990) 61
Barrayar (1991) 64
Synners (1991) 67
Sarah Canary (1991) 70
White Queen (1991) 73
Eternal Light (1991) 76
Stations of the Tide (1991) 79
Timelike Infinity (1992) 82
Dead Girls (1992) 85
Jumper (1992) 87
China Mountain Zhang (1992) 89
Red Mars (1992) 91
A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) 94
Aristoi (1992) 97
Doomsday Book (1992) 100
Parable of the Sower (1993) 103
Ammonite (1993) 105
Chimera (1993) 107
Nightside the Long Sun (1993) 109
Brittle Innings (1994) 113
Permutation City (1994) 115
Blood (1994) 118
Mother of Storms (1995) 121
Sailing Bright Eternity (1995) 124
Galatea 2.2 (1995) 127
The Diamond Age (1995) 130
The Transmigration of Souls (1996) 133
The Fortunate Fall (1996) 135
The Sparrow/Children of God (1996/1998) 138
Holy Fire (1996) 141
Night Lamp (1996) 143
In the Garden of Iden (1997) 146
Forever Peace (1997) 149
Glimmering (1997) 152
As She Climbed Across the Table (1997) 154
The Cassini Division (1998) 156
Bloom (1998) 159
Vast (1998) 162
The Golden Globe (1998) 165
Headlong (1999) 168
Cave of Stars (1999) 170
Genesis (2000) 173
Super-Cannes (2000) 176
Under the Skin (2000) 179
Perdido Street Station (2000) 182
Distance Haze (2000) 185
Revelation Space trilogy (2000) 188
Salt (2000) 190
Ventus (2001) 192
The Cassandra Complex (2001) 195
Light (2002) 198
Altered Carbon (2002) 201
The Separation (2002) 203
The Golden Age (2002) 205
The Time Travelers Wife (2003) 208
Natural History (2003) 211
The Labyrinth Key / Spears of God 214
River of Gods (2004) 217
The Plot Against America (2004) 220
Never Let Me Go (2005) 223
The House of Storms (2005) 226
Counting Heads (2005) 229
Air (Or, Have Not Have) (2005) 231
Accelerando (2005) 234
Spin (2005) 237
My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time (2006) 240
The Road (2006) 243
Temeraire /His Majestys Dragon (2006) 245
Blindsight (2006) 248
HARM (2007) 251
The Yiddish Policemens Union (2007) 253
The Secret City (2007) 255
In War Times (2007) 257
Postsingular (2007) 260
Shadow of the Scorpion (2008) 263
The Hunger Games trilogy (2008-2010) 265
Little Brother (2008) 268
The Alchemy of Stone (2008) 271
The Windup Girl (2009) 273
Steal Across the Sky(2009) 275
Boneshaker (2009) 277
Zoo City (2010) 280
Zero History (2010) 283
The Quantum Thief (2010) 286
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Administrator
Posted 2012-05-24 8:39 PM (#3224 - in reply to #2822)
Subject: RE: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Looks like a pretty good list to me.  We're shy 22 of these books:

Radio Free Albemuth (1985)
Galpagos (1985)
The Shore of Women (1986)
The Sea and Summer (1987)
Dead Girls (1992)
Jumper (1992)
Aristoi (1992)
Chimera (1993)
Galatea 2.2 (1995)
The Fortunate Fall (1996)
Night Lamp (1996)
As She Climbed Across the Table (1997)
Bloom (1998)
Cave of Stars (1999)
Super-Cannes (2000)
Distance Haze (2000)
Ventus (2001)
The Labyrinth Key / Spears of God
The House of Storms (2005)
My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time (2006)
The Secret City (2007)
Postsingular (2007)

 

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htaccess
Posted 2012-05-24 8:49 PM (#3225 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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+1 for adding this list.
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Administrator
Posted 2012-05-24 9:53 PM (#3226 - in reply to #3225)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Emil
Posted 2012-05-25 1:55 AM (#3227 - in reply to #3226)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Good to see a few favorites of mine featuring, such as "Always Coming Home" and "Zoo City." I'm also very glad about the inclusion of "Long Sun." This seems to be a decent and worthy reference to add to any SF collection.
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Scott Laz
Posted 2012-05-26 11:54 AM (#3235 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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I'm glad to see you guys thought the list was pretty good. I was hoping for a good guide to this period in which I didn't follow the field much. Interesting that they were able to follow Pringle's example of starting with a book well known to the mainstream (1984 for Pringle; Handmaid's Tale here).
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Engelbrecht
Posted 2012-05-27 4:21 AM (#3236 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: RE: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Scott, that's a pretty interesting list, thanks for posting it! 

Perhaps the most noticeable thing about it is it's diversity.  The editors depart from the Pringle approach and allow an author only a single work, thereby listing 101 different authors!  This contributes to the fact that some higher profile works are omitted in favor of less notable ones.  Many many award winning books are missing (only 10 out of 26 Hugo winners made the cut, 8 Nebula winners, 5 BSFA, 7 Locus SF and 8 Clarke).  In fact, 42 of the books weren't even nominated for any award at all.

Of these 101 books, I've read 62 of them, ranking 26 of those as being average or less (24 were 7/10, Galatea 2.2 was a 6/10 and Distance Haze was a 5/10).

Perhaps the most notable omission is Dan Simmons' Hyperion.  Some other authors that I would have liked to see represented are Vonda N. McIntyre, Sheri S. Tepper and Jo Walton.  But that's what makes these lists fun!  My favorite quirky inclusion is Richard Calder's outrageous Dead Girls.

@Dave:  I'm another who'd like to see this list added when you can.  BTW, you're only shy 21 books: Vonnegut's Galapagos is here, as is The Sea and Summer (which is the original title of Turner's Drowning Towers), but Sedia's The Alchemy of Stone is missing.

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Administrator
Posted 2012-06-19 6:34 PM (#3411 - in reply to #3236)
Subject: RE: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010

Boo-yah!  My thanks to jynnandtonnyx for getting those last 20 or so books into the DB.  By the way, Scott Laz posted an excellent review of the book the other day which was the impetous for getting this knocked out.  I'll be posting his review in the blog tomorrow now that the list is done.  Enjoy!

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htaccess
Posted 2012-06-19 9:32 PM (#3412 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Awesome!
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Emil
Posted 2012-06-21 1:57 AM (#3425 - in reply to #2821)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Must admit, with this list and Pringle's original, it makes for one awesome, representative and yummy collection!
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Administrator
Posted 2012-07-07 1:45 PM (#3636 - in reply to #3425)
Subject: Re: Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010



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Emil - 2012-06-21 1:57 AM Must admit, with this list and Pringle's original, it makes for one awesome, representative and yummy collection!

@Emil: If you read through the Pringle list and then through this new one you'd have a pretty good grasp of the genre by the end and an impressive collection of SF on your shelf!

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