Add and vote for your favorite Science Fiction books first published in last century. For this list that means first published between 1900 and 1999.

Please only add books that have received less than one thousand ratings .

No Fantasy books please! There is a separate list for them.

Books not meeting this list's criteria will be removed.

Inspired by Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century

Other SF Lists of Note:
Best Science Fiction
Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Popular Highly Rated Science Fiction
Best Science Fiction Fantasy Books

SF Subgenres:
Alternate History
Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Space Opera
Steampunk

Locus Recommended Science Fiction:
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015,
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
2009, 2001, 2000

Sci Fi Award Nominees
2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

Science Fiction By Decade:
1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,
1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s

New Speculative Writers by Decade:
2000s, 2010s

Science Fiction By Ratings:
100,000 and more, 50000 to 99999, 25000 to 49999, 10000 to 24999
1000 to 9999, 100 to 999, Less than 100

See also:
Best Books of the 20th Century
Best Fantasy of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Fantasy of the 20th Century
1

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21

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22

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23

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25

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26

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27

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28

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29

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30

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31

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32

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32

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32

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35

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36

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37

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38

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39

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39

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41

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42

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43

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44

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45

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46

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47

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47

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47

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50

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51

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51

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51

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54

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55

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56

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57

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58

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59

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60

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61

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62

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63

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64

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65

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66

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66

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66

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66

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66

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71

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72

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73

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73

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75

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75

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75

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78

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79

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79

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81

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81

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3.81 avg rating — 390 ratings
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83

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3.72 avg rating — 148 ratings
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84

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3.35 avg rating — 364 ratings
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84

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3.53 avg rating — 111 ratings
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84

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3.33 avg rating — 33 ratings
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87

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87

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89

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3.62 avg rating — 375 ratings
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90

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91

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3.12 avg rating — 102 ratings
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3.61 avg rating — 492 ratings
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93

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93

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96

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557 books · 113 voters · list created August 6th, 2017 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .
144 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Mitchell 11584 books
172 friends
Dirk 1650 books
77 friends
Deborah 4966 books
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Stifynsemons 2127 books
9 friends
Shanna_redwind 6003 books
39 friends
Sarah 1635 books
84 friends
Cliff 901 books
21 friends
Rachel Adiyah 1158 books
58 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-16 of 16 (16 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 2: by Mitchell (last edited Mar 03, 2019 05:23PM) (new)

Mitchell Friedman removed Flowers for Algernon and Lost on Venus for reaching 1000 ratings.


message 4: by Heidi (new)

Heidi Odd John #357 has 1147 ratings
and should be removed.


message 5: by Heidi (new)

Heidi Werewolf Principle #391 has 1010 ratings
and should be removed.


message 6: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Heidi wrote: "Werewolf Principle #391 has 1010 ratings
and should be removed."


Thanks for the help. Feel free to help maintain any of my other lists as well.


message 7: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman The Dunwich Horror was removed for have over 5000 ratings


message 8: by Jim (last edited Aug 19, 2020 01:07AM) (new)

Jim Cleaveland Cool list! All this new stuff to explore! I'm reasonably well-read in the genre, but I am somewhat embarrassed to admit there is nothing here I have read — which is cool for me, but it means there's nothing here for me to vote on. Yet.

I went ahead and added some of my own obscure favorites. I hope y'all like them!


The Scribbling Man Simak's 'Werewolf Principle' and 'Shakespeare's Planet' have too many ratings.


message 13: by Andy (new)

Andy Odd John #100 needs to be pruned (over 1500 votes), as does James Tiptree’s The Girl Who was Plugged In at #402 (over 1800 votes). Not sure either of those would qualify as unknown or forgotten, regardless. Shakespeare’s Planet by Minnesotan Clifford Simak at #541 has 1100 votes, and it’s probably time for that book to graduate.

This is an amazing list - I haven’t read any of them, which I’m going to rectify this year. Thanks for setting this list up and maintaining!


message 14: by Mitchell (last edited Nov 13, 2023 11:06PM) (new)

Mitchell Friedman Harvest of Stars and Hypnos and Thrice Upon A Time and City at World's End and Odd John and The Palace of Love and The Betrayal and The Crucible of Time and Astounding Science Fiction, October 1941 and The Hopkins Manuscript and A Maze of Death and There Will Come Soft Rains and Cool Air and And He Built a Crooked House graduated.

Thanks for the call outs. There are still more books to graduate but we all only have 100 votes per list. Please feel free to follow books on to the next list. And even better vote 100 times on any of the hard to maintain lists - if I'm not the only voter, I can change my vote to handle book graduations.


message 16: by Mitchell (last edited Jul 29, 2024 03:07PM) (new)


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