Sci-Fi and Fantasy Must Reads

If you love sci-fi or fantasy novels, these should be on your list.

Related Lists of Note:
Best Alternate History
Best Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Best Epic Fantasy
Best Fantasy of the 21st Century
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
Best Science Fiction Fantasy Books
Best Space Opera
Best Urban Fantasy

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.49 avg rating — 482,368 ratings score: 55,381, and 561 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.30 avg rating — 971,690 ratings score: 39,335, and 402 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7) by J.K. Rowling 4.74 avg rating — 222,338 ratings score: 36,912, and 378 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert 4.21 avg rating — 590,927 ratings score: 36,459, and 373 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.26 avg rating — 2,436,761 ratings score: 36,127, and 376 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.33 avg rating — 5,541,957 ratings score: 30,431, and 312 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	1984 by George Orwell 4.16 avg rating — 2,442,463 ratings score: 29,831, and 310 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.45 avg rating — 1,670,056 ratings score: 28,056, and 291 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams 4.21 avg rating — 1,166,369 ratings score: 26,865, and 283 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.55 avg rating — 556,433 ratings score: 23,997, and 248 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.98 avg rating — 1,333,506 ratings score: 20,512, and 217 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.98 avg rating — 1,210,618 ratings score: 19,030, and 203 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis 4.20 avg rating — 1,811,436 ratings score: 18,603, and 197 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	American Gods (American Gods, #1) by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 625,488 ratings score: 14,489, and 153 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1) by Philip Pullman 3.96 avg rating — 1,098,627 ratings score: 13,040, and 140 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	I, Robot (Robot, #0.1) by Isaac Asimov 4.18 avg rating — 232,409 ratings score: 12,349, and 133 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1) by Robert Jordan 4.19 avg rating — 314,075 ratings score: 11,778, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Giver by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 1,465,542 ratings score: 11,421, and 124 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett 4.25 avg rating — 383,912 ratings score: 11,389, and 123 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.26 avg rating — 688,566 ratings score: 11,189, and 123 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) by Madeleine L'Engle 4.02 avg rating — 817,088 ratings score: 10,980, and 120 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Foundation (Foundation #1) by Isaac Asimov 4.15 avg rating — 343,139 ratings score: 10,863, and 118 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.58 avg rating — 338,197 ratings score: 10,704, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 970,611 ratings score: 10,311, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 4.08 avg rating — 281,121 ratings score: 10,112, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein 3.91 avg rating — 247,282 ratings score: 10,079, and 109 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 3.88 avg rating — 344,692 ratings score: 9,953, and 111 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.65 avg rating — 214,211 ratings score: 9,704, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, #1) by Christopher Paolini (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 1,247,703 ratings score: 9,352, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.44 avg rating — 292,526 ratings score: 9,256, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 4.13 avg rating — 177,242 ratings score: 9,189, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 245,309 ratings score: 9,028, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.46 avg rating — 5,638,968 ratings score: 8,787, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Host (The Host, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.84 avg rating — 811,194 ratings score: 8,252, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 527,092 ratings score: 8,222, and 89 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1) by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 190,344 ratings score: 7,856, and 87 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 129,844 ratings score: 7,725, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.77 avg rating — 981,258 ratings score: 7,699, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 372,564 ratings score: 7,536, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 710,510 ratings score: 7,498, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey 4.10 avg rating — 113,282 ratings score: 7,477, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 164,365 ratings score: 7,274, and 80 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Author/Illustrator) 4.29 avg rating — 1,034,316 ratings score: 7,020, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Twilight (Twilight, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.58 avg rating — 4,296,116 ratings score: 6,889, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 206,747 ratings score: 6,688, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,387,048 ratings score: 6,529, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells 3.81 avg rating — 203,816 ratings score: 6,440, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Ringworld by Larry Niven 3.96 avg rating — 91,566 ratings score: 6,427, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein 4.17 avg rating — 94,773 ratings score: 6,341, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) by Ernest Cline (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 662,614 ratings score: 5,908, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Watchmen by Alan Moore (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 440,207 ratings score: 5,898, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 4.38 avg rating — 253,166 ratings score: 5,753, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	2001: A Space Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #1) by Arthur C. Clarke 4.14 avg rating — 203,293 ratings score: 5,652, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga, #1) by Raymond E. Feist 4.18 avg rating — 71,250 ratings score: 5,503, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1) by Eoin Colfer 3.83 avg rating — 431,763 ratings score: 5,394, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7) by C.S. Lewis 4.25 avg rating — 439,544 ratings score: 5,196, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.06 avg rating — 91,475 ratings score: 5,104, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1) by Scott Lynch (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 167,807 ratings score: 4,945, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 925,686 ratings score: 4,877, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 4.06 avg rating — 73,525 ratings score: 4,863, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman 4.26 avg rating — 109,554 ratings score: 4,858, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 4.17 avg rating — 300,540 ratings score: 4,783, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2) by Orson Scott Card 4.06 avg rating — 198,159 ratings score: 4,661, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 4.07 avg rating — 982,066 ratings score: 4,600, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1) by Dan Simmons 4.22 avg rating — 149,439 ratings score: 4,580, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.96 avg rating — 615,851 ratings score: 4,429, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #2) by Dan Simmons 4.19 avg rating — 80,172 ratings score: 4,389, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Dispossessed (Hainish Cycle #6) by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.20 avg rating — 67,277 ratings score: 4,301, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, #1) by Terry Goodkind (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 206,126 ratings score: 4,234, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1) by Ursula K. Le Guin really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 190,914 ratings score: 4,222, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 3.98 avg rating — 430,196 ratings score: 4,067, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 3.88 avg rating — 195,059 ratings score: 3,970, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Inkheart (Inkworld, #1) by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author) 3.87 avg rating — 320,264 ratings score: 3,968, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 491,894 ratings score: 3,942, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 566,386 ratings score: 3,934, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	A Canticle for Leibowitz (St. Leibowitz, #1) by Walter M. Miller Jr. 3.98 avg rating — 79,879 ratings score: 3,899, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.81 avg rating — 381,429 ratings score: 3,855, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, #2) by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author) 4.22 avg rating — 123,524 ratings score: 3,851, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Ender's Shadow (The Shadow Series, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.31 avg rating — 136,567 ratings score: 3,838, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley 4.12 avg rating — 173,575 ratings score: 3,820, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber #1) by Roger Zelazny 4.10 avg rating — 44,348 ratings score: 3,791, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke 3.82 avg rating — 170,688 ratings score: 3,703, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 3.64 avg rating — 133,812 ratings score: 3,568, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 437,525 ratings score: 3,562, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.59 avg rating — 99,881 ratings score: 3,370, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Forever War (The Forever War, #1) by Joe Haldeman 4.15 avg rating — 116,908 ratings score: 3,286, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) by Charlaine Harris (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 465,995 ratings score: 3,275, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The City of Ember (Book of Ember, #1) by Jeanne DuPrau 3.86 avg rating — 219,769 ratings score: 3,128, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Black Dog: A Christmas Story (Knights of Black Swan Book 12.5) by Victoria Danann (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 2,995, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Uglies (Uglies, #1) by Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 503,455 ratings score: 2,952, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester 4.12 avg rating — 36,631 ratings score: 2,827, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 637,798 ratings score: 2,780, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.35 avg rating — 2,030,318 ratings score: 2,760, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Martian by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 639,203 ratings score: 2,707, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1) by William Gibson 3.89 avg rating — 225,107 ratings score: 2,419, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Dark Is Rising (The Dark is Rising, #2) by Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 47,074 ratings score: 2,380, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4.10 avg rating — 394,273 ratings score: 2,367, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Impermanence by Daniel Frisano (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 50 ratings score: 2,298, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1) by Terry Pratchett 3.99 avg rating — 261,476 ratings score: 2,143, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll 4.07 avg rating — 411,211 ratings score: 2,137, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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2,454 books · 2,988 voters · list created August 3rd, 2009 by Assirahc (votes) .

Tags: best, fantasy, magic, sci-fi, science-fiction, sf, shapeshifter, vampire, werewolf

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Assirahc 708 books
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Renee (Reneem1) 738 books
86 friends

Holly 2966 books
9 friends

Belinda 793 books
31 friends

Deb 371 books
102 friends

Kat 28 books
0 friends

Tessa 795 books
62 friends

Eileen 242 books
11 friends

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Comments Showing 1-37 of 37 (37 new)

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message 1: by Michaelbrent (new)

Nov 03, 2009 10:51AM

For consideration on this list:

Billy: Messenger of Powers by Michaelbrent Collings (check it out at www.whoisbillyjones.com)

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message 2: by Emily (new)

Dec 27, 2009 07:28AM

Why are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns on here? There are neither Science Fiction nor Fantasy. Can someone remove them?

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message 3: by Emily (new)

Dec 27, 2009 07:34AM

I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things.

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message 4: by Doctruthyness (new)

Jul 05, 2010 10:01PM

Dude, your book is not a 'must read.' It's not even a 'maybe read.'

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message 5: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:44AM

Wish I could have retracted my vote (for a single Pullman vs the series).

Roger Zelazny, the Amber Chronicles The Great Book of Amber
Isaac Asimov, the Foundation seriesThe Foundation Trilogy

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message 6: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:45AM

Emily wrote: "Why are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns on here? There are neither Science Fiction nor Fantasy. Can someone remove them?"

Thoroughly agree!

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message 7: by Victoria (last edited Jul 14, 2010 11:49AM) (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:49AM

Oh, well if vampires are included then one must read Anne Rice, who popularized the romance and sensuality of vampires:

The Vampire Chronicles Interview With the Vampire; The Vampire Lestat; The Queen of the Damned

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message 8: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:50AM

Doctruthyness wrote: "Dude, your book is not a 'must read.' It's not even a 'maybe read.'"

Just wondering who "Dude, your book" is!

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message 9: by Angel (last edited Nov 02, 2010 08:54PM) (new)

Nov 02, 2010 08:54PM

And could someone remove the duplicate editions? I don't think we need to list titles like Brave New World more than once. And yes, why are books like The Kite Runner on this list, which clearly are not science fiction nor fantasy?

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message 10: by Sue (new)

Dec 07, 2010 02:21PM

How is Midnight Sun number 33?

It's not a book, it is, at best, an unfinished manuscript available on the internet that will probably never be published.

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message 11: by Ruby (new)

Sep 21, 2011 09:10PM

There are a great many books on this list that do not qualify as great or even good, they are merely new. Apparently a lot of people haven't read anything that was published before they entered high school.

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message 12: by 4l3x (last edited Aug 24, 2012 03:55AM) (new)

Aug 24, 2012 03:55AM

The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility

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message 13: by Forest (new)

Sep 04, 2012 07:44PM

4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better

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message 14: by 4l3x (new)

Sep 04, 2012 10:30PM

Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?

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message 15: by Forest (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:01PM

4l3x wrote: "Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even read the hunger games?

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message 16: by Forest (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:03PM

Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even..."

and yes i have read it

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message 17: by Ruby (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:33PM

Somebody's eatin' the crazy pills! The Hunger Games is young adult!! There's no way it could compare to the universe & history in the Dune series. Get a perspective.

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message 18: by 4l3x (last edited Sep 05, 2012 06:54AM) (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:51PM

Monique wrote:
oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even read the hunger games? "

I have. The whole series. (as you can see in my read books ;D) And while I enjoyed it in some extent (I find Katniss incredibly annoying and clueless) there is no way it should be before Dune in any list

Ruby wrote: "There's no way it could compare to the universe & history in the Dune series. Get a perspective. "
I see there is still hope out there

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message 19: by Scribble (new)

Sep 05, 2012 06:52AM

4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE

and

+1

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message 20: by Karina (new)

Sep 11, 2012 04:31PM

Emily wrote: "I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things. "

YES! 1000X YES!

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message 21: by Forest (new)

Sep 11, 2012 11:36PM

science fiction and fantasy can be good together

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message 22: by Ruby (new)

Sep 12, 2012 12:04AM

I agree. I love it when they are mixed in the same world! Or when the story seems like one and turns out to be the other.

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message 23: by Forest (last edited Sep 12, 2012 04:57AM) (new)

Sep 12, 2012 04:57AM

i like fantasy and science fition i loved footprints of thunder and thunder of time there fantasy and science fiction

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message 24: by Nessarose (new)

Jan 24, 2013 12:49PM

It feels as though books that are part of series are really clogging the list up. Someone who's read a single series from start to finish will feel like they're a big man on campus after reading this list.

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message 25: by Danny (new)

Feb 16, 2015 10:16AM

Greegs & Ladders

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message 26: by Jonathan (new)

Jan 04, 2016 03:03PM

Science fiction AND fantasy in one list? Oh brother... Why don't you just mix children books with zombie books next for all the sense it makes? YAUGRL--yet another useless goodreads list.

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message 27: by Wolfgarr (new)

Jun 15, 2017 06:39PM

another list turned worthless due to everyone and his brother spaming every single book in a series.....When all you need is the first one.

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message 28: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 05, 2017 11:07AM

There are other better lists:

For recent science fiction take a look at Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century.

For popular fantasy take a look at The Most Popular Fantasy on Goodreads

For both these lists there are links in the list description to other good fantasy and science fiction lists.

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message 29: by Donna (new)

Aug 09, 2017 07:39PM

The system found and removed 4 duplicates.

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message 30: by Fatemeh (new)

Aug 14, 2017 10:12PM

برای کشف اقیانوس باید جرات ترک ساحل را داشت این دنیا دنیای تغییرات است نه تقدیر

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message 31: by Donna (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:10PM

Greg wrote: "A new collection for consideration. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..."
This is spam, and it violates Goodreads author conduct policy. I recommend you delete it. Otherwise I will flag it.

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message 32: by Donna (last edited Aug 31, 2017 08:36PM) (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:22PM

As mixed lists go, this one is pretty good. I am seeing some genre issues though. Removed Beloved from p 5. Toni Morrison, science fiction and fantasy? The hell?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

On the line: where do we draw the line between fantasy and horror, folks? I am looking at some Stephen King titles, and Anne Rice. Dracula by Bram Stoker is clearly out of genre, and I'm removing it:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Love to hear some input about the others mentioned here. Some have a large number of votes, and I know that once a list is established, the first page becomes almost sacred. I don't want to touch anything that's liable to draw objections unless it's very clearly in the wrong place...

Removed from page 7, A Thousand Splendid Suns, out of genre:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Removed from page 8, A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

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message 33: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:41PM

So - I'm not a big fan of horror. But a lot of horror I would consider also fantasy. And I'm not the only one. Dracula for example, is shelved 7,950 as horror. But it is also shelved 3,360 as fantasy. As a librarian I do a lot of removing books from lists. But as far as I'm concerned vampires and werewolves are just about always fantasy - and sometimes horror and sometimes romance and sometimes very rarely science fiction.

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message 34: by Donna (new)

Aug 31, 2017 09:49PM

Mitchell wrote: "So - I'm not a big fan of horror. But a lot of horror I would consider also fantasy. And I'm not the only one. Dracula for example, is shelved 7,950 as horror. But it is also shelved 3..."
The difference in genre, as I understand it, is that horror is written to induce fear more than anything else. I did see that some people have incorrectly shelved Dracula, but it's also a very small percentage of readers overall. (Look at the numbers at the top of the shelf list and you'll see what I mean.)
However, I also realize--though I'm not a fan personally--that there are now a lot of stories involving paranormal and vampirical love. So that's where the line gets hazy, because we have a category that used to be entirely horror and now is not.
As I previously said, I"m not going to remove anything I'm not sure of. I feel confident about Dracula.

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message 35: by Donna (new)

Apr 21, 2018 12:45PM

The system found and removed 6 duplicates.

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message 36: by Radu (new)

Jul 19, 2018 01:39PM

Emily wrote: "I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things. "

I TOTALLY agree!

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message 37: by Ginny (new)

Dec 14, 2018 12:06AM

Horn-Horn by ADT McLellan - one of those few books that you will go from the last page immediately back to the first page. Like The Sixth Sense, reading it a second time is like reading it for the first time again. It's a completely different story once all of the twists are revealed.

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