Best Sci-Fi of the 1930's

This list is for Science Fiction only. When this list was originally created it was expected to have both Fantasy and Science Fiction. However there are pretty good fantasy specific lists that should be used instead.

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

Science Fiction By Year:
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012

Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy By Year:
2021, 2020
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

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
1

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3.93 avg rating — 106,202 ratings
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3

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3.78 avg rating — 63,578 ratings
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4

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3.95 avg rating — 24,789 ratings
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5

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3.79 avg rating — 6,913 ratings
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6

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4.17 avg rating — 17,624 ratings
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7

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3.69 avg rating — 1,701 ratings
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8

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3.91 avg rating — 9,371 ratings
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9

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3.99 avg rating — 604 ratings
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10

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3.98 avg rating — 4,506 ratings
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11

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3.87 avg rating — 1,559 ratings
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12

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3.86 avg rating — 4,111 ratings
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13

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3.77 avg rating — 1,645 ratings
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14

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3.75 avg rating — 403 ratings
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15

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3.85 avg rating — 1,137 ratings
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16

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3.84 avg rating — 942 ratings
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17

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3.54 avg rating — 1,317 ratings
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18

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4.11 avg rating — 4,925 ratings
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19

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3.86 avg rating — 6,278 ratings
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20

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3.71 avg rating — 1,215 ratings
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21

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3.73 avg rating — 1,491 ratings
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22

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3.72 avg rating — 1,544 ratings
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23

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3.63 avg rating — 2,969 ratings
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24

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4.30 avg rating — 6,335 ratings
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25

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3.52 avg rating — 373 ratings
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26

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3.93 avg rating — 2,392 ratings
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27

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3.66 avg rating — 7,507 ratings
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28

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3.89 avg rating — 480 ratings
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29

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3.99 avg rating — 3,841 ratings
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30

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3.77 avg rating — 1,295 ratings
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31

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3.69 avg rating — 1,826 ratings
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32

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3.84 avg rating — 3,632 ratings
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33

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3.68 avg rating — 1,238 ratings
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34

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3.69 avg rating — 1,240 ratings
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35

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3.88 avg rating — 2,174 ratings
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36

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3.61 avg rating — 166,472 ratings
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37

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3.73 avg rating — 1,352 ratings
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38

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3.72 avg rating — 1,302 ratings
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39

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3.79 avg rating — 1,058 ratings
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40

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4.07 avg rating — 5,215 ratings
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41

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3.55 avg rating — 317 ratings
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41

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4.10 avg rating — 27,571 ratings
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43

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3.89 avg rating — 6,738 ratings
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43

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3.72 avg rating — 5,048 ratings
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45

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3.62 avg rating — 104 ratings
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45

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3.74 avg rating — 876 ratings
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47

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3.78 avg rating — 2,375 ratings
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47

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4.08 avg rating — 279 ratings
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49

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3.78 avg rating — 12,071 ratings
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50

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3.59 avg rating — 135 ratings
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51

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3.37 avg rating — 43 ratings
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51

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4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
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51

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3.76 avg rating — 1,460 ratings
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54

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3.75 avg rating — 477 ratings
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54

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3.77 avg rating — 637 ratings
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56

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3.71 avg rating — 133 ratings
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56

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3.77 avg rating — 702 ratings
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56

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3.92 avg rating — 572 ratings
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56

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3.48 avg rating — 532 ratings
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60

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4.11 avg rating — 1,622 ratings
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60

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3.33 avg rating — 6 ratings
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62

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3.79 avg rating — 1,494 ratings
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62

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3.93 avg rating — 929 ratings
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62

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62

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3.80 avg rating — 24,102 ratings
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66

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3.90 avg rating — 1,590 ratings
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66

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3.54 avg rating — 127 ratings
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66

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3.48 avg rating — 64 ratings
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69

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3.71 avg rating — 463 ratings
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69

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3.40 avg rating — 35 ratings
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71

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3.97 avg rating — 214 ratings
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72

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3.38 avg rating — 21 ratings
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73

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3.64 avg rating — 1,359 ratings
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74

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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75

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3.56 avg rating — 126 ratings
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76

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3.54 avg rating — 61 ratings
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77

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3.64 avg rating — 908 ratings
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78

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3.24 avg rating — 811 ratings
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79

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3.17 avg rating — 42 ratings
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80

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3.78 avg rating — 241 ratings
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81

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3.23 avg rating — 1,267 ratings
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82

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3.47 avg rating — 374 ratings
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83

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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84

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3.43 avg rating — 286 ratings
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85

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3.39 avg rating — 3,696 ratings
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86

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3.32 avg rating — 31 ratings
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87

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3.71 avg rating — 3,312 ratings
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88

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3.51 avg rating — 43 ratings
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89

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4.09 avg rating — 1,806 ratings
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90

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4.09 avg rating — 90 ratings
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91

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3.84 avg rating — 44 ratings
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92

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3.83 avg rating — 35 ratings
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93

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4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings
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94

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3.33 avg rating — 18 ratings
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95

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4.11 avg rating — 2,825 ratings
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96

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
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96

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3.86 avg rating — 894 ratings
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98

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3.17 avg rating — 113 ratings
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99

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3.71 avg rating — 1,575 ratings
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100

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4.43 avg rating — 834 ratings
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102 books · 116 voters · list created September 17th, 2013 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .
66 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Mitchell 11515 books
168 friends
Walt 2194 books
30 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3386 books
851 friends
Kamakana 6467 books
451 friends
Ric 1999 books
616 friends
Cheryl 20930 books
378 friends
Sally 4226 books
25 friends
Andreas 2065 books
207 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads What distinction, if any, are you making between science fiction and traditional fantasy?


message 2: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman On this list I make no distinction between science fiction and traditional fantasy. When I created the 70s and 80s lists I seeded those lists with any book nominated for Hugo or Nebula - which absolutely includes fantasy. If we could fine 100 relevant science fiction and fantasy books from the 30s I'd be pretty pleased.


message 3: by Ric (new)

Ric If you start a list for the 1920s, here are two books that belong:
The Clockwork Man
The Skylark of Space


message 4: by [deleted user] (new)

I removed the following because they were outside of the listed time frame:

Mary Poppins Opens the Door
I Burn Paris

Though I did add I Burn Paris to my to-read list.


message 5: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Just a heads up, I will be changing this list to remove the fantasy books and point people to existing fantasy lists.


message 6: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman I will eventually remove the Fantasy books from this list, though anyone could remove their own votes first. But might as well start with The Hobbit.


message 7: by Melbourne (new)

Melbourne Bitter Jackboot Britian? Wasn't that written a couple of years ago and not the 1930s?


message 8: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Melbourne wrote: "Jackboot Britian? Wasn't that written a couple of years ago and not the 1930s?"

removed. apparently Jackboot Britain with 60 ratings and 8 reviews has been put on 300 some odd lists.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Yeah, that's been persistently spammed on lists.


message 10: by Liquidlasagna (new)

Liquidlasagna can we replace book 67 by Siodmak's German Screenplay/Book with the 1933 English translation by Collins?

F.p. 1 antwortet nicht - 1931
to
FP1 Fails to Reply - 1933
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads A. There's no way of switching editions. B. Everyone would then have to revote the "correct" volume back on.


message 12: by Liquidlasagna (new)

Liquidlasagna Well with 1 vote and zero ratings, i think it would be a wise idea to put in the English Language Edition without much hardship

just add the other one, and remove the other one which is woefully neglected, and someone can link the german version to the english version...

Though i really wonder if the book's reputation is more to the movie and the author... but if someone thinks the actual book is a classic of the 30s, in english [or german], so be it.

I'm surprised it wasn't reprinted in the 40s 50s 60s though
like his other books but i did find one link

Science-Fiction Classics: The Stories That Morphed Into Movies (1999)
Editor: Forrest J. Ackerman
17 stories
446 pages

http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?1...

hopefully someone who's an expert with listings here can update the German and English listing of the book to an accessible copy!


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads The most popular edition will always predominate. Most voters aren't that careful.


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