This list is an answer to lists like the Hidden Gems of Science Fiction which purports to list a few of science fiction's best and most tragically overlooked titles. This list definitely only contains those that are overlooked, though probably not in all cases tragically.

Looking for SF books with between 1000 and 9999 ratings on goodreads.

Helpful Librarians - if you help maintain this and other similar lists - please don't remove books from one of these lists for too many ratings unless you are willing to put it on the next list.

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

SF Subgenres:
Alternate History
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:
2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
2009

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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4.17 avg rating — 1,453 ratings
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2

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4.18 avg rating — 4,834 ratings
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3

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3.80 avg rating — 7,111 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 5,827 ratings
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5

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3.77 avg rating — 9,598 ratings
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6

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3.86 avg rating — 9,562 ratings
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7

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3.72 avg rating — 1,349 ratings
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8

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3.61 avg rating — 2,880 ratings
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8

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3.96 avg rating — 5,085 ratings
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10

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3.99 avg rating — 7,475 ratings
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11

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3.78 avg rating — 4,720 ratings
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12

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3.89 avg rating — 7,965 ratings
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13

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3.85 avg rating — 6,162 ratings
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14

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3.99 avg rating — 9,532 ratings
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15

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3.87 avg rating — 4,681 ratings
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16

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3.69 avg rating — 7,187 ratings
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17

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3.97 avg rating — 9,229 ratings
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18

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3.81 avg rating — 2,199 ratings
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18

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3.63 avg rating — 1,242 ratings
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20

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3.60 avg rating — 7,565 ratings
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21

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4.05 avg rating — 2,725 ratings
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22

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3.94 avg rating — 9,625 ratings
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23

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4.01 avg rating — 3,594 ratings
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24

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3.63 avg rating — 5,673 ratings
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25

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3.97 avg rating — 2,836 ratings
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26

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3.47 avg rating — 8,796 ratings
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27

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3.69 avg rating — 2,633 ratings
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28

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3.97 avg rating — 2,954 ratings
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29

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4.33 avg rating — 6,343 ratings
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30

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3.82 avg rating — 3,036 ratings
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31

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3.96 avg rating — 7,260 ratings
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32

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4.20 avg rating — 4,989 ratings
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33

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3.56 avg rating — 1,664 ratings
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33

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3.36 avg rating — 1,231 ratings
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35

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3.80 avg rating — 8,176 ratings
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36

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3.99 avg rating — 9,020 ratings
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37

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4.05 avg rating — 1,190 ratings
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38

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3.77 avg rating — 8,580 ratings
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39

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3.53 avg rating — 1,288 ratings
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40

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3.97 avg rating — 7,396 ratings
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41

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4.08 avg rating — 3,370 ratings
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42

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4.05 avg rating — 6,187 ratings
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43

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4.11 avg rating — 6,698 ratings
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44

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4.40 avg rating — 6,228 ratings
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44

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3.79 avg rating — 3,017 ratings
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46

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,367 ratings
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47

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3.79 avg rating — 8,691 ratings
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48

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4.25 avg rating — 2,202 ratings
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48

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3.76 avg rating — 2,710 ratings
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50

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4.03 avg rating — 1,807 ratings
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51

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3.77 avg rating — 6,717 ratings
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52

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3.77 avg rating — 1,720 ratings
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52

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3.70 avg rating — 1,232 ratings
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54

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3.56 avg rating — 8,030 ratings
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55

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4.08 avg rating — 4,784 ratings
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55

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3.82 avg rating — 1,607 ratings
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57

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4.11 avg rating — 3,211 ratings
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57

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3.80 avg rating — 7,220 ratings
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57

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4.14 avg rating — 5,535 ratings
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60

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3.99 avg rating — 9,497 ratings
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61

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3.99 avg rating — 5,827 ratings
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61

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3.98 avg rating — 1,200 ratings
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63

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3.97 avg rating — 8,405 ratings
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64

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3.55 avg rating — 9,165 ratings
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65

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3.86 avg rating — 1,149 ratings
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65

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3.46 avg rating — 1,323 ratings
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67

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3.77 avg rating — 1,247 ratings
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68

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3.91 avg rating — 5,836 ratings
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68

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3.93 avg rating — 8,401 ratings
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70

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3.83 avg rating — 4,226 ratings
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71

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4.19 avg rating — 6,032 ratings
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72

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3.85 avg rating — 5,871 ratings
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72

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3.89 avg rating — 1,739 ratings
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74

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3.69 avg rating — 7,923 ratings
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74

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3.69 avg rating — 5,865 ratings
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76

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4.17 avg rating — 9,776 ratings
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77

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4.11 avg rating — 1,276 ratings
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78

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3.75 avg rating — 2,261 ratings
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78

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4.16 avg rating — 1,856 ratings
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80

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3.38 avg rating — 4,270 ratings
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81

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3.65 avg rating — 4,523 ratings
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81

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3.76 avg rating — 2,031 ratings
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83

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3.99 avg rating — 4,919 ratings
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83

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3.51 avg rating — 2,492 ratings
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85

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3.11 avg rating — 1,140 ratings
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86

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3.73 avg rating — 1,494 ratings
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86

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3.99 avg rating — 4,324 ratings
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88

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4.10 avg rating — 5,379 ratings
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89

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4.19 avg rating — 9,150 ratings
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89

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4.05 avg rating — 2,672 ratings
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89

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3.73 avg rating — 8,177 ratings
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89

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3.69 avg rating — 5,648 ratings
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93

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4.34 avg rating — 1,988 ratings
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94

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3.43 avg rating — 4,439 ratings
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94

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3.41 avg rating — 2,537 ratings
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94

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3.48 avg rating — 6,996 ratings
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97

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3.88 avg rating — 4,185 ratings
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98

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4.16 avg rating — 4,448 ratings
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99

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3.62 avg rating — 1,725 ratings
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100

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3.41 avg rating — 2,704 ratings
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2,188 books · 113 voters · list created August 25th, 2014 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .
31 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Mitchell 11170 books
171 friends
Loreley 4455 books
573 friends
CrimsonFlamez 9537 books
38 friends
John 4953 books
63 friends
Jacob 1660 books
218 friends
Cheri 1287 books
32 friends
Acacia 2997 books
75 friends
Alan 1903 books
41 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-49 of 49 (49 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Mirror Dance graduated


message 2: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Forever Peace graduated


message 4: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Afterparty needs to be added to this list. But I can't add it because I only get 100 votes. Anyone out there who wants to help out could vote for 100 books on this list and that would be awesome.


message 5: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Ancillary Sword needs to be added to this list. But I can't add it because I only get 100 votes. Anyone out there who wants to help out could vote for 100 books on this list and that would be awesome.


message 6: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Night of the Purple Moon needs to be added to this list. But I can't add it because I only get 100 votes. Anyone out there who wants to help out could vote for 100 books on this list and that would be awesome.


message 7: by Maarit (new)

Maarit Mitchell: I added all the missing books to the list and voted some already in there, so I think you can now free some of your votes, if you need to.


message 9: by Maarit (new)


message 10: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Dies the Fire graduated


message 11: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Akira, Vol. 1 graduated


message 12: by Maarit (new)

Maarit Killashandra graduated


message 13: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Saga, Volume 4 graduated


message 14: by Maarit (new)


message 16: by Maarit (new)

Maarit A Civil Campaign graduated


message 20: by Mitchell (last edited Feb 14, 2016 12:28PM) (new)

Mitchell Friedman Beggars Ride and The Cassandra Project would have graduated to this list but I have only 100 votes.


message 21: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Lonely City graduated


message 22: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Influx and Flashforward and Nemesis Games graduated


message 25: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Nexus graduated


message 26: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Beyond Sanctuary is not science fiction and has been removed


message 27: by Mitchell (last edited Nov 24, 2016 01:55PM) (new)


message 29: by Mitchell (new)


message 30: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Begging for help on this list. Again. With a 100 book limit there is no way I can add all sf with 1000 to 9999 ratings to this list.

How can you help? Vote for books that have only 1 vote. Find books that are missing from this list and add them. Look on the 100 to 999 list for books ready to graduate and even if you can't remove them from that list, add them to this one.


message 34: by Mitchell (last edited Jul 28, 2019 09:26AM) (new)


message 38: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman Damia's Children graduated


message 41: by Rachel (new)

Rachel The City in the Middle of the Night has graduated.

Not a librarian so I can't delete, but I did add it to the next list.


message 42: by Mitchell (last edited Nov 24, 2023 09:03PM) (new)


message 44: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman If you want to help maintain this list and related lists, the easiest thing to do is to vote on 100 books that are already on this list, but only have 1 or 2 votes.

This will allow a list maintainer like myself to remove their vote and use it to add fresh books from the lower lists.


message 46: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman City of Illusions and This Perfect Day and Cage of Souls and Command Decision and Aftershocks and The Accidental Time Machine and Quarter Share and The Invincible and Patternmaster and Diaspora and Once & Future and The Golden Apples of the Sun and Lies, Damned Lies, and History and Farmer in the Sky and Cold Storage and The Flight of the Eisenstein and The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story and Legion and The Fatal Eggs and Earth Is Room Enough and What Could Possibly Go Wrong? and Clay's Ark and The Borders of Infinity and Red Planet graduated

I was able to only do the first 15 pages before I ran completely out of votes on the next list. With the limit of 100 votes, the easiest way to help maintain these lists is vote for 100 books on each list starting with the ones that only have 1 vote. And then revisit your votes once a year - since some of your books will likely graduate.


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