What was the First sci fi / fantasy Book You Read?

[Dan]

This is a tough question, I really love Michael Moorcock's Sword's Trilogy, as well as Robert E. Howard's Bran Mak Morn stories.

[Michele]

Either Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt or A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony, not sure which I read first.

[Reed]

The Hobbit was my first fantasy novel. First science fiction was Pathfinder.

[Douglas]

As a kid I read the Hobbit in scool like everyone else did but the first Sci-Fi book Ir ead all by myself was Prelude to Foundation by Asimov. I never did finish reading all those Foundation novels but I will eventually and I can't wait.

[James]

My first fantasy book that I've read was the first Harry Potter book. I really don't remember what my first science fiction was but I remember that my first science fiction short story was All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury.

[Bookwraiths]

My first scifi book was Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster. I was a Star Wars fan back in the late 70s and 80s and could not pass up that cover. Later I read The Hobbit and fell in love with fantasy.

[Bobby]

Wendell wrote: "My first scifi book was Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster. I was a Star Wars fan back in the late 70s and 80s and could not pass up that cover. Later I read The Hobbit and fell in lo..."

I remember loving that title! But I hadn't been to fired up by the Star Wars novel so I never got around to reading it.

[T.]

My first scifi novel was The Wailing Asteroid by Murray Leinster, done in the late 40s I think. Then I discovered Robert Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel and loved it and most of his books since. Loved L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time. Have been reading SF for about 55 years nows. In fantasy, I enjoyed Norton's Witch World and two sequels. Recently I enjoyed reading J.D. Hallowell's Dragon Fate novel, first in the series that includes Dragon Blade and the upcoming Dragon Home. Tom.

[Diann]

It's probably not the first, but the first series that come to my mind was the Mary Stewart series on Merlin. I loved the entire series and wish I still had them today. I think I loaned them to someone and never got them back. The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and so on...

[Ruth]

Diann wrote: "It's probably not the first, but the first series that come to my mind was the Mary Stewart series on Merlin. I loved the entire series and wish I still had them today. I think I loaned them to s..."

Great series. I think I still have The Crystal Cave.

[Jessie]

Mine was the Avalon series by Marion Zimmer Bradley when i was 12. Since then I have been hooked.
I laughed, I cried and this was a major factor that led to my study of history. My favorite (or most heart wrenching!) story in the series was "The Forrest house"
I have now read the books at least 8 times each. As a teenage girl I was enthralled... As a woman I am saddened and captivated by the intense yet fleeting love guides the story.

[Victor]

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I was 8 at the time, about to turn 9, and the book left a strong impression on me.

[Bob]

The first I remember reading was the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet series back in the early 60's. My grandfather bought them for me and I ate them up!

[A.L.]

The first book that my mother ever read to me was "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". I didn't watch the movies because I didn't want to taint the awesome experience the book was as a child.

[Greg]

Hi,

Moomintrolls (I think that was how it was spelled). But I was only three at the time!

Cheers, Greg.

[Michael]

The White mountains, by John Christopher. I remember signing it out of our school library again and again - I loved re reading it!

[Heimdall]

Redwall was my first fantasy novel, followed by the Hobbit and LOTR, Dragonlance, and The Black Cauldron. But even at a younger age I remember having a picture book about trolls that I loved. It had several different stories in it, including the Billy Goats Gruff. I remember the book being very dark and eerie.

[Tim]

Rendezvous with Rama; and a year ago I read it to my son, 3rd grade at the time. I think that was the last book I read aloud to him, in fact -- now he's off on his own.

[Tim]

Wendell wrote: "My first scifi book was Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster. I was a Star Wars fan back in the late 70s and 80s and could not pass up that cover. Later I read [book:The Ho..."

I read that one also! Fifth grade, I think. I still remember some sorts of tracked vehicles which they used to travel through swamps -- if I'm remembering the right book.

[Jordan]

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne counts, right?

My first science fiction book was Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. A good start, right?

[Natalie]

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I read it in the 5th grade.

[David]

Douglas wrote: "As a kid I read the Hobbit in scool like everyone else did but the first Sci-Fi book Ir ead all by myself was Prelude to Foundation by Asimov. I never did finish reading all those Foundation novels..."

I never read The Hobbit in school. That must have come much later as a school selection than when I was in school. I still have never read it. I've tried about 10 times but never get past the first couple of pages before putting it down and picking up something else.

[Aishah]

First fantasy book... Now, that's hard. Probably the Saga of Darren Shan, but I'm most likely wrong.
First sci-fi book has to be a Star Wars book... Didn't know what was going on -.-

[Karen]

If we count Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair series, then I would have started reading fantasy around age 7. Other than that the first book I remember was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at age 11

[Keith]

First fantasy book was "The Elfstones of Shannara" by Terry Brooks which, to this day, is still my favourite.

First SciFi book is a little harder to recall... it might've been the novelization of Star Wars.

[Matty]

Well I remember reading The Hobbit, all the Narnia books, Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl when I was really little, but back then I read absolutely everything - Miss Marple and Poirot, Swallows and Amazons, Dickens. The books that changed my reading habits were Pratchett's Truckers, Diggers and Wings series and The Hitchhikers Guide - both of which I read when 11/12 in English class at school!

[Katie]

I read both The Pawn of Prophesy by David Eddings and the first Harry Potter book when I was eight; I'm not sure which came first. I tried reading The Hobbit at the same time but didn't get past the first chapter.:P

Years later I think my first science fiction was either The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams or The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham.

[A.L.]

Hmmm excluding fairy tales - Chronicles of Narnia I think. Sci-fi not sure. Maybe the Tripods.

[Michael]

Oh, wow! That was do long ago I'm not sure anymore. I think it might have been the old Tom Swift Jr series from the 50s and 60s. I remember taking out 3-4 volumes at a time from the library and devouring them one summer. After that I rapidly moved on to Heinlein's Juveniles and some of Andre Norton's young adult books.

[Nerva]

I honestly can't remember! lol far to long ago and I suspect I wasn't paying much attention at the time, a book was a book!

[Mark]

Like others, I wish I could remember my first sci-fi book. There was one I read in school many many years ago. I recall it was about outer space and I must have read it a couple of times. I think it was from the 50s and have tried to find again. After that, it was I, Robot, rather difficult to get my head round but could.

[Trine]

C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

[Adrian]

The Hobbit first fantasy I can remember reading and for sci-fi The White Mountains

[Nikolay]

Kir Bulychev, Сто лет тому вперёд (One hundred years ahead).

[Matt]

Watership Down which now that I think about it is kinda disturbing to read as a kid. Closely followed by the Narnia stories. For SF I think it was 20000 leagues under the sea which is why I probably have always enjoyed nautical themed books so much.

[Mary]

Jurgen, by James Branch Cabell and Lord of Light by Zelazny, both presents - these were my first 2 books in this genre, and I think I read the Zelazny one first.

[Billy Dominguez]

Animorphs series by KA Applegate when I was 8.

[Linda]

Either Dracula or Watership Down. Its too far back for me to remember.

[Author William]

Conan the Barbarian by RE Howard...

[Mark]

The first fantasy I read was Alice in Wonderland Loved it as a child and still do.

I didn't get into sci-fi until I was much older (to my infinite regret), so off the top of my head, I'd say it was probably Altered Carbon

[W.C.]

The earliest I remember is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. For its time it was the stuff of SF. I believe I read it in third grade.

[David]

The first science fiction book was Mrs. Pickerell goes to Mars in 1951. I was 7 years old, I saw it on the latest book stand and borrowed it from library. That led to Torchship and I have been reading ever since. I have to admit that reading that book directly led to life choices that I made.

[Ian]

Fantasy was Redwall by Brian Jacques. Just the idea of mice and rodents running around and fighting made my day.
Science fiction was Animorphs: the Invasion. The aliens opened new worlds before my eyes.

[Marie]

The first science fiction book I ever read was A Wrinkle In Time. My uncle bought me the first four books of the series for my birthday. I can't remember exactly how old I was, maybe nine, but I remember thinking, "This sounds boring."
I'd never read science fiction before though I'd always loved a good fantasy. I read the first book and quickly moved to the next. I think I had them all read in a matter of days.
Thanks Uncle Mike for opening my eyes to a universe of possibilities.

[Peter]

SF: Prelude to Foundation (still one of my favorites) Fantasy: Lord of the Rings (good to start with a classic I guess! Don't read much fantasy)

[Aurora]

Does Alice in Wonderland count?

[Trine]

I think it must have been one of the Narnia books.

[Ciara]

Castle of Wizardy by David Eddings

[Christopher]

The Sword of Shannara for the win : ). Terry Brooks started my lifelong love of fantasy. I don't think I understood half of what happened when I first read it, but I knew I loved it.

[Emily]

Science Fiction: Witch World by Andre Norton, I was fourteen and tired of the family's collection of Westerns by Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey, so I asked my dad if he had anything else and he let me read his Andre Norton collection.

Fantasy: Two years later the school librarian got me hooked on Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings, which is still my all time fave.