The Least Definitive "Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels" List Ever!

NPR released their list of Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels today. Or at least, sort of.

While they definitely released a list, I don't know if it represents what it claims to.

The list itself is referenced as "Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Titles" but it has some peculiar eligibility criteria. For "works that tell a more or less continuous story", the series title is used rather than an individual book. However, "in cases where connections among series members are looser" they "tended to list some of the more prominent titles in the run." All entries considered, you've probably got a list of 200 or more individual books, many of which are included under a "lifetime of work" type policy than any individual achievement. Explain to me why Ender's Game comes in as a novel and Dune comes in as a series? I've read the core of both  and there is not a pair of Dune novels that can rival the triumph that is Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. You could make the argument that the Enderverse Sage is comprised of more self-contained novels, but I'd argue they share a similar composition, at least when comparing Dune to Ender's Game.

And that's not even the strangest aspect of the list. That honor goes to the arbitrary standards by which the judges eliminated "Young Adult" novels from the list, even ones read and loved by millions of adults. I wouldn't recommend ignoring undeniable classics popular with all ages - Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials, Redwall - but if you insist upon such a ridiculous rule, at least enforce it consistently. Watership Down, Stardust, The Princess Bride, all make the list despite being widely regarded as Young Adult fiction. 

You know it's literature when the talking bunnies get divorced because her affair with a squirrel leads the former carrot detective into a vicious cycle of strawberry juice, mushrooms, and easter eggs.

The YA ban seems to be the only thing keeping Coraline and The Graveyard Book off the Gaiman heavy list. Every other one of his works made the list including the Sandman graphic novels, which while seminal, seem like a strange inclusion given such stringent guidelines. Though it's not the only graphic novel - Alan Moore's classic Watchmen also made the list. 

There's also sizable contingent of extremely modern novels, including some series which haven't even hit the 3 book mark. At a quick glance, I see at least 6 series whose stories have yet to conclude.

• The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss
• The Inheritance Trilogy - N.K. Jemisin
• The Newsflesh Trilogy - Mira Grant
• The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
• The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
• The Magicians - Lev Grossman

They're good books all but I don't know if I'd go so far to include them without seeing a little bit more of the story. I certainly wouldn't go so far as to nominate an entire unfinished series.

A cover so epic, I didn't even need to read it. 5 stars! - Robert Stanek & Harriet Klausner

And then there's an arbitrary line between Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance and regular Fantasy, that I won't even begin to delve into. Suffice it to say, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files should be on any best of list before any of his Codex Alera books.

And the inclusion of Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth? As a series?! For shame, NPR. For shame.

So check out NPR's list of the "Top 187 or so Science Fiction and Fantasy [but not Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, or Horror because vampires are scary] Novels For Self-Respecting Adults Who Won't Venture Into The Children's Section For Anything More Than A Stand Alone Novel But Who Also Aren't Too Self-Respecting to Be Seen Reading Comic Books And A Inexplicable Nod To Terry Goodkind" [#fixeditforyou] and let me them know what you think.

Speculative Fiction for you and your valentine...

Only 5 days until Valentine’s Day. I don’t know much about you but from the fact you’re here, you have at least a passing interest in the speculative genre. You might also have a special someone in your life. And that someone may or may not share your passion for reading or genre fiction. And if you’re anything like me you might not have any idea what you’re getting that person for Valentine’s Day.

In my experience, one of the most successful gifts I’ve given my girlfriend is a pair of books. (She’s now my fiancé, how’s that for success?) Not two different books, mind you, two of the same book. While this might aggravate the frugal book buyer, I’ve found it makes a fairly inexpensive, heartfelt gift. The idea is that you want to share an experience with them. Whether it’s lying on the couch turning pages side by side or discussing plot points over a late dinner in your favorite date restaurant, a shared book can be a much more romantic gesture than it appears on paper.

So assuming you are looking for a gift a little more personal than a box of chocolates and your significant other would be interested in reading something both romantic and speculative, here are 5 books that I’ve found work on both sides of the genre fence.

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The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

This book deals with a love that transcends time. Henry time travels randomly into Clare’s (his wife) future and past. While she experiences her life linearly, her relationship with Henry is anything but. The first time Henry meets Clare, she has already interacted with other future Henrys to the point that she knows they are destined to be together. Not only is the story very personal and intimate, the causality inherent in their time-crossed relationships will have your mind in knots even if you thought Primer was straight forward. How many marriages do you know that never have a first date? This is probably the best time-travel book I’ve ever read and one of the finest science fiction novels to come out in the last decade.

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Replay - Ken Grimwood

This is another book dealing with two people drawn together by extraordinary circumstances. Replay works from the same premise of Groundhog’s Day but instead of one day, Jeff Winston continually relives the last 25 years of his life. With each subsequent replay, Jeff continually adapts his life in an effort to find happiness and meaning in a life without conclusion. Eventually he meets someone who suffers from the same bizarre situation that he does and their lives are linked together for better worse. A World Fantasy Award winner, Replay is a simple concept executed perfectly.

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Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Yet another time-travel romance, Outlander mixes historical fiction with fantasy as Claire Randall is teleported back in time to a Scotland 200 years in the past. She soon becomes conflicted between a husband in one time and a lover in the other. Despite the Harlequin-esque sales pitch it’s not trashy (although there is some passionate sex) and Gabaldon puts a lot of effort into historical detail and developing an intriguing plot.

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The Host - Stephanie Meyer

This book is a step in the right direction for the unfortunate Twilight fan. (Centuries old vampire stalks confused teen, that’s a healthy relationship…) While Meyer’s other books might be annoyingly terrible and annoying popular, The Host is a fast read concerning what happens when the Brain Slugs learn to love. The majority of the human race has been possessed by Souls (parasitic aliens who infest and control your mind) and only a few pockets of free humans remain. When one of the resistance members is taken over by a Soul but refuses to fade quietly away, they form an unexpected and unwelcome pair. In the Host, Meyer raises questions of love, identity, and what it means to be human in one of the strangest love triangles you’ll ever encounter.

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Little, Big - John Crowley

This book is very hit or miss but if you and your other are the type of people who enjoy dense challenging novels than Little, Big might be perfect for you. Crowley constructs a meandering story that is almost impossible to describe (my best attempt would be a family’s history with fairies) that changes locations and time frames but remains profoundly moving. If you like your fantasy more literary than pulp than Crowley’s masterpiece is worth a second look. Like Replay, Little, Big also won the World Fantasy Award.

So there you have it just in time for a last minute Valentine’s Day gift. 5 books that are both romantic and speculative and worth checking out whether it’s February 13th or August 22nd.

Feel free to recommend any books you feel would fit this list in the comments. I still need to find a gift…

What to Read Next?

Last week, I bought China Mieville's The City & The City and it's currently been sitting at the top of my To-Be-Read Mountain. However, today Joe Abercrombie's new book, Best Served Cold arrived via Air Mail from jolly old England. The UK Edition has an earlier release date and a significantly better cover than the US edition so it was really a no brainer. Now that I have both sitting on my bookshelf, I don't know what to read next. I haven't read Mieville before and I am hearing a lot of good things about The City and The City but at the same time I read Abercrombie's First Law trilogy earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. It's a question of sampling a new dish that everyone is raving about or ordering one of your favorite meals. I'm not sure which to read but it's not a bad problem to have.

Any suggestions?