SFX released a list of the top 25 SFF books and we thought it was lame. We decided to put our money where our mouths are and come up with our own list.
Both of us contributed 25 books to this list. We agreed to only have one book by each author. This may be more representative of what we enjoy and look for in a novel than an accurate 25 best books we have ever read but we think it’s a more diverse and interesting list than the one in SFX.
What we want from you is comment and debate, but we also want you to pick your top ten titles from our combined list. This is being posted on both sites and will be up for a week before we collate the votes and let you know which ten books came out on top.
We’d also love to know some of your top reads. We will be posting some of the highlights from the comments along with the top ten list. Have fun.
- Anansi Boys – Neil Gaiman
- The Lord of the Sands of Time – Issui Ogawa
- Fragrance of You – Steve Savile
- Mythago Wood -Robert Holdstock
- The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
- Spanky – Christopher Fowler
- Steeling Light – Gary Gibson
- The Dreaming Void – Peter F Hamilton
- Fool Moon – Jim Butcher
- Stalking Tender Prey – Storm Constantine
- Stone – Adam Roberts
- The High House –James Stoddard
- The Stupidest Angel – Christopher Moore
- The Crow – James O’Barr
- Rosemary and Rue – Seanan McGuire
- A Madness of Angels – Kate Griffin
- Bloody Chamber- Angela Carter
- Under the Dome –Stephen King
- The Hitch Hiker’ Guide –Douglas Adams
- Midnight Never Come –Marie Brennan
- Lost Souls –Poppy Z Brite
- Seeds of Earth –Michael Cobly
- Past Imperative –Dave Duncan
- Lonely Werewolf Girl – Martin Millar
- Greywalker – Kat Richardson
- The Last Wish – Andrzej Sapkowski
- The Antipope – Robert Rankin
- The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch – Philip K Dick
- Trading in Danger –Elizabeth Moon
- Blood Ties –Pamela Freeman
- I Kill Giants – Joe Kelly
- Worlds End – Mark Chadbourn
- Already Dead – Charlie Hutson
- Witches Abroad – Terry Pratchet
- Dracula – Bram Stoker
- Never the Bride – Paul Magrs
- Bitten – Kelly Armstrong
- Queen of the Damned – Anne Rice
- The Tattooed Wolf – Kim Bannerman
- The World House – Guy Adams
- The Devil You Know –Mike Carey
- Dead Witch Walking – Kim Harrison
- Nights of Villjamur – Mark Charan Newton
- The Ghost Brigades – John Scalzi
- Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
- Street Magic – Caitlin Kittredge
- This is Not a Game – Walter Jon Williams
- Practical Demonkeeping – Christopher Moore
- Sabriel – Garth Nix
- The Hobbit –J RR Tolkien
A bonus prize from me if you figure out which are mine 
I am so happy, I just bought Anasazi Boys! and Neverwhere. Gaiman rocks. Also love Nix, but there a scary number here I have never heard of. Need to get reading. I was just complaining on another site that I haven't read a great fantasy or SF for years, so this is exciting!
And I wasn't super keen on SFXs list either, unfortunately i am too lazy to do anything about it! glad you guys did your own.
No complaints from me – though where the hell are China Miéville's books?
Ah, I've read Un Lun Dun and The City & The City is coming
Ummm his earlier stuff is just too big….
I might have put in American Gods – but not 100% sure that it's that brilliant – I know – it's creative but lacked edge and danger somehow.
I need to read Neverwhere but Kate Griffin seems to have taken the secret london spot in my head atm
Come on guys we need you to pick your top tens from this list.
I have written a blogpost in response to your excellent list http://murf61.posterous.com/nextread-and-hagelr...
My Top 10 from this list:
1 Queen of the Damned – Anne Rice
2 Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
3 Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
4 World's End – Mark Chadbourn
5 Nights of Villjamur – Mark Charan Newton
6 The Hobbit – J.R.R.Tolkien
7 Bitten – Kelley Armstrong
8 A Bloody Chamber – Angela Carter
9 Dracula – Bram Stoker
10 Mythago Wood – Robert Holdstock
Definitely more diverse and interesting. The SFX list was… stodgy, but I think your list overcompensates towards books currently on the shelf.
Were I doing this list myself, I'd probably only steal a few: Mythago Wood, Hitchhiker's Guide, Fahrenheit 451, Dracula. I also agree that King, Barker, Pratchett, Gaiman, Anne Rice and Tolkien would contribute to the top 50, but I think I'd pick other books.
This is a very modern list. What about Moorcock, Ellison, Donaldson, Eddings, Howard, Lovecraft or Gibson? Or keeping current: Mieville, Tim Powers or Iain Banks? I'm all about the new golden age of SFF that's going on, but I think you may be overlooking some classics… many of the books you list are very good – some of the best of recent years, but 'top 50' in a very long-lived genre?
Jared, exellent points although I don't think either of us imagined this was a definitive list of the best 50 sff books ever. Some good names suggested, can't believe I missed Lovecraft am kicking myself.
love it! going to come over and comment
The thing is that all lists are subjective as they are going to be based on what you've read and what you've enjoyed – you can't put in what you've not read either.
I've read UnLunDun, which was good but not great – and Mieville's earlier stuff is too large for me to go into lightly.
I didn't enjoy the Banks I read. And Eddings is OK but not amazing. Is it really a Golden Age – do they stand the test of time? Really?
Never read banks and couldn't get into eddings. Not read any Mieville yet but want to. Would have liked to include Dave Devereux but although there is a paranormal element his books are more thriller than fantasy. Very subjective but on the whole I am pleased with our choices. I think the list had to reflect our reading choices and it does.
Ooh, dudes – good list!
My favourites would be:
1. Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint
2. Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey
3. Sandman by Neil Gaiman
4. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
5. Fire by Kristin Cashore
6. Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
7. Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan
8. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
9. A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin
10. Lirael by Garth Nix – the second book in the Old Kingdom series
I like this a great deal – good work and well thought out. I heartily approve.
Oi, you can't put in Unpublished books eg Wolfangel
I love it that so many people have different choices and some that we overlap on – each of us chose A Madness of Angels and a Mike Carey for example.
You know there is a new Old Kingdom book coming this year don't you??
Is Kate Griffin good? I mean is she worth investing 8+ hours of my life into? 'cause I am a huge fan of fantasy and especially urban fantasy but there is a LOT of crap out there, and I have been bitten more than once so I am quite shy!
She's amazing. She's Urban Fantasy in the Neil Gaiman sense of wonder
and imagination.
I'm reading The Midnight Major next and hopingfully getting and
interview
[...] the blogosphere seemed to collectively go ‘huh?’ In a great show of initiative Gav from Nextread and Adele from Un:Bound decided to come up with their own list, and invited comment about the books [...]