gjerawlins@watdaisy.UUCP (Gregory J.E. Rawlins) (06/24/85)
Hello. I've been running the Poll for about a month now and i've
received a few (mostly mild) private flames and one (also mild)
public flame about various aspects of it. I'd like to respond to
my critics if i may.
First, it was recently stated that i used the word "Canonical" in
the sense of "innovative" and, further, that few of the books on the
updates that i have posted so far are in fact innovative. I quote:
>[.....] I take the word
>in context to mean that the author wanted those stories that have
>set the standards for the current state of science fiction. That is,
>those stories that have broken new ground in either plot or style.
> (Jay Johannes)
That this was not my intention is evident from my first posting:
>[.....] What i propose is an update to bring the Canon up to
>date. Please send me **mail** if you have a group of books to
>recommend; i shall collate the books with the highest number of votes
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
...and from my second:
>[.....] this is supposed to be a "canonical" list, that is a list which
>contains books which an appreciable subset of you out there think
>*SHOULD* be read). The reason why they should be read is
>immaterial - excellent story, first use of some interesting idea,
>creator of a sub-genre, superlative writing, etc. Ideally a
>canonical list of SF books should contain all books which are in
>"most" people's collection (or memory for that matter).
I think that this is the only reasonable way to construct such a
list - especially in this news group! - i'll return to this point later.
The second point was a variation of the first with an added value
judgement. The following quote (it was private mail so i'll leave it
anonymous) is fairly representative of that point of view:
>[.......] i think the problem
>with your list is right there in your last message: only 40 people
>responsing, yet 500 books recommended. when you get that many,
>you're talking about a favorite book list, not a "canonical" books
>list. i think hogans books are great, for example, but i'd never
>consider mentioning them as important works of SF. i see maybe
>one or two books in your list that i'd consider required reading.
>i see a lot more that are complete trash and worth avoiding. (funny
>about the suggestion for negative votes: the exact same though came
>to me: "That book? I'd like to vote AGAINST that one."
The first point is just the definition of "Canonical" again but
the suggestion of negative votes is new. As i pointed out in a reply
to a public version of the same suggestion i don't think that allowing
negative votes is a good idea. First, i thought that it might lead to
acrimony and that the net effect on a book's votes would be the same
anyway and second i thought that if someone went to all the trouble of
sending me a book's title then it should appear somewhere in the final
list (although if few others liked it would be low down).
The last point i'd like to touch on has some bearing on the recent
discussion on the perception of quality in literature. Again the
quotation is from a representative private letter and so anonymous:
>i guess when i saw your request, i figured there were about three
>books i'd consider that important. (not that i ever figured what
>those three were, but i'll try that at the end of this note.) now
>what's it going to mean if i make my vote for three truely important
>books when 40 people have already voted for well over 12 books a piece?
My stand on this is basically that the only reasonable way to
define "quality" in literature (or any artistic endeavour) and avoid
(or at least minimize) discord is to say something is good iff a large
number of people say it's good. That this is unsatisfying aestetically
i will immediately grant as, for example, it makes "Three's Company"
or whatever is hot nowadays (i don't have a TV) "better" than any show
on PBS. But, consider for a moment the alternative. If a number of
people were to write to me stating that "Flowers for Algernon" is le
dernier cri and not to be supassed ever by anything (this is, i think,
a typical stance in this news group) and an even greater number state
that it's toilet paper (another favorite stance) should i accept or
reject FfA? If i allow my own judgement of the book to enter into it
(i happen to think it's a fine piece of writing) then the list i
produce would be a list of _my_ favorites. On the other hand if i
don't use my own judgement then what do i say about FfA? Should i say
something like "some think this book is the best thing since unsliced
bread others think that Keyes should be a candidate for retroactive
abortion"? No, this is clearly infeasible. The way it is now no one
can complain - you gets what youse paid for. The books that most of
you vote for will be highly recommended, others less so. That's
democracy.
Now i'm just going to clamber onto this soap box here for a
minute and talk a little bit about democracy. (No doubt this will in
its turn draw flames...:-)
I have often observed that there is only a small percentage of
the population which is actually active in shaping policy. The
"silent majority" is more than just a convenient catch phrase. I've
noticed it even here in the cloistered halls of Academie.
(We) scientists bemoan the fact that most of the administrators
of Universities are non-scientists, however if there is to be any
political action then the scientists stay away in droves, claiming
that - if (we) ever give it any consideration at all - that (we)
aren't going to dirty (our) hands with this "petty" political stuff.
If a large group lets itself be dominated by only a small vocal
sub-group then that's its own tough luck, i would have thought that
net.sf-lovers is dynamic enough that this would not happen.
Finally to avoid any further misunderstandings about the poll here is
a summary of the salient points:
>Only MAIL responses will be recorded.
>Everyone who votes will be acknowledged at the end of the Poll unless
they explicitly ask otherwise.
>This is a Poll of books - the highest voted will be the highest recommended
>The reason why you think the book is good is immaterial (a "good read" is a
valid reason). It is not necessary to give a reason.
>Tell me the author of the book(s)
>If you recommended a series then include the titles of the books in the series
unless the series is in the appended list or is "very well known"
The reason is i may not know the titles and so would not recognize votes for
books in the series as the same..also series may have different names...
Similarly - don't say ALL of <your fave>'s books should be in the list
(unless you actually LIST them i'll ignore it).
>There is no limit on the amount of books you may vote for, however you
shouldn't vote more than once for any one book. You may vote (for different
books) as many times as you wish.
>Ideally i would like a list ordered alphabetically by author with the titles
of each authors books in an indented list following the authors name. But
that isn't a necessary requirement.
>To increase the usefulness of this Poll please try to classify
each of the books you vote for. This is not essential but would be nice if
you could find the time. The classification can be something simple like
some combination of the following tags:
- sword & sorcery, fantasy, military, hard science, extrapolation,
exploration, colonies, humour, whimsy, historical, overpopulation,
superhumans, esp, ai, sociology, mythology, religion, alien invasion,
first contact, faster-than-light, subgenre creation, many worlds,
subworld creation, unique conception, alternate history, time travel,
interspecies relationships, psychology, linguistics, anthropology,
space-opera, rites of passage, fun, adventure, superior writing etc.
>With the same idea it would be nice if you could give me the date of
first publication and any vital statistics about the author that you know
(eg. birth-death dates, pseudonyms etc.)
Thanks to all those who wrote in with praise instead of groans.
Hasta la bye bye for now.
Greg.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
And now for the good stuff....
Some Statistics (so far):
70 people have written in so far
846 distinct books
228 authors (counting collaborations)
highest voted book - the Moon is a harsh mistress with 27 votes(39%!!)
And here is the current list of favorites.....
(note: there's a lot of extraneous information this time round, i'm in the
process of providing as much information on the books (and authors) as i
can in the final list - right now i'm adding the Hugos and Nebulas. If you
have anything to contribute please send it in - this is a lot of work!)
(ps. you can get rid of the excess stuff with a simple shell script to
filter out anything in hard brackets "[""]").
27 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress [1966] [ai, lunar colony, war] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
23 Dune [1965] [ecology, superman, esp, war] -----Herbert, Frank
22 The Mote in God's Eye [1974] [first contact, hard science, war] -----Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry
22 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: [epic fantasy, quest, linguistics] -----Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel
22 Ringworld [1970] [hard science, planetary engineering] -----Niven, Larry
20 Startide Rising [1983] [hard science, dolphin intelligence, contact] -----Brin, David
18 The Foundation Trilogy: [Hugo 1966] -----Asimov, Isaac
15 The Left Hand of Darkness [sex] -----Le Guin, Ursula K.
14 The Book of the New Sun Tetralogy: [soft sf, superior writing] -----Wolfe, Gene
14 Stranger in a Strange Land [1961] [superman, sociology] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
14 Lord of Light [superhumans, mythology, religion] -----Zelazny, Roger
14 Childhood's End [1953] [maturing of human race, aliens] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
12 Sundiver [1980] [mystery, dolphin intelligence, contact] -----Brin, David
11 The Stars My Destination [1956] [aka "Tiger, Tiger!"] -----Bester, Alfred
11 The Forever War [interstellar war] -----Haldeman, Joe
11 Stand on Zanzibar [1968] [overpopulation,sociology] -----Brunner, John Kilian Houston
11 Rendezvous with Rama [1973] [first contact, hard science] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
10 The Persistence of Vision [col.] -----Varley, John
10 The Dying Earth [1950] [far future, magic] -----Vance, Jack
10 I, Robot [1950] -----Asimov, Isaac
9 The Sheep Look Up [1972] -----Brunner, John Kilian Houston
9 The Lensman Series: -----Smith, Edward Elmer, Ph.D. [1890-1965]
9 The Dispossessed [1974] [politics] -----Le Guin, Ursula K.
9 The Demolished Man [1953] -----Bester, Alfred
9 The Complete Enchanter: [scientific magic, humour] -----de Camp, L. Sprague & Pratt, Fletcher
9 Mission of Gravity [1954] [hard science, aliens] -----Clement, Hal
9 Dragon's Egg [1980] [hard science] -----Forward, Robert L., Ph.D.
8 Way Station [1963] [first contact] -----Simak, Clifford
8 To Your Scattered Bodies Go [1971] -----Farmer, Philip Jose
8 The Time Machine -----Wells, Herbert George, B.Sc. D.Litt. [1866-1946]
8 Starship Troopers [1959] [politics] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
8 Rite of Passage [1968] [rite of passage] -----Panshin, Alexei
8 Protector [1973] [human origin, hard science] -----Niven, Larry
8 Macroscope [1969] [cosmic adventure, ftl] -----Anthony, Piers [nee "Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob"]
8 Gateway [1977] -----Pohl, Frederik
8 2001: A Space Odyssey [1968] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
7 The Vlad Taltos Books: [scientific magic] -----Brust, Steven
7 The Shockwave Rider [1975] -----Brunner, John Kilian Houston
6 The Witches of Karres [magic] -----Schmitz, James H.
6 The Cyberiad -----Lem, Stanislaw
6 The City and the Stars [future evolution] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
6 The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever Part I: -----Donaldson, Steven R.
6 Tea With the Black Dragon -----MacAvoy, R. A.
6 Neutron Star [1968] [col.] [hard science] -----Niven, Larry
6 Fahrenheit 451 [1953] [censorship] -----Bradbury, Ray Douglas
6 Creatures of Light and Darkness [1969] -----Zelazny, Roger
6 City [1952] [future humanity] -----Simak, Clifford
6 A Canticle for Leibowitz [1959] [religion, post-holocaust] -----Miller, Walter M. Jr.
5 This Immortal ["..and call me Conrad"] [immortal superman] -----Zelazny, Roger
5 The War of The Worlds -----Wells, Herbert George, B.Sc. D.Litt. [1866-1946]
5 The Space Merchants [1952] [extrapolation, satire] -----Pohl, Frederik & Kornbluth, Cyril M.
5 The Puppet Masters [1951] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
5 The Hobbit [1937] [juvenile] -----Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel
5 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy [1979] -----Adams, Douglas
5 The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth [1971] [col.] -----Zelazny, Roger
5 The Chronicles of Amber Pentalogy: [alternate magic worlds] -----Zelazny, Roger
5 Tactics of Mistake [1971] -----Dickson, Gordon R.
5 Silverlock [1949] -----Myers Myers, John
5 Nostrilia [1975] [comp. of "The Underpeople" "The Planet Buyer"] -----Smith, Cordwainer [nee Paul Linebarger Ph.D.] [1915-1954]
5 Nine Princes in Amber [1970] -----Zelazny, Roger
5 More Than Human [1953] [group mind] -----Sturgeon, Theodore
5 Lucifer's Hammer [1977] [catastrophe] -----Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry
5 Lord Valentine's Castle -----Silverberg, Robert
5 Little Fuzzy [1962] -----Piper, H. Beam
5 Foundation's Edge [1982] -----Asimov, Isaac
5 Dreamsnake -----McIntyre, Vonda N.
5 Callahan's Crosstime Saloon [1977] -----Robinson, Spider
5 A Case of Conscience [1958] [Hugo 1959] [religion] -----Blish, James Benjamin
4 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang [post-holocaust, cloning] -----Wilhelm, Kate
4 Titan [1979] -----Varley, John
4 Time Enough for Love [1973] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
4 The Warlock in Spite of Himself -----Stasheff, Christopher
4 The Snow Queen [1980] [alien civilization] -----Vinge, Joan D.
4 The Ship Who Sang [cyborg] -----McCaffrey, Anne
4 The Myth Adventures Series: [humour,fantasy] -----Asprin, Robert Lynn
4 The Midwich Cuckoos [1957] -----Wyndham, John [1903-1969]
4 The Man in the High Castle [1962] [alternate history] -----Dick, Philip K.
4 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy: [humour,philosophy] -----Adams, Douglas
4 The Final Reflection -----Ford, John
4 The Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy: [fantasy] -----McCaffrey, Anne
4 The Darkover Series: -----Bradley, Marion Eleanor Zimmer
4 The Cities In Flight Tetralogy: [future history, space opera] -----Blish, James Benjamin
4 The Best of Cordwainer Smith [1975] [col.] [human animals, future history] -----Smith, Cordwainer [nee Paul Linebarger Ph.D.] [1915-1954]
4 The Belgariad Pentalogy: [fantasy, S&S, epic] -----Eddings, David
4 Soldier, Ask Not [1968] [future society, military] -----Dickson, Gordon R.
4 Operation Chaos [scientific magic, alternate world] -----Anderson, Poul William
4 Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen [alternate history] -----Piper, H. Beam
4 Empire of the East -----Saberhagen, Fred
4 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -----Dick, Philip K.
4 Davy [1964] [post-holocaust] -----Pangborn, Edgar
4 Dangerous Visions [ed.] -----Ellison, Harlan
4 A Wrinkle in Time [1962] -----L'Engle, Madeleine
3 Too Many Magicians -----Garrett, Randall
3 The Weapon Shops of Isher [1951] -----van Vogt, A. E.
3 The Wanderer [1964] [catastrophe] -----Leiber, Fritz
3 The Two Faces of Tomorrow [1979] [ai] -----Hogan, James Patrick
3 The Tales of the Five: [fantasy] -----Duane, Diane
3 The Skylark Series: -----Smith, Edward Elmer, Ph.D. [1890-1965]
3 The Saga of the Pliocene Exile Tetralogy: [time travel, aliens, esp] -----May, Julian
3 The Practice Effect [1984] [alternate universe, humour] -----Brin, David
3 The Ophiuchi Hotline -----Varley, John
3 The Mists of Avalon [fantasy, Arthurian cycle] -----Bradley, Marion Eleanor Zimmer
3 The Martian Chronicles [1950] [col.] -----Bradbury, Ray Douglas
3 The Many-Coloured Land [1981] -----May, Julian
3 The Lord Darcy Series: [magic, alternate history] -----Garrett, Randall
3 The Little Fuzzy Series: [sympathetic aliens, humour] -----Piper, H. Beam
3 The Lathe of Heaven -----Le Guin, Ursula K.
3 The Last Unicorn [1968] [fantasy] -----Beagle, Peter Soyer
3 The Goblin Reservation [1968] -----Simak, Clifford
3 The Fountains of Paradise [1978] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
3 The Einstein Intersection -----Delany, Samuel R.
3 The Dosadi Experiment [1977] -----Herbert, Frank
3 The Deep Range [1957] [undersea farming] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
3 The Deathworld Trilogy: [hostile planet] -----Harrison, Harry
3 The Day of the Triffids [1951] [catastrophe] -----Wyndham, John [1903-1969]
3 Stardance -----Robinson, Spider & Jeanne
3 Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers -----Harrison, Harry
3 SongMaster -----Card, Orson Scott
3 Slan [1968] [supermen] -----van Vogt, A. E.
3 Roadmarks [1979] [time travel] -----Zelazny, Roger
3 Retief at Large [diplomacy, aliens, humour] -----Laumer, Keith
3 Neuromancer [hard science] -----Gibson, William
3 Needle [1949] [alien virus] -----Clement, Hal
3 Men, Martians and Machines [adventure, robots] -----Russell, Eric Frank
3 Jack of Shadows [magic, superman] -----Zelazny, Roger
3 Inferno [1976] -----Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry
3 Gladiator-at-Law [1955] [extrapolation, satire] -----Pohl, Frederik & Kornbluth, Cyril M.
3 Flowers for Algernon [1966] [intelligence, fine writing] -----Keyes, Daniel
3 Downbelow Station [politics, war, aliens] -----Cherryh, C.J.
3 Double Star [politics] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
3 Doorways in the Sand [1976] -----Zelazny, Roger
3 Damiano -----MacAvoy, R. A.
3 Cat's Cradle [1963] [end of the world] -----Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. [1922- ]
3 Bill the Galactic Hero -----Harrison, Harry
3 Beauty [well written fairy tale] -----McKinley, Robin
3 Babel-17 [1966] -----Delany, Samuel R.
3 Another Fine Myth [1978] -----Asprin, Robert Lynn
3 Again, Dangerous Visions [ed.] -----Ellison, Harlan
3 A Spell for Chameleon -----Anthony, Piers [nee "Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob"]
3 A Fall of Moondust -----Clarke, Arthur C.
3 1984 [1949] [dystopia] -----Orwell, George [nee Eric Arthur Blair] [1903-1950]
2 Worlds of the Imperium [alternate worlds] -----Laumer, Keith
2 Wasp [adventure, humour] -----Russell, Eric Frank
2 Waldo & Magic, Incorporated [two novellas] [scientific magic] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 Venus Equilateral [communications relay, techies] -----Smith, George O.
2 Ubik [1969] -----Dick, Philip K.
2 True Names -----Vinge, Vernor
2 Tower of Glass [androids] -----Silverberg, Robert
2 To Reign in Hell [mythology,religion] [1985] -----Brust, Steven
2 Thrice Upon a Time -----Hogan, James Patrick
2 Thieves World -----Asprin, Robert Lynn
2 Thendara House [1983] -----Bradley, Marion Eleanor Zimmer
2 The World of Null-A [1948] -----van Vogt, A. E.
2 The Warhound and the World's Pain -----Moorcock, Michael
2 The Tree of Swords and Jewels [sequel to The Dreamstone] -----Cherryh, C.J.
2 The Traveller in Black [fantasy] -----Brunner, John Kilian Houston
2 The Titan Series: [world as organism] -----Varley, John
2 The Thurb Revolution [1968] -----Panshin, Alexei
2 The Swords of Lankhmar [col.] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 The Star Diaries -----Lem, Stanislaw
2 The Stainless Steel Rat [1961] -----Harrison, Harry
2 The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death -----Pinkwater, Daniel
2 The Skylark of Space [1946] -----Smith, Edward Elmer, Ph.D. [1890-1965]
2 The Silver Metal Lover -----Lee, Tanith
2 The Sector General Series: -----White, James
2 The Rolling Stones [aka "Space Family Stone"] [juvenile, family space travel] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 The Riddle of the Stars Trilogy: -----McKillip, Patricia
2 The Reluctant King Trilogy: -----de Camp, L. Sprague
2 The Red Magician -----Goldstein, Lisa
2 The Princess Bride [1973] -----Goldman, William
2 The Past Through Tomorrow [1967] [col.] [future history] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 The King of Elfland's Daughter -----Duane, Diane
2 The Integral Trees [1983] [hard science] -----Niven, Larry
2 The Instrumentality of Mankind [1979] [col.] -----Smith, Cordwainer [nee Paul Linebarger Ph.D.] [1915-1954]
2 The Incarnations of Immortality Series: -----Anthony, Piers [nee "Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob"]
2 The Illustrated Man [1951] -----Bradbury, Ray Douglas
2 The Illuminatus! Trilogy: [conspiracy theories, humour] -----Wilson, Robert Anton & Shea, Robert J.
2 The Heechee Trilogy: -----Pohl, Frederik
2 The Harper Hall of Pern Trilogy: [fantasy] -----McCaffrey, Anne
2 The Guardians of the Flame Series: -----Rosenberg, Joel
2 The Gods Themselves [1972] [Hugo & Nebula 1972] -----Asimov, Isaac
2 The Futurological Congress -----Lem, Stanislaw
2 The Flying Sorcerers [1971] [humour, hard science] -----Gerrold, David & Niven, Larry
2 The Fifth Head of Cerberus [1972] [col.] -----Wolfe, Gene
2 The Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series: [sword & sorcery, humour] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 The Faded Sun Trilogy: [adventure, politics] -----Cherryh, C.J.
2 The Face -----Vance, Jack
2 The End of Eternity [1955] -----Asimov, Isaac
2 The Earthsea Trilogy: -----Le Guin, Ursula K.
2 The Dreamstone [celtic mythos, sword & sorcery] -----Cherryh, C.J.
2 The Dragon Waiting -----Ford, John
2 The Door into Fire -----Duane, Diane
2 The Demon Princes Series: [future civilazation] -----Vance, Jack
2 The Darwath Trilogy: -----Hambly, Barbara
2 The Dancers at the End of Time Series: -----Moorcock, Michael
2 The Crucible of Time -----Brunner, John Kilian Houston
2 The Colour Of Magic -----Pratchett, Terry
2 The Childe Cycle of books: [development of human race] -----Dickson, Gordon R.
2 The Camber Trilogy: -----Kurtz, Katherine
2 The Broken Sword -----Anderson, Poul William
2 The Book of Dreams -----Vance, Jack
2 The Birthgrave -----Lee, Tanith
2 The Big Time [alternate worlds] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 The Battle Circle Trilogy: [post-holocaust] -----Anthony, Piers [nee "Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob"]
2 The Barbie Murders -----Varley, John
2 The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat -----Harrison, Harry
2 Tau Zero [1970] [hard science, interstellar ship] -----Anderson, Poul William
2 Tales of Known Space [col.] -----Niven, Larry
2 Systemic Shock -----Ing, Dean
2 Swords and Deviltry [1970] [col.] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 Swords against Death [col.] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 Star Well -----Panshin, Alexei
2 Something Wicked This Way Comes -----Bradbury, Ray Douglas
2 So You Want to Be a Wizard -----Duane, Diane
2 Slaughterhouse-5 -----Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. [1922- ]
2 Retief's War [diplomacy, aliens, humour] -----Laumer, Keith
2 Raphael -----MacAvoy, R. A.
2 Quest of the Three Worlds -----Smith, Cordwainer [nee Paul Linebarger Ph.D.] [1915-1954]
2 Pilgrimage: The Book of the People -----Henderson, Zenna
2 Out of the Deeps [1953] [aka "The Kraken Wakes"] -----Wyndham, John [1903-1969]
2 Our Lady of Darkness [horror] -----Leiber, Fritz
2 Nova [1968] -----Delany, Samuel R.
2 Mindkiller -----Robinson, Spider
2 Midnight at the Well of Souls [1977] [artificial worlds] [first in Well World series] -----Chalker, Jack L.
2 Michaelmas -----Budrys, Algi/rda/s Jonas
2 Masque World -----Panshin, Alexei
2 Martians, Go Home [1955] [humour] -----Brown, Frederic William
2 Little, Big -----Crowley, John
2 Jhereg [1983] -----Brust, Steven
2 Have Spacesuit Will Travel -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 God Stalk -----Hodgell, P. C.
2 Glory Road [1963] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 Flatland [math. popularization] -----Abbott, Edwin A.
2 Dragonsinger -----McCaffrey, Anne
2 Dragonflight -----McCaffrey, Anne
2 Dorsai! [1959] [future history] -----Dickson, Gordon R.
2 Dinosaur Beach -----Laumer, Keith
2 Deathbird Stories -----Ellison, Harlan
2 Damiano's Lute -----MacAvoy, R. A.
2 Dahlgren -----Delany, Samuel R.
2 Conan the Barbarian [sword & sorcery] -----Howard, Robert E.
2 Citizen of the Galaxy [rite of passage, future society] -----Heinlein, Robert A.
2 Camp Concentration [1968] -----Disch, Thomas M.
2 Brave New World -----Huxley, Aldous
2 Bolo -----Laumer, Keith
2 Berserker [killer robots] -----Saberhagen, Fred
2 Armageddon 2419AD [original Buck Rogers] -----Nowlan, Phillip Francis
2 All the Myriad Ways [1971] [col.] -----Niven, Larry
2 Agent of Vega [adventure] -----Schmitz, James H.
2 Against the Fall of Night [future evolution] -----Clarke, Arthur C.
2 A Wizard of Earthsea [juvenile, magic, rite of passage] -----Le Guin, Ursula K.
2 A Princess of Mars [1917] -----Burroughs, Edgar Rice
2 A Midsummer Tempest [fantasy, Shakespearean overtones] -----Anderson, Poul William
--
Gregory J.E. Rawlins, Department of Computer Science, U. Waterloo
{allegra|clyde|linus|inhp4|decvax}!watmath!watdaisy!gjerawlinsbrust@hyper.UUCP (Steven Brust) (07/01/85)
> > > 7 The Vlad Taltos Books: [scientific magic] -----Brust, Steven > > > 2 To Reign in Hell [mythology,religion] [1985] -----Brust, Steven > 2 Jhereg [1983] -----Brust, Steven Well, I mean, like, blush to the max. -- SKZB