view release on metacpan or  search on metacpan

t/data/spin/input/journal/2011-08/006.th  view on Meta::CPAN

\include[../.macros]

\heading[Eagle's Path: NPR Top 100 SFF meme (2011-08-12)][journal]

\h1[NPR Top 100 SFF meme]

By way of \link[http://firecat.dreamwidth.org/profile]
[\image[/~eagle/journal/dw.png][]]\link[http://firecat.dreamwidth.org/]
[\strong[firecat]], this is the result of a public nomination process,
panel review, and Internet voting on the NPR web site: an attempt at the
top 100 works of science fiction or fantasy.  Series are counted as single
works for the purposes of the list.

This list has a ton of problems, like any list of this sort will have.  It
leans rather more heavily towards white male than the actual literature,
and certainly than my reading.  The lack of non-white writers is
particularly troubling.  But it's still an interesting selection.  (For
those wondering about some obvious omissions, young adult was explicitly
excluded.)

The rules are to bold the works one has read in their entirety and
italicize the ones you've read part of but not finished.  I'll add
underlining the works that I own, which provides some indication of the
things that I've not read but that are on my to-read list.

\==[ro] [2] [\number(packed)[\strong[\under[\1]]: \2]]
\==[r]  [2] [\number(packed)[\strong[\1]: \2]]
\==[po] [2] [\number(packed)[\emph[\under[\1]]: \2]]
\==[p]  [2] [\number(packed)[\emph[\1]: \2]]
\==[o]  [2] [\number(packed)[\under[\1]: \2]]
\==[n]  [2] [\number(packed)[\1: \2]]

\ro[The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien][
    It's a boring winner because it always wins, but it's an amazing book
    and I can't argue with it.  I'll probably never review this one since
    I'm not sure I have anything original to say about it.
]
\ro[The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams][
    Probably the best humorous SF.  I've read the entire series except for
    \cite[The Salmon of Doubt], the unfinished book left when Adams died.
    Will re-read them all at some point.
]
\ro[Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card][
    I intensely dislike Card's politics, but this book is still very good.
    It's on my re-read list so that I can write a proper review of it.
]
\r[The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert][
    I've read the whole series, but only own the first, which is by far
    the best.  I'm tempted to re-read the whole series at some point,
    since I don't remember it well enough to analyze it, but I'll probably
    stop after re-reading just the first.
]
\p[\link[../../reviews/books/0-553-57340-3.html][A Song Of Ice And Fire
    Series], by George R. R. Martin][
    I own the first couple and have read and reviewed the first four.  I
    think they're somewhat overrated, but will probably read the latest.
    I'm not sure if I'll re-read the previous books to remember what the
    heck was going on.
]

\o[1984, by George Orwell][
    I've somehow never read this.  I keep meaning to, particularly since I
    generally love Orwell.
]
\r[Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury][
    Massively overrated, or perhaps just made unoriginal by subsequent
    history.  I found it boring and uninteresting.
]
\ro[The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov][
    Thoroughly enjoyed this when I was a teenager.  I suspect I'll like it
    less as an adult, but definitely on my to-read list.
]
\o[Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley][Another classic I've never read.]
\ro[American Gods, by Neil Gaiman][
    Great book.  Need to re-read to review.
]

\o[The Princess Bride, by William Goldman][
    On the list to read.  Apparently significantly better than the movie,
    which I liked less than everyone else on the planet.
]