So lately I’ve been catching up on some of my TBR pile, or in many cases by TBRR (to be reread) pile. There’s not a huge amount of new fantasy and science fiction being published these days that appeals to me. There’s some, just not a lot. I went to B&N last night and left without buying anything.
I’ve been spending a good deal of this year trying to get caught up on books that fall into two broad (and occasionally overlapping) categories, classics of the field and series I’ve either started but not finished/series I’ve bought but not started at all. Many of the latter haven’t been finished because I started them when they were only one book and never worked later books in. Then there are the stand-alones I got distracted while reading and haven’t finished yet. So I guess there are three categories.
The focus of this post is what would be considered classics in both the science fiction and fantasy fields. Much of my catch-up reading has been science fiction the last half year or so. Not all of it has been titles I’d not read. Some of it has been rereading things I read so long ago but have little to no memory of now. I’ll list a few things I’ve been reading and then solicit suggestions.
I read Dune (but none of the other books) in the early 2000s. I remembered few details when I reread it earlier this year, but quite enjoyed it. I’ve since read Dune Messiah, which I quite liked, and I plan to keep reading the series until I either hit a volume I don’t like or run out of the titles Frank Herbert wrote.
I’m in the middle of a reread of Stranger in a Strange Land. I read it about the same time I first read Dune, and while my memory is a little better on this one, most of the details had faded. I’m enjoying it so far, but since I recall enough to know where the book is heading, I’m focusing on things other than what is going to happen next.
Last year, I reread Foundation since some of the individual stories had been nominated for Retro Hugos. I plan to finish rereading the trilogy, although I’m not sure if I want to wade through the books Asimov wrote later in his life when he returned to the series.
I’m also rereading Satan’s World by Poul Anderson, which is one fo theNicholas van Rijn and David Falkayn novels. I read the whole series in high school and college. This is another I don’t have any memory of other than that I enjoyed it.
Much of my rereading this year has been Anderson, Heinlein, and Herbert, and to a lesser extent, Asimov. They’ll still be heavy in my rotation.
But what other books should I be reading that could be considered classics or near-classics? Or to be controversial, what do you think are the canonical titles in fantasy and science fiction, the concept of canonical being a somewhat hot topic these days? Most of my reading lately has been science fiction, but I intend to read or reread some classic fantasy. Obviously there’s Howard and Tolkien, Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. But what others? Le Guin? Zelazny? Kurtz?
Feel free to suggest any titles the well-read science fiction and fantasy fan should be reading in the comments.
Anything by H G Wells that is science fiction – even the later books. Olaf Stapledon, particularly Last & First Men and Star Maker. Clifford Simak’s City is one that I have never read but it keeps coming up as a classic. Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination. Walter M Miller’s Canticle for Leibowitz (but not the sequel). Charles Harness’s The Paradox Men and The Ring of Ritornel. Philip K Dick’s Man in the High Castle, Martian Time Slip, Do Androids Dream, Flow My Tears plus half a dozen others. I could go on of course but there is not world enough and time.
Thanks for the suggestions, Neil. Wells and Stapledon are on the radar, although I’ve never read the latter. I reread City last summer and will probably reread Way Station soon. I really liked The Demolished Man when I read it about 20 years ago. It deserves a reread. I’ve not read The Stars My Destination yet. I was in grad school when I read Canticle, and loved it. The sequel came out about then, but I never read it. I’ve read some of Harness’s short fiction and will definitely read the two novels you suggest. The only PKD novel you mention that I’ve not read is Martian Time Slip, but I have a copy of it. One of PKD’s novels I really liked was Time Out of Joint.
For classic fantasy you might try A. Merritt, The Ship of Ishtar, Dwellers in the Mirage , The Face in the Abyss. For classic science fiction there is Doc Smith. Those who have not read the Lensman series are advised to start with Galactic Patrol and read through Children of the Lens and then go back to read the prequels.
I’ve read Dwellers and really liked it. Smith I need to get to soon.
“I am quite illiterate, but I read a lot.”
—Holden Caulfield
I have been meaning to comment on this post all week, and just finally found time.
I recorded all the books I read the first four months of this year and, while I didn’t really enjoy the process, I did learn that I read a lot and also that I read a lot of crap. Still, there were some diamonds in the rough, and I bring three of those as recommendations for you:
Frans G. Bengtsson. The Long Ships. 1954.
I had never heard of this book until recently, but hands down, it is the best Viking adventure story I have ever read. It is definitely an “Adventure Fantastic.” I really enjoyed the writing style and the way the story was told. Classic.
John Myers Myers. The Harp and the Blade. 1982.
I read Myers’ Silverlock recently and was impressed by his many literary references, but I did not think the story stood well on its own. I read this book, however, and was blown away at how good it was. Well written, certainly a historical adventure, and the book features a Bard and a character named Conan (who is not unlike our favorite character by the same name). Don’t let the Bard part scare you off, as the character is well written. This is a book very much like a Conan story and one I highly recommend.
Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Mucker. 1914.
I read a list of the top 10 Burrough’s books you should read and 20 more if you liked those. Being smug, of course, I thought, “Oh, I am sure I read them all. At least the top 10.” Number one, A Princess of Mars. Check. Number two, Tarzan of the Apes. Check. Number three, the Mucker. The what? And at number three? I had never heard of it. I immediately ordered it, read it, and loved it. I reminds me a lot of Robert E. Howard’s Steve Costigan stories and London’s Martin Eden. Great book.
Enjoy!
Thanks for the suggestions, Will. The Mucker is in the other room, with the Burroughs I still need to read. I will definitely track down Teh Long Ships. As for The Harp and the Blade, well…
http://adventuresfantastic.com/john-myers-myers-and-the-harp-and-the-blade/
The Long Ships is great fun. And, if you don’t have time to read it, you can watch the great movie of it, with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier! Great cheesey fun!
You’re welcome. I see that you had similar thoughts regarding the Harp and the Blade. Now, I will be ordering Wellman’s Cahena based on Duece’s recommendation.
You know, it’s funny. I always hated the bard in D&D, but in books, it often works really well. Myer’s The Harp and the Blade, Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, and Phyllis Eisenstein’s Born to Exile. All good books/characters in my opinion.
I’ve not read Rothfuss, but I loved Born to Exile and its sequels.