“10 Science Fiction Novels You Pretend to Have Read (And Why You Should Actually Read Them)”

[supergee]

1) Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Read. Enjoyed. Science Fiction
2) Dune by Frank Herbert Read. Repressed. Science Fiction
3) Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon Read. Loved. Not Science Fiction.
4) Foundation by Isaac Asimov Read. Loved. Science Fiction.
5) Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke Did not read. Fantasy.
6) 1984 by George Orwell Read. Enjoyed. Science Fiction
7) First and Last Men and Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon Read. Enjoyed. Science Fiction
8) The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett Did not read. Science Fiction.
9) Dhalgren by Samuel Delany Read. Enjoyed. Not Science Fiction.
10) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Did not read. Not Science Fiction.
Charlie Jane Anders at io9

Comments

[serene]

I've read 1984. I started Jonathan Strange, and will finish it because my kid and I are reading it together. I'm not a huge connoisseur of SF/F, but I couldn't get far into Snowcrash before throwing the book across the room, so I'm unlikely to read Cryptonomicon.

[thistleingrey]

huh. I've read all but 8 and 9, though I do own a copy of 9, and have utterly forgotten the Pynchon; possibly I was too young. But really, this is a top ten list of sorts? I am idly curious whether kids meeting Foundation today find it readable; I bounced three times during my teens and can count it as read only because of some focused skimming. (I read and more or less liked everything else by Asimov my childhood public library had, including the non-fictional science essays....)

[marahmarie]

I read 1984. I've read it dozens of times, in fact, starting when I was about 13 (after a guy shoved it at me in 7th grade homeroom and told me to read it - I was so concerned about the look he gave me that I did) and would read it dozens of times more. All-time favorite, especially because most of it came or is still coming true (Orwell's a prophet, a fact that doesn't make me too happy, but makes for a fascinating read, nonetheless).

I don't even pretend to have read the others, but just the fact that people are willing to do so tells me I ought to actually read them.