27 January 2007

War of the Worlds - HG Wells

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/War_of_the_Worlds_original_cover_bw.jpg
Date: January 27, 2007
Recommendation: A must for all Milky Way travelers


Had it been written in 1998 it would have been received as one of the top sci-fi books of the year. The fact that it was written in 1898 attests to its place as the magnum opus of the genre.

Although science fiction, and the nerdy band of literati who revere the genre, receive quite a bit of opprobrious (thank you GREs) scorn, there are a number of excellent works in the field. I am by no means the Borg queen on the subject, so to speak, but I can make a few solid recommendations.

My top 5 sci-fi books
1. Dune - Frank Herbert
2. 1984 - George Orwell
3. Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
4. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
5. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
5. I, Robot - Isaac Asimov (couldn't publish a top "5" without him)

Honorable mention - Slaughterhouse 5, Brave New World, Handmaid's Tale, Ender's Game, The time Traveler's wife (only reason I didn't include it in the top 5 is I'm not convinced it belongs with these dorks).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

One of the first books I'd ever read of my own volition. Me tinks I was 15. During this impressionable age I was fascinated with the way Phileas Fogg was always so calm and calculating when faced with adversity. Though now in retrospect I'm sure his demeanor could be interpreted as neurotic and cold.