Science Fiction and Fantasy Must Reads

If you love science fiction or fantasy novels, these should be on your list.

Related Lists of Note:
Best Alternate H*story [asterisk is here so this list isn't misclassified]
Best Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Best Epic Fantasy
Best Fantasy of the 21st Century
Best Science Fiction
Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Science Fiction Fantasy Books
Best Space Opera
Best Urban Fantasy

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1	The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.53 avg rating — 684,986 ratings score: 75,477, and 764 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Dune (Dune, #1) by Frank Herbert 4.27 avg rating — 1,418,459 ratings score: 53,966, and 555 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.31 avg rating — 1,391,312 ratings score: 49,799, and 510 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.29 avg rating — 4,060,781 ratings score: 48,826, and 508 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7) by J.K. Rowling 4.74 avg rating — 290,353 ratings score: 43,417, and 445 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.34 avg rating — 8,846,553 ratings score: 38,608, and 399 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	1984 by George Orwell 4.19 avg rating — 4,716,476 ratings score: 38,510, and 403 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.44 avg rating — 2,527,226 ratings score: 35,183, and 366 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams 4.23 avg rating — 1,869,509 ratings score: 34,224, and 362 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.52 avg rating — 981,177 ratings score: 32,940, and 340 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.96 avg rating — 2,471,743 ratings score: 25,938, and 275 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 1,887,067 ratings score: 24,793, and 265 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 945,655 ratings score: 24,567, and 262 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis 4.24 avg rating — 2,846,750 ratings score: 23,252, and 249 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1) by Philip Pullman 4.02 avg rating — 1,540,998 ratings score: 19,224, and 207 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.66 avg rating — 516,917 ratings score: 19,073, and 200 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	I, Robot (Robot, #0.1) by Isaac Asimov 4.21 avg rating — 351,189 ratings score: 16,948, and 184 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1) by Robert Jordan 4.19 avg rating — 540,127 ratings score: 16,296, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 725,396 ratings score: 16,190, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 356,175 ratings score: 16,089, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,532,916 ratings score: 15,432, and 170 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Foundation (Foundation, #1) by Isaac Asimov 4.17 avg rating — 548,037 ratings score: 15,318, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 10,256,622 ratings score: 14,932, and 163 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.27 avg rating — 907,920 ratings score: 14,560, and 159 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 2,092,997 ratings score: 14,457, and 158 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett 4.26 avg rating — 764,780 ratings score: 14,029, and 152 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) by Madeleine L'Engle 3.98 avg rating — 1,216,034 ratings score: 13,841, and 154 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.55 avg rating — 566,980 ratings score: 13,528, and 144 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 4.09 avg rating — 460,880 ratings score: 13,177, and 144 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 3.89 avg rating — 526,312 ratings score: 12,954, and 146 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein 3.92 avg rating — 315,067 ratings score: 12,683, and 138 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 771,735 ratings score: 12,207, and 134 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.87 avg rating — 1,629,856 ratings score: 11,895, and 135 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 4.15 avg rating — 266,072 ratings score: 11,553, and 128 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, #1) by Christopher Paolini (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 1,803,668 ratings score: 11,431, and 126 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton 4.10 avg rating — 972,552 ratings score: 11,220, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Host (The Host, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.86 avg rating — 1,014,226 ratings score: 11,060, and 121 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1) by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 336,201 ratings score: 10,491, and 116 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 200,796 ratings score: 10,435, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) by Ernest Cline (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 1,190,680 ratings score: 10,205, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 2,023,098 ratings score: 10,166, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Viciously Yours (Fae Kings of Eden, #1) by Jamie Applegate Hunter (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 20,216 ratings score: 9,978, and 105 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey 4.09 avg rating — 138,309 ratings score: 9,957, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.10 avg rating — 187,938 ratings score: 9,815, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells 3.83 avg rating — 319,700 ratings score: 9,481, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 545,490 ratings score: 9,296, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.65 avg rating — 6,690,128 ratings score: 9,279, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.33 avg rating — 2,154,954 ratings score: 9,203, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein 4.01 avg rating — 230,852 ratings score: 9,159, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein 4.16 avg rating — 131,911 ratings score: 9,146, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1) by Scott Lynch (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 302,686 ratings score: 8,894, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1) by Dan Simmons 4.27 avg rating — 259,698 ratings score: 8,647, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Three Witches and the Master by Max Nowaz (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 17,445 ratings score: 8,635, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 283,325 ratings score: 8,588, and 95 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	2001: A Space Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #1) by Arthur C. Clarke 4.17 avg rating — 317,262 ratings score: 8,509, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Watchmen by Alan Moore (Goodreads Author) 4.38 avg rating — 563,923 ratings score: 8,282, and 94 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1-5) by Douglas Adams 4.38 avg rating — 326,034 ratings score: 8,261, and 94 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Ringworld (Ringworld, #1) by Larry Niven 3.94 avg rating — 122,919 ratings score: 8,238, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Martian by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author) 4.42 avg rating — 1,145,875 ratings score: 8,064, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7) by C.S. Lewis 4.27 avg rating — 659,549 ratings score: 7,927, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn't Ask For by Sara Pascoe (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 12,595 ratings score: 7,441, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.25 avg rating — 128,512 ratings score: 7,123, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1) by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.01 avg rating — 323,966 ratings score: 7,095, and 86 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga, #1) by Raymond E. Feist 4.17 avg rating — 96,749 ratings score: 7,070, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.10 avg rating — 1,385,286 ratings score: 6,828, and 80 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1) by Eoin Colfer 3.86 avg rating — 549,697 ratings score: 6,736, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 4.06 avg rating — 135,360 ratings score: 6,637, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #2) by Dan Simmons 4.23 avg rating — 129,808 ratings score: 6,372, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 242,523 ratings score: 6,362, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 619,251 ratings score: 6,211, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.99 avg rating — 923,838 ratings score: 6,193, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 1,520,511 ratings score: 6,070, and 68 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 598,485 ratings score: 6,021, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman 4.29 avg rating — 162,725 ratings score: 6,012, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 629,166 ratings score: 5,951, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, #1) by Megan Bannen (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 32,124 ratings score: 5,919, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2) by Orson Scott Card 4.10 avg rating — 257,969 ratings score: 5,876, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	A Canticle for Leibowitz (St. Leibowitz, #1) by Walter M. Miller Jr. 3.98 avg rating — 111,027 ratings score: 5,833, and 68 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Inkheart (Inkworld, #1) by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 427,550 ratings score: 5,735, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1) by Olivia Atwater (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 43,556 ratings score: 5,696, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8; City Watch, #1) by Terry Pratchett 4.34 avg rating — 212,818 ratings score: 5,651, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.15 avg rating — 408,483 ratings score: 5,614, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	A Fire Upon the Deep (Zones of Thought, #1) by Vernor Vinge 4.14 avg rating — 62,266 ratings score: 5,523, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Andromeda Strain (Andromeda, #1) by Michael Crichton 3.91 avg rating — 258,320 ratings score: 5,512, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.39 avg rating — 2,844,055 ratings score: 5,511, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 63,719 ratings score: 5,496, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1) by Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 113,871 ratings score: 5,442, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) by Liu Cixin (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 372,787 ratings score: 5,385, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Forever War (The Forever War, #1) by Joe Haldeman 4.14 avg rating — 168,695 ratings score: 5,366, and 64 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 374,256 ratings score: 5,342, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The City of Ember (Book of Ember, #1) by Jeanne DuPrau 3.89 avg rating — 284,895 ratings score: 5,280, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Susan, You're The Chosen One (Welcome To Midlife Magic, #1) by Lauretta Hignett (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 1,276 ratings score: 5,232, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1) by Ben Aaronovitch (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 133,300 ratings score: 5,176, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Ender's Shadow (The Shadow Series, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.32 avg rating — 173,417 ratings score: 5,164, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 651,036 ratings score: 5,162, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 715,346 ratings score: 5,157, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (Glimmer Falls, #1) by Sarah Hawley (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 31,427 ratings score: 5,130, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Never Fall for a Dragon (Mate Mountain, #1) by Lola Glass (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 2,259 ratings score: 5,081, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author) 4.37 avg rating — 1,086,652 ratings score: 5,062, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Children of Time (Children of Time, #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 131,831 ratings score: 5,019, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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3,770 books · 4,940 voters · list created August 3rd, 2009 by Assirahc (votes) .

Tags: best, fantasy, magic, science-fiction, shapeshifter, vampire, werewolf

13 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (4940)

Assirahc 715 books
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Holly 3754 books
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Deb 386 books
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Kat 28 books
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Tessa 1533 books
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Eileen 551 books
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Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-43 of 43 (43 new)

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newest »

message 1: by Michaelbrent (new)

Nov 03, 2009 10:51AM

For consideration on this list:

Billy: Messenger of Powers by Michaelbrent Collings (check it out at www.whoisbillyjones.com)

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message 2: by Emily (new)

Dec 27, 2009 07:28AM

Why are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns on here? There are neither Science Fiction nor Fantasy. Can someone remove them?

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message 3: by Emily (new)

Dec 27, 2009 07:34AM

I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things.

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message 4: by Doctruthyness (new)

Jul 05, 2010 10:01PM

Dude, your book is not a 'must read.' It's not even a 'maybe read.'

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message 5: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:44AM

Wish I could have retracted my vote (for a single Pullman vs the series).

Roger Zelazny, the Amber Chronicles The Great Book of Amber
Isaac Asimov, the Foundation seriesThe Foundation Trilogy

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message 6: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:45AM

Emily wrote: "Why are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns on here? There are neither Science Fiction nor Fantasy. Can someone remove them?"

Thoroughly agree!

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message 7: by Victoria (last edited Jul 14, 2010 11:49AM) (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:49AM

Oh, well if vampires are included then one must read Anne Rice, who popularized the romance and sensuality of vampires:

The Vampire Chronicles Interview With the Vampire; The Vampire Lestat; The Queen of the Damned

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message 8: by Victoria (new)

Jul 14, 2010 11:50AM

Doctruthyness wrote: "Dude, your book is not a 'must read.' It's not even a 'maybe read.'"

Just wondering who "Dude, your book" is!

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message 9: by Angel (last edited Nov 02, 2010 08:54PM) (new)

Nov 02, 2010 08:54PM

And could someone remove the duplicate editions? I don't think we need to list titles like Brave New World more than once. And yes, why are books like The Kite Runner on this list, which clearly are not science fiction nor fantasy?

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message 10: by Sue (new)

Dec 07, 2010 02:21PM

How is Midnight Sun number 33?

It's not a book, it is, at best, an unfinished manuscript available on the internet that will probably never be published.

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message 11: by Ruby (new)

Sep 21, 2011 09:10PM

There are a great many books on this list that do not qualify as great or even good, they are merely new. Apparently a lot of people haven't read anything that was published before they entered high school.

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message 12: by 4l3x (last edited Aug 24, 2012 03:55AM) (new)

Aug 24, 2012 03:55AM

The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility

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message 13: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 04, 2012 07:44PM

4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better

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message 14: by 4l3x (new)

Sep 04, 2012 10:30PM

Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?

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message 15: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:01PM

4l3x wrote: "Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even read the hunger games?

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message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:03PM

Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "Monique wrote: "4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

the hunger games is much better"

oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even..."

and yes i have read it

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message 17: by Ruby (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:33PM

Somebody's eatin' the crazy pills! The Hunger Games is young adult!! There's no way it could compare to the universe & history in the Dune series. Get a perspective.

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message 18: by 4l3x (last edited Sep 05, 2012 06:54AM) (new)

Sep 04, 2012 11:51PM

Monique wrote:
oh please... Have you even read Dune?"

have you even read the hunger games? "

I have. The whole series. (as you can see in my read books ;D) And while I enjoyed it in some extent (I find Katniss incredibly annoying and clueless) there is no way it should be before Dune in any list

Ruby wrote: "There's no way it could compare to the universe & history in the Dune series. Get a perspective. "
I see there is still hope out there

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message 19: by Scribble (new)

Sep 05, 2012 06:52AM

4l3x wrote: "The Hunger Games before Dune? This list lost all it's credibility"

LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE

and

+1

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message 20: by Karina (new)

Sep 11, 2012 04:31PM

Emily wrote: "I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things. "

YES! 1000X YES!

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message 21: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 11, 2012 11:36PM

science fiction and fantasy can be good together

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message 22: by Ruby (new)

Sep 12, 2012 12:04AM

I agree. I love it when they are mixed in the same world! Or when the story seems like one and turns out to be the other.

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message 23: by [deleted user] (last edited Sep 12, 2012 04:57AM) (new)

Sep 12, 2012 04:57AM

i like fantasy and science fition i loved footprints of thunder and thunder of time there fantasy and science fiction

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message 24: by Nessarose (new)

Jan 24, 2013 12:49PM

It feels as though books that are part of series are really clogging the list up. Someone who's read a single series from start to finish will feel like they're a big man on campus after reading this list.

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message 25: by Danny (new)

Feb 16, 2015 10:16AM

Greegs & Ladders

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message 26: by Jonathan (new)

Jan 04, 2016 03:03PM

Science fiction AND fantasy in one list? Oh brother... Why don't you just mix children books with zombie books next for all the sense it makes? YAUGRL--yet another useless goodreads list.

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message 27: by Wolfgarr (new)

Jun 15, 2017 06:39PM

another list turned worthless due to everyone and his brother spaming every single book in a series.....When all you need is the first one.

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message 28: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 05, 2017 11:07AM

There are other better lists:

For recent science fiction take a look at Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century.

For popular fantasy take a look at The Most Popular Fantasy on Goodreads

For both these lists there are links in the list description to other good fantasy and science fiction lists.

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message 29: by Donna (new)

Aug 09, 2017 07:39PM

The system found and removed 4 duplicates.

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message 30: by Fatemeh (new)

Aug 14, 2017 10:12PM

برای کشف اقیانوس باید جرات ترک ساحل را داشت این دنیا دنیای تغییرات است نه تقدیر

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message 31: by Donna (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:10PM

Greg wrote: "A new collection for consideration. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..."
This is spam, and it violates Goodreads author conduct policy. I recommend you delete it. Otherwise I will flag it.

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message 32: by Donna (last edited Aug 31, 2017 08:36PM) (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:22PM

As mixed lists go, this one is pretty good. I am seeing some genre issues though. Removed Beloved from p 5. Toni Morrison, science fiction and fantasy? The hell?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

On the line: where do we draw the line between fantasy and horror, folks? I am looking at some Stephen King titles, and Anne Rice. Dracula by Bram Stoker is clearly out of genre, and I'm removing it:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Love to hear some input about the others mentioned here. Some have a large number of votes, and I know that once a list is established, the first page becomes almost sacred. I don't want to touch anything that's liable to draw objections unless it's very clearly in the wrong place...

Removed from page 7, A Thousand Splendid Suns, out of genre:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Removed from page 8, A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

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message 33: by Mitchell (new)

Aug 31, 2017 08:41PM

So - I'm not a big fan of horror. But a lot of horror I would consider also fantasy. And I'm not the only one. Dracula for example, is shelved 7,950 as horror. But it is also shelved 3,360 as fantasy. As a librarian I do a lot of removing books from lists. But as far as I'm concerned vampires and werewolves are just about always fantasy - and sometimes horror and sometimes romance and sometimes very rarely science fiction.

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message 34: by Donna (new)

Aug 31, 2017 09:49PM

Mitchell wrote: "So - I'm not a big fan of horror. But a lot of horror I would consider also fantasy. And I'm not the only one. Dracula for example, is shelved 7,950 as horror. But it is also shelved 3..."
The difference in genre, as I understand it, is that horror is written to induce fear more than anything else. I did see that some people have incorrectly shelved Dracula, but it's also a very small percentage of readers overall. (Look at the numbers at the top of the shelf list and you'll see what I mean.)
However, I also realize--though I'm not a fan personally--that there are now a lot of stories involving paranormal and vampirical love. So that's where the line gets hazy, because we have a category that used to be entirely horror and now is not.
As I previously said, I"m not going to remove anything I'm not sure of. I feel confident about Dracula.

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message 35: by Donna (new)

Apr 21, 2018 12:45PM

The system found and removed 6 duplicates.

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message 36: by Radu (new)

Jul 19, 2018 01:39PM

Emily wrote: "I also hate when people put Science Fiction and Fantasy together. They are clearly very different things. "

I TOTALLY agree!

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message 37: by Ginny (new)

Dec 14, 2018 12:06AM

Horn-Horn by ADT McLellan - one of those few books that you will go from the last page immediately back to the first page. Like The Sixth Sense, reading it a second time is like reading it for the first time again. It's a completely different story once all of the twists are revealed.

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message 38: by Liz (new)

Oct 15, 2019 06:16PM

So...number 1777 is Black Beauty. Perhaps the person who added it meant a different Black Beauty? Either way, they tagged the kid's book. Perhaps it should be deleted...or we should add Old Yeller. ;)

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message 39: by Donna (new)

Oct 15, 2019 10:53PM

Liz wrote: "So...number 1777 is Black Beauty. Perhaps the person who added it meant a different Black Beauty? Either way, they tagged the kid's book. Perhaps it should be deleted...or we should add Old Yeller. ;)"

Good eyes. It's gone now.

The system found and removed 21 duplicates.

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message 40: by Amy (new)

Dec 23, 2019 05:38AM

The Ascendance Protocol: Endeavour by Chris Scott

Such a great book. I have both kindle and paperback versions!

The Ascendance Protocol: Endeavour

The Ascendance Protocol: Endeavour

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message 41: by Donna (new)

Dec 23, 2019 02:56PM

Amy wrote: "The Ascendance Protocol: Endeavour by Chris Scott

Such a great book. I have both kindle and paperback versions!

The Ascendance Protocol: Endeavour

[book:The Ascendance Protocol: ..."
If you want that title on the list and it isn't there yet, you have to enter it yourself using the tab at the top of the list.

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message 42: by Yaroslav (new)

Feb 04, 2020 03:01AM

Why Hunger Games are here?

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message 43: by Mitchell (new)

Nov 17, 2021 12:35PM

Mary wrote: "Why are there some books with less than 1K votes and hundreds of votes in the list? They should be deleted..what a joke.
Examples: The Outlands"

This list was setup without criteria that let's a librarian remove books with some impunity. You might appreciate Most Popular Science Fiction on Goodreads and the lists that it links to more.

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