Comments on Best Science Fiction - page 4

There are a few books in the Top 100 that clearly don't belong. They have too few ratings on the site to be included IMHO.

- Dome: Rebellion (Dome, #1): 252 ratings
- Of Monsters And Planes: 221 ratings
- The Chain Between Worlds (The Lost Artefacts #1): 1,143 ratings

The last one is starting to build some credibility, but with the next lowest rating count at over 27,000 for Way Station, seems like it is still too low. It is also cataloged as Fantasy here with SciFi being the 6th genre listed. The 2nd book in that series, The Monarch's Ring, is clocking in at #106 on the list with only 262 ratings and should also likely be trimmed.

These are all by the same author, which is another indicator.

Pie1120 wrote: "There are a few books in the Top 100 that clearly don't belong. They have too few ratings on the site to be included IMHO.

- Dome: Rebellion (Dome, #1): 252 ratings
- Of Monsters And Planes: 221 r..."


The description of this list doesn't have any declared protections for vandalism. It is why I prefer lists to have anti-vandalism criteria like minimum number of ratings. That said - I'd set it for this list at 1000 if I could - which would still leave the third book out. But the third book also looks to me like it is fantasy.

One problem that I haven't seen mentioned is that some of these books are NOT novels. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury is merely a collection of utterly unconnected stories. The device of tattoos on the body of the illustrated man showing the story no more makes it a novel, than stories that were revealed to someone while they were walking on water would make those stories a novel.

Likewise, The Martian Chronicles is not a novel. Granted, it is a series of connected stories in the same setting. On the other hand, the stories are wildly different. There is no reason to consider it a novel, in any case.

Asimov's Foundation novels are listed multiple times. I don't think there is any justification for listing any of the first 3 foundation novels separately - you either liked them, considered them some of the best SF, etc. etc., or not. I would, however, accede that the later novels, Foundation and Earth, etc. are a different kettle of fish, and might well be a "separate" favourite, whether someone listed the original 3 novels as top-rated or not.

Easy for those of us in the peanut gallery - to pepper you folks with these endless quibbles. You are the ones who have to deploy the neuronic whip to bring the unruly SF hordes back into line.

Steve wrote: "One problem that I haven't seen mentioned is that some of these books are NOT novels."

Isn't it a good thing then that the name of this list is "Best Science Fiction" rather than Best Science Fiction Novel?

Michael wrote: "Thank you, Candice. Temblor has been removed."

I strongly strongly strongly - did I mention strongly - agree that The Yiddish Policemen's Union is NOT science fiction. It bears no resemblance whatsoever to SF. I think the people who voted for it were just utterly wrong. I enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I read it (so that is about the only positive result of it receiving awards).

Steve wrote: "Michael wrote: "Thank you, Candice. Temblor has been removed."

I strongly strongly strongly - did I mention strongly - agree that The Yiddish Policemen's Union is NOT science fiction. It bears no ..."

As per https en.wikipedia.org wiki/Definitions_of_science_fiction this is a perennial source of disagreement. I go with the Damon Knight definition for science fiction

1952. At the start of a series of book review columns, Knight stated the following as one of his assumptions: "That the term 'science fiction' is a misnomer, that trying to get two enthusiasts to agree on a definition of it leads only to bloody knuckles; that better labels have been devised (Heinlein's suggestion, 'speculative fiction', is the best, I think), but that we're stuck with this one; and that it will do us no particular harm if we remember that, like 'The Saturday Evening Post', it means what we point to when we say it." This definition is now usually seen in abbreviated form as "Science fiction is [or means] what we point to when we say it."

Dan wrote: "Félix wrote: "Dune and Ender’s Game are overrated!!"

Actually, they are rated #1 and #2. No two works of SF are more famous, widely known, or loved.

Jouni wrote: "Is it some weird sense of humour..."

The Three-Body Problem #65 and The Dark Forest not in the top 100. List lost all credibility though until I read the two aforementioned books, I'd have agreed about #1 and 2. Now they are 2 and 3 with The Three-Body Problem #4. Dark Forest easily #1.

0: Queen of Angels, by Greg Bear.