Tom Lombardo’s Evolving List
of All-Time Best Science Fiction Novels

The following ranked list is my considered judgment of the best science fiction novels of all time. My criteria for determining this ranking include:

  • Scope and originality of imagination (creativity)
  • Literary quality
  • Reader/plot engagement
  • Scientific/technological/philosophical intelligence
  • Emotional and personal impact
  • Richness of scenarios and characters
  • Memorability

The list is evolving. Though I have been reading science fiction for over fifty years, I know that there are still some classics or highly regarded science fiction novels that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet (for example, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh, and Startide Rising by David Brin). My intent is that in the coming years I will get around to reading them, as well as new noteworthy novels that come out in the future. Hence, the list will undoubtedly grow and evolve as I continue to read science fiction.

For a complete ranked list of classics, based on number of awards and nominations for awards, see Worlds Without End. As I have read most of the novels on this list, my own ranking below is based on a fairly comprehensive reading of science fiction literature. However, in my view, the WWE list is skewed toward the past, with more recent novels too low in the ranking.

As the science fiction reader may note, some acknowledged classics are ranked rather low on my list (for example, Frank Herbert’s Dune and William Gibson’s Neuromancer). The fact is that, in spite of their award-winning status, these novels did not really grab me when I read them. (I liked the movie Dune—original version with Sting and Sean Young—better than the book.) Thus, of course, there is a personal element and taste reflected in my list. Such is the nature of the universe and the inherent subjectivity of all minds.

Still, I think my list is pretty solid. There is a clear balance of older classics with contemporary works; there is also a balance of techie science fiction with humanistic and personal tales.

  1. Hyperion Dan Simmons (1989)
  2. Star Maker Olaf Stapledon (1937)
  3. City Clifford Simak (1952)
  4. A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter Miller (1959)
  5. A Fire Upon the Deep Vernor Vinge (1992)
  6. The Time Machine H. G. Wells (1895)
  7. Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
  8. Earth Abides George Stewart (1949)
  9. Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner (1968)
  10. The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury (1950)
  11. The Time Ships Stephen Baxter (1995)
  12. Spin Robert Charles Wilson (2005)
  13. Vacuum Diagrams Stephen Baxter (1997)
  14. Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars) Kim Stanley Robinson (1991, 1994, 1996)
  15. Queen of Angels Greg Bear (1990)
  16. Accelerando Charles Stross (2005)
  17. The Dispossessed Ursula LeGuin (1974)
  18. Norstrilia Cordwainer Smith (1975)
  19. Hominids Robert Sawyer (2002)
  20. The Man Who Folded Himself David Gerrold (1973)
  21. Brainwave Poul Anderson (1954)
  22. The Stars, My Destination Alfred Bester (1956)
  23. The Demolished Man Alfred Bester (1953)
  24. The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells (1898)
  25. The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula LeGuin (1969)
  26. Last and First Men Olaf Stapledon (1931)
  27. Behold the Man Michael Moorcock (1968)
  28. Snow Crash Neal Stephenson (1992)
  29. Ringworld Larry Niven (1970)
  30. Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke (1953)
  31. The Inverted World Christopher Priest (1974)
  32. Alas, Babylon Pat Frank (1959)
  33. 334 Thomas Disch (1974)
  34. Brave New World Aldous Huxley (1932)
  35. 1984 George Orwell (1949)
  36. Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes (1966)
  37. The Fall of Hyperion Dan Simmons (1990)
  38. More than Human Theodore Sturgeon (1953)
  39. The Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick (1962)
  40. A Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne (1864)
  41. Memoirs Found in a Bathtub Stanislaw Lem (1971)
  42. The Rise of Endymion Dan Simmons (1997)
  43. To Your Scattered Bodies Go Philip Jose Farmer (1971)
  44. The Fabulous Riverboat Philip Jose Farmer (1971)
  45. Darwin’s Radio Greg Bear (1999)
  46. The Manifold Trilogy (Time, Space, Origin) Stephen Baxter (2000, 2001, 2002)
  47. Gateway Frederick Pohl (1977)
  48. Dying Inside Robert Silverberg (1972)
  49. The Book of Skulls Robert Silverberg (1972)
  50. Tower of Glass Robert Silverberg (1970)
  51. Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) Isaac Asimov (1974)
  52. Odd John Olaf Stapledon (1935)
  53. Mission of Gravity Hal Clement (1953)
  54. Evolution Stephen Baxter (2003)
  55. A Deepness in the Sky Vernor Vinge (1999)
  56. Exultant Stephen Baxter (2004)
  57. The Wanderer Fritz Leiber (1964)
  58. Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke (1973)
  59. The Ware Tetralogy (Software, Wetware, Freeware, Realware) Rudy Rucker (1982, 1988, 1997, 2000)
  60. Illium Dan Simmons (2003)
  61. The City and the Stars Arthur C. Clarke (1953)
  62. A Case of Conscience James Blish (1958)
  63. Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein (1961)
  64. Dune Frank Herbert (1965)
  65. Singularity Sky Charles Stross (2003)
  66. Solaris Stanislaw Lem (1961)
  67. Frankenstein Mary Shelley (1818)
  68. The Algebraist Ian Banks (2004)
  69. Timescape Gregory Benford (1980)
  70. Lucifer’s Hammer Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1977)
  71. Neuromancer William Gibson (1984)
  72. Rainbows End Vernor Vinge (2006)
  73. The Wind-Up Girl Paolo Bacigalupi (2009)
  74. Mindscan Robert Sawyer (2005)
  75. Blood Music Greg Bear (1985)
  76. Son of Man Robert Silverberg (1971)
  77. Lest Darkness Fall L. Sprague de Camp (1949)
  78. The Island of Dr. Moreau H.G. Wells (1896)
  79. Wake Robert Sawyer (2009)
  80. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick (1968)
  81. Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said Philip K. Dick (1974)
  82. The Big Time Fritz Leiber (1961)
  83. The End of Eternity Isaac Asimov (1955)
  84. The Sirens of Titan Kurt Vonnegut (1959)
  85. American Gods Neil Gaiman (2001)
  86. Man Plus Frederick Pohl (1976)
  87. Dhalgren Samuel Delany (1974)
  88. Who? Algis Budrys (1958)
  89. Damnation Alley Roger Zelazny (1969)
  90. Babel-17 Samuel Delany (1966)
  91. When Harlie Was One David Gerrold (1972)
  92. The Space Merchants Frederick Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth (1952)
  93. Cat’s Cradle Kurt Vonnegut (1963)
  94. The Eyes of the Overworld Jack Vance (1966)
  95. The World of Null-A A. E. van Vogt (1948)
  96. The Mote in God’s Eye Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1975)
  97. The Boat of a Million Years Poul Anderson (1989)
  98. Lord of Light Roger Zelazny (1967)
  99. This Immortal Roger Zelazny (1966)
  100. Children of the Sky Vernor Vinge (2011)