The Great American Read - PBS

Titles in bold are on the Classics of Science Fiction v5 list.

Title↥ Author/Editor Year Citations Reviews
Dune Frank Herbert 1965
49
Hugo Award - Novel Winner
Nebula Award - Novel Winner
1966Analog All-Time Favorite Science Fiction Poll
1974Modern Science Fiction edited by Norman Spinrad
1975Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1976The World of Science Fiction by Lester Del Rey
1976Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction, 1st Edition by Neil Barron
1977"A Basic Science-Fiction Library" from The Road to Science Fiction by James Gunn
1979A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction by Baird Searles, et al.
1984The Science Fiction Source Book edited by David Wingrove
1985Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels by David Pringle
1987Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 3rd Edition by Neil Barron
1987Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1996The Best 105 Books Since the Invention of the Field in the Twenties - Age of Wonders by David G. Hartwell
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
1998Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1999The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2002Strictly Science Fiction: A Guide to Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald and Bonnie Kunzel
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
2003The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2004Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 5th Edition by Neil Barron
2005ISFDB Top 100 Books (Balanced List)
2006100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2011Forbidden Planet: The 50 Books You MUST Read
2011NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
2011Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2012AbeBooks: 50 Essential Science Fiction Books
2012Locus Poll Best 20th Century Science Fiction Novels
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
201675 Best New Wave Sci-Fi (1964-1983) Novels by Josh Glenn
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016SF Masterworks
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016Easton Press Masterpieces of Science Fiction
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
202129 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read - WIRED UK
2022The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Esquire Magazine
2023Your Top Science Fiction Books Of All Time (Survey Results) - Media Death Cult
2024SciFiScavenger's 2024 Poll of All-Time Favorite SF Books
2025Brent McLean Recommended Novels (First to finish reading all of CSF v.5)
Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell 1949
45
1952Astounding Magazine, the Twenty-Eight All-Time Best SF Books
1956Astounding Magazine, The Twenty-Six All-Time Best SF Books
1974Modern Science Fiction edited by Norman Spinrad
1975Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1976Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction, 1st Edition by Neil Barron
1977"A Basic Science-Fiction Library" from The Road to Science Fiction by James Gunn
1984The Science Fiction Source Book edited by David Wingrove
1985Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels by David Pringle
1987Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 3rd Edition by Neil Barron
1987Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1994The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction by David Pringle
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
1998Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
1999The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2002Strictly Science Fiction: A Guide to Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald and Bonnie Kunzel
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
2003The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2004Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 5th Edition by Neil Barron
2006100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2011Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2011NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
2012AbeBooks: 50 Essential Science Fiction Books
2012Locus Poll Best 20th Century Science Fiction Novels
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016Easton Press Masterpieces of Science Fiction
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Best-Sci-Fi-Books: 31 Best Literary Science Fiction Books
2016How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Golden Age Sci-Fi: 75 Best Novels of 1934-1963 by Josh Glenn
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
2022The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Esquire Magazine
2023My 25 Favourite Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Words in Time
2023Your Top Science Fiction Books Of All Time (Survey Results) - Media Death Cult
2023The 25 Best Science Fiction Books I've Ever Read (Parts 1 and 2) - Outlaw Bookseller
2024SciFiScavenger's 2024 Poll of All-Time Favorite SF Books
2025Brent McLean Recommended Novels (First to finish reading all of CSF v.5)
Frankenstein Mary Shelley 1818
39
1976Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction, 1st Edition by Neil Barron
1977"A Basic Science-Fiction Library" from The Road to Science Fiction by James Gunn
1979A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction by Baird Searles, et al.
1984The Science Fiction Source Book edited by David Wingrove
1987Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 3rd Edition by Neil Barron
1994The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction by David Pringle
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
1998Locus Poll Best All-Time Science Fiction Novels
2002Strictly Science Fiction: A Guide to Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald and Bonnie Kunzel
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
2004Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 5th Edition by Neil Barron
2006100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2011NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
2014Best-Sci-Fi-Books: The 23 Best Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2014Mistressworks by Ian Sales
2016Book Riot 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels by Female Authors
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016SF Masterworks
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Goodreads Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Best-Sci-Fi-Books: 31 Best Literary Science Fiction Books
2016How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
2016Sci Femme: The Reading List edited by Shannon Turlington
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
202129 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read - WIRED UK
2022The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Esquire Magazine
2023My 25 Favourite Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Words in Time
2023Your Top Science Fiction Books Of All Time (Survey Results) - Media Death Cult
2023The 25 Best Science Fiction Books I've Ever Read (Parts 1 and 2) - Outlaw Bookseller
2024SciFiScavenger's 2024 Poll of All-Time Favorite SF Books
The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood 1985
34
Nebula Award - Novel Finalist
Arthur C. Clarke Awards
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
2001200 Significant Science Fiction Books by Women, 1984-2001 by David G. Hartwell
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
2004Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy by Cynthia Ward
2004Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 5th Edition by Neil Barron
2005ISFDB Top 100 Books (Balanced List)
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2009Mindblowing SF by Women and People of Color (Reactor)
2011NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
2012Science Fiction the 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo
2012Locus Poll Best 20th Century Science Fiction Novels
2014Mistressworks by Ian Sales
2014Best-Sci-Fi-Books: The 23 Best Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Goodreads Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Book Riot 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels by Female Authors
2016How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Sci Femme: The Reading List edited by Shannon Turlington
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016Best-Sci-Fi-Books: 31 Best Literary Science Fiction Books
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
2020The Best Modern Classic Science Fiction Books
2021Worlds Without End: Award Winning Books by Women Authors
2025Brent McLean Recommended Novels (First to finish reading all of CSF v.5)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams 1979
30
1984The Science Fiction Source Book edited by David Wingrove
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
1999The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2002Strictly Science Fiction: A Guide to Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald and Bonnie Kunzel
2003The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2011NPR Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
2011Forbidden Planet: The 50 Books You MUST Read
2011Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
2012Locus Poll Best 20th Century Science Fiction Novels
2012AbeBooks: 50 Essential Science Fiction Books
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
201675 Best New Wave Sci-Fi (1964-1983) Novels by Josh Glenn
2016Easton Press Masterpieces of Science Fiction
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016SF Masterworks
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
2020The Best Modern Classic Science Fiction Books
2022The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Esquire Magazine
2023Your Top Science Fiction Books Of All Time (Survey Results) - Media Death Cult
2024SciFiScavenger's 2024 Poll of All-Time Favorite SF Books
The Sirens of Titan Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 1959
22
Hugo Award - Novel Finalist
1974Modern Science Fiction edited by Norman Spinrad
1977"A Basic Science-Fiction Library" from The Road to Science Fiction by James Gunn
1984The Science Fiction Source Book edited by David Wingrove
1985Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels by David Pringle
1994The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction by David Pringle
1996The Best 105 Books Since the Invention of the Field in the Twenties - Age of Wonders by David G. Hartwell
1996North American College Courses in Science Fiction, Utopian Literature, and Fantasy edited by Arthur B. Evans
2003The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
20091000 novels everyone must read (science fiction section)
2012AbeBooks: 50 Essential Science Fiction Books
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Easton Press Masterpieces of Science Fiction
2016SF Masterworks
2016Golden Age Sci-Fi: 75 Best Novels of 1934-1963 by Josh Glenn
2016Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction: A Basic Science Fiction Library
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020Library of America Science Fiction
2022The 50 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Esquire Magazine
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 2008
21
2012Locus Poll Best 21st Century Science Fiction Novels
2012Science Fiction the 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo
2014Best-Sci-Fi-Books: The 23 Best Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Book Riot 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels by Female Authors
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
2016Goodreads Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Sci Femme: The Reading List edited by Shannon Turlington
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
202015 Recent Sci-Fi Books That Forever Shaped The Genre - Andrew Liptak for Polygon
2022Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century (Listopia/Goodreads 6/25/22)
2022The 25 Best Sci-Fi Books from the 2000s Decade - The Portalist
2024Classic Science Fiction - 2000-2009 - Goodreads/Listopia (1/29/24)
2024The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century NY Times - Poll of Readers
The Martian Andy Weir 2012
19
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020Top 100 Sci Fi Books - Movie Death Cult
2020The Best Modern Classic Science Fiction Books
202015 Recent Sci-Fi Books That Forever Shaped The Genre - Andrew Liptak for Polygon
2021NPR Books Summer Poll 2021: A Decade of Great Sci-Fi and Fantasy
202129 of the Best Science Fiction Books Everyone Should Read - WIRED UK
2022Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century (Listopia/Goodreads 6/25/22)
2023Your Top Science Fiction Books Of All Time (Survey Results) - Media Death Cult
2024Best Sci-Fi of the 2010s - Goodreads/Listopia (1/29/24)
2024SciFiScavenger's 2024 Poll of All-Time Favorite SF Books
2025Brent McLean Recommended Novels (First to finish reading all of CSF v.5)
Ready Player One Ernest Cline 2011
10
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
2016Amazon: 100 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019Worlds Without End: Most Read Books of All-Time
2020The Best Modern Classic Science Fiction Books
2022Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century (Listopia/Goodreads 6/25/22)
2024Best Sci-Fi of the 2010s - Goodreads/Listopia (1/29/24)
The Giver Lois Lowry 1993
9
2004Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, 5th Edition by Neil Barron
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2016Sci-Fi Lists Top 200 - novel
2016Goodreads Science Fiction Books by Female Authors
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction 100
2016Ranker: The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time
2016Best-Sci-Fi-Books: 31 Best Literary Science Fiction Books
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
Watchers Dean Koontz 1987
3
2018The Great American Read - PBS
2019The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Penguin Random House
2019100 Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time - Reedsydiscovery
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand 1957
2
2016Goodreads Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 200
2018The Great American Read - PBS
Books: 12