What old science fiction novels are the best reads?

Answer 1

Jules Verne: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne: Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon
Jules Verne: Around the World in Eighty Days

The series is collectively known as "Les voyages extraordinaires" ("extraordinary voyages").

H. G. Wells: The Time Machine.
H. G. Wells: The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells: The Invisible Man
H. G. Wells: The First Men in the Moon

Answer 2

Anything by Heinlein. "Stranger in a Strange Land" was one of the best. Also "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" and "Red Planet."

The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison is pretty good.

Phillip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series is interesting. Everyone who ever lived is re-incarnated at the same time along the banks of a very long river on an alien planet. Famous people meet, like Samuel Clemens, Sir Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor), and King John of England.

Also the Callahan's Bar series by Spider Robinson.

Answer 3

If you go to the "Timeline Intro" at
http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timelineIntro.html, you'll find links for discussions of many different periods in SF, from Gilgamesh and that bunch to a fake assessment of the "Next Decade," 2010-2020. SOME parts of the discussions look at what's good, as well as what was important.
But answering your question more directly:
A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
It's old enough (1959) and interesting enough that Googling
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" "study guide"
brings up over a thousand hits. I liked it decades ago; haven't read it recently.
MUCH more recently, any fantasy by Guy Gavriel Kay *except* the Fionavar Tapesty trilogy, which is definitely teen-lit at best--but I liked it anyway. I mean, who but Kay would do (partly) Arthurian fiction and include Arthur's DOG, who's been left out of practically every version since?
ANYway: In Kay's "Tigana," when the lament for Adonis floats up out the bar and grill . . . (not exactly accurate, but if you read the book, you'll recognize what I mean) . . . ! Our discussion group thinks G.G. Kay is the best thing since J.R.R. Tolkien.
For real SF, try Robert L. Forward and, much earlier, Alfred Bester (yes, the Babylon 5 character was given his name).

Answer 4

Dune by Frank Herbert and the Robot and Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov. Definitely greats.

If you're not just looking for old ones, try The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Answer 5

While I'm not sure how old you're specifying, The War of the Worlds by H G Wells (19th century) and Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein (1950's) are two that I like

Answer 6

Ohhh! I love the book Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov! It's such a good book! It's basically about a man who has a blood clot in his brain and a team of scientests are shrunk down to microscopic sizes and they have to pass through the cartoid artery, through the ear drum and into his brain! But there's limited time and oxygen so they have to work fast! There's also a movie but the book is sooo much better! I absolutly love it!

Answer 7

The first science fiction book I ever read was "More Than Human" by Theodore Sturgeon - a great book!
http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Human-Millennium-Masterworks/dp/1857988523/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8412583-2845536?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181866449&sr=1-1
"Imagine the X-Men with superpowers confined to extrasensory gymnastics--no storm-summoning, no fire-throwing, and no metal claws--and you'll have an idea of the team that makes up the leading cast of this tale. (I note that other readers have seen the resemblance to the X-Men; the comparison is apt in many ways.)

We are first introduced to Lone, an intellectually incapacitated young man with the ability to hypnotize telepathically. After witnessing a murder and escaping death himself, he lives untamed in the forest, gathering other social outcasts who gravitate toward his cave. There's Janie, with a seemingly unlimited faculty for telekinesis; Bonnie and Beanie, two toddlers who have learned how to teleport themselves; and Baby, a mute whose body is stunted but whose brain is structured like computer. (Sturgeon's insistence on incorporating different races and both sexes as equal partners living together as a new evolutionary species was, in 1953, years ahead of its time.)..."

Answer 8

The first two Ringworld books by Larry Niven(Ringworld and Ringworld Engineers) are a really interesting read. Especially because the Ringworld itself is like a main character with all the rest being a supporting cast

Answer 9

Dune by Frank Herbert is probably, hands down, the greatest Sci Fi book ever. I'm currently reading 'A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter Miller and I'm enjoying it. Very non sci fi, sci fi - quite unique.

Answer 10

the first 3 Dune books by Frank Herbert

Stranger in a strange land by Robert Heinlein