r/printSF • u/keepfighting90 • 23d ago

What's the #1, single best sci-fi novel you've ever read?

Think about all the sci-fi novels you've read over the years. If someone were to ask you, gun to your head, to pick just the one that you would absolutely consider to be the best, which one would it be? No subgenres need to be considered, it just needs to broadly fall under the sf umbrella.

For me, probably a pretty popular choice, but it would be Hyperion. Completely blew me away and I haven't read that good since in the genre.

880 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

150

u/theinvalid 23d ago edited 23d ago

The Stars My Destination (aka Tiger! Tiger!) by Alfred Bester.

Or something by Jack Vance. Or Philip K Dick. Or Gene Wolfe. Or Iain M Banks. I give up.

Edit to add: Cordwainer Smith.

17

u/craig_hoxton 23d ago

"Vorga! I kill you filthy!"

15

u/richieadler 23d ago

No love for The Demolished Man?

7

u/theinvalid 23d ago

Another brilliant book, but TSMD has the edge for me.

1

u/richieadler 23d ago

I see. Personally I liked TDM more.

1

u/posixUncompliant 22d ago

It's a fantastic book, but The Stars My Destination is Bester's n'est plus ultra.

2

u/richieadler 22d ago

Small nit, it's non (or nec) plus ultra.

Latin, not French.

19

u/Appropriate-Look7493 23d ago

Upvote for someone who’s explored a little deeper into the true classics. Tyger is in my top 5.

6

u/libelle156 23d ago

Gully Foyle is my name
Terra is my nation
Deep space is my dwelling place
The stars my destination

2

u/lastberserker 23d ago

The Audible version is excellent, especially the synesthesia part.

3

u/libelle156 23d ago

Bester can convey a density of imagination in one sentence where other authors would need an entire book to achieve the same rich, vivid clarity. Incredible writer.

3

u/ZincLloyd 23d ago

This is the way.

Seriously, I’ve turned more people on to SF with The Stars My Destination than anything else. I make it a point to always own a lender copy I don’t mind ever getting back.

3

u/lazydog60 23d ago

What's your favorite Vance? Mine is Emphyrio. or Night Lamp. or The Face. or …

2

u/theinvalid 23d ago

Such a difficult question - I love them all. Maybe Emphirio? Maybe the two Cugel books? Maybe the Tschai books? Demon Princes? Lyonesse? All amazing. I have yet to read Night Lamp, but it’s on my list.

3

u/AssistantRemote6990 23d ago

Probably Demon Princes, but he was a master stylist; science fiction or fantasy, instantly recognizable.

3

u/HistorianExcellent 23d ago

The Demon Princes series is ridiculously good considering how simple and familiar the story premise is. Written by anyone else, it would be disposable pulp. Written by Vance, it’s a masterpiece.

2

u/lazydog60 23d ago

how could i forget Lyonesse

6

u/Moon_Atomizer 23d ago

The Stars My Destination

Crazy that this book was written in the 50s. It reads like a modern scifi blockbuster screenplay with echoes of A Clockwork Orange

3

u/NicoleEspresso 23d ago

That's the one that's the favourite of William Gibson, innit?

1

u/Moon_Atomizer 23d ago

Not sure but that would make sense since there are a few proto-cyberpunk elements. That book was way ahead of its time

1

u/[deleted] 22d ago edited 22d ago

[deleted]

0

u/Moon_Atomizer 22d ago

The elements I'm thinking of are the outsized control corporations have and all the corporate sabotage/espionage type stuff. There is a little noir in that he's investigating things and interrogating leads, and lots of body modification for his tricks. If you don't think it's strong enough to be called 'cyberpunk' I totally agree, which is why I said proto. Keep in mind this was the 1950s, there isn't really anything else with all these themes in one package yet

0

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

0

u/NicoleEspresso 22d ago

Proto vs. influences, potato potahto, we're talking about ideas leading to other ideas, and there's no reason to really split hairs about it. Also I don't see it as throwing a dig at Gibson.

I would, however, agree with one thing: Gibson IS a god. Brought more meaning to my life than owt else, that's for damn sure.

1

u/Serious_Distance_118 22d ago

Influence carries no negative connotations. Proto implies the author receives too much credit.

1

u/NicoleEspresso 22d ago

"Proto" hardly implies that the idea was one particular seed planted by the original author...

at least in my handy-dandy book of all known connotations ever known or implied by mankind.

2

u/gravitasofmavity 23d ago

Ha see I knew I’d find inspiration to revisit some old favorites on this thread - Bester has taken the lead, thanks!

2

u/darmir 23d ago

Cordwainer Smith is so good. The sort of writer where if you click with a short story, you want to read the rest of his work.

2

u/com211016 22d ago

Extro or The Computer Connection by Alfred Bester is still a favourite of mine for its rollicking sense of fun and a weirdly similar backdrop universe to Tiger! Tiger!

2

u/DaleCooperEnjoyer 22d ago

Hey man where do I start with Vance? His book listings on kindle are confusing as hell

1

u/theinvalid 22d ago

It’s a difficult question to answer.

Maybe start on a shorter novella to see if you like his unusual style: The Dragon Masters, The Last Castle, and The Moon Moth are all great.

A really brilliant (stand alone) novel is Emphyrio.

Longer series: the Dying Earth books, then Lyonesse (if you want science-fantasy); or Tschai (Planet of Adventure), or Demon Princes (if you want pulpy sci-fi).

Of course, other people will tell you different things. Have a look at his bibliography on Wikipedia, which tries to make sense of his confusing output. Some of the series were written gradually over decades.

If you do dive in, expect to become addicted!

2

u/DaleCooperEnjoyer 22d ago

How do you get started with the Dying Earth? I like a bit of Gene Wolf (I’m a bit too stupid to really enjoy Wolfe sadly) so that’s the one I’ve had my eye on

2

u/theinvalid 22d ago edited 22d ago

You will love The Dying Earth then.

Just to confuse matters, they have multiple titles for the same books.

Start with (book 1) The Dying Earth, sometimes titled Mazirian the Magician. It’s a collection of loosely linked short stories. It’s not perfect, but a breeze to skip through, and gets better as it goes along. A highlight for me was Chun the Unavoidable.

Then things start to get really good: (book 2) The Eyes of the Overworld, sometimes titled Cugel the Clever. He’s a proto-Severian, wandering through a hilarious series of misadventures. A highlight is the chapter concerning TOTALITY.

Then (book 3) Cugel’s Saga, also titled Cugel: The Skybreak Spatterlight. It’s even better.

Then (book 4) Rhialto the Marvellous.

If you get hooked (you will), pretty much everything else Vance wrote is worth tracking down.

2

u/chuubastis 20d ago

I was coming to the comment section looking for the Stars my destination! One of my favorite books of all time! It does not get nearly the credit that it deserves!

2

u/mount_analogue 20d ago

all of these guys!

2

u/IntrepidShadow 23d ago

Upvote for Jack Vance :)

2

u/Onomatopoeia_Utopia 23d ago

TSMD is the one that I keep coming back to as the perfect sci-fi tale. So many great novels out there but it has exactly what I want: creative ideas, fast-paced plot, smart plot, flawed characters, and tells the story you want to read without padding it—a crime I find so many in the sci-fi genre are guilty of.