In 2011, NPR set out to make a list of what their listeners believed to be the best science fiction and fantasy books ever written. More than 5,000 people nominated books, then over 60,000 people voted on the best ones. This list is highlights the most popular books voted by NPR readers across these two genres.
#1
#1-3 of 3 in The Lord of the Rings
1954 • 1,033 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.6
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
30 • 2,350 Readers • 215 pages • 4.2
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 7 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 2,129 Readers • 694 pages • 4.4
#6
7 • 3,460 Readers • 352 pages • 4.2
#7
1 • 2,355 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#1-3 of 7 in Foundation (Publication Order)
1953 • 224 Readers • 747 pages • 4.2
#9
1930 • 1,914 Readers • 344 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 912 Readers • 465 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 1,381 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 2,505 Readers • 140 pages • 4.1
#14
#1 of 3 in Sprawl
1984 • 1,199 Readers • 271 pages • 3.9
#15
#16
#17
1961 • 529 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#1 of 3 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 • 1,859 Readers • 669 pages • 4.4
#19
#20
#16 of 15 in The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection
181 • 1,662 Readers • 63 pages • 3.8
#21
1968 • 1,114 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 2 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 1,770 Readers • 324 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#25
#26
1992 • 999 Readers • 448 pages • 3.9
#27
20 • 560 Readers • 182 pages • 3.9
#28
1963 • 759 Readers • 192 pages • 4.1
#29
#1-3 of 10 in The Sandman
1990 • 85 Readers • 612 pages • 4.7
#30
1962 • 899 Readers • 149 pages • 3.9
#31
#32
#33
#34
347 Readers • 3.7
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 423 Readers • 354 pages • 3.9
#36
1894 • 775 Readers • 140 pages • 3.7
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 405 Readers • 394 pages • 3.5
#38
1959 • 1,082 Readers • 117 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 10 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 222 Readers • 175 pages • 3.6
#41
#42
#43
#1 of 7 in The Mistborn Saga
2006 • 2,291 Readers • 541 pages • 4.4
#44
#45
#4 of 9 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 870 Readers • 267 pages • 4
#46
#47
#1 of 1 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 367 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 2 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 1,036 Readers • 480 pages • 4.2
#49
1953 • 488 Readers • 4
#50
1985 • 407 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#53
1999 • 471 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 3 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 193 Readers • 369 pages • 3.1
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 194 Readers • 272 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#62
#63
2006 • 1,231 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 of 1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 855 Readers • 1,006 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 195 Readers • 161 pages • 4
#66
#67
#1 of 2 in The Original Shannara Trilogy
1976 • 246 Readers • 670 pages • 3.2
#68
#1 of 4 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 52 Readers • 464 pages • 3.8
#69
#70
714 Readers • 546 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 10 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 1,904 Readers • 1,571 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 2 in Wishbone Classics
2001 • 200 Readers • 64 pages • 3.7
#73
#74
#75
1995 • 318 Readers • 4
#76
#77
#78
#79
#2 of 3 in Green Town
1962 • 356 Readers • 293 pages • 3.8
#80
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 858 Readers • 559 pages • 4
#82
#83
#84
#85
2008 • 422 Readers • 1,092 pages • 4.2
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 337 Readers • 303 pages • 3.6
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 299 Readers • 404 pages • 4
#89
#90
#91
1951 • 224 Readers • 186 pages • 4
#92
2003 • 104 Readers • 476 pages • 3.7
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 98 Readers • 642 pages • 3.6
#97
#98
#99
#100