NPRs Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books of All Time

December 19, 2021
100 Books
Stats
npr.org

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.

Position	Details	Readers Count
#1	The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien	719 reads
#2	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams	1,676 reads
#3	Ender's Game Orson Scott Card	1,273 reads
#4	Dune Frank Herbert	1,861 reads
#5	A Game of Thrones George R.R. Martin	1,586 reads
#6	1984 George Orwell	2,433 reads
#7	Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury	1,566 reads
#8	The Foundation Trilogy Isaac Asimov	108 reads
#9	Brave New World Aldous Huxley	1,212 reads
#10	American Gods Neil Gaiman	1,094 reads
#11	The Princess Bride William Goldman	490 reads
#12	The Eye of the World Robert Jordan	824 reads
#13	Animal farm George Orwell	1,972 reads
#14	Neuromancer William Gibson Giampaolo Cossato (Translator) Sandro Sandrelli (Translator)	591 reads
#15	Watchmen Alan Moore	644 reads
#16	I, Robot Isaac Asimov	408 reads
#17	Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein	249 reads
#18	The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss	1,080 reads
#19	Slaughterhouse 5 Kurt Vonnegut	933 reads
#20	Frankenstein Mary Shelley Michael Burgan	1,049 reads
#21	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick	617 reads
#22	The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood	1,082 reads
#23	The Gunslinger Stephen King	707 reads
#24	2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke	382 reads
#25	The Stand Stephen King	558 reads
#26	Snow Crash Neal Stephenson	556 reads
#27	The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury	338 reads
#28	Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut	429 reads
#29	The Absolute Sandman, Volume One	53 reads
#30	A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess	406 reads
#31	Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein	279 reads
#32	Watership Down Richard Adams	295 reads
#33	Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey	154 reads
#34	The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein	173 reads
#35	A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller Jr.	208 reads
#36	The Time Machine H. G. Wells	485 reads
#37	Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne Anthony Bonner (Translator) Jakob Gunnarsson (translator)	232 reads
#38	Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes	671 reads
#39	The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells	283 reads
#40	Nine Princes in Amber Roger Zelazny	113 reads
#41	Pawn of Prophecy David Eddings	159 reads
#42	The Mists Of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley	146 reads
#43	Mistborn: The Final Empire Brandon Sanderson	1,472 reads
#44	Ringworld Larry Niven	225 reads
#45	The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin	405 reads
#46	The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien	345 reads
#47	The Once and Future King T. H. White	130 reads
#48	Neverwhere	591 reads
#49	Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke	250 reads
#50	Contact Carl Sagan	207 reads
#51	Hyperion Dan Simmons	539 reads
#52	Stardust Neil Gaiman	518 reads
#53	Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson	243 reads
#54	World War Z Max Brooks	559 reads
#55	The Last Unicorn Peter S. Beagle	123 reads
#56	The Forever War Joe Haldeman	319 reads
#57	Small Gods Terry Pratchett	240 reads
#58	Lord Foul's Bane Stephen R. Donaldson	97 reads
#59	Shards of Honour Lois McMaster Bujold	87 reads
#60	Going Postal Terry Pratchett	218 reads
#61	The Mote in God's Eye Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle	118 reads
#62	Wizard's First Rule Terry Goodkind	234 reads
#63	The Road Cormac McCarthy	730 reads
#64	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke	366 reads
#65	I Am Legend Richard Matheson	114 reads
#66	Magician: Apprentice Raymond E. Feist	229 reads
#67	The Sword of Shannara Terry Brooks	148 reads
#68	The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian Robert E. Howard	24 reads
#69	Assassin's Apprentice Robin Hobb	416 reads
#70	The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger William Hope Laurel Lefkow	422 reads
#71	The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson	1,088 reads
#72	Voyage Au Centre de La Terre Elyette Roussel	115 reads
#73	Homeland R. A. Salvatore	114 reads
#74	Old Man's War John Scalzi	468 reads
#75	The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer Neal Stephenson	171 reads
#76	Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke	309 reads
#77	Kushiel's Dart Jacqueline Carey	116 reads
#78	The Dispossessed Ursula K. Le Guin	232 reads
#79	Something Wicked This Way Comes Ray Bradbury	175 reads
#80	Wicked Gregory Maguire	256 reads
#81	Gardens of the Moon Steven Erikson	346 reads
#82	The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde	158 reads
#83	Consider Phlebas Iain M. Banks	252 reads
#84	The Crystal Cave Mary Stewart	40 reads
#85	Anathem Neal Stephenson	185 reads
#86	Furies of Calderon Jim Butcher	161 reads
#87	The Shadow of the Torturer Gene Wolfe	128 reads
#88	Heir to the Empire Timothy Zahn	205 reads
#89	Outlander Diana Gabaldon	352 reads
#90	Elric of Melniboné Michael Moorcock	116 reads
#91	The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury	116 reads
#92	Sunshine Robin McKinley	53 reads
#93	A Fire Upon the Deep Vernor Vinge	173 reads
#94	The Caves of Steel Isaac Asimov	188 reads
#95	Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson	174 reads
#96	Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle	52 reads
#97	Doomsday Book Connie Willis	153 reads
#98	Perdido Street Station China Miéville	157 reads
#99	A Spell for Chameleon Piers Anthony	69 reads
#100	Out of the Silent Planet C. S. Lewis	110 reads

Position	Details	Readers Count
#1	The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien	719 reads
#2	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams	1,676 reads
#3	Ender's Game Orson Scott Card	1,273 reads
#4	Dune Frank Herbert	1,861 reads
#5	A Game of Thrones George R.R. Martin	1,586 reads
#6	1984 George Orwell	2,433 reads
#7	Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury	1,566 reads
#8	The Foundation Trilogy Isaac Asimov	108 reads
#9	Brave New World Aldous Huxley	1,212 reads
#10	American Gods Neil Gaiman	1,094 reads
#11	The Princess Bride William Goldman	490 reads
#12	The Eye of the World Robert Jordan	824 reads
#13	Animal farm George Orwell	1,972 reads
#14	Neuromancer William Gibson Giampaolo Cossato (Translator) Sandro Sandrelli (Translator)	591 reads
#15	Watchmen Alan Moore	644 reads
#16	I, Robot Isaac Asimov	408 reads
#17	Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein	249 reads
#18	The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss	1,080 reads
#19	Slaughterhouse 5 Kurt Vonnegut	933 reads
#20	Frankenstein Mary Shelley Michael Burgan	1,049 reads
#21	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick	617 reads
#22	The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood	1,082 reads
#23	The Gunslinger Stephen King	707 reads
#24	2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke	382 reads
#25	The Stand Stephen King	558 reads
#26	Snow Crash Neal Stephenson	556 reads
#27	The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury	338 reads
#28	Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut	429 reads
#29	The Absolute Sandman, Volume One	53 reads
#30	A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess	406 reads
#31	Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein	279 reads
#32	Watership Down Richard Adams	295 reads
#33	Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey	154 reads
#34	The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein	173 reads
#35	A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller Jr.	208 reads
#36	The Time Machine H. G. Wells	485 reads
#37	Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne Anthony Bonner (Translator) Jakob Gunnarsson (translator)	232 reads
#38	Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes	671 reads
#39	The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells	283 reads
#40	Nine Princes in Amber Roger Zelazny	113 reads
#41	Pawn of Prophecy David Eddings	159 reads
#42	The Mists Of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley	146 reads
#43	Mistborn: The Final Empire Brandon Sanderson	1,472 reads
#44	Ringworld Larry Niven	225 reads
#45	The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin	405 reads
#46	The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien	345 reads
#47	The Once and Future King T. H. White	130 reads
#48	Neverwhere	591 reads
#49	Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke	250 reads
#50	Contact Carl Sagan	207 reads
#51	Hyperion Dan Simmons	539 reads
#52	Stardust Neil Gaiman	518 reads
#53	Cryptonomicon Neal Stephenson	243 reads
#54	World War Z Max Brooks	559 reads
#55	The Last Unicorn Peter S. Beagle	123 reads
#56	The Forever War Joe Haldeman	319 reads
#57	Small Gods Terry Pratchett	240 reads
#58	Lord Foul's Bane Stephen R. Donaldson	97 reads
#59	Shards of Honour Lois McMaster Bujold	87 reads
#60	Going Postal Terry Pratchett	218 reads
#61	The Mote in God's Eye Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle	118 reads
#62	Wizard's First Rule Terry Goodkind	234 reads
#63	The Road Cormac McCarthy	730 reads
#64	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke	366 reads
#65	I Am Legend Richard Matheson	114 reads
#66	Magician: Apprentice Raymond E. Feist	229 reads
#67	The Sword of Shannara Terry Brooks	148 reads
#68	The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian Robert E. Howard	24 reads
#69	Assassin's Apprentice Robin Hobb	416 reads
#70	The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger William Hope Laurel Lefkow	422 reads
#71	The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson	1,088 reads
#72	Voyage Au Centre de La Terre Elyette Roussel	115 reads
#73	Homeland R. A. Salvatore	114 reads
#74	Old Man's War John Scalzi	468 reads
#75	The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer Neal Stephenson	171 reads
#76	Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke	309 reads
#77	Kushiel's Dart Jacqueline Carey	116 reads
#78	The Dispossessed Ursula K. Le Guin	232 reads
#79	Something Wicked This Way Comes Ray Bradbury	175 reads
#80	Wicked Gregory Maguire	256 reads
#81	Gardens of the Moon Steven Erikson	346 reads
#82	The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde	158 reads
#83	Consider Phlebas Iain M. Banks	252 reads
#84	The Crystal Cave Mary Stewart	40 reads
#85	Anathem Neal Stephenson	185 reads
#86	Furies of Calderon Jim Butcher	161 reads
#87	The Shadow of the Torturer Gene Wolfe	128 reads
#88	Heir to the Empire Timothy Zahn	205 reads
#89	Outlander Diana Gabaldon	352 reads
#90	Elric of Melniboné Michael Moorcock	116 reads
#91	The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury	116 reads
#92	Sunshine Robin McKinley	53 reads
#93	A Fire Upon the Deep Vernor Vinge	173 reads
#94	The Caves of Steel Isaac Asimov	188 reads
#95	Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson	174 reads
#96	Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle	52 reads
#97	Doomsday Book Connie Willis	153 reads
#98	Perdido Street Station China Miéville	157 reads
#99	A Spell for Chameleon Piers Anthony	69 reads
#100	Out of the Silent Planet C. S. Lewis	110 reads

NPRs Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books of All Time

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