NPRs Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books of All Time
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
20 • 1,988 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.5
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
1979 • 4,604 Readers • 215 pages • 4.2
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 6 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 4,129 Readers • 819 pages • 4.4
#6
1949 • 7,390 Readers • 328 pages • 4.2
#7
1953 • 4,684 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#1-3 of 8 in Foundation (Publication Order)
1950 • 447 Readers • 615 pages • 4.2
#9
1900 • 3,832 Readers • 332 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 1,665 Readers • 399 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 2,422 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 5,192 Readers • 122 pages • 4
#14
#15
#16
#17
#1 of 1 in Stranger in a Strange Land
1961 • 1,104 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#1 of 3 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 • 3,405 Readers • 669 pages • 4.4
#19
#20
#21
1968 • 2,192 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 3 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 3,646 Readers • 224 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#1 of 4 in Space Odyssey
1968 • 1,313 Readers • 221 pages • 4.1
#25
1978 • 1,978 Readers • 1,553 pages • 4.1
#26
1992 • 1,919 Readers • 448 pages • 4
#27
1950 • 1,142 Readers • 182 pages • 4
#28
1963 • 1,465 Readers • 192 pages • 4.1
#29
#1 of 90 in The Sandman
141 Readers • 4.6
#30
1962 • 1,821 Readers • 72 pages • 3.9
#31
#32
#33
#34
1963 • 744 Readers • 288 pages • 3.8
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 805 Readers • 334 pages • 3.9
#36
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 766 Readers • 394 pages • 3.6
#38
19 • 2,149 Readers • 311 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 15 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 404 Readers • 175 pages • 3.6
#41
#42
#1 of 5 in Avalon
1982 • 542 Readers • 50h • 3.9
#43
#1 of 3 in The Mistborn Saga: The Original Trilogy
2006 • 4,479 Readers • 534 pages • 4.5
#44
#45
#4 of 18 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 1,666 Readers • 267 pages • 4.1
#46
#47
#1 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 577 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 1 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 1,825 Readers • 480 pages • 4.1
#49
1953 • 889 Readers • 212 pages • 4
#50
1985 • 746 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#1 of 1 in Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust
1997 • 1,491 Readers • 248 pages • 4
#53
1999 • 927 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
16 World War Z
2006 • 1,454 Readers • 5h 59m • 3.9
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 4 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 314 Readers • 369 pages • 3.2
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 347 Readers • 253 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#1 of 3 in Moties
1974 • 437 Readers • 537 pages • 3.8
#62
#63
1974 • 2,494 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 1,552 Readers • 865 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 973 Readers • 312 pages • 3.9
#66
#67
#10 of 33 in Shannara (Chronological Order)
1976 • 420 Readers • 670 pages • 3.3
#68
#1 of 2 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 107 Readers • 464 pages • 3.9
#69
#1 of 3 in The Farseer Trilogy
1995 • 1,344 Readers • 400 pages • 4.1
#70
2003 • 1,381 Readers • 522 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 6 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 3,716 Readers • 1,007 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 3 in Wishbone Classics
1864 • 459 Readers • 242 pages • 3.7
#73
#74
#75
1995 • 624 Readers • 536 pages • 4.1
#76
#77
#78
#79
#80
#1 of 4 in The Wicked Years
1995 • 903 Readers • 406 pages • 3.4
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 1,455 Readers • 559 pages • 4
#82
#83
#84
#85
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 638 Readers • 276 pages • 3.7
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 564 Readers • 528 pages • 4
#89
#90
#91
1901 • 450 Readers • 244 pages • 3.9
#92
2003 • 200 Readers • 476 pages • 3.6
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 216 Readers • 642 pages • 3.7
#97
#1 of 4 in Oxford Time Travel
1992 • 522 Readers • 593 pages • 3.8
#98
#99
#100
#1 of 3 in The Space Trilogy
1938 • 333 Readers • 155 pages • 3.8