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
1954 • 1,879 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.5
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
1979 • 4,348 Readers • 215 pages • 4.2
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 6 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 3,898 Readers • 819 pages • 4.4
#6
1949 • 6,939 Readers • 328 pages • 4.2
#7
1953 • 4,414 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#1-3 of 9 in Foundation (Publication Order)
1950 • 427 Readers • 615 pages • 4.2
#9
1900 • 3,608 Readers • 332 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 1,586 Readers • 399 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 2,303 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 4,867 Readers • 122 pages • 4
#14
#15
#16
#17
#1 of 1 in Stranger in a Strange Land
1961 • 1,043 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#1 of 3 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 • 3,219 Readers • 669 pages • 4.4
#19
#20
181 • 3,077 Readers • 353 pages • 3.9
#21
1968 • 2,059 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 3 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 3,477 Readers • 324 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#1 of 4 in Space Odyssey
1968 • 1,241 Readers • 221 pages • 4.1
#25
1978 • 1,869 Readers • 1,553 pages • 4.2
#26
1992 • 1,817 Readers • 448 pages • 3.9
#27
1950 • 1,085 Readers • 182 pages • 4
#28
1963 • 1,397 Readers • 192 pages • 4.1
#29
#1 of 90 in The Sandman
137 Readers • 4.6
#30
1962 • 1,723 Readers • 72 pages • 3.9
#31
#32
#33
#34
1963 • 713 Readers • 288 pages • 3.8
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 758 Readers • 334 pages • 3.9
#36
1894 • 1,360 Readers • 144 pages • 3.7
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 740 Readers • 394 pages • 3.6
#38
19 • 2,036 Readers • 311 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 15 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 385 Readers • 175 pages • 3.6
#41
#42
517 Readers • 3.9
#43
#1 of 3 in The Mistborn Saga: The Original Trilogy
2006 • 4,241 Readers • 534 pages • 4.4
#44
#45
#4 of 18 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 1,578 Readers • 267 pages • 4.1
#46
#47
#1 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 559 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 1 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 1,758 Readers • 480 pages • 4.1
#49
1953 • 842 Readers • 212 pages • 4
#50
1985 • 714 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#1 of 1 in Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust
1997 • 1,431 Readers • 248 pages • 4
#53
1999 • 882 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
16 World War Z
2006 • 1,378 Readers • 5h 59m • 3.9
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 4 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 301 Readers • 369 pages • 3.3
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 331 Readers • 272 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#62
#63
1974 • 2,353 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 1,492 Readers • 865 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 922 Readers • 312 pages • 3.9
#66
#67
#10 of 33 in Shannara (Chronological Order)
1976 • 411 Readers • 670 pages • 3.3
#68
#1 of 2 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 101 Readers • 464 pages • 3.9
#69
#1 of 3 in The Farseer Trilogy
1995 • 1,278 Readers • 400 pages • 4.1
#70
2003 • 1,322 Readers • 522 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 6 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 3,500 Readers • 1,007 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 3 in Wishbone Classics
1864 • 439 Readers • 242 pages • 3.7
#73
#74
#75
1995 • 586 Readers • 536 pages • 4.1
#76
#77
#78
#79
#80
#1 of 4 in The Wicked Years
1995 • 862 Readers • 406 pages • 3.4
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 1,375 Readers • 559 pages • 4
#82
#83
#84
#85
2008 • 731 Readers • 1,092 pages • 4.1
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 609 Readers • 276 pages • 3.7
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 537 Readers • 528 pages • 4.1
#89
#90
#91
1901 • 430 Readers • 244 pages • 4
#92
2003 • 190 Readers • 476 pages • 3.6
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 206 Readers • 642 pages • 3.6
#97
#1 of 4 in Oxford Time Travel
1992 • 508 Readers • 593 pages • 3.8
#98
#99
#100
#1 of 3 in The Space Trilogy
1938 • 319 Readers • 155 pages • 3.8