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 • 1,859 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.5
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
1979 • 4,280 Readers • 215 pages • 4.2
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 6 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 3,847 Readers • 819 pages • 4.4
#6
1949 • 6,838 Readers • 328 pages • 4.2
#7
1953 • 4,347 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#1-3 of 9 in Foundation (Publication Order)
1950 • 415 Readers • 615 pages • 4.2
#9
1900 • 3,550 Readers • 332 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 1,563 Readers • 399 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 2,261 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 4,797 Readers • 122 pages • 4
#14
#15
#16
#17
#1 of 1 in Stranger in a Strange Land
1961 • 1,028 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#1 of 3 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 • 3,161 Readers • 669 pages • 4.4
#19
#20
181 • 3,041 Readers • 353 pages • 3.9
#21
1968 • 2,025 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 3 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 3,423 Readers • 324 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#1 of 4 in Space Odyssey
1968 • 1,225 Readers • 221 pages • 4.1
#25
1978 • 1,841 Readers • 1,553 pages • 4.2
#26
1992 • 1,784 Readers • 448 pages • 3.9
#27
1950 • 1,066 Readers • 182 pages • 4
#28
1963 • 1,371 Readers • 192 pages • 4.1
#29
#1 of 90 in The Sandman
134 Readers • 4.6
#30
1962 • 1,697 Readers • 72 pages • 3.9
#31
#32
#33
#34
1963 • 696 Readers • 288 pages • 3.8
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 742 Readers • 334 pages • 3.9
#36
1894 • 1,347 Readers • 144 pages • 3.7
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 730 Readers • 394 pages • 3.6
#38
19 • 2,007 Readers • 311 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 15 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 378 Readers • 175 pages • 3.6
#41
#42
513 Readers • 3.9
#43
#1 of 3 in The Mistborn Saga: The Original Trilogy
2006 • 4,168 Readers • 534 pages • 4.5
#44
#45
#4 of 18 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 1,555 Readers • 267 pages • 4.1
#46
#47
#1 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 551 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 1 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 1,737 Readers • 480 pages • 4.1
#49
1953 • 831 Readers • 212 pages • 4
#50
1985 • 702 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#1 of 1 in Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust
1997 • 1,415 Readers • 248 pages • 4
#53
1999 • 864 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
15 World War Z
2006 • 1,363 Readers • 5h 59m • 3.9
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 4 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 299 Readers • 369 pages • 3.3
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 325 Readers • 272 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#62
#63
1974 • 2,318 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 1,474 Readers • 865 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 910 Readers • 312 pages • 3.9
#66
#67
#10 of 33 in Shannara (Chronological Order)
1976 • 404 Readers • 670 pages • 3.3
#68
#1 of 2 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 99 Readers • 464 pages • 3.9
#69
#1 of 3 in The Farseer Trilogy
1995 • 1,257 Readers • 400 pages • 4.1
#70
2003 • 1,306 Readers • 522 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 6 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 3,444 Readers • 1,007 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 3 in Wishbone Classics
1864 • 437 Readers • 242 pages • 3.7
#73
#74
#75
1995 • 575 Readers • 536 pages • 4
#76
#77
#78
#79
#80
#1 of 4 in The Wicked Years
1995 • 856 Readers • 406 pages • 3.4
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 1,357 Readers • 559 pages • 4
#82
#83
#84
#85
2008 • 722 Readers • 1,092 pages • 4.1
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 601 Readers • 276 pages • 3.7
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 533 Readers • 528 pages • 4.1
#89
#90
#91
1901 • 424 Readers • 244 pages • 3.9
#92
2003 • 189 Readers • 476 pages • 3.6
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 201 Readers • 642 pages • 3.7
#97
#1 of 4 in Oxford Time Travel
1992 • 503 Readers • 593 pages • 3.8
#98
#99
#100
#1 of 3 in The Space Trilogy
1938 • 314 Readers • 155 pages • 3.8