What is a great science fiction novel/book?

"1984" perhaps?

http://www.online-literature.com/verne/

jules verne. although most of his science fiction has become science fact since it has been published.


and of course Isaac Asimov

http://www.asimovonline.com/

As someone already posted any of Verne's books.
I also liked Brave New World by Huxely.

i just read altered carbon it was pretty cool

lol
I used to read Asimov when I was at school, like 18-20 years ago.

Hmmm...just 'cause I'm old skool on this one

Piers Anthony
and why hasn't someone mentioned Doug Adams? (snicker)

1984 was nice

Most folks tend to think what's most modern is what's best.

And, insofar as a recent vintage connotes a greater correlation to their (current) wants, most folks are right.

But, Science Fiction literature explodes that rule.

The limitations of the genre are the limitations of the human capacity to articulate the question "What if?" -- in all its fantastical and varied forms.

Given such tremendous scope of story-telling possibility, you'll discover that Science Fact, taken as a whole, is very small against the Practical Infinity of Science Fi. And, even more humbling to those who think our "progress" of the last 50 years or so amounts to very much, there ain't nothin' on the list of things we can do, today, wasn't already dreamed up long before the inventors of the art's current state were even born.

Case in point:




Dune will teach ya, also, that it ain't through technological innovation that the wisest of our Speculative Literary Minds have broached the realm of Possibility.

Inevitably, they've done it by conjecturing on the likely qualities of Humanity, as it might be in some unfathomable existence, far removed from us by distance and by time --




j-

oddly enough i was introduced to Asimov by my high school physics teacher. he had us read several of his short stories for class.

Orwell and Huxley for sure

for leisure reading, 'Enders Game' series by Orson Scott Card was cool, 'Xenocide' blew me away

edit: Asimov of course

the transmogrification of timothy archer..

Check out some Philip Jose Farmer

YARGH! Snow Crash.

ditto that!

times arrow by martin ammiss
if you just start reading it, and discover whats happening yourself its great...
if you read a synopsis about the content first, its still good, but not as good as reading it 'blind' (no pun intended)