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Ask YC: What's the most inspiring sci-fi book you've read? ↗

The books people recommended

2008-03-19 · 43 points · 79 comments · 43 books named by at least one person here and at least 3 people overall. The number on the left is how many people named it in this thread.

  1. 8The Last Question

    The Last Question

    Isaac Asimov

    8 here · 11 all-time · #125 overall

  2. 6Dune

    Dune

    Frank Herbert

    6 here · 50 all-time · #6 overall

  3. 4Snow Crash

    Snow Crash

    Neal Stephenson

    4 here · 27 all-time · #18 overall

  4. 4Cryptonomicon

    Cryptonomicon

    Neal Stephenson

    4 here · 25 all-time · #23 overall

  5. 4Foundation

    Foundation

    Isaac Asimov

    4 here · 22 all-time · #34 overall

  6. 41984

    1984

    George Orwell

    4 here · 22 all-time · #35 overall

  7. 4Ender's Game

    Ender's Game

    Orson Scott Card

    4 here · 18 all-time · #50 overall

  8. 3The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    Douglas Adams

    3 here · 26 all-time · #21 overall

  9. 3Permutation City

    Permutation City

    Greg Egan

    3 here · 24 all-time · #27 overall

  10. 2Neuromancer

    Neuromancer

    William Gibson

    2 here · 36 all-time · #12 overall

  11. 2Brave New World

    Brave New World

    Aldous Huxley

    2 here · 16 all-time · #61 overall

  12. 2Diaspora

    Diaspora

    Greg Egan

    2 here · 16 all-time · #63 overall

  13. 2Hyperion

    Hyperion

    Dan Simmons

    2 here · 9 all-time · #150 overall

  14. 2Cat's Cradle

    Cat's Cradle

    Kurt Vonnegut

    2 here · 7 all-time · #207 overall

  15. 2Frankenstein

    Frankenstein

    Mary Shelley

    2 here · 6 all-time · #246 overall

  16. 22001: A Space Odyssey

    2001: A Space Odyssey

    Arthur C. Clarke

    2 here · 5 all-time · #280 overall

  17. 2The Stars My Destination

    The Stars My Destination

    Alfred Bester

    2 here · 3 all-time · #578 overall

  18. 2The Forever War

    The Forever War

    Joe Haldeman

    2 here · 3 all-time · #630 overall

  19. 2City

    City

    Clifford D. Simak

    2 here · 3 all-time · #641 overall

  20. 1

    Atlas Shrugged

    Ayn Rand

    1 here · 51 all-time · #5 overall

  21. 1The Dispossessed

    The Dispossessed

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    1 here · 14 all-time · #75 overall

  22. 1The Glass Bead Game

    The Glass Bead Game

    Hermann Hesse

    1 here · 13 all-time · #87 overall

  23. 1A Canticle for Leibowitz

    A Canticle for Leibowitz

    Walter M. Miller Jr.

    1 here · 13 all-time · #90 overall

  24. 1The Left Hand of Darkness

    The Left Hand of Darkness

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    1 here · 12 all-time · #94 overall

  25. 1The Diamond Age

    The Diamond Age

    Neal Stephenson

    1 here · 12 all-time · #101 overall

  26. 1Stranger in a Strange Land

    Stranger in a Strange Land

    Robert A. Heinlein

    1 here · 11 all-time · #120 overall

  27. 1The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

    The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

    Robert A. Heinlein

    1 here · 8 all-time · #176 overall

  28. 1The Mysterious Island

    The Mysterious Island

    Jules Verne

    1 here · 6 all-time · #228 overall

  29. 1The Lathe of Heaven

    The Lathe of Heaven

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    1 here · 5 all-time · #256 overall

  30. 1Children of Dune

    Children of Dune

    Frank Herbert

    1 here · 5 all-time · #297 overall

  31. 1Flatland

    Flatland

    Edwin A. Abbott

    1 here · 5 all-time · #302 overall

  32. 1Contact

    Contact

    Carl Sagan

    1 here · 4 all-time · #346 overall

  33. 1A Scanner Darkly

    A Scanner Darkly

    Philip K. Dick

    1 here · 4 all-time · #348 overall

  34. 1Player of Games

    Player of Games

    Iain M. Banks

    1 here · 4 all-time · #353 overall

  35. 1Childhood's End

    Childhood's End

    Arthur C. Clarke

    1 here · 4 all-time · #419 overall

  36. 1Oryx and Crake

    Oryx and Crake

    Margaret Atwood

    1 here · 3 all-time · #464 overall

  37. 1The Night's Dawn Trilogy

    The Night's Dawn Trilogy

    Peter F. Hamilton

    1 here · 3 all-time · #484 overall

  38. 1Pattern Recognition

    Pattern Recognition

    William Gibson

    1 here · 3 all-time · #506 overall

  39. 1The Reality Dysfunction

    The Reality Dysfunction

    Peter F. Hamilton

    1 here · 3 all-time · #552 overall

  40. 1Robots

    Robots

    Isaac Asimov

    1 here · 3 all-time · #554 overall

  41. 1Babel 17

    Babel 17

    Samuel R. Delany

    1 here · 3 all-time · #558 overall

  42. 1Culture novels

    Culture novels

    Iain M. Banks

    1 here · 3 all-time · #619 overall

  43. 1Slan

    Slan

    A.E. Van Vogt

    1 here · 3 all-time · #637 overall