Recommend five (and only five) sci-fi books

[Kesh]

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
2001: A Space Odyssey by Sir Arthur C. Clarke (read the first sequel, and skip the rest)
Dune by Frank Herbert (see comment on 2001)
Ringworld by Larry Niven (I sense a pattern developing...)
The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein

 

[Michael Tree]

(psst, Michael, why wouldn't cyberpunk be consider SF?)

You know that books aren't allowed to be in more than one litereary ghetto at the same time. It goes against the code, Roger Zelazny and Neil Gaiman notwithstanding.

 

[Croesus]

I agree with many of the earlier posts. Here are a few that haven't been mentioned yet.

Blackcollar by Timothy Zahn
Bug Wars by Robert Asprin
In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman
Dorsai by Gordon Dickson
Bolo by Keith Laumer

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

In Conquest Born by C.S. Friedman

Good choice. That was an exceptional book.

 

[Mycanid]

Ooo ... this one is a harder one for me ... hmm:

-City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams. I REALLY loved the idea and concept he presented in this (and the other books in the series) but thought it all went down the drain with the 4th book... I was VERY disappointed with the story's end.

-Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. (I just loved his trilogy, but this is prolly the most sci-fi'ey of them.)

-A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller. A classic!

-Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling. Hard to say why I liked this book so much. Best thing by him I have read though!

-Neuromancer by William Gibson. Hafta vote for it.

 

[Jeysie]

I have to mention:

Stranger in a Strange Land because it's my favorite book, and

Ender's Game because Orson Scott Card is my favorite author.

Some love to books that haven't been mentioned yet:

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov, because I'm a fan of Elijah Baley.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester, because I find telepathy fascinating.

And The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, because sometimes you need some humor in your life.

(OK, so everyone else pretty much already hit my major ideas.)

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[drothgery]

Hmm... almost everything I'd put on a list is already there, so the originals...

Cordellia's Honor by Lois Bujold (I guess this counts for two as it's Shards of Honor and Barrayar in one book, then feel free to kick one of the others out, because something that counts as a fun romp, a tear-jerker, and a romance just ought to make it on the list)
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (feel free to ignore the sequel)
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (because one of their books where a giant rock hits the earth ought to be on the list)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

 

[papastebu]

Larry Niven actually.

Thank you. The strange thing about this mistake is, I was actually thinking of a conversation where I quoted Niven, about scripting my life, yet no-one gets their lines right, and someone said to me, "O.K., Larry," as I wrote "Zelazny" :\ . I think these two authors having been contemporaries confuses me from time to time.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

The Stars, My Destination - Alfred Bester
Dune - Frank Herbert
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Robots And Empire - Issac Asimov
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Philip Dick

The Road - Cormac McCarthy would get a vote if post-apocalypic fiction counted.

 

[buzzard]

Hmm, so many books to choose from. Paring down is tricky.

Redliners-David Drake (though there are so many of his I am quite fond of, it is hard to pick one)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress- Robert Heinlen
The Stars Like Dust- Isaac Asimov
The Devil Will Drag You Under- Jack Chalker (Sci-Fi? Fantasy? could be either in a way)
Berserker- Fred Saberhagen

buzzard