Latest modifications September 13, 1998
Looking Backward ranked 2670th on the list of the 2789 best S.F./Fantasy books, as computed by USENET votes, in October 1996.
Since then it has moved down in the charts. In June 1997 it was 2778th of the top 3041. As of May 31, 1998 it is 2946th of the top 3430. It has received a total of over 2 votes.
It is among the oldest listed.
Full current list:
http://www.clark.net/pub/iz/Books/Top100/top100ftp.txt
./top100ftp.txt as of May 1998.
excerpts below [with comments by a Hell's Bibliophile]:
==================================================================================================
No | Title | Cat | Author | Score | Ave | Dist | #votes
==================================================================================================
1 Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien 8.81 8.81 0000000015 (879)
2 Ender 's Game S1 Orson Scott Card 8.54 8.54 .000000124 (753)
3 Gormenghast S2 Mervyn Peake 8.48 8.26 0.0.000114 (38)
4 Mirror Dance Lois M. Bujold 8.41 8.43 ....0.1222 (75)
5 the White Rose S3 Glen Cook 8.38 8.60 .....01132 (30)
6 Tigana Guy G. Kay 8.36 8.39 0.00000123 (179)
7 Dune S1 Frank Herbert 8.36 8.36 .000000123 (760)
8 the Lions of Al-Rassan Guy G. Kay 8.35 8.76 ....0.1233 (51)
9 a Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess 8.32 8.46 .....00321 (52)
10 Men at Arms S15 Terry Pratchett 8.30 8.32 .0...01231 (71)
11 Hyperion S1 Dan Simmons 8.29 8.30 0.0.001123 (378)
12 Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes 8.26 8.26 ..00001213 (123)
[ a book that appears on high school reading lists sometimes, the basis for the movie
Charlie, the basic idea also appearing in the recent (1996) film
Phenomenon, starting John Travolta, which, oddly, could be used as
crypto-Scientology propaganda. "Clear"]
13 the Stars my Destination Alfred Bester 8.23 8.20 ....000122 (192)
14 Watership Down Richard Adams 8.23 8.32 0.0.000132 (62)
15 Lord of Light Roger Zelazny 8.21 8.21 ...0000114 (201)
...
* 19 Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll 8.18 8.14 ..0.002112 (65)
20 the Gap into Madness S4 Stephen Donaldson 8.18 8.07 00..000221 (57)
...
28 True Names Vernor Vinge 8.15 8.17 ...0001212 (48)
29 the Golden Apple S2 R.A.Wilson/R.J.Shea 8.15 8.48 ....010104 (27)
...
33 Something Wicked this Way Comes Ray Bradbury 8.13 8.10 .0.0.00321 (60)
...
37 the Eye in the Pyramid S1 R.A.Wilson/R.J.Shea 8.12 8.65 .....10114 (23)
38 Leviathan S3 R.A.Wilson/R.J.Shea 8.12 8.86 .....1.115 (21)
...
48 1984 George Orwell 8.08 8.09 ..00001222 (296)
[pseudonym]
[ "It's not that 1984 isn't coming; it's just behind schedule." ]
...
65 a Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller 8.03 8.03 00.0001122 (254)
[post-nuclear technology vs. monastic conflict ]
...
71 the Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe S1 C.S. Lewis 8.01 8.02 ...0001221 (182)
...
77 More than Human Theodore Sturgeon 7.97 7.96 .00..11112 (83)
...
80 Lest Darkness Fall L. Sprague de Camp 7.96 7.92 ...0011202 (62)
[ the librarian in Lincoln, Montana said L. Sprague de Camp is Theodore Kaczinsky's favorite
author. One of de Camp's (nonfiction) books is mentioned by F.C. in
* Industrial Society and Its Future (the unabomber's manifesto)]
...
84 Snow Crash Neal Stephenson 7.95 7.97 00.0001222 (234)
[ excellent ]
...
89 Surveillance S1 Julian May 7.94 7.84 0...001221 (50)
...
104 Animal Farm George Orwell 7.90 7.92 ...0012211 (78)
[ All-time great satire.]
...
129 Cat 's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut 7.84 7.92 0.0..02221 (71)
...
135 the Dispossessed Ursula Le Guin 7.82 7.85 0000001222 (222)
...
206 I, Robot C Isaac Asimov 7.69 7.69 ..00001221 (284)
...
252 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury 7.62 7.63 ..00011211 (217)
[filmic treatment by Francois Truaffaut]
...
255 do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ? Philip K. Dick 7.62 7.65 .000001121 (111)
[ film version: Blade Runner ]
...
272 Brave New World Aldous Huxley 7.59 7.61 .0.0001211 (146)
...
*275 Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll 7.58 8.31 ....001212 (26)
...
281 Neuromancer William Gibson 7.57 7.58 0...001122 (377)
...
319 Contact Carl Sagan 7.50 7.56 0..0002111 (62)
...
346 Slaughterhouse 5 Kurt Vonnegut 7.46 7.47 .000011211 (70)
...
364 the Man in the High Castle Philip K. Dick 7.41 7.41 0000001121 (152)
...
*373 Frankenstein Mary Shelley 7.38 7.45 .0.0011211 (38)
[ pretty good for a 19 year old girl ]
...
375 2001 : a Space Odyssey S1 Arthur C. Clarke 7.38 7.39 ..00011220 (203)
...
*424 LSD - My Problem Child Albert Hofmann 7.28 9.75 .......1.8 (8)
[ fiction, or nonfiction?; I guess the 8 people who voted for it are unclear on the concept]
...
425 Sirens of Titan Kurt Vonnegut 7.27 7.49 0.0..01312 (37)
...
432 Virtual Light William Gibson 7.26 7.27 ..00012310 (75)
...
802 the Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis 6.26 7.60 ....112211 (10)
[correspondence from the devil to his earthly representative]
...
1003 Galapagos Kurt Vonnegut 5.65 7.50 ..0..0242. (14)
...
1105 Player Piano Kurt Vonnegut 5.31 7.36 .....3222. (11)
...
*1225 Gulliver 's Travels Jonathan Swift 4.94 7.73 ...1.00112 (11)
...
1260 the Black Cloud Fred Hoyle 4.81 7.44 ...1.1.311 (9)
[ like Contact above, about contact with an alien intelligence,
by an important astronomer; I don't know if anyone ever called Hoyle "Butt Head Astronomer".]
...
*1456 a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur 's Mark Twain 4.22 6.85 00...12011 (13)
...
*1670 the Man Who Was Thursday G.K. Chesterton 3.62 7.83 .....13111 (6)
...
1700 the Glass Bead Game Herman Hesse 3.57 8.50 ......4..4 (6)
[ For anyone who has not read Hesse, which 27 years ago would have been very few of you
of the demographic of those who voted on this list, may I recommend Steppenwolf?
"...wholly Germanic, hopelessly dated jumble... Bantam Books brought out a
dollar-and-a-quarter [i.e. higher that usual for a paperback] edition of Steppenwolf
in September of last year [1969] and sold 360,000 copies in thirty days." Kurt Vonnegut Jr.,
Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons, p 111. Also Timothy Leary said it was his favorite
book. Looking back on my shelf I see that my copy is indeed "Q4789 * $1.25 * A BANTAM BOOK"
Bantam edition published September 1969 4th printing. I did a book report on it in
10th grade.]
...
1817 Hocus Pocus Kurt Vonnegut 3.29 8.60 ......3.13 (5)
...
1932 Breakfast of Champions Kurt Vonnegut 3.01 6.11 ..1112211. (9)
...
2299 Slapstick Kurt Vonnegut 2.15 5.75 ..2..24... (4)
...
2611 the Land of Unreason L. Sprague de Camp 1.61 6.25 ...4...22. (4)
...
2620 Welcome to the Monkey House Kurt Vonnegut 1.59 8.00 .......9.. (2)
...
2784 the Honorable Barbarian S4 L. Sprague de Camp 1.32 6.67 .....6.3.. (3)
...
*2946 Looking Backward Edward Bellamy 1.02 4.00 .33...3... (3)
[Bellamy is ahead of Tom Clancy]
...
3425 Cardinal of the Kremlin Tom Clancy 0.01 7.50 ......44.. (2)
...
3430 Einstein 's Bridge John Cramer 0.01 5.50 ..4....4.. (2)
Legend has it that Robert Heinlein and L. Ron Hubbard had a bet to see who could start a longer lasting religion.
Heinlein's entry was Stranger in a Strange Land, Hubbard's Dianetics. Here you can look at the titles and get a sense of the respective mentalities. Hubbard may be ahead at the moment; seems like fear wins out over love in the short term....
This is well-known to the political and intelligence communities.
406 Battlefield Earth L.R. Hubbard 7.32 7.32 0000002022 (60)
709 the Invader 's Plan S1 L.R. Hubbard 6.53 6.56 1.00101211 (34)
755 Black Genesis S2 L.R. Hubbard 6.43 6.48 1..0102.20 (25)
848 an Alien Affair S4 L.R. Hubbard 6.12 6.26 2.0.1.0020 (19)
865 Voyage of Vengeance S7 L.R.Hubbard 6.08 6.47 2...2.1020 (17)
883 the Enemy Within S3 L.R.Hubbard 6.04 6.10 200.1.0.30 (20)
910 Fortune of Fear S5 L.R. Hubbard 5.96 6.11 20..1.0020 (18)
928 the Doomed Planet S10 L.R.Hubbard 5.86 6.24 20..1.0020 (17)
958 Death Quest S6 L.R. Hubbard 5.78 6.00 20..2.0.30 (19)
961 Villainy Victorious S9 L.R. Hubbard 5.77 6.20 2...100.3. (15)
1050 Disaster S8 L.R.Hubbard 5.49 5.87 20..1.1.20 (15)
3049 Final Blackout L.R. Hubbard 0.81 8.00 .......9.. (2)
[many Hubbard fictional works not here listed; see "Scientology" section of your library.]
17 the Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein 8.19 8.19 ...0001123 (389)
62 Expanded Universe C Robert A. Heinlein 8.03 8.44 .....12122 (18)
96 Green Hills of Earth C Robert A. Heinlein 7.92 7.90 ....011201 (42)
109 the Door into Summer Robert A. Heinlein 7.88 7.89 ....011221 (160)
130 Time For the Stars Robert A. Heinlein 7.83 7.92 ....101301 (36)
132 the Rolling Stones Robert A. Heinlein 7.83 7.67 0....22120 (33)
152 Past Through Tomorrow C Robert A. Heinlein 7.79 7.78 .0.0011202 (77)
182 Starman Jones Robert A. Heinlein 7.73 7.68 ..0.002310 (37)
201 Farmer in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein 7.69 7.70 ..0..31111 (27)
207 Citizen of the Galaxy Robert A. Heinlein 7.69 7.70 ..0.010212 (122)
210 Space Cadet Robert A. Heinlein 7.68 7.64 ...0111210 (47)
213 the Man who Sold the Moon C Robert A. Heinlein 7.68 7.71 ...0002220 (45)
218 Red Planet Robert A. Heinlein 7.67 7.61 .00.003101 (36)
240 Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein 7.64 7.65 0..0001212 (265)
273 Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein 7.59 7.60 0000001122 (359)
282 Sixth Column Robert A. Heinlein 7.57 7.50 00.0011103 (40)
290 the Menace from Earth C Robert A. Heinlein 7.55 7.70 ....122.11 (20)
302 Have Space suit , Will Travel Robert A. Heinlein 7.53 7.53 ..00021211 (117)
305 Podkayne of Mars Robert A. Heinlein 7.52 7.47 ...0031110 (34)
312 Double Star Robert A. Heinlein 7.51 7.52 0000011111 (99)
339 Methuselah 's Children Robert A. Heinlein 7.47 7.45 ..00012210 (73)
347 Tunnel in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein 7.46 7.44 ...0.02210 (64)
410 Puppet Masters Robert A. Heinlein 7.31 7.29 0.00012110 (107)
420 Between Planets Robert A. Heinlein 7.28 7.30 ....122.11 (23)
433 the Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan C Robert A. Heinlein 7.25 7.31 ....12310. (26)
468 Glory Road Robert A. Heinlein 7.17 7.22 0000010201 (69)
488 Job : a Comedy of Justice Robert A. Heinlein 7.11 7.13 00.1010211 (75)
[great title]
506 Time Enough for Love Robert A. Heinlein 7.06 7.07 0000001112 (127)
517 Friday Robert A. Heinlein 7.04 7.06 0000011110 (84)
534 Star Beast Robert A. Heinlein 6.99 6.98 ..0.031100 (45)
550 Rocket ship Galileo Robert A. Heinlein 6.94 6.89 .1...3212. (19)
565 Revolt in 2100 C Robert A. Heinlein 6.90 7.35 ....12212. (17)
594 Orphans of the Sky Robert A. Heinlein 6.81 6.87 .0..0213.0 (23)
604 Farnham 's Freehold Robert A. Heinlein 6.78 6.77 00..014000 (39)
633 Waldo and Magic Inc C Robert A. Heinlein 6.69 6.69 ..1012111. (29)
719 Assignment in Eternity C Robert A. Heinlein 6.52 7.12 .....31121 (16)
788 to Sail Beyond the Sunset Robert A. Heinlein 6.32 6.33 1.0000111. (33)
856 Beyond This Horizon Robert A. Heinlein 6.10 7.77 ..1.000.04 (13)
863 I Will Fear no Evil Robert A. Heinlein 6.08 6.14 00.1110011 (56)
969 the Number of the Beast Robert A. Heinlein 5.75 5.83 0100011101 (82)
973 the Cat who Walks Through Walls Robert A. Heinlein 5.73 5.80 0.00012000 (51)
Please do not confuse the following Rama with Rama aka Dr. Frederick Lenz, who has recently attained his parinirvana by drowning off the dock of his Long Island mansion, while overdosed on Valium. Declared suicide; despondent over lawsuits by families of his followers. Whether he had a loss of consciousness at the moment of death is unknown.
The present author had karma that compelled him to receive Lenz's darshan on two occasions.
http://www.fredericklenz.com
Most highly developed superficiality among contemporary gurus.
http://www.trancenet.org/groups/lenz/news.shtml
His band: http://www.zazen.com
His book: http://www.himalaya.com Surfing
the Himalayas, Snowboarding to Nirvana.
http://members.aol.com/ramaweb/index.htm
His PR firm: http://www.ramalila.com tributes
"We have won over 60 Web Awards!", mostly because we awarded them
to ourself: http://www.himalaya.com/awards/awards_content.htm.
336 Rendezvous with Rama S1 Arthur C. Clarke 7.48 7.49 ..00001221 (281) 705 Rama Revealed S4 Arthur C. Clarke 6.54 6.52 0000010201 (52) 741 Rama II S2 Arthur C. Clarke 6.47 6.48 0000012200 (91) 790 the Garden of Rama S3 Arthur C. Clarke 6.32 6.31 0.00110101 (64)
Fred Lenz a.k.a Atmananda a.k.a Rama has since ascended. see his Wikipedia page
* These books, and 10000 [2014 update, 1,000,000, 2018 update 2,000,000 ] or so others, are available to anyone freely and legitimately on the net. To find out where: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu, "The OnLine Books page".
Self-referential url: pseudopodium.com/HellsBibliophiles/listofSFbooks.html
1996?-- minor changes Aug 2018