Geek Fiction: My Top 16

When I started dating Elissa, I put her on a crash course of Important Novels to Noel. Slashdot just finished debating the top twenty geek novels since 1932. Combining stuff from these two sources, I present my essentials. This is a great Christmas list of gifts for the geek in your life.

  1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
  2. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

    3. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (yes, I’m a fanboy.)

  3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
  4. That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis
  5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  6. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
  7. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
  8. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
  9. Flatland by E. A. Abott, ed. Ian Stewart
  10. Zeitgeist by Bruce Sterling
  11. Idoru by William Gibson
  12. Ender’s Game by O. S. Card
  13. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
  14. 1984 by George Orwell
  15. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

  16. Didn’t find your favorite? That’s why there’s only sixteen. Comment below.

    December 14th, 2005 | Books

4 comments

You should check out a new novel called, “Memoirs of a Virus Programmer.” A programmer begins his career with absurd optimism and gradually transforms into an isolated criminal.

Price: $8.99

Comment by Pete Flies — Friday, December 30, 2005 @ 7:52 pm

To toot my own horn a bit, let’s remember that I had already read 7 of these before we started dating. I have old-school geek in my veins.

Comment by elissa — Wednesday, December 14, 2005 @ 9:57 pm

Dune by Frank Herbert seems to be missing, Robot Dawn by Asimov is missing too.

Comment by glen — Wednesday, December 14, 2005 @ 9:55 pm

really, I think any geek reading list needs to include some norse mythology.

honestly – if we claim to drink in the halls of tolkein, we can’t refuse his mead.

Comment by ryan — Wednesday, December 14, 2005 @ 9:37 pm