The 60′s – when Sci Fi really started to become groundbreaking. There’s a great article identifying some of the best work from iconic authors right here.
I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur of fine 60′s sci fi, but being the nerd I am I have read some of them. I say nerd with a little sarcasm…because I don’t think you have to be a nerd to read these incredible books. They’re something different and strange about them, sometimes making them feel aged at this point – but imagine them in the days they came out. No one had imagined (and reimagined) these topics over and over again. They were coming out of some crazy, drugged addled brains and the absolutely surreal dreams that they produced. I love how people downgrade sci fi as a creative writing form, but MILLIONS will flock to see the movie when it’s made…
Hands down, my favorite would be -
Dune – A truly epic novel, so different and complete that it set sci fi in a completely new direction forever. We had imagined aliens attacking Earth or up to other mischief…but now, they had their own lives, politics and wars. Winner of the Hugo Award in 1966 and called the best-selling sci fi novel of all time, it’s earned it’s way onto this list. Frank Herbert himself is an inspiration to all creative minds. He didn’t graduate from college, because he only wanted to study…well, what he wanted. Why do the prerequisites? He researched Dune for six years before attempting to get a publisher – and failed almost twenty times! Even if you’ve read this earlier in life or have seen the movie (no, come on…) – you need to read it again.
And I’d like to add one book to the list -
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – I know, I know…it might be too easy of a pick to add to the list. Some other sci fi nerds are going to ask for my credentials, but screw off – this is a DAMN GOOD book, that sure as hell puts the movie Blade Runner in a new light. Philip K. Dick is a master of everything sci fi, but can sometimes get a little repetitive…but this book is a masterpiece that should be required reading for anyone who likes the genre.
So, be sure to read the entire article and tell us what you’d add to the list…
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