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20th and 21st All-Centuries Polls Results
5 January 2013: Final Corrected Tallies
Posted results for novels have been updated to combine votes across centuries -- titles voted for SF or fantasy novel in both 20th and 21st century categories. Votes have been combined in SF categories, and in fantasy categories, and then assigned for ranking to the century where each title got the most initial votes (analogous to the procedure used to compile short fiction votes). There are now 2480 unique novel category/title combinations, reduced from the earlier total of 2569.
Most adjustments made no difference to the top rankings, except in 21st century fantasy novel, where the adjustments made a difference as high as 5th place, since Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows got some votes in the 20th century fantasy novel category. In other categories, there are no changes higher than 49th place in 20th century SF novel, 83rd place in 20th century fantasy novel, and 30th place in 21st century fantasy novel.
Again, I have left votes for books voted in SF vs fantasy categories alone, nor have I adjusted for series votes vs votes for individual novels.
On this home page, I have extended the listings of 20th century novel rankings to 75.
Finally, a correction to the editing of short fiction titles resulted in a novelette by Cory Doctorow moving from 27th to 22nd place, with other ranks adjusted accordingly.
--Mark R. Kelly
29 December 2012:
In November 2012 Locus Online hosted a set of polls for the best science fiction and fantasy novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st (so far) centuries, with five categories in each century: SF novel, fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story. For 20th century categories, up to 10 votes in each category were allowed; for 21st century categories, 5 items in each were allowed. Results depend on rank of votes within each category, using algorithms that reward a 1st place vote twice as many points as a 5th or 10th place vote, but not 5 times or 10 times as many.
A total of 625 valid ballots were received, three-quarters of them in the last four days of November. Results for novels were posted on 21 December, below.
Here are results of Locus Online's 20th and 21st centuries polls in short fiction categories -- novella, novelette, and short story. Complete results are posted on the following pages; the first of these includes details about how the votes were compiled.
--Mark R. Kelly
20th Century Novella:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Chiang, Ted : Story of Your Life (1998) | 978 | 63 |
| 2 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Word for World Is Forest (1972) | 666 | 45 |
| 3 | Tiptree, James, Jr. : Houston, Houston, Do You Read? (1976) | 592 | 39 |
| 4 | Campbell, John W. : Who Goes There? (1938) | 568 | 39 |
| 5 | Varley, John : The Persistence of Vision (1978) | 561 | 39 |
| 6 | Wolfe, Gene : The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972) | 510 | 34 |
| 7 | Leiber, Fritz : Ill Met in Lankhmar (1970) | 509 | 36 |
| 8 | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950) | 508 | 34 |
| 9 | Kress, Nancy : Beggars in Spain (1991) | 456 | 33 |
| 10 | Moore, C. L. (& Henry Kuttner) : Vintage Season (1946) | 424 | 29 |
| 11 | Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Mountains of Mourning (1989) | 416 | 29 |
| 12 | Martin, George R. R. : A Song for Lya (1974) | 401 | 27 |
| 13 | Lovecraft, H. P. : The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1942) | 372 | 25 |
| 14 | Heinlein, Robert A. : By His Bootstraps | 325 | 22 |
| 15 | Simak, Clifford D. : The Big Front Yard (1958) | 323 | 23 |
| 16 | Sturgeon, Theodore : Baby Is Three (1952) | 322 | 22 |
| 17* | Moorcock, Michael : Behold the Man (1966) | 321 | 23 |
| 17* | Varley, John : PRESS ENTER[] (1984) | 321 | 23 |
| 19 | Willis, Connie : The Last of the Winnebagos (1988) | 309 | 22 |
| 20 | Vinge, Vernor : True Names (1981) | 307 | 22 |
| 21 | Vance, Jack : The Last Castle (1966) | 287 | 21 |
| 22* | Crowley, John : Great Work of Time (1989) | 283 | 19 |
| 22* | Zelazny, Roger : 24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai (1985) | 283 | 18 |
| 24* | Vance, Jack : The Dragon Masters (1962) | 282 | 21 |
| 24* | Vance, Jack : The Moon Moth (1961) | 282 | 19 |
| 26 | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (1942) | 281 | 18 |
| 27 | Longyear, Barry B. : Enemy Mine (1979) | 256 | 20 |
| 28 | Asimov, Isaac : The Martian Way (1952) | 253 | 18 |
| 29 | Farmer, Philip Jose : Riders of the Purple Wage (1967) | 248 | 19 |
| 30 | Zelazny, Roger : He Who Shapes (1965) | 231 | 17 |
| 31 | Chiang, Ted : Seventy-two Letters (2000) | 225 | 16 |
| 32 | Shepard, Lucius : R&R (1986) | 224 | 16 |
| 33 | Wolfe, Gene : The Death of Doctor Island (1973) | 222 | 17 |
| 34 | Delany, Samuel R. : The Star Pit (1967) | 201 | 14 |
| 35 | McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonrider (1967) | 200 | 14 |
| 36 | Resnick, Mike : Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge (1994) | 195 | 15 |
| 37 | Heinlein, Robert A. : Universe (1941) | 188 | 13 |
| 38 | McCaffrey, Anne : Weyr Search (1967) | 186 | 13 |
| 39 | Silverberg, Robert : Nightwings (1968) | 177 | 13 |
| 40 | Anderson, Poul : The Queen of Air and Darkness (1971) | 176 | 13 |
| 41 | Lovecraft, H. P. : The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward | 170 | 12 |
| 42* | Howard, Robert E. : Red Nails (1936) | 165 | 12 |
| 42* | Silverberg, Robert : Sailing to Byzantium (1985) | 165 | 12 |
| 44 | Brin, David : The Postman (1982) | 162 | 12 |
| 45 | Bear, Greg : Hardfought (1983) | 160 | 11 |
| 46 | Russell, Eric Frank : ...And Then There Were None | 157 | 11 |
| 47 | Zelazny, Roger : Home Is the Hangman (1975) | 155 | 10 |
| 48* | Haldeman, Joe : The Hemingway Hoax (1990) | 152 | 12 |
| 48* | Wolfe, Gene : Seven American Nights (1978) | 152 | 10 |
| 50 | Lovecraft, H. P. : The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (1943) | 146 | 10 |
20th Century Novelette:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Keyes, Daniel : Flowers for Algernon (1959) | 1646 | 108 |
| 2 | Asimov, Isaac : Nightfall (1941) | 1012 | 64 |
| 3 | Zelazny, Roger : A Rose for Ecclesiastes (1963) | 754 | 49 |
| 4 | Asimov, Isaac : The Bicentennial Man (1976) | 660 | 44 |
| 5 | Martin, George R. R. : Sandkings (1979) | 601 | 42 |
| 6 | Bester, Alfred : Fondly Fahrenheit (1954) | 554 | 37 |
| 7 | Ellison, Harlan : A Boy and His Dog (1969) | 516 | 36 |
| 8 | Bear, Greg : Blood Music (1983) | 480 | 34 |
| 9 | Butler, Octavia E. : Bloodchild (1984) | 458 | 30 |
| 10 | Godwin, Tom : The Cold Equations (1954) | 450 | 31 |
| 11 | Tiptree, James, Jr. : The Women Men Don't See (1973) | 426 | 29 |
| 12 | Tiptree, James, Jr. : The Girl Who Was Plugged In | 416 | 29 |
| 13 | Card, Orson Scott : Ender's Game (1977) | 400 | 28 |
| 14 | Chiang, Ted : Tower of Babylon (1990) | 378 | 26 |
| 15 | Weinbaum, Stanley G. : A Martian Odyssey (1934) | 357 | 25 |
| 16 | Delany, Samuel R. : Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones (1968) | 355 | 23 |
| 17 | Dick, Philip K. : We Can Remember It for You Wholesale (1966) | 352 | 24 |
| 18 | Gibson, William : Burning Chrome (1982) | 347 | 24 |
| 19 | Lovecraft, H. P. : The Call of Cthulhu (1928) | 319 | 23 |
| 20 | Brown, Fredric : Arena (1944) | 302 | 23 |
| 21 | Blish, James : Surface Tension (1952) | 298 | 22 |
| 22 | Willis, Connie : Fire Watch (1982) | 297 | 21 |
| 23 | Ellison, Harlan : The Deathbird | 290 | 19 |
| 24 | Miller, Walter M., Jr. : A Canticle for Leibowitz (1955) | 272 | 18 |
| 25 | Zelazny, Roger : The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth (1965) | 271 | 19 |
| 26* | Smith, Cordwainer : The Ballad of Lost C'Mell (1962) | 270 | 20 |
| 26* | Niven, Larry : Inconstant Moon (1971) | 270 | 19 |
| 28 | Kuttner, Henry [Lewis Padgett] : Mimsy Were the Borogoves (1943) | 246 | 19 |
| 29 | Niven, Larry : Neutron Star (1966) | 237 | 18 |
| 30 | Kelly, James Patrick : Think Like a Dinosaur (1995) | 227 | 17 |
| 31 | Zelazny, Roger : For a Breath I Tarry (1966) | 226 | 15 |
| 32 | Sturgeon, Theodore : Microcosmic God | 223 | 17 |
| 33 | McCaffrey, Anne : The Ship Who Sang (1961) | 220 | 17 |
| 34 | Asimov, Isaac : Foundation (1942) | 217 | 15 |
| 35* | Dick, Philip K. : Second Variety (1953) | 214 | 16 |
| 35* | Smith, Cordwainer : Scanners Live in Vain (1950) | 214 | 15 |
| 37 | Shepard, Lucius : The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule (1984) | 210 | 16 |
| 38 | Heinlein, Robert A. : --And He Built a Crooked House (1941) | 195 | 14 |
| 39 | Leinster, Murray : First Contact (1945) | 191 | 14 |
| 40 | Kornbluth, C. M. : The Little Black Bag | 189 | 14 |
| 41* | Aldiss, Brian W. : Hothouse (1961) | 186 | 14 |
| 41* | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Roads Must Roll (1940) | 186 | 13 |
| 43 | Kornbluth, C. M. : The Marching Morons | 178 | 12 |
| 44 | Sterling, Bruce : Swarm (1982) | 175 | 13 |
| 45 | Lovecraft, H. P. : The Dunwich Horror (1929) | 171 | 12 |
| 46 | Asimov, Isaac : The Ugly Little Boy (1958) | 170 | 12 |
| 47 | Zelazny, Roger : The Keys to December (1966) | 156 | 11 |
| 48 | Leiber, Fritz : Gonna Roll the Bones (1967) | 155 | 11 |
| 49 | Chiang, Ted : Understand (1991) | 150 | 10 |
| 50* | Waldrop, Howard : The Ugly Chickens | 147 | 11 |
| 50* | Le Guin, Ursula K. : Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come out Tonight | 147 | 10 |
20th Century Short Story:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Clarke, Arthur C. : The Nine Billion Names of God (1953) | 932 | 62 |
| 2 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (1973) | 797 | 52 |
| 3 | Ellison, Harlan : 'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman (1965) | 767 | 52 |
| 4 | Ellison, Harlan : I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967) | 717 | 49 |
| 5 | Clarke, Arthur C. : The Star (1955) | 607 | 40 |
| 6 | Bradbury, Ray : A Sound of Thunder (1952) | 504 | 34 |
| 7 | Heinlein, Robert A. : All You Zombies-- (1959) | 442 | 32 |
| 8 | Gibson, William : Johnny Mnemonic (1981) | 428 | 30 |
| 9 | Tiptree, James, Jr. : The Screwfly Solution (1977) | 425 | 30 |
| 10 | Jackson, Shirley : The Lottery (1948) | 421 | 28 |
| 11 | Bradbury, Ray : There Will Come Soft Rains (1950) | 407 | 29 |
| 12 | Asimov, Isaac : The Last Question (1956) | 381 | 25 |
| 13 | Shaw, Bob : Light of Other Days (1966) | 371 | 26 |
| 14 | Vonnegut, Kurt : Harrison Bergeron (1961) | 364 | 27 |
| 15 | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Green Hills of Earth (1947) | 362 | 26 |
| 16 | Smith, Cordwainer : The Game of Rat and Dragon (1955) | 290 | 22 |
| 17 | Pohl, Frederik : Day Million (1966) | 289 | 21 |
| 18 | Ellison, Harlan : Jeffty Is Five (1977) | 275 | 19 |
| 19 | Clarke, Arthur C. : The Sentinel (1951) | 273 | 19 |
| 20 | Russ, Joanna : When It Changed | 259 | 18 |
| 21 | Tiptree, James, Jr. : Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death (1973) | 248 | 17 |
| 22 | Delany, Samuel R. : Aye, and Gomorrah | 243 | 19 |
| 23 | Bixby, Jerome : It's a Good Life (1953) | 232 | 16 |
| 24 | Bradbury, Ray : The Veldt (1950) | 230 | 17 |
| 25 | Varley, John : Air Raid (1977) | 206 | 16 |
| 26 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Day Before the Revolution (1974) | 200 | 14 |
| 27 | Bisson, Terry : Bears Discover Fire (1990) | 196 | 14 |
| 28 | Butler, Octavia E. : Speech Sounds | 181 | 13 |
| 29 | Asimov, Isaac : Robbie (1940) | 177 | 12 |
| 30* | Bradbury, Ray : The Million Year Picnic (1946) | 167 | 13 |
| 30* | Willis, Connie : Even the Queen (1992) | 167 | 13 |
| 30* | Sturgeon, Theodore : The Man Who Lost the Sea (1959) | 167 | 10 |
| 33 | Leiber, Fritz : A Pail of Air (1951) | 153 | 11 |
| 34 | Sturgeon, Theodore : Saucer of Loneliness (1953) | 151 | 10 |
| 35* | Davidson, Avram : Or All the Seas with Oysters (1958) | 144 | 10 |
| 35* | Russell, Eric Frank : Allamagoosa (1955) | 144 | 10 |
| 37 | Card, Orson Scott : Unaccompanied Sonata (1979) | 143 | 10 |
| 38 | Martin, George R. R. : With Morning Comes Mistfall (1973) | 140 | 10 |
| 39 | Gaiman, Neil : A Midsummer Night's Dream (1990) | 132 | 10 |
| 40 | Bester, Alfred : The Men Who Murdered Mohammed (1958) | 131 | 10 |
| 41 | Asimov, Isaac : Liar! (1941) | 130 | 8 |
| 42 | Egan, Greg : Learning to Be Me (1990) | 125 | 9 |
| 43 | Gaiman, Neil : Troll Bridge (1993) | 123 | 8 |
| 44 | Wolfe, Gene : The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories | 121 | 8 |
| 45* | Leiber, Fritz : Coming Attraction | 120 | 9 |
| 45* | Silverberg, Robert : Passengers | 120 | 9 |
| 47 | Ballard, J. G. : The Terminal Beach | 115 | 8 |
| 48 | Bradbury, Ray : All Summer in a Day (1954) | 114 | 8 |
| 49 | Knight, Damon : The Country of the Kind (1956) | 112 | 9 |
| 50 | Sturgeon, Theodore : Thunder and Roses (1947) | 109 | 8 |
21st Century Novella:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Link, Kelly : Magic for Beginners (2005) | 205 | 31 |
| 2 | Stross, Charles : Palimpsest (2009) | 108 | 18 |
| 3 | MacLeod, Ian R. : New Light on the Drake Equation (2001) | 106 | 15 |
| 4 | Chiang, Ted : Liking What You See: A Documentary (2002) | 105 | 17 |
| 5 | Vinge, Vernor : Fast Times at Fairmont High | 95 | 14 |
| 6 | Reynolds, Alastair : Diamond Dogs (2001) | 87 | 15 |
| 7 | Willis, Connie : Inside Job | 77 | 13 |
| 8 | Stross, Charles : The Concrete Jungle (2004) | 74 | 12 |
| 9 | Baker, Kage : The Empress of Mars (2003) | 72 | 11 |
| 10 | Scalzi, John : The God Engines (2009) | 71 | 9 |
| 11* | Gaiman, Neil : Coraline | 69 | 10 |
| 11* | Vinge, Vernor : The Cookie Monster (2003) | 69 | 9 |
| 13 | Swirsky, Rachel : The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window | 65 | 11 |
| 14 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Finder (2001) | 61 | 9 |
| 15 | McDonald, Ian : The Little Goddess (2005) | 60 | 9 |
| 16 | Stross, Charles : Missile Gap (2006) | 58 | 10 |
| 17 | Chiang, Ted : The Lifecycle of Software Objects | 56 | 8 |
| 18 | Kelly, James Patrick : Burn (2005) | 55 | 8 |
| 19* | Kress, Nancy : The Erdmann Nexus (2008) | 53 | 10 |
| 19* | Chwedyk, Richard : Bronte's Egg (2002) | 53 | 8 |
21st Century Novelette:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Chiang, Ted : Hell Is the Absence of God (2001) | 293 | 43 |
| 2 | Chiang, Ted : The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate (2007) | 232 | 35 |
| 3 | Gaiman, Neil : A Study in Emerald (2003) | 224 | 32 |
| 4 | Bacigalupi, Paolo : The Calorie Man (2005) | 124 | 20 |
| 5* | Link, Kelly : The Faery Handbag (2004) | 110 | 18 |
| 5* | Bacigalupi, Paolo : The People of Sand and Slag (2004) | 110 | 16 |
| 7 | Ford, Jeffrey : The Empire of Ice Cream (2003) | 104 | 17 |
| 8 | Stross, Charles : Lobsters (2001) | 102 | 16 |
| 9* | Mieville, China : Reports of Certain Events in London (2004) | 87 | 15 |
| 9* | Watts, Peter : The Island | 87 | 13 |
| 11 | Reynolds, Alastair : Beyond the Aquila Rift (2005) | 78 | 13 |
| 12 | Doctorow, Cory : When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth (2006) | 72 | 13 |
| 13* | Bacigalupi, Paolo : Yellow Card Man (2006) | 67 | 11 |
| 13* | Bacigalupi, Paolo : The Fluted Girl (2003) | 67 | 10 |
| 15 | Gregory, Daryl : Second Person, Present Tense (2005) | 66 | 11 |
| 16* | Bacigalupi, Paolo : Pump Six (2008) | 65 | 10 |
| 16* | Egan, Greg : Dark Integers | 65 | 10 |
| 18 | Beagle, Peter S. : Two Hearts (2005) | 61 | 9 |
| 19 | Gardner, James Alan : The Ray-Gun: A Love Story | 55 | 9 |
| 20 | Swirsky, Rachel : Eros, Philia, Agape | 49 | 8 |
21st Century Short Story:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Chiang, Ted : Exhalation (2008) | 306 | 47 |
| 2 | Lanagan, Margo : Singing My Sister Down (2004) | 147 | 22 |
| 3 | Gaiman, Neil : How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2006) | 121 | 18 |
| 4 | Watts, Peter : The Things (2010) | 93 | 14 |
| 5* | Swanwick, Michael : The Dog Said Bow-Wow (2001) | 89 | 14 |
| 5* | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Bones of the Earth (2001) | 89 | 13 |
| 7 | Johnson, Kij : 26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss | 78 | 11 |
| 8 | Abraham, Daniel : The Cambist and Lord Iron (2007) | 77 | 12 |
| 9* | Johnson, Kij : Spar (2009) | 69 | 12 |
| 9* | Reynolds, Alastair : Zima Blue (2005) | 69 | 11 |
| 11 | Liu, Ken : The Paper Menagerie (2011) | 64 | 9 |
| 12 | Gaiman, Neil : October in the Chair (2002) | 59 | 9 |
| 13 | Resnick, Mike : Travels with My Cats (2004) | 54 | 6 |
| 14 | Ford, Jeffrey : Creation (2002) | 53 | 8 |
| 15 | Bear, Elizabeth : Tideline (2007) | 52 | 9 |
| 16 | Stross, Charles : Rogue Farm (2003) | 45 | 7 |
| 17 | McIntosh, Will : Bridesicle | 41 | 6 |
| 18 | Ellison, Harlan : How Interesting: A Tiny Man (2010) | 40 | 6 |
| 19 | Johnson, Kij : Ponies (2010) | 39 | 6 |
| 20* | Fowler, Karen Joy : The Pelican Bar | 38 | 6 |
| 20* | Fowler, Karen Joy : What I Didn't See (2002) | 38 | 5 |
Update 26 December 2012:
Corrections made, which moves Gaiman & Pratchett's Good Omens into 8th place for 20th century fantasy novel, and Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself into 13th place for 21st century fantasy novel.
Update 24 December 2012:
A few corrections to the posted results are forthcoming, especially the combining of votes for Good Omens, tallied both as by Pratchett/Gaiman and by Gaiman/Pratchett, which will raise its rank considerably. One or two other fixes will also affect the rankings displayed below. These updates will be posted later this week...
21 December 2012:
In November 2012 Locus Online hosted a set of polls for the best novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries, with five categories in each century: SF novel, fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story. For 20th century categories, up to 10 votes in each category were allowed; for 21st century categories, 5 items in each were allowed. Results depend on rank of votes within each category, using algorithms that reward a 1st place vote twice as many points as a 5th or 10th place vote, but not 5 times or 10 times as many.
A total of 625 valid ballots were received, three-quarters of them in the last four days of November.
Since all votes were write-in, the task of compiling results was more arduous than it is for the annual Locus Polls. As of today only results in the novel categories have been completed, and are as follows. An * indicates a tie.
20th Century SF Novel:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Herbert, Frank : Dune (1965) | 3930 | 256 |
| 2 | Card, Orson Scott : Ender's Game (1985) | 2235 | 154 |
| 3 | Asimov, Isaac : The Foundation Trilogy (1953) | 2054 | 143 |
| 4 | Simmons, Dan : Hyperion (1989) | 1843 | 132 |
| 5 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) | 1750 | 120 |
| 6 | Adams, Douglas : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) | 1639 | 114 |
| 7 | Orwell, George : Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) | 1493 | 105 |
| 8 | Gibson, William : Neuromancer (1984) | 1384 | 100 |
| 9 | Bester, Alfred : The Stars My Destination (1957) | 1311 | 91 |
| 10 | Bradbury, Ray : Fahrenheit 451 (1953) | 1275 | 91 |
| 11 | Heinlein, Robert A. : Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) | 1121 | 75 |
| 12 | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966) | 1107 | 76 |
| 13 | Haldeman, Joe : The Forever War (1974) | 1095 | 83 |
| 14 | Clarke, Arthur C. : Childhood's End (1953) | 987 | 70 |
| 15 | Niven, Larry : Ringworld (1970) | 955 | 74 |
| 16 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Dispossessed (1974) | 907 | 62 |
| 17 | Bradbury, Ray : The Martian Chronicles (1950) | 902 | 63 |
| 18 | Stephenson, Neal : Snow Crash (1992) | 779 | 60 |
| 19 | Miller, Walter M. , Jr. : A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) | 776 | 56 |
| 20 | Pohl, Frederik : Gateway (1977) | 759 | 58 |
| 21 | Heinlein, Robert A. : Starship Troopers (1959) | 744 | 53 |
| 22 | Dick, Philip K. : The Man in the High Castle (1962) | 728 | 54 |
| 23 | Zelazny, Roger : Lord of Light (1967) | 727 | 50 |
| 24 | Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983) | 703 | 43 |
| 25 | Lem, Stanislaw : Solaris (1970) | 638 | 47 |
| 26 | Dick, Philip K. : Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) | 632 | 47 |
| 27 | Vinge, Vernor : A Fire Upon The Deep (1992) | 620 | 48 |
| 28 | Clarke, Arthur C. : Rendezvous with Rama (1973) | 588 | 44 |
| 29 | Huxley, Aldous : Brave New World (1932) | 581 | 42 |
| 30 | Clarke, Arthur C. : 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | 569 | 39 |
| 31 | Vonnegut, Kurt : Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) | 543 | 39 |
| 32 | Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris : Roadside Picnic (1972) | 518 | 36 |
| 33 | Card, Orson Scott : Speaker for the Dead (1986) | 448 | 31 |
| 34 | Brunner, John : Stand on Zanzibar (1968) | 443 | 33 |
| 35 | Robinson, Kim Stanley : Red Mars (1992) | 441 | 35 |
| 36 | Niven, Larry (& Pournelle, Jerry) : The Mote in God's Eye (1974) | 437 | 32 |
| 37 | Willis, Connie : Doomsday Book (1992) | 433 | 33 |
| 38 | Atwood, Margaret : The Handmaid's Tale (1985) | 422 | 32 |
| 39 | Sturgeon, Theodore : More Than Human (1953) | 408 | 29 |
| 40 | Simak, Clifford D. : City (1952) | 401 | 28 |
| 41 | Brin, David : Startide Rising (1983) | 393 | 29 |
| 42 | Asimov, Isaac : Foundation (1950) | 360 | 24 |
| 43 | Farmer, Philip Jose : To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971) | 356 | 25 |
| 44 | Dick, Philip K. : Ubik (1969) | 355 | 25 |
| 45 | Vonnegut, Kurt : Cat's Cradle (1963) | 318 | 24 |
| 46 | Vinge, Vernor : A Deepness in the Sky (1999) | 315 | 22 |
| 47 | Simak, Clifford D. : Way Station (1963) | 308 | 24 |
| 48 | Wyndham, John : The Day of the Triffids (1951) | 302 | 24 |
| 49 | Stephenson, Neal : Cryptonomicon (1999) | 300 | 24 |
| 50* | Delany, Samuel R. : Dhalgren (1975) | 297 | 19 |
| 50* | Keyes, Daniel : Flowers for Algernon (1966) | 297 | 23 |
| 52 | Bester, Alfred : The Demolished Man (1953) | 291 | 21 |
| 53 | Stephenson, Neal : The Diamond Age (1995) | 275 | 21 |
| 54 | Russell, Mary Doria : The Sparrow (1996) | 262 | 20 |
| 55 | Dick, Philip K. : A Scanner Darkly (1977) | 260 | 18 |
| 56* | Asimov, Isaac : The Caves of Steel (1954) | 259 | 20 |
| 56* | Banks, Iain M. : Use of Weapons (1990) | 259 | 19 |
| 58 | Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris : Hard to Be a God (1964) | 258 | 17 |
| 59 | Delany, Samuel R. : Nova (1968) | 252 | 19 |
| 60 | Crichton, Michael : Jurassic Park (1990) | 245 | 19 |
| 61 | Heinlein, Robert A. : The Door Into Summer (1957) | 238 | 17 |
| 62 | L'Engle, Madeleine : A Wrinkle in Time (1962) | 215 | 18 |
| 63* | Clarke, Arthur C. : The City and the Stars (1956) | 210 | 15 |
| 63* | Banks, Iain M. : The Player of Games (1988) | 210 | 15 |
| 65 | Bujold, Lois McMaster : Memory (1996) | 207 | 15 |
| 66 | Asimov, Isaac : The End of Eternity (1955) | 205 | 15 |
| 67 | Stewart, George R. : Earth Abides (1949) | 204 | 14 |
| 68* | Heinlein, Robert A. : Double Star (1956) | 203 | 14 |
| 68* | Burgess, Anthony : A Clockwork Orange (1962) | 203 | 16 |
| 70 | Bujold, Lois McMaster : Barrayar (1991) | 202 | 14 |
| 71* | Stapledon, Olaf : Last and First Men (1930) | 193 | 14 |
| 71* | McHugh, Maureen F. : China Mountain Zhang (1992) | 193 | 16 |
| 73 | Cherryh, C. J. : Cyteen (1988) | 192 | 14 |
| 74 | McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonflight (1968) | 191 | 15 |
| 75 | Heinlein, Robert A. : Citizen of the Galaxy (1957) | 188 | 14 |
20th Century Fantasy Novel:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Lord of the Rings (1955) | 5675 | 340 |
| 2 | Martin, George R. R. : A Game of Thrones (1996) | 2200 | 152 |
| 3 | Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Hobbit (1937) | 2040 | 138 |
| 4 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) | 1613 | 113 |
| 5 | Zelazny, Roger : Nine Princes in Amber (1970) | 971 | 70 |
| 6 | Mieville, China : Perdido Street Station (2000) | 827 | 64 |
| 7 | Lewis, C. S. : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) | 821 | 58 |
| 8 | Gaiman/Pratchett : Good Omens (1990) | 701 | 51 |
| 9 | Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) | 665 | 50 |
| 10 | Crowley, John : Little, Big (1981) | 645 | 41 |
| 11 | Adams, Richard : Watership Down (1972) | 632 | 46 |
| 12 | Martin, George R. R. : A Storm of Swords (2000) | 626 | 47 |
| 13 | Goldman, William : The Princess Bride (1973) | 610 | 47 |
| 14 | Beagle, Peter S. : The Last Unicorn (1968) | 597 | 45 |
| 15 | White, T. H. : The Once and Future King (1958) | 589 | 46 |
| 16 | Kay, Guy Gavriel : Tigana (1990) | 522 | 38 |
| 17 | Gaiman, Neil : Neverwhere (1996) | 509 | 38 |
| 18 | Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983) | 494 | 35 |
| 19 | Vance, Jack : The Dying Earth (1950) | 457 | 31 |
| 20 | Bulgakov, Mikhail : The Master and Margarita (1967) | 442 | 29 |
| 21 | Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000) | 440 | 33 |
| 22 | Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Silmarillion (1977) | 433 | 32 |
| 23 | Leiber, Fritz : The Swords of Lankhmar (1968) | 425 | 30 |
| 24 | Jordan, Robert : The Eye of the World (1990) | 423 | 29 |
| 25 | Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) | 418 | 34 |
| 26 | Donaldson, Stephen R. : Lord Foul's Bane (1977) | 416 | 32 |
| 27 | Bradbury, Ray : Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) | 411 | 30 |
| 28 | Peake, Mervyn : Gormenghast (1950) | 410 | 29 |
| 29 | Powers, Tim : The Anubis Gates (1983) | 403 | 29 |
| 30 | Martin, George R. R. : A Clash of Kings (1998) | 381 | 26 |
| 31 | Bradley, Marion Zimmer : The Mists of Avalon (1983) | 368 | 28 |
| 32 | Hobb, Robin : Assassin's Apprentice (1995) | 367 | 27 |
| 33 | Pratchett, Terry : The Colour of Magic (1983) | 363 | 28 |
| 34 | Holdstock, Robert : Mythago Wood (1984) | 326 | 25 |
| 35 | King, Stephen : The Stand (1978) | 316 | 22 |
| 36* | L'Engle, Madeleine : A Wrinkle in Time (1962) | 310 | 23 |
| 36* | Pratchett, Terry : Small Gods (1992) | 310 | 23 |
| 38 | Howard, Robert E. : Conan the Barbarian (1950) | 297 | 21 |
| 39 | Ende, Michael : The Neverending Story (1983) | 291 | 23 |
| 40 | Peake, Mervyn : Titus Groan (1946) | 287 | 20 |
| 41 | McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonflight (1968) | 281 | 22 |
| 42 | Feist, Raymond E. : Magician (1982) | 280 | 22 |
| 43 | Orwell : George : Animal Farm (1945) | 279 | 20 |
| 44 | Silverberg, Robert : Lord Valentine's Castle (1980) | 261 | 20 |
| 45 | Lovecraft, H. P. : At the Mountains of Madness (1936) | 249 | 20 |
| 46 | Swanwick, Michael : The Iron Dragon's Daughter (1993) | 247 | 18 |
| 47 | King, Stephen : The Shining (1977) | 238 | 18 |
| 48 | Garcia Marquez, Gabriel : One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970) | 223 | 16 |
| 49 | Saint-Exupery, Antoine de : The Little Prince (1943) | 217 | 16 |
| 50 | Hughart, Barry : Bridge of Birds (1984) | 213 | 16 |
| 51* | Rice, Anne : Interview with the Vampire (1976) | 211 | 18 |
| 51* | King, Stephen : It (1986) | 211 | 16 |
| 53 | Stewart, Mary : The Crystal Cave (1970) | 208 | 14 |
| 54 | Mirrlees, Hope : Lud-In-The-Mist (1926) | 206 | 15 |
| 55 | Anthony, Piers : A Spell for Chameleon (1977) | 197 | 16 |
| 56 | Pullman, Philip : The Amber Spyglass (2000) | 194 | 15 |
| 57 | McKillip, Patricia A. : The Riddle-Master of Hed (1976) | 193 | 14 |
| 58 | Jackson, Shirley : The Haunting of Hill House (1959) | 190 | 14 |
| 59 | Brooks, Terry : The Sword of Shannara (1977) | 184 | 14 |
| 60 | Heinlein, Robert A. : Glory Road (1963) | 182 | 13 |
| 61 | Eddison, E. R. : The Worm Ouroboros (1922) | 181 | 12 |
| 62 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : Tehanu (1990) | 175 | 12 |
| 63 | Eddings, David : Pawn of Prophecy (1982) | 174 | 14 |
| 64 | Grimwood, Ken : Replay (1987) | 169 | 11 |
| 65 | Zelazny, Roger : Lord of Light (1967) | 168 | 11 |
| 66 | Grahame, Kenneth : The Wind in the Willows (1908) | 166 | 12 |
| 67 | Anderson, Poul : The Broken Sword (1954) | 163 | 11 |
| 68 | Kay, Guy Gavriel : The Lions of Al-Rassan (1995) | 161 | 11 |
| 69 | Barker, Clive : Imagica (1991) | 158 | 10 |
| 70 | Jones, Dianna Wynne : Howl's Moving Castle (1986) | 149 | 11 |
| 71* | Donaldson, Stephen R. : The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant | 146 | 9 |
| 71* | Burroughs, Edgar Rice : A Princess of Mars (1917) | 146 | 10 |
| 73* | Leiber, Fritz : Our Lady of Darkness (1977) | 145 | 10 |
| 73* | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Earthsea Trilogy | 145 | 10 |
| 75 | Priest, Christopher : The Prestige (1995) | 143 | 11 |
21st Century SF Novel:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Scalzi, John : Old Man's War (2005) | 734 | 105 |
| 2 | Stephenson, Neal : Anathem (2008) | 432 | 63 |
| 3 | Bacigalupi, Paolo : The Windup Girl (2009) | 367 | 58 |
| 4 | Wilson, Robert Charles : Spin (2005) | 305 | 49 |
| 5 | Morgan, Richard : Altered Carbon (2002) | 256 | 38 |
| 6 | Watts, Peter : Blindsight (2006) | 251 | 37 |
| 7 | Collins, Suzanne : The Hunger Games (2008) | 210 | 33 |
| 8 | Gibson, William : Pattern Recognition (2003) | 197 | 30 |
| 9 | Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009) | 193 | 29 |
| 10 | Stross, Charles : Accelerando (2005) | 187 | 31 |
| 11 | Mitchell, David : Cloud Atlas (2004) | 185 | 30 |
| 12 | McDonald, Ian : River of Gods (2004) | 181 | 29 |
| 13 | Simmons, Dan : Ilium (2003) | 155 | 24 |
| 14 | McCarthy, Cormac : The Road (2006) | 151 | 23 |
| 15 | Harrison, M. John : Light (2002) | 147 | 22 |
| 16* | Willis, Connie : Black Out/All Clear (2010) | 142 | 20 |
| 16* | Chabon, Michael : The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2007) | 142 | 23 |
| 18 | Niffenegger, Audrey : The Time Traveler's Wife (2003) | 137 | 23 |
| 19* | Ishiguro, Kazuo : Never Let Me Go (2005) | 125 | 20 |
| 19* | Doctorow, Cory : Little Brother (2008 | 125 | 22 |
| 21 | McDonald, Ian : The Dervish House (2010) | 121 | 21 |
| 22 | Vinge, Vernor : Rainbows End (2006) | 120 | 21 |
| 23 | Stephenson, Neal : The Baroque Cycle: The Confusion; The System of the World (2004) | 119 | 19 |
| 24 | Robinson, Kim Stanley : The Years of Rice and Salt (2002) | 115 | 17 |
| 25 | Mieville, China : Embassytown (2011) | 97 | 14 |
21st Century Fantasy Novel:
| Rank | Author : Title (Year) | Points | Votes |
| 1 | Gaiman, Neil : American Gods (2001) | 807 | 116 |
| 2 | Clarke, Susanna : Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004) | 619 | 95 |
| 3 | Rothfuss, Patrick : The Name of the Wind (2007) | 422 | 64 |
| 4 | Mieville, China : The Scar (2002) | 238 | 34 |
| 5 | Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007) | 223 | 34 |
| 6 | Martin, George R. R. : A Feast for Crows (2005) | 213 | 34 |
| 7 | Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Curse of Chalion (2001) | 192 | 28 |
| 8 | Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009) | 170 | 28 |
| 9 | Fforde, Jasper : The Eyre Affair (2001) | 160 | 27 |
| 10 | Gaiman, Neil : Coraline (2002) | 156 | 25 |
| 11 | Wolfe, Gene : The Wizard Knight (2004) | 153 | 24 |
| 12* | Bujold, Lois McMaster : Paladin of Souls (2003) | 150 | 22 |
| 12* | Pratchett, Terry : Going Postal (2004) | 150 | 24 |
| 12* | Pratchett, Terry : Night Watch (2002) | 150 | 26 |
| 15 | Lynch, Scott : The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006) | 146 | 24 |
| 16 | Abercrombie, Joe : The Blade Itself (2006) | 141 | 24 |
| 17 | Gaiman, Neil : The Graveyard Book (2008) | 136 | 22 |
| 18 | Jemisin, N. K. : The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010) | 124 | 21 |
| 19 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : Lavinia (2008) | 123 | 18 |
| 20 | Sanderson, Brandon : Mistborn (2006) | 122 | 18 |
| 21 | Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) | 117 | 18 |
| 22 | Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Other Wind (2001) | 104 | 16 |
| 23 | Gaiman, Neil : Anansi Boys (2005) | 92 | 16 |
| 24* | Novik, Naomi : His Majesty's Dragon (2006) | 89 | 16 |
| 24* | Kay, Guy Gavriel : Under Heaven (2010) | 89 | 14 |
As promised in Roundtable blog comments about the poll, complete results, by category/rank and alphabetically by author, are also available. The first link includes details of the compilation process.
Short fiction results will be available as soon as possible.
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