In 2011, NPR set out to make a list of what their listeners believed to be the best science fiction and fantasy books ever written. More than 5,000 people nominated books, then over 60,000 people voted on the best ones. This list is highlights the most popular books voted by NPR readers across these two genres.
#1
#1-3 of 3 in The Lord of the Rings
1954 • 959 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.6
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
30 • 2,177 Readers • 215 pages • 4.3
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 7 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 1,953 Readers • 835 pages • 4.4
#6
1949 • 3,138 Readers • 352 pages • 4.2
#7
1951 • 2,183 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#9
1930 • 1,764 Readers • 344 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 857 Readers • 465 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 1,291 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 2,276 Readers • 105 pages • 4.1
#14
#1 of 3 in Sprawl
1984 • 1,092 Readers • 271 pages • 3.9
#15
#16
#17
1961 • 492 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#19
#20
181 • 1,537 Readers • 216 pages • 3.8
#21
#1 of 3 in Blade Runner
1968 • 1,049 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 2 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 1,654 Readers • 324 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#25
1978 • 962 Readers • 48 pages • 4.2
#26
1992 • 935 Readers • 448 pages • 4
#27
20 • 525 Readers • 182 pages • 3.9
#28
1963 • 706 Readers • 192 pages • 4.2
#29
#1-3 of 10 in The Sandman
1990 • 80 Readers • 612 pages • 4.8
#30
1962 • 831 Readers • 149 pages • 3.9
#31
1959 • 421 Readers • 353 pages • 3.7
#32
#33
#34
341 Readers • 3.7
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 406 Readers • 354 pages • 3.9
#36
1894 • 728 Readers • 140 pages • 3.7
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 374 Readers • 394 pages • 3.6
#38
1959 • 1,000 Readers • 117 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 10 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 205 Readers • 175 pages • 3.7
#41
#42
#43
#1 of 7 in The Mistborn Saga
2006 • 2,110 Readers • 541 pages • 4.4
#44
#45
#4 of 9 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 805 Readers • 320 pages • 4
#46
#47
#1 of 5 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 341 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 2 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 974 Readers • 480 pages • 4.2
#49
1953 • 460 Readers • 4
#50
1985 • 392 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#53
2002 • 443 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 3 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 188 Readers • 369 pages • 3
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 187 Readers • 272 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#62
#63
2006 • 1,155 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 of 1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 801 Readers • 1,006 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 180 Readers • 161 pages • 4
#66
#67
#1 of 2 in The Original Shannara Trilogy
1976 • 225 Readers • 670 pages • 3.2
#68
#1 of 4 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 52 Readers • 464 pages • 3.8
#69
#70
673 Readers • 546 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 10 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 1,741 Readers • 1,571 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 2 in Wishbone Classics
2001 • 200 Readers • 64 pages • 3.7
#73
215 Readers • 3.9
#74
2005 • 663 Readers • 4.2
#75
1995 • 299 Readers • 4
#76
#77
#78
#79
#2 of 3 in Green Town
1962 • 338 Readers • 293 pages • 3.9
#80
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 782 Readers • 559 pages • 4
#82
#83
#84
#85
2008 • 386 Readers • 1,092 pages • 4.2
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 307 Readers • 303 pages • 3.6
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 293 Readers • 404 pages • 4
#89
#90
#1 of 10 in The Elric Saga
1972 • 214 Readers • 752 pages • 24h 12m • 3.4
#91
1951 • 213 Readers • 186 pages • 3.9
#92
2003 • 99 Readers • 476 pages • 3.8
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 98 Readers • 642 pages • 3.6
#97
#1 of 4 in Oxford Time Travel
1992 • 292 Readers • 593 pages • 3.7
#98
#1 of 3 in New Crobuzon
2000 • 398 Readers • 710 pages • 4
#99
#100
