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 • 1,166 Readers • 1,178 pages • 4.5
#2
#1 of 6 in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
30 • 2,641 Readers • 215 pages • 4.2
#3
#4
#5
#1 of 7 in A Song of Ice and Fire
1996 • 2,427 Readers • 694 pages • 4.4
#6
1949 • 4,166 Readers • 352 pages • 4.2
#7
1953 • 2,676 Readers • 227 pages • 3.9
#8
#1-3 of 7 in Foundation (Publication Order)
1950 • 255 Readers • 615 pages • 4.2
#9
1930 • 2,202 Readers • 344 pages • 3.9
#10
#11
1973 • 1,002 Readers • 465 pages • 4.2
#12
#1 of 14 in The Wheel of Time
1990 • 1,517 Readers • 708 pages • 4
#13
1945 • 2,889 Readers • 140 pages • 4.1
#14
#1 of 3 in Sprawl
1984 • 1,352 Readers • 271 pages • 3.9
#15
#16
#17
1961 • 598 Readers • 422 pages • 3.7
#18
#1 of 3 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
1 • 2,058 Readers • 669 pages • 4.4
#19
#20
181 • 1,881 Readers • 353 pages • 3.9
#21
1968 • 1,275 Readers • 223 pages • 3.9
#22
#1 of 2 in The Handmaid's Tale
1985 • 2,027 Readers • 324 pages • 4.1
#23
#24
#25
#26
1992 • 1,125 Readers • 448 pages • 3.9
#27
20 • 640 Readers • 182 pages • 4
#28
1963 • 856 Readers • 192 pages • 4.1
#29
#1-3 of 11 in The Sandman
1990 • 93 Readers • 612 pages • 4.7
#30
1962 • 1,058 Readers • 149 pages • 3.9
#31
#32
#33
#34
417 Readers • 3.8
#35
#1 of 2 in St. Leibowitz
1959 • 460 Readers • 334 pages • 3.9
#36
1894 • 871 Readers • 140 pages • 3.7
#37
#1 of 3 in Capitaine Nemo
1866 • 450 Readers • 394 pages • 3.6
#38
19 • 1,234 Readers • 117 pages • 4.3
#39
#40
#1 of 10 in The Chronicles of Amber
1970 • 235 Readers • 175 pages • 3.6
#41
#42
357 Readers • 3.9
#43
#1 of 7 in The Mistborn Saga
2006 • 2,550 Readers • 541 pages • 4.4
#44
#45
#4 of 9 in Hainish Cycle
1969 • 991 Readers • 267 pages • 4.1
#46
#47
#1 of 1 in The Once and Future King
1958 • 400 Readers • 650 pages • 3.8
#48
#1 of 2 in London Below, The World of Neverwhere
1996 • 1,152 Readers • 480 pages • 4.2
#49
1953 • 538 Readers • 49m • 4
#50
1985 • 459 Readers • 453 pages • 4.1
#51
#52
#1 of 1 in Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust
1997 • 948 Readers • 248 pages • 4
#53
1999 • 522 Readers • 1,152 pages • 4.2
#54
#55
#56
#57
#58
#1 of 3 in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
1977 • 205 Readers • 369 pages • 3.1
#59
#1 of 16 in Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)
1986 • 216 Readers • 272 pages • 3.9
#60
#61
#62
#63
2006 • 1,409 Readers • 287 pages • 4
#64
#1 of 1 in Strange & Norrell
2004 • 960 Readers • 1,028 pages • 4
#65
1954 • 217 Readers • 161 pages • 4
#66
#67
#1 of 2 in The Original Shannara Trilogy
1976 • 272 Readers • 670 pages • 3.3
#68
#1 of 4 in Conan the Cimmerian
2003 • 52 Readers • 464 pages • 3.8
#69
#70
2003 • 829 Readers • 522 pages • 3.9
#71
#1 of 10 in The Stormlight Archive
2010 • 2,133 Readers • 1,571 pages • 4.6
#72
#9 of 2 in Wishbone Classics
2001 • 232 Readers • 64 pages • 3.7
#73
#74
#75
1995 • 353 Readers • 4
#76
#77
#78
#79
#2 of 3 in Green Town
1962 • 420 Readers • 293 pages • 3.9
#80
#81
#1 of 10 in Malazan Book of the Fallen
1999 • 924 Readers • 559 pages • 3.9
#82
#83
#84
#85
2008 • 464 Readers • 1,092 pages • 4.2
#86
#87
#1 of 5 in The Book of the New Sun
1980 • 375 Readers • 276 pages • 3.6
#88
#1 of 3 in Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
1991 • 339 Readers • 404 pages • 4.1
#89
#90
#91
1951 • 256 Readers • 186 pages • 3.9
#92
2003 • 120 Readers • 476 pages • 3.7
#93
#94
#95
#96
#1 of 1 in Lucifer's Hammer, Audio
1977 • 98 Readers • 642 pages • 3.6
#97
#98
#99
#100