Published in series since early 1999 by Millennium, this sequence of books was meant to capture the best of older science fiction writing, by reprinting many classics which have, in many cases, been unavailable in print for a number of years. Initially following a two-per-month publishing schedule, they now come out more-or-less monthly, along with its sister series "Fantasy Masterworks". Although I was aware of the series, and owned several of the books in prior editions, I didn't buy any of the books until late-2000, after a bad run of luck reading very mediocre & outright poor "skiffy", and was desperately looking for something to remind me why I loved the genre so much.
It didn't disappoint.
From the first book I picked up (Stapledon's "Last and First Men", #11), I've been hooked by the breadth of vision & originality captured in these works. Many of these books were written over 50 years ago, yet it's almost as if many of today's writers (and readers) are unaware of their existence. The style of some of these books might be considered "quaint" by todays more "sophisticated" readers, but they all contain something of value if you are prepared to make the effort.
In mid 2001, Millenium broadened the SF Masterworks series by introducing its "SF Masterworks Hardbacks", including a high proportion of more widely known "classics", most of which have not yet been included in the paperback series
A NOTE ON THE RATING SYSTEM : All the books in this selection are worth reading. Some are better written than others; some capture amazing new ideas, whilst others use old ideas in new ways. The rating scheme is based on my personal enjoyment of each book - a good way of thinking about it is as a "unputdownability" factor. Your reading 'experience' will undoubtedly differ.
The Paperbacks:
| 1
|
 |
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman A war against an unknown enemy stretches on for century after century due to the huge distances involved. The story follows the simple life story of one man over thousands of years.
|
2
|
|
I Am Legend - Richard Matheson Vampires are real.
Thinking he is the last human alive, a man battles to preserve our previous
way of life.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 3
|
 |
Cities In Flight - James Blish |
4
|
 |
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
(Filmed as "Bladerunner") |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 5
|
 |
The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester |
6
|
 |
Babel-17 - Samuel R. Delany |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 7
|
 |
Lord Of Light - Roger Zelazny |
8
|
 |
The Fifth Head Of Cerberus - Gene Wolfe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 9
|
 |
Gateway - Frederik Pohl Escaping the food mines, a man risks everthing taking missions to unknown destinations, from an abandoned alien spacestation, in spaceships that no-one understands, in the hope of a better a life. The first novel in Pohl's "Heechee" series.
|
10
|
|
The Rediscovery Of Man - Cordwainer Smith Stories covering the rise of humanity, and those we bring with us ... collects most of Smith's important shorter works. C'Mell appears in a couple of the stories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 11
|
 |
Last And First Men - Olaf Stapledon A book of vast vistas & infinite possibilities, charting the future of mankind through great highs & desperate depths.
|
12
|
|
Earth Abides - George R. Stewart |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 13
|
 |
Martian Time-Slip - Philip K. Dick |
14
|
 |
The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 15
|
 |
Stand On Zanzibar - John Brunner |
16
|
 |
The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 17
|
 |
The Drowned World - J. G. Ballard Ballard's tale of a post-global warming (kinda) world, charts a small group's struggle not to reintegrate with the wilder world now around them. The drums, the drums, ...
|
18
|
|
The Sirens Of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut The victim of a bizaar accident manipulates the destiny of Earth. But is he himself the victim of a greater conspiracy ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 18
|
 |
Emphyrio - Jack Vance A simple lad struggles with the unjustness of his world, only to find that his "masters" are at least as much slaves as he and his people are.
|
20
|
|
A Scanner Darkly - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 21
|
 |
Star Maker - Olaf Stapledon |
22
|
 |
Behold The Man - Michael Moorcock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 23
|
 |
The Book Of Skulls - Robert Silverberg |
24
|
|
The Time Machine & The War Of The Worlds - H. G. Wells |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 25
|
 |
Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes |
26
|
 |
Ubik - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 27
|
 |
Timescape - Gregory Benford
|
28
|
 |
More Than Human - Theodore Sturgeon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 29
|
 |
Man Plus - Frederik Pohl Earths environment is on it's last legs. The only possibility of survival for Humanity is to adapt to living on Mars - an astronaut is the pathfinder for the process that will make this possible, but he may lose his humanity in the process.
|
30
|
|
A Case of Conscience - James Blish A priest struggles with the contradictions that a race of aliens confront him with - a perfect society, but one with a dark secret ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 31
|
 |
The Centauri Device - M. John Harrison |
32
|
 |
Dr. Bloodmoney - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 33
|
 |
Non-Stop - Brian Aldiss A few remnants of humanity eeking out an existance in a sealed environment, over-run by unfamiliar plants & populated by strange creatures, have no memory of living under open skies. What went wrong ?
|
34
|
|
The Fountains of Paradise - Arthur C. Clarke |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 35
|
 |
Pavane - Keith Roberts England, the 1960's. A time of great social change and a broadening of consciousness ... except in this England, the Industrial revolution never really got started ... |
36
|
 |
Now Wait For Last Year - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 37
|
 |
Nova - Samuel R. Delany A family feud drives a captain to fly his ship through the heart of a star in pursuit of the ultimate prize ... |
38
|
 |
The First Men on the Moon - H. G. Wells |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 39
|
 |
The City and the Stars - Arthur C. Clarke |
40
|
 |
Blood Music - Greg Bear A cracking tale of mankind's transendance, as our DNA starts to reassert itself (there are similar themes in Bear's later "Darwin's Radio").
(in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 41
|
 |
Jem - Frederik Pohl |
42
|
 |
Bring The Jubilee - Ward Moore The Union lost the US Civil War & is almost a third world country by the mid 20th century. A young man escapes voluntary slavery and travels the US to find himself (slightly predictable ending, but very well researched and written)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 43
|
|
Valis - Philip K Dick |
44
|
 |
The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula Le Guin His dreams affect reality, but is it all in his imagination, or is his analyst using him to shape the world to his own ends ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 45
|
 |
The Complete Roderick
(Comprises "Roderick" &"Roderick At Random") |
46
|
 |
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 47
|
 |
The Invisible Man - H. G. Wells |
48
|
 |
Grass - Sheri S. Tepper
(got in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 49
|
 |
A Fall of Moondust - Arthur C. Clarke
(in a different edition) |
50
|
|
Eon - Greg Bear
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
51
|
 |
The Shrinking Man - Richard Matheson
|
52
|
|
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch- Philip K. Dick
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
53
|
|
Tha Dancers at the End of Time - Michael Moorcock
|
54 |
|
The Space Merchants - Frederik Pohl & Cyril M. Kornbluth
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
Time Out of Joint - Philip K. Dick
|
56
|
|
The Island of Doctor Moreau - H. G. Wells
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Hardbacks :
|
1
|
|
Dune - Frank Herbert
(got in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
The Left Hand Of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
The Man In The High Castle - Philip K. Dick |
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester (got paperback SFM edition) |
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
A Canticle For Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr. |
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke (got in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein (got in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
Ringworld - Larry Niven (got in a different edition) |
|
|
|
|
9
|
|
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman (got paperback SFM edition) |
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
The Day Of The Triffids - John Wyndham (got in a different edition) |
Last Modified: 12th Jan 2003
