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I had to think about this question for a few…Some books are incredibly long, but so very well written that it seems like they only take a minute to devour.(Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files)(Terry Pratchett - Discworld)However, other books, while the story is interesting, the writing is so tedious, it feels like a single chapter takes a lifetime to get through.(George RR Martin)I found a site that lists a compilation of the 30 longest fantasy series, in one person’s opinion. I have read the majority of the series on this list and agree. Some are just huge, with a large number of books, and others do not have as many books, but are so very monotonous to get through. Once in a while you have a combination of both. A series that started out so incredibly wonderful, but then something sucks the joy out of the story at some point down the line, and you are never sure when or what happened. (Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth series)THE LONGEST FANTASY SERIESTHE LONGEST FANTASY SERIESPosted on October 2, 2014by BookwraithsEvery one of you has done it: fallen in love with an epic, fantasy series that goes on and on forever. The ones that begin so grandly then morph into multi-volume nightmares that never seem to end. Even the authors know they are bloated beasts, for example take Tad Williams, writer of the “Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn” series, who labeled that trilogy “The Bloated Epic.”Having gone through this horror myself more than once, I wondered what fantasy series in my life (I was born in 1970) were the longest and most bloated. Not “bloated” in the sense that they were terrible reads (though there are some that were horrid) but rather that the author had contracted “Herbert’s Syndrome”, in which he is overwhelmed by the temptation to keep expanding his popular universe. (I’ve read that the Fantasy Review came up with the label “Herbert’s Syndrome” when Dune creator Frank Herbert kept pumping out Dune books back in the 1980s.)With this in mind, I did some research and came up with thirty of the “Longest Fantasy” series ever published. While I realize word count would be a more reliable measure of true length, I found it difficult to get (what I considered) reliable data regarding word count of all fantasy series, so I settled for number of pages in series, which seems to be a fairly accurate measure of total length.After you read through the list, please nominate any others that you feel should be included. I do read the suggestions and modify this list from time to time.#30: THE BLACK COMPANYGlen Cook has led this bunch of mercenaries across two continents and into a few different dimensions through nine books with 3,808 pages. Two more books planned in the series.#29: DRENAI SAGADavid Gemmell was a master of heroic fantasy; none of his books more well known than this beloved series, which stretched to 11 novels with approximately 4,432 pages.#28: THE DARK TOWERKing’s epic has run 8 books and 4,600 pages, and it will only grow larger. Trust me. See my reviews of several novels in the series.Gunslinger Drawing of the Three Wolves of the Calla Dark Tower VII#27: MYTH ADVENTURESRobert Lynn Aspirin’s humorous fantasy series has run for five decades and provided fans with 20 novels, sitting at approximately 4,821 pages.#26: A SONG OF ICE AND FIREMartin’s saga is 5 books and basically 5,000 pages long, and it is not close to being complete.#25: THE DERYNI CHRONICLESKurtz began this in 1970 and has reached 16 books with approximately 5,000 pages. Plus, there is so much more to write about in this world that I doubt we have seen the end of this long running series.#24: THE WORLD OF THE BELGARIADEddings wrote two 5 book series and two histories: 12 novels and 5,014 pages in all. See my review of Pawn of Prophecy, the first book in the series.#23: A CROWN OF STARSElliot’s 7 book series with 5,300 pages. Each book averaging a slim 750 pages.#22: IMAGER PORTFOLIOL.E. Modesitt, Jr.’s first series on the list with 11 books and around 5,350 pages. At least one more novel planned.#21: THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANTThe Unbeliever’s “believers” have purchased 10 books so far and devoured almost 5,500 pages about their favorite leper. Supposedly, the series is over, but then again, I thought the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was the last. So stay tuned to this one.#20: THE ETERNAL CHAMPIONMichael Moorcock has published dozens of eternal champion books, but I decided to use the White Wolf omnibus editions, which collected all the stories in one nice hardcover set. This White Wolf series stretches for 14 books with 6,095 pages.#19: THE DRESDEN FILESUrban fantasy poster boy has over 6,200 pages through 15 books, and remember, he is still growing. See my review of Storm Front, the first book in the series.#18: WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOWWurts has put out 9 books so far. Several more planned. Each novel is close to 700 pages, for a total of 6,281 pages at present. Destiny’s Conflict (Book 10) tentatively set to be published on October 5, 2017.#17: KUSHIEL’S UNIVERSEJacqueline Carey’s series has been around for a while with 9 books, totaling 6,535 pages.#16: DRAGAERA WORLDBrust has dazzled his fan with 21 novels and approximately 6,620 pages. Vallista to be released October 17, 2017. So excited. Yawn. See my reviews.Jhereg The Phoenix Guards Brokedown Palace#15: DEVERRY CYCLEFifteen books with approximately 6,912 pages from Katharine Kerr.#14: REDWALLDuring Brian Jacques life, he penned 22 novels in his amazing world, and his fans will continue to cherish all 8,645 pages.#13: DRAGONRIDERS OF PERNLabeled scifi by some, these 26 books have always seemed more fantasy with just a touch of science fiction mixed in to liven things up a bit. But whether you agree with me or not about that, you will, no doubt, concede that the series is approximately 9,000 pages and still growing.#12: DRAGONLANCEOkay, I know some of you are saying this is a serialized world with numerous authors writing about different characters, and I totally agree, so I am only counting the novels authored or co-authored by Margaret Weis or Tracy Hickman. With this criteria used, the core Dragonlance novels came down to 21 novels with 9,038 pages or there about.#11: REALM OF THE ELDERLINGSRobin Hobb has written 16 novels in this universe so far with around 11,000 pages. The author has left it open to return to the world again in the future if she feels she has another story to tell.#10: THE LEGEND OF DRIZZTSalvatore has given us a “legendary” run of 30 books with nearly 11,500 pages. It appears the series may have come to an end for the foreseeable future, but don’t count Drizzt out: there are always more stories to tell. See my reviews of the most recent books in the series.Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf Archmage Hero#9: THE SWORD OF TRUTHGoodkind has published four series in his fantasy world of the Confessors: Sword of Truth, Richard and Kahlan, The Legend of Magda Searus, and Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles. These novels total 17 books so far with approximately 11,400 pages. Each book averaging almost 700 pages.#8: THE SAGA OF RECLUCEModesitt’s second series on our list with Recluce stretching out 18 novels with approximately 10,740 pages. Book 19 (The Mongrel Mage) will be released on October 31, 2017.#7: SHANNARAA series that has run 29 books with nearly 12,200 pages. If you include four short stories and a graphic novel into the equation, then the series is at 34 published work with approximately 12,500 pages . . . and it’s still getting bigger: The final series (The Fall of Shannara) having begun in June 2017 with the publication of The Black Elfstone. See my reviews of the most recent Shannara novels.The High Druid’s Blade The Darkling Child The Sorcerer’s Daughter.#6: THE WHEEL OF TIMEJordan and Sanderson’s 15 book epic. 12,000 pages. Basically 800 pages per book!#5: XANTHA little over 13,000 pages! 39 books! This series of cheesy fantasy jokes and fun puns is still going strong after all these years.#4: THE RIFTWAR CYCLEFeist strung this one out for 30 books and over 13,100 pages. It is over finally – we think.#3: VALDEMARLackey has penned 34 novels with 14,000 pages. A big investment of time there. And I’m not even including the short story collections.#2: MALAZANErickson and Esslemont’s series is now so long I’ve lost count of how many books there are in all the different series, but I believe we are up to 19 by the end of July 2017 with around 14,500 pages. Each novel averaging approximately 800 pages. If you add in the six novellas, the series is now above 15,500 pages long with 25 published works, and the latest novel arrives in November 2017 when Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendancy #2) hits shelves. Obviously, this series isn’t going to stop growing for quite some time, it seems.#1: DISCWORLDDuring Terry Pratchett’s prolific writing career, he wrote 45 Discworld novels spreading across 15,497 pages. And while this fantasy master has passed away, Discworld will always remain to pay homage to his greatness.Now, to be honest, we all love for our favorite book series to go on and on. (I personally recall tearing up as a kid when Lord of the Rings ended.) And as long as the author can continue to churn out interesting new story ideas or plot lines, it isn’t a bad thing for anyone that a series goes “long.”What inevitably seems to occur, however, is at some point new ideas stop coming and old ones start being rehashed, resulting in a great series turning into a never ending procession of the same formulaic story. “Bloat” sets in, if you will, and then it is up to the author to just stop. End it already, like Tolkien did by sending Frodo and Gandalf into the west at the end Lord of the Rings. Sure, I cried when I read it, but it was better than me giving up on the eighth LoTR sequel. You know, the one where Frodo is taking an enchanted sword to Mount Gundabad to destroy it so as to cast down the Ringwraith who survived Sauron’s destruction.

The British East India Company has established on 31 December 1600 AD. It was also known as the John Company occasionally.The Queen of Britain gave it up to 21 years to do business with India. Later, the company acquired military and administrative control over almost all areas of India.Its founder was John Watts. There was a time that there were many countries in Asia under the East India Company. This company had large ports like Singapore and Penang.It was the East India Company that laid the foundation of metros like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. This was the biggest means of employment in Britain.It used to interfere in the lives of people of all countries in Europe and India. People used to drink tea from the East India Company, and they wore clothes from the East India Company.Just compare East India Company with today's Google or Amazon. Also, add the power to collect tax on their property. Also that the company had its own intelligence agency and an army of millions.Nick Robbins, who wrote the book on the East India Company, says that this company can be compared to today's big multinational companies. The East India Company was allowed to keep its army from the beginning.The East India Company was also closely associated with the government of that period. Used to try to please the leaders and kings.But, how was this company after all? Was its headquarters like the magnificent offices of companies like Google or Facebook today. How much did its employees get paid?Let's turn the pages of history and find answers to these questions.In that era, people used to compete to get jobs in East India Company. But it was very difficult to get a job. Anyone got a job when his name was recommended by a director of the company. Most of the men used to work in the company. Women were kept only for cleanliness.Documents of the East India Company are kept in the British Library. Margaret Makepeace takes care of them. Margaret says that even for the small work of the company, the job was received only on the recommendation of the director.There were a total of 24 directors in that company. The recommendation was also required for the job of scribe or writer in the company's headquarters in London. Who got the job depending on who made the recommendation. Due to more connections than qualified, jobs were available.To get a job in East India Company, only with the recommendation did not work. The company had to pay for this, at that time about five hundred pounds, which today is about 52 thousand dollars or about thirty-three lakh rupees. The larger the position, the more guaranteed money had to be given. Apart from this, good behavior had to be guaranteed to the employees.Today, working without salary or paying for work is considered very bad. Some companies have to pay compensation for this.But a career in the East India Company was started with a job without money. At first, you had to work for five years without a salary. But this period was reduced to three years in 1778.After working for free for many years, the company used to start paying ten pounds of wages. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the company itself realized that it would not be good for the company to give jobs only to those who brought the recommendations.The company started at East India College in 1806 to prepare its employees. This college located in Haileybury. Here, employees were also given training in Hindustani, Sanskrit, Persian, and Telugu languages ​​along with history, law, and literature.Today, examples of the great headquarters of Facebook and Google are given in the world. After all, what would have been like, the headquarters of the world's largest company, the East India Company?The headquarters of the East India Company, based in London, was certainly not like today's Facebook and Google headquarters. But according to its era, it was very spectacular. The company's headquarters in London's Leadenhall area was rebuilt in 1790. It had a statue engraved on the door of King George Third of England.The interior of the building was no less than a palace. There were glowing halls and rooms with stones planted from all over the world. There were also pictures of the company's occupied cities. Goods won in the war were also loudly displayed at the company's headquarters. Somewhere there was an idol of lion hunting, somewhere silk and somewhere, gold-studded Tipu Sultan's throne.The company had several warehouses in London, which were as luxurious as the company. These were made with a view to exerting pressure on the people of England. Very big and fantastic.Today, many companies provide bases for their employees to take naps. But the East India Company also used to arrange for the employees to stay in their era. Many employees lived in its London office compound. Some people had to pay for this. So some people used to get this facility for free. Those using the company's facilities were severely punished.Those working in the company's offices outside England were also allowed to stay. Employees were always in the eyes of their seniors. The discipline was strict. Employees were incarcerated for misbehaving by drinking alcohol.There were different types of hideouts of East India Company abroad. Just like there was a church, library, and hammam along with the company's factory in Surat. At the same time, there were gardens in Hirado, Japan, and there were also swimming pools.Food was also served to those working in the East India Company. As soon as the staff came to the office, they were served breakfast. People were given food in company bases abroad. However, this facility was discontinued in 1834 in the name of spending cuts.In 1689, the British clergyman John Ovington, who visited the Surat factory, wrote that there was an Indian, an Englishman, and a Portuguese cook. It was intended that everyone should get the food of their choice. People were provided both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food.The variety of food used to increase on Sunday. There was a lot of emphasis on dry fruits like pistachios, almonds, and raisins. There was a great welcome from a well-known personality coming from outside. A lot of money was spent on this.Liquor was freely provided to the people of the East India Company. In Sumatra, Indonesia, 19 employees of the company had dumped 894 bottles of wine, 600 bottles of French wine, 294 bottles of Burton ale, two pipes, and 42 gallons of maderia, 274 bottles of chadis and 164 gallons of Gorak arrack.A small pub was opened in the London port of the East India Company. With strict conditions.Today, all companies provide various facilities to their employees. If someone gives a foreign travel coupon, then a company distributes concert tickets for free.Similarly, the East India Company allowed its employees to go abroad to do their business separately. They were also allowed to bring their personal belongings on the ship of the company and bring them home. This was a much bigger concession than today's tour packages or concert tickets.With such concessions, an employee had a good advantage of himself. With the earnings made in any one foreign tour, not only the life of the employees of the company but also the life of the coming breeds were made. At the same time, the company had to spend less money as a salary and bonus.Employees of the company were allowed to take part in the business of their own company's stock. It was a good deal. Employees had more information than ordinary people. He used to take advantage of this during the buying and selling of shares.The officers of the East India Company used to throw a lot of money in the name of entertainment. For example, in the nineteenth century, some employees of the company had made a dinner of about twenty thousand dollars. The chairman of the company used to get one lakh thirty-two thousand pounds every year just to entertain him.In 1834 these expenses were cut. But in 1867, Sir John Kay, an officer of the company wrote that no one gives a good dinner to the company. The same kind of gratitude was also given to foreigners. The captain of a factory used to get about thirty-three thousand pounds for dinner only.Foreign employees often received expensive gifts, such as jewelry, silk clothes. Also, people like zamindars, nawabs used to give expensive gifts to these employees.The East India Company has seen both good and bad times in its long history. There were also allegations of corruption and rigging and bad management. After 1764, the company prohibited taking gifts of more than a special price.In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, employees of the East India Company were among the highest-paid people. The more time someone spent in the company, the more his salary was.In 1815, the clerk's salary used to start from 40 pounds a year, or about 29 thousand pounds today. After working eleven to fifteen years in the company, this salary used to increase more than five times. By 1840, the salary of the clerk of the East India Company was twelve times more than a common laborer.Apart from this, the East India Company also used to give a sizeable pension to its employees. Those working for forty years used to get three-quarters of salary as a pension. At the same time, a servant working for fifty years was given a pension equal to salary.Unlike the general employees, the directors of the East India Company used to get less money. They did not get the same salary as today's CEO. However, it was sometimes bribed and sometimes gifted. Because these directors used to have very good rights.If all the benefits are added, then the amount received by the directors of the East India Company at that time was equal to the salary of today's expensive CEO.Today, companies give their employees holidays in many ways. But the East India Company had to spend a lot of time for the holidays. The leave of any employee had to be approved by the Board of Directors. It is another matter that in those times there were more government holidays than today.However, in 1817, there was a huge cut in government holidays. Employees were allowed only Christmas vacation. Also, employees were being given leave for one to four days according to their year of work.In the East India Company, people had to work for twelve to thirteen hours daily. From seven in the morning to eight in the night. There was a discount of two hours for lunch in between. People also had to work on Saturday.However, due to not being strict in supervising the employees, many people also took advantage of this. For example, in 1727, the directors came to know that an employee named John Smith had not been coming to work for 16 months and was getting a salary.Those working in the company's warehouses had to work only for six hours a day. There was a break of half an hour in this too. At the same time, the working hours in Bandargahs ranged from ten to twelve.It was easy to work in factories abroad. People used to work comfortably. There was a good balance between work and rest.Today only half of the people in America are satisfied with their jobs. At the same time, only 43 percent of people in France and 34 percent in Germany are happy with the job.Think, what did people think about their jobs two hundred years ago? How satisfied were the employees of the East India Company with their jobs?Life was difficult for those employees of the East India Company who had to travel abroad. Accidents, diseases, war, all of them were at risk of being put to death. According to an estimate, half the employees of East India Company deployed in Asia had to lose their lives during their jobs.At the same time, employees working in England were bored with their jobs. Some used to get so bored that they did not work at all.In this regard, an employee of the company Charles Lamb wrote a letter to the English poet William Wordsworth and openly expressed his boredom. Despite being bored with his job, he worked three years more and took a pension for eight years.It is clear from these things that the East India Company is a multi-national company.But you will be very happy to know that the company which ruled India for centuries was bought by a businessman from India in 2010. Gin's name is Sanjeev Mehta.Sanjeev Mehta is the owner of the company now. Sanjeev Mehta had to pay a huge amount for this, he believes that this deal is more an emotional deal than a business deal. Sanjeev Mehta has bought the major shares of the East India Company and is now the owner of this company.Sanjeev bought the East India Company for $15 million. Sanjeev bought the East India Company from its 40 stakeholders. In 2010, it was the final deal. According to Sanjeev, he made one day and night to buy this company. He took leave from all business and made it his sole purpose in life.Born in a Diamond Merchant family in Mumbai, Sanjeev says that when he bought the East India Company, he felt that whoever ruled us, today India is the owner of that company. Mehta will now bring East India Company into new business. They plan to sell luxury gift sets and other goods through e-commerce. He launched this brand on Indian Independence Day.Image source: Google

1. Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card (1985; 375 pages)Hugo Award for Best Novel (1986), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1985)Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979; 224 pages)“The quality of any advice anybody has to offer has to be judged against the quality of life they actually lead.”“Simple. I got very bored and depressed, so I went and plugged myself in to its external computer feed. I talked to the computer at great length and explained my view of the Universe to it," said Marvin."And what happened?" pressed Ford."It committed suicide," said Marvin and stalked off back to the Heart of Gold.”Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.Together, this dynamic pair began a journey through space aided by a galaxyful of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed, ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian (formerly Tricia McMillan), Zaphod’s girlfriend, whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; and Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he’s bought over the years.Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? For all the answers, stick your thumb to the stars!3. Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1) by Dan Simmons (1989; 481 pages)Hugo Award for Best Novel (1990), Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1990)“In the beginning was the Word. Then came the fucking word processor. Then came the thought processor. Then came the death of literature. And so it goes.”On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.4. Dune by Frank Herbert (1965 ; 592 pages)Herbert's evocative, epic tale is set on the desert planet Arrakis, the focus for a complex political and military struggle with galaxy-wide repercussions. Arrakis is the source of spice, a mind enhancing drug which makes interstellar travel possible, and therefore the most valuable substance in the galaxy. When Duke Atreides and his family take up court there, they fall into a trap set by his rival, Baron Harkonnen. The Duke is poisoned, but his wife and her son Paul escape to the vast and arid deserts of Arrakis, which have given it the name Dune. They join the Fremen, natives of the planet who have learnt to live in this harsh and complex ecosystem. But learning to survive is not enough - Paul's destiny was mapped out long ago and his mother is committed to seeing it fulfilled.5. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (1968 ; 208 pages)“You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”It was January 2021, and Rick Deckard had a license to kill.Somewhere among the hordes of humans out there, lurked several rogue androids. Deckard's assignment--find them and then..."retire" them. Trouble was, the androids all looked exactly like humans, and they didn't want to be found!6. Foundation by Isaac Asimov (1951 ; 296 pages)“Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.”“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”“For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future -- to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire -- both scientists and scholars -- and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. Mankind's last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and be overrun -- or fight them and be destroyed.”7. Ready Player One (Ready Player One #1) by Ernest Cline (2011 ; 374 pages)Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2012)“In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.”8. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932 ; 288 pages)“But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”Brave New World is a dystopian novel written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State of genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that are combined to make a utopian society that goes challenged only by a single outsider.9. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953 ; 159 pages)“Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature set in a bleak, dystopian future.Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden.Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But then he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television.When Mildred attempts suicide and Clarisse suddenly disappears, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known. He starts hiding books in his home, and when his pilfering is discovered, the fireman has to run for his life.”10. The Martian by Andy Weir (2012; 387 pages)“ABOUT THE MARTIANSix days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?”11. Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984; 288 pages)“The Matrix is a world within the world, a global consensus-hallucination, the representation of every byte of data in cyberspace...Henry Dorsett Case was the sharpest data-thief in the business—until a vengeful ex-employer crippled his nervous system. Now a mysterious new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run. The target: an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence orbiting Earth. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case embarks on an adventure that ups the ante on an entire genre of fiction.”12. Artemis by Andy Weir (2017; 320 pages)“Jazz Bashara is a criminal.Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first”13. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (first published 1895, 128 pages)“Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no need of change.”So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him his reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes...and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth. There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well. Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machinewill continue to enthrall readers for generations to come.14. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)“One of Time’s 100 best English-language novels • A mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous—you’ll recognize it immediatelyIn reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous…you’ll recognize it immediately.”15. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (1974)“The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand--despite the fact that the fierce alien enemy they would oppose is inscrutable, unconquerable, and very far away. A reluctant conscript drafted into an elite Military unit, Private William Mandella has been propelled through space and time to fight in the distant thousand-year conflict; to perform his duties and do whatever it takes to survive the ordeal and return home. But "home" may be even more terrifying than battle, because, thanks to the time dilation caused by space travel, Mandella is aging months while the Earth he left behind is aging centuries...”16. 2001 : A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (first published 1968)On the Moon, an enigma is uncovered.So great are the implications of this discovery that for the first time men are sent out deep into our solar system.But long before their destination is reached, things begin to go horribly, inexplicably wrong...One of the greatest-selling science fiction novels of our time, this classic book will grip you to the very end.17. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (first published 2007)1967: Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China's Cultural Revolution. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind. Four decades later, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of scientists after a spate of inexplicable suicides. Wang's investigation will lead him to a mysterious online game and immerse him in a virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredicatable interaction of its three suns. This is the Three-Body Problem and it is the key to everything: the key to the scientists' deaths, the key to a conspiracy that spans light-years and the key to the extinction-level threat humanity now faces.18. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (1950)The three laws of Robotics:1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.But what happens when a rogue robot's idea of what is good for society contravenes the Three Laws?19. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (first published 1961 | 224 pages)A classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanislaw Lem.When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin learns, are plagued with their own repressed and newly corporeal memories. The Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates these incarnate memories, though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing the scientists to shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies within their hearts.20. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller (first published 1959 | 334 pages)In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes. Seriously funny, stunning, and tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.21. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (2014 | 443 pages)Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.22. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke (first published 1953 | 218 pages )Without warning, giant silver ships from deep space appear in the skies above every major city on Earth. Manned by the Overlords, in fifty years, they eliminate ignorance, disease, and poverty. Then this golden age ends--and then the age of Mankind begins....23. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (first published 1897)This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.24. Red Mars (Mars Trilogy #1) by Kim Stanley Robinson (first published 1993)John Boone, Maya Toitavna, Frank Chalmers, and Arkady Bogdanov lead a mission whose ultimate goal is the terraforming of Mars. For some, Mars will become a passion driving them to daring acts of courage and madness; for others it offers and opportunity to strip the planet of its riches. And for the genetic "alchemists, " Mars presents a chance to create a biomedical miracle, a breakthrough that could change all we know about life...and death.25. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (first published 1999 | 1139 pages)Cryptonomicon zooms all over the world, careening conspiratorially back and forth between two time periods--World War II and the present. Our 1940s heroes are the brilliant mathematician Lawrence Waterhouse, crypt analyst extraordinaire, and gung-ho, morphine-addicted marine Bobby Shaftoe. They're part of Detachment 2702, an Allied group trying to break Axis communication codes while simultaneously preventing the enemy from figuring out that their codes have been broken. Their job boils down to layer upon layer of deception. Dr. Alan Turing is also a member of 2702, and he explains the unit's strange workings to Waterhouse. "When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first... Of course, to observe is not its real duty--we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed... Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious."26. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (1962)Hugo Award for Best Novel (1963)It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war, and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan.27. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein (1961)Hugo Award for Best Novel (1962), Prometheus Hall of Fame Award (1987)“Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other, or assumes that the greater the love, the greater the jealousy - in fact, they are almost incompatible; one emotion hardly leaves room for the other.”The Hugo Award-winning and controversial science fiction masterpiece from Robert A. Heinlein, the New York Times bestselling author of Starship Troopers. Valentine Michael Smith is a man raised by Martians. Sent to Earth, he must learn what it is to be human. But his beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of man, and his arrival leads to a transformation that will alter Earth's inhabitants forever...28. The Martian Chronicles by Ray D Bradbury (1950)Bradbury's Mars is a place of hope, dreams and metaphor - of crystal pillars and fossil seas - where a fine dust settles on the great, empty cities of a silently destroyed civilization. It is here the invaders have come to despoil and commercialize, to grow and to learn - first a trickle, then a torrent, rushing from a world with no future toward a promise of tomorrow. The Earthman conquers Mars...and then is conquered by it, lulled by dangerous lies of comfort and familiarity, and enchanted by the lingering glamour of an ancient, mysterious native race.29. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (1966)“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?30. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (Published in 1897)With H.G. Wells’ other novels, The War of the Worlds was one of the first and greatest works of science fiction ever to be written. Even long before man had learned to fly, H.G. Wells wrote this story of the Martian attack on England. These unearthly creatures arrive in huge cylinders, from which they escape as soon as the metal is cool…31. Ringworld by Larry Niven (1970)A new place is being built, a world of huge dimensions, encompassing millions of miles, stronger than any planet before it. There is gravity, and with high walls and its proximity to the sun, a livable new planet that is three million times the area of the Earth can be formed. We can start again!Hugo Award for Best Novel (1971), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1970), Locus Award for Best Novel (1971)32. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (1966)It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of a former penal colony on the Moon against its masters on the Earth. It is a tale of a culture whose family structures are based on the presence of two men for every woman, leading to novel forms of marriage and family. It is the story of the disparate people, a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic who become the movement's leaders, and of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to the revolt's inner circle, who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success.The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (1995)The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is a postcyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson. It is to some extent a science fiction coming-of-age story, focused on a young girl named Nell, and set in a future world in which nanotechnology affects all aspects of life. The novel deals with themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence.34. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (1992)Thousands of years hence, many races inhabit a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures and technology can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions of thought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence. Fleeing the threat, a family of scientists, including two children, are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. A rescue mission, not entirely composed of humans, must rescue the children-and a secret that may save the rest of interstellar civilization.35. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (1974)Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. he will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.36. The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1974)In 3016, the 2nd Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to the faster-than-light Alderson Drive. No other intelligent beings have ever been encountered, not until a lightsail probe enters a human system carrying a dead alien. The probe is traced to the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud, & an expedition is dispatched. In the Mote the humans find an ancient civilization--at least one million years old--that has always been bottled up in their cloistered solar system for lack of a star drive. The Moties are welcoming & kind, yet rather evasive about certain aspects of their society. It seems the Moties have a dark problem, one they've been unable to solve in over a million years.37. The Stars My Destination by Alfred BesterIn this pulse-quickening novel, Alfred Bester imagines a future in which people "jaunte" a thousand miles with a single thought, where the rich barricade themselves in labyrinths and protect themselves with radioactive hit men - and where an inarticulate outcast is the most valuable and dangerous man alive. The Stars My Destination is a classic of technological prophecy and timeless narrative enchantment by an acknowledged master of science fiction.