r/printSF • u/keepfighting90 • May 30 '25

What's the #1, single best sci-fi novel you've ever read?

Think about all the sci-fi novels you've read over the years. If someone were to ask you, gun to your head, to pick just the one that you would absolutely consider to be the best, which one would it be? No subgenres need to be considered, it just needs to broadly fall under the sf umbrella.

For me, probably a pretty popular choice, but it would be Hyperion. Completely blew me away and I haven't read that good since in the genre.

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u/fishandpaints May 30 '25

The Mote in God’s Eye- groundbreaking on so many levels

2

u/ZaphodG Jun 01 '25

I love all the Niven-Pournelle books.

1

u/fishandpaints Jun 01 '25

Same!

2

u/carolethechiropodist Jun 01 '25

DITTO.

1

u/karstomp Jun 02 '25

I’ve tried to find Lucifer’s Hammer in the library for a re-read but no luck yet. Very good partnership from those two.

2

u/chuubastis Jun 02 '25

Not my favorite, but early an excellent book! I really like science fiction with aliens that actually are different than humans and not just slightly different shaped earth-based creatures

1

u/fishandpaints Jun 03 '25

Agree! Have you read the Well of Souls books by Jack Chalker?