Top 200 Science Fiction Books (Pre-2000)

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Sci-Fi Lists, 200 Books

This is a list of the best 200 Pre-2000 science fiction books as determined by Peter Sykes at Sci-Fi Lists.

This list was originally published in 2021 and was added to this site over 2 years ago.

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Cover of 'Planet Of The Apes' by Pierre Boulle

Planet Of The Apes

Cover of 'VALIS' by Philip K. Dick

VALIS

Cover of 'Babel-17' by Samuel R. Delany

Babel-17

Samuel R. Delany

Cover of 'The Children of Men' by P. D. James

The Children of Men

Cover of 'More Than Human' by Theodore Sturgeon

More Than Human

Theodore Sturgeon

Cover of 'Stand on Zanzibar' by John Brunner

Stand on Zanzibar

Cover of 'The Lost World' by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Lost World

Arthur Conan Doyle

Cover of 'The Ship Who Sang' by Anne McCaffrey

The Ship Who Sang

Cover of 'Memory' by Lois McMaster Bujold

Memory

Lois McMaster Bujold

Cover of 'The Midwich Cuckoos' by John Wyndham

The Midwich Cuckoos

Cover of 'Double Star' by Robert A. Heinlein

Double Star

Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'The Difference Engine' by William Gibson, Bruce Sterling

The Difference Engine

William Gibson, Bruce Sterling

Cover of 'Downbelow Station' by C. J. Cherryh

Downbelow Station

Cover of 'The Uplift War' by David Brin

The Uplift War

Cover of 'City' by Clifford D. Simak

City

Clifford D. Simak

Cover of 'Virtual Light' by William Gibson

Virtual Light

Cover of 'Earth Abides' by George Rippey Stewart

Earth Abides

George Rippey Stewart

Cover of 'Alas, Babylon' by Pat Frank

Alas, Babylon

Cover of 'Darwin's Radio' by Greg Bear

Darwin's Radio

Cover of 'Dhalgren' by Samuel R. Delany

Dhalgren

Samuel R. Delany

Cover of 'The Songs Of Distant Earth' by Arthur C. Clarke

The Songs Of Distant Earth

Arthur C. Clarke

Cover of 'From The Earth To The Moon' by Jules Verne

From The Earth To The Moon

Cover of 'Battlefield Earth' by L. Ron Hubbard

Battlefield Earth

Cover of 'Citizen Of The Galaxy' by Robert A. Heinlein

Citizen Of The Galaxy

Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'Blood Music' by Greg Bear

Blood Music

Cover of 'Tau Zero' by Poul Anderson

Tau Zero

Cover of 'Flashforward' by Robert J. Sawyer

Flashforward

Robert J. Sawyer

Cover of 'The Gods Of Mars' by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Gods Of Mars

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Cover of 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand

Anthem

Cover of 'Forever Peace' by Joe Haldeman

Forever Peace

Cover of 'Foreigner' by C. J. Cherryh

Foreigner

Cover of 'Grass' by Sheri S. Tepper

Grass

Sheri S. Tepper

Cover of 'The First Men In The Moon' by H. G. Wells

The First Men In The Moon

Cover of 'The Drowned World' by J. G. Ballard

The Drowned World

Cover of 'The Forge Of God' by Greg Bear

The Forge Of God

Cover of 'Galapagos' by Kurt Vonnegut

Galapagos

Cover of 'The Stainless Steel Rat' by Harry Harrison

The Stainless Steel Rat

Cover of 'The Rowan' by Anne McCaffrey

The Rowan

Cover of 'The Cyberiad' by Stanislaw Lem

The Cyberiad

Cover of 'The White Mountains' by John Christopher

The White Mountains

John Christopher

Cover of 'Martian Time Slip' by Philip K. Dick

Martian Time Slip

Cover of 'The Female Man' by Joanna Russ

The Female Man

Cover of 'The Space Merchants' by Frederik Pohl, C. M. Kornbluth

The Space Merchants

Frederik Pohl, C. M. Kornbluth

Cover of 'The Engines Of God' by Jack McDevitt

The Engines Of God

Cover of 'Player Piano' by Kurt Vonnegut

Player Piano

Cover of 'Armor' by John Steakley

Armor

Cover of 'The Snow Queen' by Joan D. Vinge

The Snow Queen

Cover of 'Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang' by Kate Wilhelm

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang

Cover of 'Star Maker' by Olaf Stapledon

Star Maker

Cover of 'On The Beach' by Nevil Shute

On The Beach

Cover of 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' by Jack Finney

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

Cover of 'Beggars In Spain' by Nancy Kress

Beggars In Spain

Cover of 'Time Out Of Joint' by Philip K. Dick

Time Out Of Joint

Cover of 'The Inverted World' by Christopher Priest

The Inverted World

Christopher Priest

Cover of 'Diaspora' by Greg Egan

Diaspora

Cover of 'The Many Coloured Land' by Julian May

The Many Coloured Land

Cover of 'Timescape' by Gregory Benford

Timescape

Gregory Benford

Cover of 'In The Garden Of Iden' by Kage Baker

In The Garden Of Iden

Cover of 'Dangerous Visions' by Harlan Ellison

Dangerous Visions

Cover of 'Dreamsnake' by Vonda N. McIntyre

Dreamsnake

Vonda N. McIntyre

Cover of 'Woman On The Edge Of Time' by Marge Piercy

Woman On The Edge Of Time

Cover of 'The Real Story' by Stephen R. Donaldson

The Real Story

Stephen R. Donaldson

Cover of 'Nova' by Samuel R. Delany

Nova

Samuel R. Delany

Cover of 'The Man Who Sold The Moon' by Robert A. Heinlein

The Man Who Sold The Moon

Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'Cyteen' by C. J. Cherryh

Cyteen

Cover of 'Little Fuzzy' by H. Beam Piper

Little Fuzzy

Cover of 'Last And First Men' by Olaf Stapledon

Last And First Men

Cover of 'Permutation City' by Greg Egan

Permutation City

Cover of 'Logan's Run' by William F. Nolan

Logan's Run

William F. Nolan

Cover of 'Earth' by David Brin

Earth

Cover of 'Man Plus' by Frederik Pohl

Man Plus

Cover of 'Starfish' by Peter Watts

Starfish

Cover of 'Dying Inside' by Robert Silverberg

Dying Inside

Robert Silverberg

Cover of 'A Case of Conscience' by James Blish

A Case of Conscience

Cover of 'Dragon's Egg' by Robert L. Forward

Dragon's Egg

Robert L. Forward

Cover of 'Non Stop' by Brian Aldiss

Non Stop

Cover of 'Mission Of Gravity' by Hal Clement

Mission Of Gravity

Cover of 'The Futurological Congress' by Stanislaw Lem

The Futurological Congress

Cover of 'Slan' by A. E. van Vogt

Slan

Cover of 'The Sheep Look Up' by John Brunner

The Sheep Look Up