Sunday, April 27, 2014

Eleven top "literary" novels paired with a sci-fi classic

At The Barnes & Noble Book Blog Joel Cunningham paired eleven "literary" novels that include elements of science fiction, fantasy or horror with works more clearly at home among those genres, including:
If you were captivated by the post-atomic horror of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, read A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. Miller's novel, written at the height of the Cold War, is a sci-fi classic for a reason. In three acts, it examines the absurd lengths humanity will go to to keep making the same mistakes
Read about another entry on the list.

A Canticle for Leibowitz is one of Amanda Yesilbas, Katharine Trendacosta, and Annalee Newitz's top thirteen post-apocalyptic stories that actually teach valuable lessons.

The Road appears on Claire Cameron's list of five favorite stories about unlikely survivors, Isabel Allende's six favorite books list, the Telegraph's list of the 15 most depressing books, Joseph D’Lacey's top ten list of horror books, the Barnes & Noble Review's list of five unforgettable fathers from fiction, Ken Jennings's list of eight top books about parents and kids, Anthony Horowitz's top ten list of apocalypse books, Karen Thompson Walker's list of five notable "What If?" books, John Mullan's list of ten of the top long walks in literature, Tony Bradman's top ten list of father and son stories, Ramin Karimloo's six favorite books list, Jon Krakauer's five best list of books about mortality and existential angst, William Skidelsky's list of the top ten most vivid accounts of being marooned in literature, Liz Jensen's top 10 list of environmental disaster stories, the Guardian's list of books to change the climate, David Nicholls' top ten list of literary tear jerkers, and the Times (of London) list of the 100 best books of the decade. In 2009 Sam Anderson of New York magazine claimed "that we'll still be talking about [The Road] in ten years."

--Marshal Zeringue