I started buying these in, I think, their second year. I have all of the numbered series – that’s up to 73 – but I plan to buy the new ones in the relaunched series. Anyway, apparently, there’s a meme doing the rounds. It’s clearly come from the SF and Fantasy Masterworks Reading Project (an excellent idea, by the way, chaps and chapesses), but a few others have picked it up. And I thought… why not? The ones in bold I’ve read. The ones in italics I have yet to buy.
II The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K Le Guin
V A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M Miller, Jr
X The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham
1 The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
2 I Am Legend Richard, Matheson
3 Cities in Flight, James Blish
4 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick
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
10 The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
11 Last and First Men, Olaf Stapledon
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 K Le Guin
17 The Drowned World, JG Ballard
18 The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
19 Emphyrio, Jack Vance
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 War of the Worlds, HG 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
30 A Case of Conscience, James Blish
31 The Centauri Device, M John Harrison
32 Dr Bloodmoney, Philip K Dick
33 Non-Stop, Brian Aldiss
34 The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C Clarke
35 Pavane, Keith Roberts
36 Now Wait for Last Year, Philip K Dick
37 Nova, Samuel R Delany
38 The First Men in the Moon, HG Wells
39 The City and the Stars, Arthur C Clarke
40 Blood Music, Greg Bear
41 Jem, Frederik Pohl
42 Bring the Jubilee, Ward Moore
43 VALIS, Philip K Dick
44 The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K Le Guin
45 The Complete Roderick, John Sladek
46 Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, Philip K Dick
47 The Invisible Man, HG Wells
48 Grass, Sheri S Tepper
49 A Fall of Moondust, Arthur C Clarke
50 Eon, Greg Bear
51 The Shrinking Man, Richard Matheson
52 The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Philip K. Dick
53 The Dancers at the End of Time, Michael Moorcock
54 The Space Merchants, Frederik Pohl and Cyril M Kornbluth
55 Time Out of Joint, Philip K Dick
56 Downward to the Earth, Robert Silverberg
57 The Simulacra, Philip K Dick
58 The Penultimate Truth, Philip K Dick
59 Dying Inside, Robert Silverberg
60 Ringworld, Larry Niven
61 The Child Garden, Geoff Ryman
62 Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
63 A Maze of Death, Philip K Dick
64 Tau Zero, Poul Anderson
65 Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C Clarke
66 Life During Wartime, Lucius Shepard
67 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
68 Roadside Picnic, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
69 Dark Benediction, Walter M Miller, Jr
70 Mockingbird, Walter Tevis
71 Dune, Frank Herbert
72 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A Heinlein
73 The Man in the High Castle, Philip K Dick
74 Inverted World, Christopher Priest
75 Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
76 The Island of Dr Moreau, HG Wells
77 Childhood’s End, Arthur C Clarke
78 The Time Machine, HG Wells
79 Dhalgren, Samuel R Delany
80 Helliconia, Brian Aldiss
81 Food of the Gods, HG Wells
82 The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney
83 The Female Man, Joanna Russ
84 Arslan, MJ Engh
It Doesn't Have To Be Right... 
2010-07-12 at 12:59
That’s an impressive number of the series that you have read Ian.
You do intend to read every one of them then?
2010-07-12 at 13:13
Definitely. Even the ones I don’t expect to enjoy all that much 🙂 And some I’d like to reread, given how long it’s been since I last read them – decades, in a few cases.
2010-07-12 at 13:14
Better hope they don’t go adding loads of Asimov to the series then… 😉
Pingback: A List Of Science Fiction Masterworks – A Son of the Rock -- Jack Deighton
2010-07-23 at 08:43
Again, I’m including ones I’ve read/have even if they’re not Masterworks editions:
II The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K Le Guin
V A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M Miller, Jr
X The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham
1 The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
2 I Am Legend Richard, Matheson
3 Cities in Flight, James Blish
4 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick
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
10 The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
11 Last and First Men, Olaf Stapledon
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 K Le Guin
17 The Drowned World, JG Ballard
18 The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
19 Emphyrio, Jack Vance
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 War of the Worlds, HG 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
30 A Case of Conscience, James Blish
31 The Centauri Device, M John Harrison
32 Dr Bloodmoney, Philip K Dick
33 Non-Stop, Brian Aldiss
34 The Fountains of Paradise, Arthur C Clarke
35 Pavane, Keith Roberts
36 Now Wait for Last Year, Philip K Dick
37 Nova, Samuel R Delany
38 The First Men in the Moon, HG Wells
39 The City and the Stars, Arthur C Clarke
40 Blood Music, Greg Bear
41 Jem, Frederik Pohl
42 Bring the Jubilee, Ward Moore
43 VALIS, Philip K Dick
44 The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K Le Guin
45 The Complete Roderick, John Sladek
46 Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, Philip K Dick
47 The Invisible Man, HG Wells
48 Grass, Sheri S Tepper
49 A Fall of Moondust, Arthur C Clarke
50 Eon, Greg Bear
51 The Shrinking Man, Richard Matheson
52 The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Philip K. Dick
53 The Dancers at the End of Time, Michael Moorcock
54 The Space Merchants, Frederik Pohl and Cyril M Kornbluth
55 Time Out of Joint, Philip K Dick
56 Downward to the Earth, Robert Silverberg
57 The Simulacra, Philip K Dick
58 The Penultimate Truth, Philip K Dick
59 Dying Inside, Robert Silverberg
60 Ringworld, Larry Niven
61 The Child Garden, Geoff Ryman
62 Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
63 A Maze of Death, Philip K Dick
64 Tau Zero, Poul Anderson
65 Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C Clarke
66 Life During Wartime, Lucius Shepard
67 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
68 Roadside Picnic, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
69 Dark Benediction, Walter M Miller, Jr
70 Mockingbird, Walter Tevis
71 Dune, Frank Herbert
72 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A Heinlein
73 The Man in the High Castle, Philip K Dick
74 Inverted World, Christopher Priest
75 Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
76 The Island of Dr Moreau, HG Wells
77 Childhood’s End, Arthur C Clarke
78 The Time Machine, HG Wells
79 Dhalgren, Samuel R Delany
80 Helliconia, Brian Aldiss
81 Food of the Gods, HG Wells
82 The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney
83 The Female Man, Joanna Russ
84 Arslan, MJ Engh
2010-07-28 at 14:52
I’ve 21 left to read, so I thought I’d just include the ones I haven’t read:
46 – Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said – Philip K. Dick
47 – The Invisible Man – H. G. Wells
48 – Grass – Sheri S. Tepper
49 – A Fall of Moondust – Arthur C. Clarke
52 – The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch – Philip K. Dick
53 – The Dancers at the End of Time – Michael Moorcock
56 – Downward to the Earth – Robert Silverberg
58 – The Penultimate Truth – Philip K. Dick
62 – Mission of Gravity – Hal Clement
67 – Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang – Kate Wilhelm
68 – Roadside Picnic – Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
70 – Mockingbird – Walter Tevis
74 – Inverted World – Christopher Priest (5/2010)
75 – Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut (5/2010)
76 – The Island of Dr Moreau – H.G. Wells (6/2010)
79 – Dhalgren – Samuel R. Delany (7/2010)
80 – Helliconia – Brian Aldiss (8/2010)
81 – The Food of the Gods – H.G. Wells (9/2010)
82 – The Body Snatchers – Jack Finney (10/2010)
83 – The Female Man – Joanna Russ (11/2010)
84 – Arslan – M.J. Engh (12/2010)