Rather than contemplating what is on the inside, last week's poll asked you to consider the artistry gracing the covers of your favorite science fiction novels. We asked you to pick the ones you thought were the coolest, most original, most beautiful—in a word, the best—and, per usual, to nominate and vote for your favorites.
We knew this would be tricky as one title might have several different covers worth nominating, but we thought we'd give it a try and you did not disappoint. There are some really special covers nominated, and it was wonderful to see them all. But now...
...it's time to decide.
Last week you were free to vote for as many as you'd like, this week, we'll ask you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which cover is the very best?
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
And here are the covers in question for your reference:
Time to Decide: The Books with Best Sci-Fi Cover Art of All Time Are...
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, cover art by Michael Whelan 28%, 92 votes
92 votes28%
92 votes - 28% of all votes
Dune by Frank Herbert, 2018 edition 18%, 59 votes
59 votes18%
59 votes - 18% of all votes
Ace Books edition of ER Burroughs' with Frank Frazetta covers 14%, 47 votes
47 votes14%
47 votes - 14% of all votes
Marines by Jay Allan, 2020 re-release 9%, 30 votes
30 votes9%
30 votes - 9% of all votes
Nightfall One by Isaac Asimov, 1974 Panther edition 7%, 22 votes
22 votes7%
22 votes - 7% of all votes
Descent Into Darkness by Jay Allan, 2020 release 6%, 19 votes
19 votes6%
19 votes - 6% of all votes
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 50th Anniversary edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman 6%, 18 votes
18 votes6%
18 votes - 6% of all votes
Alien: The Official Movie Novelization by Alan Dean Foster 5%, 17 votes
17 votes5%
17 votes - 5% of all votes
Shockwave by Lindsay Buroker 4%, 13 votes
13 votes4%
13 votes - 4% of all votes
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt edition 3%, 9 votes
9 votes3%
9 votes - 3% of all votes
Total Votes: 326
July 8, 2020
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Last week's poll asked for you to consider the furry (or not so furry) animal friends that inhabit the world of science fiction, and then nominate the ones you'd want by your side through the various and sundry challenges that life—sci-fi or otherwise—has to offer.
This topic struck a chord with our readership and between the blog and the facebook group, there were several dozen characters nominated. But by now you guys know how this works: only 10 of your excellent selections could move on to the final round of voting, and now...
...it's time to decide.
Last week you were free to vote for as many as you'd like, this week, we'll ask you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which furry friend is the very best?
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to Decide: The Best Furry Friends in Science Fiction are…
Nimitz, Treecat in Honor Harrington Series by David Weber 25%, 119 votes
119 votes25%
119 votes - 25% of all votes
Pixel, the cat from The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein 19%, 90 votes
90 votes19%
90 votes - 19% of all votes
Pern Dragons, from the Dragonriders of Pern series, by Anne McCaffrey 19%, 87 votes
87 votes19%
87 votes - 19% of all votes
Little fuzzy, from Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper 11%, 50 votes
50 votes11%
50 votes - 11% of all votes
Einstein, the golden retriever from Watchers by Dean R. Koontz 6%, 30 votes
30 votes6%
30 votes - 6% of all votes
Blood, from A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison 6%, 26 votes
26 votes6%
26 votes - 6% of all votes
Pip, the flying, empathic snake from Humanx Commonwealth by Alan Dean Foster 5%, 24 votes
24 votes5%
24 votes - 5% of all votes
Miles, the Siberian husky sidekick in Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith 4%, 17 votes
17 votes4%
17 votes - 4% of all votes
Speaker to Animals from Larry Niven's Known Space Universe 3%, 14 votes
14 votes3%
14 votes - 3% of all votes
Sergeant Stumpy, the heroic dog from Earthrise by Daniel Arenson 2%, 10 votes
10 votes2%
10 votes - 2% of all votes
Total Votes: 467
June 16, 2020
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Last week's poll asked for you to consider outstanding sci-fi books, standalone or series, that grappled with the topic of utopias. As we alluded to, and as many of you noted in the discussion in our facebook group, utopian science fiction can be tough to pin down as inevitably, societies presented at the outset as being utopian have come at a cost we only learn about upon further examination, and almost invariably are dystopians in disguise. Still, it is possible to differentiate between straight dystopian stories and ones centring on a presumed utopia; many tense and thoughtful books have been born via exploration of this theme, and thanks to your nominations, we have a solid list of gems.
But now, it's time to decide.
There were so many great options submitted, and while last week you were free to vote for as many as you'd like, this week, we'll ask you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which one do you think is the very best?
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to Decide: What is the Best Utopian Sci-Fi Book or Series
The Lazarus Long Series by Robert Heinlein 26%, 96 votes
96 votes26%
96 votes - 26% of all votes
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke 18%, 66 votes
66 votes18%
66 votes - 18% of all votes
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein 16%, 57 votes
57 votes16%
57 votes - 16% of all votes
Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson 10%, 38 votes
38 votes10%
38 votes - 10% of all votes
The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks 10%, 36 votes
36 votes10%
36 votes - 10% of all votes
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 8%, 29 votes
29 votes8%
29 votes - 8% of all votes
The Earthseed Series by Octavia E.Butler 4%, 14 votes
14 votes4%
14 votes - 4% of all votes
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin 3%, 12 votes
12 votes3%
12 votes - 3% of all votes
The To the Stars Series by Harry Harrison 3%, 11 votes
11 votes3%
11 votes - 3% of all votes
Those Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin 1%, 4 votes
4 votes1%
4 votes - 1% of all votes
Total Votes: 363
May 27, 2020
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Last week's poll asked for you to consider outstanding science fiction books and series written for Young Adult audiences. We know there are some amazing books out there that, while geared toward younger readers, are written so well that they appeal to adults, too. Reading your wonderful submissions was like taking a walk down memory lane!
But now, it's time to decide.
There were so many great options submitted, and while last week you were free to vote for as many as you'd like, this week, we'll ask you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which one do you think is the very best?
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group. Further, we wanted to note that since there was a nomination for Heinlein's Juveniles as a collection, as well as several individual titles from that collection nominated, we combined them into one entry for this poll.
What is the Best YA Sci-Fi Book of All Time
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey 21%, 40 votes
40 votes21%
40 votes - 21% of all votes
Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card 15%, 29 votes
29 votes15%
29 votes - 15% of all votes
Foundation by Isaac Asimov 14%, 28 votes
28 votes14%
28 votes - 14% of all votes
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 13%, 25 votes
25 votes13%
25 votes - 13% of all votes
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein 10%, 20 votes
20 votes10%
20 votes - 10% of all votes
Heinlein's Juveniles by Robert Heinlein 10%, 20 votes
20 votes10%
20 votes - 10% of all votes
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 7%, 14 votes
14 votes7%
14 votes - 7% of all votes
Ringworld by Larry Niven 4%, 7 votes
7 votes4%
7 votes - 4% of all votes
Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison 3%, 6 votes
6 votes3%
6 votes - 3% of all votes
Star Kingdom by David Weber 3%, 5 votes
5 votes3%
5 votes - 3% of all votes
Total Votes: 194
February 12, 2020
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In a parallel universe, are we all fans of romance novels?
Perhaps a question better left for another time! Today, there are more important matters at hand, namely, determining what is the best book or series employing parallel universes.
Last week we asked you to think about, nominate, and vote for your favorites—as many as you'd like—and you guys turned in dozens of incredible titles...
But now, it's time to decide.
This week, we're asking you to narrow down your choice to one selection: Which book or series employing parallel universes is truly the best? There are ten excellent titles in this final round of voting, so we know it won't be easy! Curious to know what didn't make the cut? You can see the original list of nominations in our facebook group.
*As alway this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to Decide: What Are the Best Books/Series Employing Parallel Universes
The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov 31%, 55 votes
55 votes31%
55 votes - 31% of all votes
The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein 25%, 43 votes
43 votes25%
43 votes - 25% of all votes
The World of Tiers Series by Philip José Farmer 8%, 14 votes
14 votes8%
14 votes - 8% of all votes
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King 8%, 14 votes
14 votes8%
14 votes - 8% of all votes
The Apprentice Adept Series by Piers Anthony 6%, 10 votes
10 votes6%
10 votes - 6% of all votes
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson 6%, 10 votes
10 votes6%
10 votes - 6% of all votes
The Shannara Series by Terry Brooks 5%, 8 votes
8 votes5%
8 votes - 5% of all votes
The Crossroads of Time by Andre Norton 5%, 8 votes
8 votes5%
8 votes - 5% of all votes
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 4%, 7 votes
7 votes4%
7 votes - 4% of all votes
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 3%, 6 votes
6 votes3%
6 votes - 3% of all votes
Total Votes: 175
May 5, 2020
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In a sci-fi world that sometimes seems to be taken over by series, we wanted to find out what the best stand-alones are of the last decade and up until today. We asked for your nomination(s) and votes and you turned in some amazing titles!
Now, it's time to decide.
We narrowed down the list of your nominations to the ten most voted for, and now it's time to figure out what the best ones are out of this group!
*As alway this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to Decide: What Are the Best Stand-Alone Sci-Fi Books From 2010 to Today?
The Martian by Andy Weir 44%, 246 votes
246 votes44%
246 votes - 44% of all votes
Under Darkness by Jasper T Scott 14%, 77 votes
77 votes14%
77 votes - 14% of all votes
Redshirts by John Scalzi 13%, 72 votes
72 votes13%
72 votes - 13% of all votes
11/22/63 by Stephen King 9%, 48 votes
48 votes9%
48 votes - 9% of all votes
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson 7%, 37 votes
37 votes7%
37 votes - 7% of all votes
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 5%, 26 votes
26 votes5%
26 votes - 5% of all votes
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 3%, 17 votes
17 votes3%
17 votes - 3% of all votes
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North 3%, 14 votes
14 votes3%
14 votes - 3% of all votes
The Others by Jeremy Robinson 2%, 12 votes
12 votes2%
12 votes - 2% of all votes
Recursion by Blake Crouch 1%, 7 votes
7 votes1%
7 votes - 1% of all votes
Total Votes: 556
August 19, 2020
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Whether they come to strip away your individuality and assimilate you, have the capacity to shapeshift into the image of your best friend, have enough firepower to blow up the earth and beyond or just LOOK downright gnarly, well, the alien invaders of science fiction give us PLENTY to fear. Last week we asked you to name your fears—to name the most terrifying aliens invaders in science fiction—and you served us up a selection of nightmare material to last us a lifetime!
But now, it's time to decide.
Last week you were free to nominate and vote for as many selections as you'd like; this week, we're asking you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which one do you think is the most terrifying? With ten truly nightmarish selections to choose from, we know it won't be easy! Read on to see what made the cut and if you are curious to know what didn't, you can see the original list of nominations in our facebook group.
*As alway this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to Decide: What Are the Most Terrifying Alien Invaders in Science Fiction
The Borg from Star Trek 30%, 165 votes
165 votes30%
165 votes - 30% of all votes
Weeping Angels from Doctor Who 21%, 119 votes
119 votes21%
119 votes - 21% of all votes
The Slugs from Robert A. Heinlein's The Puppet Masters 13%, 70 votes
70 votes13%
70 votes - 13% of all votes
The Thing from Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. 9%, 53 votes
53 votes9%
53 votes - 9% of all votes
The Posleen from John Ringo’s The Legacy of the Aldenata 9%, 50 votes
50 votes9%
50 votes - 9% of all votes
The Overlords from Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End 5%, 29 votes
29 votes5%
29 votes - 5% of all votes
The Daleks from Doctor Who 4%, 25 votes
25 votes4%
25 votes - 4% of all votes
The Scum from Daniel Arenson's Earthrise 4%, 21 vote
21 vote4%
21 vote - 4% of all votes
The Buggers from Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game 3%, 19 votes
19 votes3%
19 votes - 3% of all votes
The Fithp from Footfall by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven 1%, 8 votes
8 votes1%
8 votes - 1% of all votes
Total Votes: 559
April 14, 2020
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In honor of International Women's Day, which falls on March 8th, last week's poll asked for you to think about science fiction titles written by women and submit the ones you think are the very best. With well over 50 different and amazing titles submitted, there was some tough competition! We went easy on you for the first round of voting, allowing you to vote for as many titles as you'd like.
But now, it's time to decide.
This week, we'll ask you to narrow down your choice to one selection. Which one do you think is the very best? With ten truly excellent titles to choose from, we know it won't be easy! Read on to see what made the cut and if you are curious to know what didn't, you can see the original list of nominations in our facebook group.
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group. In the cases where both a series and a title from that series was nominated and in the top ten, we combined the votes and moved the series forward.
Time to Decide: What Are the Best Sci-Fi Titles Written by Women
The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey 37%, 136 votes
136 votes37%
136 votes - 37% of all votes
Vorkosigan by Lois McMaster Bujold 12%, 42 votes
42 votes12%
42 votes - 12% of all votes
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin 11%, 40 votes
40 votes11%
40 votes - 11% of all votes
The Time Traders by Andre Norton 9%, 31 vote
31 vote9%
31 vote - 9% of all votes
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 8%, 28 votes
28 votes8%
28 votes - 8% of all votes
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 7%, 27 votes
27 votes7%
27 votes - 7% of all votes
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh 6%, 20 votes
20 votes6%
20 votes - 6% of all votes
Beast Master by Andre Norton 4%, 14 votes
14 votes4%
14 votes - 4% of all votes
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin 4%, 13 votes
13 votes4%
13 votes - 4% of all votes
Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh 3%, 12 votes
12 votes3%
12 votes - 3% of all votes
Total Votes: 363
March 4, 2020
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This week we asked you to think about the most devoted, inspiring and entertaining friendships in science fiction, and you delivered! We know that true friendship comes in many forms and knows no bounds; the list we've compiled here based on your nominations both here on the blog and in our facebook group is illustrative of that. Be it friendship between man and monster, animal, alien or machine, these friendships are all #goals, as the kids say.
But now, it's time to decide.
Last week you were able to nominate and vote for as many parings as you wish; this week, we've narrowed down the selections to the ten most popular, and we're asking you to narrow down your choice to one. Which one friendship do you think is the friendship for the ages? With ten epic relationships to choose from, this is no easy task! Read on to see what friendships made the cut and then place your vote for your favorite. If you happened to miss the first round of voting and are curious to see the original list of nominations, be sure to check out our facebook group to see them all.
*As always, this list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
Time to decide: What is the Best Friendship in Sci-Fi?
Kirk and Spock from Star Trek 31%, 90 votes
90 votes31%
90 votes - 31% of all votes
Joe and Skippy from Expeditionary Force 25%, 73 votes
73 votes25%
73 votes - 25% of all votes
Han and Chewbacca from Star Wars 16%, 46 votes
46 votes16%
46 votes - 16% of all votes
Honor Harrington and Nimitz from the Honorverse 11%, 31 vote
31 vote11%
31 vote - 11% of all votes
Elijah and Daneel from the Robot Series 7%, 22 votes
22 votes7%
22 votes - 7% of all votes
Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 3%, 10 votes
10 votes3%
10 votes - 3% of all votes
Alex, Amos, Jim and Naomi from The Expanse 3%, 8 votes
8 votes3%
8 votes - 3% of all votes
The crew of The Phoenix from Omega Force 2%, 7 votes
7 votes2%
7 votes - 2% of all votes
Kim and Casmir from the Star Kingdom Series 2%, 5 votes
5 votes2%
5 votes - 2% of all votes
Alex and Julian from The Silver Ships 1%, 2 votes
2 votes1%
2 votes - 1% of all votes
Total Votes: 294
March 23, 2020
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Last week's poll asked for you to ponder multi-book series containing four books or more, either completed or evolving and ask yourself which ones might be considered the very best? We asked for your nomination(s) and votes and you delivered with over 1,000 votes on more than 75 nominations! (Click here to check out the complete list of nominations)
It's time to decide.
We narrowed down the list of your nominations to the ten most voted for. Now let's figure out what the best ones are out of this group!
*This list is made up by combining votes from this blog and our Facebook group.
What is the best multi-book series of all time
Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller 27%, 264 votes
264 votes27%
264 votes - 27% of all votes
Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov 17%, 168 votes
168 votes17%
168 votes - 17% of all votes
Honor Harrington by David Weber 10%, 97 votes
97 votes10%
97 votes - 10% of all votes
Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold 9%, 84 votes
84 votes9%
84 votes - 9% of all votes
Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson 8%, 82 votes
82 votes8%
82 votes - 8% of all votes
Expanse Series by James S.A Corey 8%, 78 votes
78 votes8%
78 votes - 8% of all votes
Dune by Frank Herbert 8%, 77 votes
77 votes8%
77 votes - 8% of all votes
Pern by Anne McCaffrey 8%, 74 votes
74 votes8%
74 votes - 8% of all votes
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan 4%, 38 votes
38 votes4%
38 votes - 4% of all votes
Ender's Saga Orson Scott Card 2%, 23 votes
23 votes2%
23 votes - 2% of all votes
Total Votes: 985
January 22, 2020
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