Funny how so few of the lists for greatest scfi books ever seem to be written by the people who actually read the genre. There seems to be a strong preference in the list for unreadable books about left wing social ideals with a sprinkling of actual scfi books that also tend to focus on politics. It is list of scfi books for those who think they are above reading scfi books for the simple enjoyment of the story and like to prove the mental superiority by reading unenjoyable books that reinforce their personal world views but or convoluted enough to be hard and everyone know smart people like hard to read books ergo they must be smart.

I have only read Dune, Foundation and 1984 and 1984 is the only one that comes close to great and that has more to do with its impact that with the book itself. Dune was interesting but the style was annoying. The only Stephenson book I tried to read I quit half way through because it turned out to be nothing more than a long chaotic not to mention juvenile and shallow parody of modern society. I have never read Dhalgren but I did try to read Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand and realized I liked scfi books that about something more than the author’s radical beliefs on sexuality, I know plot and characters are so pedestrian but it does keep the pages turning. Gravity's Rainbow sounds a like long boring book that focuses on shallow pop cultural ideas of sexuality with an insane structure to give it the appearance of depth, I think I will give that a pass. The rest I have never heard of.