Oh mighty flist, I come to you for literary advice.

[tzikeh]

ETA: I don't want to recommend individual episodes of tv shows; I think finding them is too much work for newbies and would put them off.

I am currently in a Science Fiction Literature class (ENVY ME!), and many of my classmates have never read any scifi before. We're getting an interesting range of who likes what, and the conversations have been fascinating. Watching people discover the genre for the first time, seeing them realize that it's nothing like what they imagined, is as much fun as reading the assignments themselves, if not more so.


Novels and novellas:
Childhood's End
Downbelow Station
Earth Abides
Flowers for Algernon
Left Hand of Darkness
Snow Crash
Time Machine

Short stories:
And Then There Were None
Arena
Baby is Three
Brainwave
Cold Equations
Huddling Place
Marching Morons
Mars is Heaven!
Microcosmic God
Mimsy Were the Borogroves
Nightfall
Nine Million Names of God
Roads Must Roll
Surface Tension
There Will Come Soft Rains
Twilight
Universe
Vintage Season


The Prof and I have decided we're going to compile and hand out a list of other books and short stories the students might enjoy, as well as tv shows (only if they're available on DVD), movies, and graphic novels -- each with a quick summary of plot and why they might enjoy them. Probably along the lines of "If you liked X, you should check out Y".

Here's where you guys come in. I'm creating a list, which I'm going to email to the prof for his edits (additions and negations), and then we're going to print it up and hand it out. What I'm hoping to get from you guys is a) your thoughts on the list, and b) any additions you might make and WHY you're making them, keeping in mind, again, that this is a class where the majority of the students had *never* read any science fiction before. We want as wide a range of moods and themes and writing styles as possible.


Novels:
A Canticle for Liebowitz
American Gods
Catspaw
Cryptonomicon
The Diamond Age
Doomsday Book
Dune (only the first book)
Earthsea
Ender's Game
Gormenghast
The Handmaid's Tale
His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass)
House of Leaves
How Much for Just the Planet?
I, Robot
Johnny Mnemonic (NOT the movie)
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Lathe of Heaven
The Man in the High Castle
The Martian Chronicles
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Neverwhere
On the Beach
A Scanner Darkly
Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge
Slaughterhouse Five
The Snow Queen
Solaris
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Sparrow
The Stainless-Steel Rat
The Stars My Destination
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Time Traveller's Wife
Young Miles (Vorkosigan universe)


Graphic Novels:
Powers
Preacher
Sandman
Transmetropolitan
V for Vendetta
Watchmen
Y, The Last Man

Short Stories:
All Summer in a Day
Harrison Bergeron
The Lottery
The Minority Report
The Monkey's Paw
Repent, Harlequin, Said the Tick-Tock Man
The Sound of Thunder
The Swimmer
Übermensch!
The Veldt
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale

Movies:
12 Monkeys
A.I.
Alien
Aliens
Blade Runner (NOT the Director's Cut)
Brazil (Director's Cut) (and, if you like backstory, the book "The Battle for Brazil")
Children of Men
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Dark City
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Donnie Darko
Far From Heaven (not scifi, but an important look at the fifties as background for many of the novels)
GATTACA
Galaxy Quest
Idiocracy
The Incredibles
The Matrix (no sequels)
Pi
Strange Days
Stranger Than Fiction
Terminator 1 & 2
Time After Time
Unbreakable

TV Shows You Can Get (now, or soon) on DVD:
American Gothic
Battlestar Galactica
Farscape
Firefly and Serenity
Heroes Season 1
Stand (miniseries)

Please say absolutely anything about this - thumbs up, thumbs down, additions (but please say why you think it's a good idea), etc. And please direct your friends over -- more ideas = better list!

Muchas gracias!

Comments

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

These lists are great!

I would say the Earthsea novels are fantasy, not SF. I recommend replacing them with The Dispossessed, which is definitely SF and one of LeGuin's best, IMO. Her short story collection The Birthday of the World is also particularly wonderful, and if anyone in the class likes The Left Hand of Darkness, the collection includes another story set on the same planet.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Nearly everyone in the class is having *terrible* trouble with Left Hand, so I'm not sure more LeGuin is a good idea, but *I* may look into some of these. :D

Oh, and hey - perhaps we can talk in email so as not to spoil, but when I told you about Dr. Who guest stars earlier... so, what did you think?

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I know there's one Ursula K. LeGuin already on there, but I have to put in a vote for The Lathe of Heaven. And I highly, highly recommend The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, which convincingly answers the question "Who would first travel to an inhabited alien world?" with "the Jesuits." The sequel is interesting but not half so good as the first book, which should be on the syllabus for sure.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

DAMMIT! Of COURSE Lathe of Heaven. I have not read The Sparrow, so I'm uncertain about adding it, but I shall ask Dr. Hoberg if he's familiar with it.

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

I would add Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy to the list.

Also, The Dazzle of Day by Molly Gloss -- my favorite recent piece of SF, hands down. Takes familiar tropes and runs with them in beautiful new directions. (The story posits a group of Friends -- Quakers, in other words -- who leave Earth in a toroid spacecraft knowing that if they're lucky, their grandchildren may be alive to see where it is they eventually land.)

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Also, The Dazzle of Day by Molly Gloss -- my favorite recent piece of SF, hands down.

Wow. Sounds fascinating -- I'll have to read it for myself!

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Aiiiee! You're going to inflict Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and
Gormenghast on the unwary reader? How cruel!! (Those are the only two books/series in recent memory I haven't managed to finish.)

Can I suggest Elizabeth Bear's Carnival (http://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Elizabeth-Bear/dp/0553589040/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-6729333-7390345?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182282729&sr=1-1) for the novels list? There's not much recent SF on the lists and not only is it recent, it deals with the disconnect between what some people imagine as a utopia and the reality of the same. (Though on first read a lot of folks won't realize that's what it's doing. It's subtle.) Also, the gender issues are fascinating, as the protagonists are a pair of gay men, and the society they are interacting with is a militant matriarchy.

Also, since Earthsea's on the list, I might also suggest Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising (http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rising-Sequence-Silver-Greenwitch/dp/0020425651/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-6729333-7390345?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182282809&sr=1-2) series, which is another young adult fantasy series which is wonderfully written and infused with Celtic myth and legend.

For the movies list, I might suggest Galaxy Quest, because not only does it explore common SciFi cliches, but it also takes a good natured look at the culture of SciFi fandom, which is fairly integral to understanding the impact of Science Fiction in general.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Oh yes - Dark is Rising and Galaxy Quest. Good calls!

[thefannishwaldo.livejournal.com]

I see that both "Flowers for Algernon" and "Harrison Burgeron" are on your list. I don't know if you plan to discuss them back to back, but just in case you don't, let me suggest it. Especially if anyone else in the class is an education major. It can be a fascinating way to look at how we treat kids in schools - some schools have done away with honor rolls and other awards, because kids who aren't winning them get their feelings hurt. Other schools do everything possible to boost kids into 'normal' classes and activities regardless of whether or not it's really appropriate for the child. FFA and HB are great fictional takes on both sides of that educational coin.

I'm curious to know why you haven't included any Trek or Star Wars. While arguably not Great Filmmaking, I think they're considered cornerstones of the genre. At least in a popular sense.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Star Wars is really fantasy, not science fiction, and Trek is just -- there's just too much of it, really. Same reason I didn't include X Files.

And yes, we're discussing Algernon and Bergeron together. Ooh, they rhyme! :)

[rhyana.livejournal.com]

A book some people may not have read, and may in fact be hard to find, is "The Witches of Karres" by James H. Schmitz. It's very good and very funny.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I have not heard of this. I wonder if it's on Amazon, or at Powell's....

[amireal.livejournal.com]

I'd suggest some Heinlein or Harry Harrison in terms of very classic sci fi that's good and interesting (if occasionally pedantic or misogynistic) oh wait, you have heinlein, not sure if I'd have that really be his shining example, even it was awesome, but that's personal preference.

Stainless steel rat is good though (Harrison). Maybe throw in some Robert Sawyer, though he's very Hard Science sometimes.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Oooh Stainless Steel Rat. I haven't thought of that in AGES.

Which Heinlein would you recommend?

[greywingnut.livejournal.com]

Graphic Novels:
If you don't mind more Moore, how about his Swamp Thing run? In that same vein, maybe also John Constantine Hellblazer.

Novels:
Stranger in a Strange Land - be sure to specify the original version, not the expanded edition. I love both, but the original is tighter and better for the audience.

Movies:
Big thumbs up for Time After Time, an often overlooked gem!

TV Shows:
Doctor Who (current series)

Cross-media:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - radio, TV, books, movie, the whole kit and kaboodle. Excellent follow-up after they've been introduced to the genre.

More if/when it comes to me...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Stranger in a Strange Land

Already on the list.

Doctor Who

I pondered that, but then I thought... too many goofy-ass things. Still, I might include.

[roga.livejournal.com]

I think it's a very cool idea! But I do think it's very important you specify, like you said, what genres the books are and what other books they're similar too. Ender's Game, for instance, is a book I think almost everyone will enjoy; I, Robot, on the other hand, can scare people away. (Also, I don't know if I'd call Heroes scifi, any more than I would Superman.)

But on the whole - thumbs up. And then post the expanded list here, too, for us :-)

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Also, I don't know if I'd call Heroes scifi, any more than I would Superman.

Heroes is about the genetic mutations of humankind; I'd call that scifi. As for Superman, I debated putting it in; it is, after all, about an alien come to Earth. I guess it all depends on the "definition" of scifi, which is not a bright line.

[way2busymom.livejournal.com]

C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet,Perelandra, That Hideous Strength).

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I am entirely ignorant of these. *shame*.

Why should I include them? Pimp them to me.

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

Ooh, fascinating and yummy!

I know LeGuin has already been much discussed in comments,but I would prioritize The Word for World Is Forest over several of the other LeGuin works proposed; not that they aren't fantastic (I love LeGuin), but much of what you have on the lists atm seems very hard-mechanical-science sf, and TWFWIF in particular is a wonderful alternative.

assorted comments

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

Why "Young Miles" instead of "Cordelia's Honor"?

No Octavia Butler? I'd suggest "Kindred," "Wild Seed", or "Lilith's Brood" for novels, and "Bloodchild" for short stories. In addition to being just plain excellent, one of the problems a lot of folks have with sf is that it seems so damn white and male. (And, to be fair, it largely IS.) Still, it's sometimes a lot easier for people to connect to a genre if they're seeing a more diverse body of authors.

For "Children of Men" & "Blade Runner" you can also point folks to the relevant novels.

In movies, what about classic sf flicks such as "The Time Machine", "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (which is AMAZING) or "Metropolis"?

Hrm. What else? I might add some more CJ Cherryh, perhaps some Iain Banks. In my scifi literature class we had to read some things I truly hated, like "Woman on the Edge of Time" and "The Space Merchants", but I can see why they were included in the class.

Oh, gosh. We need some steampunk and cyberpunk representations on that thar list. "The Difference Engine", "Snow Crash", "Perdido Street Station". Perhaps "Neverwhere", in either its BBC miniseries or novelized form (Gaiman novelized his own miniseries script).

By "Microscopic God" do you mean the Sturgeon short "Microcosmic God"? If not, some Sturgeon might be warranted, given his stature & influence. "The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff" or "More Than Human" in novella/novel length, and there are a bazillion short story options. He wrote a TON of shorts, so perhaps pointing folks at a collection would be better. Two worth reading are "E Pluribus Unicorn" and "Selected Stories". Sturgeon was one of the true masters of the short story form.

Re: assorted comments

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I ought to be smacked for forgetting Octavia Butler, because Kindred should so have a place here.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, I forgot.

Mike Resnick. Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge. BECAUSE JUST SAYING THE NAME TO ME CAN STILL GIVE ME CHILLS YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AFTER I READ IT.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I *also* forgot -- A Scanner Darkly, both movie & book.

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

I don't know if Sandman and Preacher are SF. Perhaps some of the classic Challengers of the Unknown collections? I suggest Carla Speed McNeil's Finder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finder_(comics)): Sin Eater (vol 1 &2), or perhaps Howard Chaykin's City of Tomorrow (http://www.amazon.com/City-Tomorrow-Howard-Chaykin/dp/1401209459/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5669903-1730318?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182284473&sr=1-1).

Movies --

Strange Days.

For TV series -- Babylon 5

[amireal.livejournal.com]

Seconding babylon 5, though it can be hard to get a hard core science fiction fan to sit through season 1 (which is important!).

[iko.livejournal.com]

OMG, I WANT TO ATTEND YOUR CLASS!

That sounds like some serious fun. Wow.

Some thoughts:
I would like to nominate "The Hinterlands" by William Gibson as one of the best pieces of science fiction short story writing out there. Heck, it is my favorite short story of all time; it is absolutely brilliant. It makes interesting observations about us as a species and our behavior when faced with superior technology and the lengths that we would go to for knowledge and learning and our attempts to understand the universe around us.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It's delightfully humorous and has become an icon within the language and culture of science fiction fans out there, even if it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I know that Snow Crash is on the list and many folks find it better than Neuromancer, but there's a part of my heart that shall forever be for Gibson and it should be somewhere on a good science-fiction novel list.

You've got a really great Novels list there. I've read 10 and own two. I've placed the other three in my "want to read" list. When I was a teenager, I had three black and white posters I made from the hardcover author photo on the back of my three favorite novels at the time. The posters were of Heinlein (for Stranger..., Gibson (for Neuromancer and "The Hinterlands"), and Herbert (for his Dune series).

What about The Handmaid's Tale? I'm not quite sure if this or Oryx and Crake would be a better selection from Margaret Atwood. What I like most about her is that she isn't seen as a "science fiction author" and that, because of her popularity, she has introduced people outside of the genre to it.

I would add Donnie Darko to that movie list. I had no idea what it was about when I rented the DVD but I was utterly stunned when I finished it. It was a delightful indie science fiction film in my mind, completely not what one would expect from the poster or the trailers, which make it look more like a creepy bunny horror film.

You might want to put some anime in there? I know that Katsuhiro Otomo does not only great films, but stuff that makes commentary about technology too. Yes, he has done Akira, but I would point people to Roujin Z instead, which is a really sweet film (well, when it isn't ACTION PACKED CRAZINESS).

With a lot of Heroes fans new to the genre, it has been interesting to see people wrap their brains around time travel for the first time. I find myself referencing Back to the Future and "All the Myriad Ways" by Niven. "All the Myriad Ways" is wonderful and looks at what could be happening if the technology for time travel was developed and how that would affect our view of existence and our place within it.

Speaking of Niven, I love a lot of his works. "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" which discusses, with much hilarity, the sex life of Superman and Lois Lane. There's not a lot of humor in much science fiction, so it's nice to be able to introduce new folks to it. This is more of an essay, but I think it still is fair and falls under a good selection for a Science Fiction Literature class.

Oh, there are so many other suggestions I could have (like Doctor Who, which has a rich history and the family-friendliness of the program has grown the generation of Who lovers that are the catalysts behind New Who. New Who is introducing another generation of fans). I'll see if I can nudge the husband to provide his own suggestions.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I second Donnie Darko. I haven't seen the director's cut version, which I heard removes the ambiguity of the original (the original has two readings: Donnie is having psychotic break, or Donnie becomes aware of a split in the universe that needs to be resolved).

[nestra.livejournal.com]

I pulled out class notes from my Fantasy and Film class, since "fantasty" in that class also included sci-fi and horror. We watched "Millenium Actress", which I really enjoyed. "Metropolis," of course. "Brazil," you have covered. And "2001", I disliked. *g*

[nestra.livejournal.com]

"fantasty"? Oh, dear. Though as typos go -- it's fantasy! It's tasty! It's fantasty!

[penknife.livejournal.com]

I'd throw in Larry Niven's Ringworld, as a good example of the "let's explore an alien world and its technology" genre; John Varley's Titan may possibly be more fun, but it's so much a response to Ringworld that I think you'd have to read both.

The Handmaid's Tale is classic feminist social commentary, although it's on the mainstream side of SF and depressing as hell. Suzette Haden Elgin's short story "For the Sake of Grace" is also classic feminist social commentary without being depressing.

I'd second something by Octavia Butler, and you also might want one of John Varley's short stories that play with the effects of technology on society and gender roles -- "Picnic on Nearside" might be a good one.

I really think Earthsea and Sandman are fantasy, though.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Another interesting piece of fem-comm SciFi is Ammonite (http://www.amazon.com/Ammonite-Nicola-Griffith/dp/0345452380/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-6729333-7390345?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182286998&sr=1-1) by Nicola Griffith.

[keiko-kirin.livejournal.com]

Books:
Nowadays I read more fantasy than sci-fi, but back in the day, two of my favorites were by Philip K. Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the basis for Blade Runner, but pretty different from it, too), and The Man In The High Castle, which I would recommend because it's one of the best "what if" scenarios (what if Japan and Nazi Germany had won the war) treated with entertaining cynicism and readable oddness (well, if you like Philip K. Dick, that is). FWIW, I preferred his novels over the various movie adaptations, although I love Blade Runner as a movie in its own right.

Movie:
Does Fahrenheit 451 (1966 version) count as sci-fi? Totally chilling. To me, a true classic, and a message almost everyone can grasp. I think my lifelong aversion to "international style" buildings stems from seeing this movie at an impressionable age... The original story is probably better, but I've only ever seen the film.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I agree with Keiko -- I was genuinely surprised that there was no Phil Dick listed in the books section. Many of his novels and short stories have been the basis for a lot of popular movies, much changed, of course.

SF Lists

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

Trying to narrow down a reading list for SF is a really difficult task, given the sheer volume and breadth of the field. Not having the authors listed above makes it a bit more difficult as there were some titles that didn't ping for me without an author.

That said, my first thought is that women are largely absent from the reading lists, and I'd be concerned that people of color and LGBT works are represented on your final lists as well. I'm particularly interested in women/lesbian/minority SF authors, those books take up probably 10 shelves at home as compared to four or five shelves with male SF authors.

Octavia Butler (black lesbian SF writer) should absolutely be on your list. She was one of the first black women to get widespread recognition for her SF and was also the first SF writer ever awarded the MacArthur "Genius" Prize - which was well deserved. I'd probably recommend Kindred and Wild Seed. Kindred does some fantastic exploration of race in particular. For those into vampires, Fledgling offers a somewhat different take.

Oh, so many authors and titles. How to winnow down suggestions??!

While I ponder that further, as an overall suggestion, I would STRONGLY urge you to include existing collected bibliographies and websites that can provide easier entree into the various SF groupings. Trying to keep a list short enough not to totally intimidate means inevitably there will be huge gaps and ommissions. Offering cites and links to collected bibliographies and websites will let folks continue to explore on their own, but won't make your own list unmanagable.

FeministSF.org is a FANTASTIC starting point. Tons of info and lots of links to other sites of interests. Has always provided bibliographies and checklist and teaching resources and so much more. Indexes to lesbian and women of color authors and non-US authors and non-English language authors. Breakout lists for format - which would be useful for your movies, graphic novels, etc. Also large number of links for the Feminist SF community, writers and fans. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SITE.

Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Uptopia
http://feministsf.org/

Alternative Sexualities in Fantasy and SF Booklist is an essential bibliograhy for how SF treats sexuality other than heterosexuality. There are other variations on the theme out there but I like the organization of this, though I wish it updated more often and contained more links. And for your purposes, it's not strictly SF but includes fantasy. Still, it has info that your classmates won't easily find elsewhere.

Alternative Sexualities in Fantasy and SF Booklist
http://www.mamohanraj.com/balist.html

The Tiptree Award site is also a good place to check out. Here's the direct link for the cumulative Tiptree Award list, which you can download as a PDF:
http://www.tiptree.org/?see=cumulative

The Feminist SF Carnival provides monthly roundups of links to feminist SF in the blogosphere on a variety of themes. Topical, interestingly presented, varied perspectives, not a traditional view of SF. Always something new and interesting. Excellent way to catch the interest of those unfamiliar with the range of SF.
http://carnival.feministsf.net/

There's also the Feminist SF Wiki (though as always, I have reservations about a wiki)
http://wiki.feministsf.net/index.php?title=Main_Page

And to entice people into trying some authors that they might not be willing to buy, point folks to the Baen Free Library where you can read a variety of SF/F titles for free. Or download the books in a variety of formats, again free.

Baen Free Library:
http://www.baen.com/library/

YIKE!

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

This will take some researching!

Janet Kagan

[taverymate.livejournal.com]

And I'd lobby for one of my all-time favorites SF novels to make the list. Very layered exploration of cultures and language, but very, very accessible: Hellspark by Janet Kagan. I've even known linguistic profs who've used it in their classes to make certain concepts more intelligle for students.

I live in hope that someday Kagan will revisit the Hellspark universe, for there is so much waiting to be explored. Kagan's other books and short stories are also worth reading; she wrote one of the better Star Trek novels (Uhura's Song) with an intriguing feloid race. "Mirabile" is a humor-filled collection of short stories that takes on serious issues of biodiversity and what happens when it goes awry in new ecosystems. Love the Odders and Kangaroo Rex and Tulip Bats.

Janet Kagan's website - some short stories available online
janetkagan.com

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Also, I wanted to mention -- back in the days when dinosaurs roamed, i had a class in SF lit, too, and most of the fellow students were newbies to it. A lot of the stuff was a re-read for me, but much of it was new, and it was the unusual stuff, the stories by the non-name writers, that seemed to go over best and that appealed to me, too. A lot of the things being mentioned here bored me out of my gourd -- I thought Heinlein was a sexist joke, Ringworld was so dull I fell asleep to it, and so on, but it might be a good idea to look beyond the obvious big hits. A lot of those appeal to the high-end SF geek, but to a newbie audience, some of the lesser-known authors, and some of the less-often-read short stories by name authors, might really have a broader appeal. I still have a couple books if you want some examples.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Examples would be great!

[(Anonymous)]

This is a pretty good list, though some would argue (some will ALWAYS argue) over whether some of these are science fiction--there's no science in "The Lottery," for example.

But then, some would argue about what I'm about to recommend: Niven's short story "Not Long Before the End." It's a swords-and-sorcery tale, but Niven brings a uniquely scientific twist, treating magic as subject to the second law of thermodynamics. It's the essence of science fiction with none of the trappings of science fiction: death rays, aliens, space ships, genetic modification, time travel, etc.

Other favorite "try this if you think sci-fi is trash" items include:
* Gibson's "Hinterlands" (better even than _Neuromancer_, with some razor-sharp word craftsmanship)
* Niven's "Inconstant Moon" makes some hard science quite accessible
* "Flowers for Algernon" proves that science fiction is compatible with stories of human pathos
* The movie version of 2001 can be incomprehensible without the book, but the middle segment with murderous HAL is a must-see.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame (vol 1) is a terrific place to start. Many stories on your list can be found there, and I liked every story but Leiber's. (I never liked Leiber, sci-fi or fantasy.) I also loved Asimov's Foundation, but I recognize his stiff dialogue often sabotages his stories as tools to convert the unbeliever. Likewise, the movie Forbidden Planet is a classic, but also guilty of some of the cheesiness that turns people off.

[iko.livejournal.com]

Yay! Someone else recommends Gibson's "Hinterlands". It makes me cry every time I read it. It's so full of poetry, like Orwell's 1984.

I was going to also comment on Niven's "Inconstant Moon", but I figure that I've already got two recommendations from that collection ("All the Myriad Ways" and "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex").

[klia.livejournal.com]

There are a few things on your list I've never considered sci-fi at all: The Stand, The Lottery, The Monkey's Paw, Something Wicked This Way Comes. To me, supernatural/horror is an entirely different genre, or am I just behind the times, and it's all one big happy genre now?

TV:

S:AAB (accessible, I think, as we're in the midst of a war)

SG1 and/or SGA (some really interesting ethical stuff in both shows)

Miracles (if you're going with supernatural/horror = sci-fi, I think Miracles would hold their interest)

You might also consider anthology series like Night Gallery (man, they did some fabulous sci-fi) and the original Twilight Zone (classics deserve to be passed on to a new generation).

Movies:

Alien or Aliens (I think both are must-see, as far as sci-fi movies go)

Predator (one of the best alien characters ever created)

Planet of the Apes (cool dystopia, and worth it just for the line, "Get your hands off me, you damn, dirty ape!")

Stargate (fascinating mesh of ancient Egyptian culture and aliens)

Reign of Fire (dragons kick human ass!)

Close Encounters (I know it's Spielberg, but it's less anvilly and very accessible)

Sliding Doors (very subtle sci-fi in the form of quantum physics).

What about something like Young Frankenstein -- sci-fi/comedy?

I adore the original Time Machine -- another frightening dystopia.

Fantastic Voyage is cool: see Donald Pleasence devoured by a white corpuscle!

Short stories:

One I've remembered my whole life is Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder.

Novels:

I loved the first 2 or 3 of Anne McCaffrey's Killashandra novels.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

The Stand

Earth Abides is about a plague that wipes out most of humanity, and then how the few humans who are left deal with it. I would put The Stand in the same category.

Alien(s)! DUH!

And Close Encounters, double-duh.

And, of course, Sound of Thunder, triple-duh.

[slb44.livejournal.com]

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm

The Hyperion books by Dan Simmons oh and Phases of Gravity too.

Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany

Persistance of Vision by John Varley

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

Light by M. John Harrison

Hammered/Scardown/Worldwired by Elizabeth Bear

Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Short Stories

The Women Men Don't See by James Tiptree Jr. and Her Smoke Rose Up Forever

Fire Watch by Connie Willis

The Island of Doctor Death by Gene Wolfe

Swarm by Bruce Sterling

Legions in Time by Michael Swanwick

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

A great novella by Tiptree is Houston, Houston, Do You Read?
It won both a Hugo and a Nebula.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Well, you just have to have the following authors represented:

Jule Verne and H G Wells (hard SF vs soft discussion)

Asimov, bradbury, Clarke and Heinlein

I would also throw in C.S. Lewis' trilogy although some people don't like the religious imagery

Definitely Canticle for Liebowitz

Movies: I tend to like historical foundations which means you need Melies' Trip to the Moon and definitely Metropolis and 2001 (Clockwork Orange?)

And what? No Trek? I would suggest that New Gen episode about Data (Measure of a Man?) which provides a great discussion about sentience.

Have you thought about other than American/Brit? Because then you can include Lem.

And what about the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast? It's available everywhere and there are some good documentaries connected with it on DVD.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Jule Verne and H G Wells (hard SF vs soft discussion)

H G Wells is up there (Time Machine)

Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke and Heinlein

Asimov - Nightfall is on the list
Bradbury - Mars is Heaven! is on the list
Clarke - Childhood's End is on the list
Heinlein - Universe is on the list.

I don't want to do individual episodes of tv shows.

War of the Worlds is a good idea.