The 10 Worst Science Fiction Series

[Fried Egg]

I hope Ian doesn't mind me linking to his blog entry in which [url=http://iansales.com/2010/03/28/the-worst-science-fiction-series/]he posted[url] his list of the 10 worse SF series ever. I think it makes for some interesting discussion.

The following are science fiction book series whose label as science fiction embarrasses me, whose continuing popularity puzzles me, and whose fans I feel deserve a smack upside the head with a very large and nail-studded cluebat.

10 Honor Harrington, David Weber
9 Four Lords of the Diamond, Jack Chalker
8 Grand Tour, Ben Bova
7 Pern, Anne McCaffrey
6 Projekt Saucer, WA Harbinson
5 Lensman, EE ‘Doc’ Smith
4 Saga of the Seven Suns, Kevin J Anderson
3 Mission Earth, L Ron Hubbard
2 Foundation, Isaac Asimov
1 Legends of Dune, Kevin J Anderson & Brian Herbert

See the link for elaboration of why Ian believes each series deserves it's place on the list. In particular he has pointed out that "Foundation" is only so placed so high on the list, in part, as a reaction against it's often being cited as the greatest SF ever.

[AE35Unit]

I don't like such lists. They give the impression that because someone says they're crap that they're not worth reading, which is utter tosh! While I don't rate Foundation thats only because its not my kind of sub genre or style of writing-others may love it! And Pern books? Well I've only read one, from 1988, and I enjoyed it. The only E E Smith I've read is the dull Triplanetary but I will try others from the series-I certainly wont be put off by someone saying they're rubbish!

[Ursa major]

To save having to cut and paste, here's that link:

The Worst Science Fiction Series « It Doesn't Have To Be Right…

[Taltos]

First: Everybody has right to opinion - and list this is one of these
Second: Everybody else has right to agree and disagree with such lists
Third: Why did I even bother to read the explanations - I already disagreed just by looking what was missing from there - so won't comment this further.

[Parson]

My favorite series of all time "Honor Harrington" makes this list.
Foundation makes this list. The series which a lot of people see as the foundation of the genre (sorry Bear).

I would say about "Dune" (which he likes) what Ian said about Honor Harrington. It starts out very well, by all means read the first couple, but after that it is at best dull and at worst incomprehensible.

[Connavar]

Foundation was voted All time best SF series that might why its hype has made it higher than Mission Earth in Ian's list

Not surprising to see Dune sequels there it seems like everyone hate them.

I agree fully with Ian on Honor Harrington i have only read the first book but its was enough to see it was a series that have been done before by others....

[rojse]

I think this end quote is worth adding to the discussion, as there seems to be some misunderstanding of the intent of the list.

Yes, there are worst books than those above – and some of those I picked are no longer in print for, one would hope, good reason. But whenever people promote science fiction, some of the series I’ve chosen are the ones they use. And I find that incomprehensible. When there’s so much good stuff out there, why push the badly-written crap you liked once upon a time. It may well have been your entry into the genre but you were a kid at the time. The ten series above are, I suppose, an anti-list. They are the books which should never appear on any “best of” or “greatest” list

I take such a list as not being of the worst SF book series' ever written, but a list of highly regarded SF which is recommended to new readers when it does not stand up to the works written today.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by rojse

I think this end quote is worth adding to the discussion, as there seems to be some misunderstanding of the intent of the list.



I take such a list as not being of the worst SF book series' ever written, but a list of highly regarded SF which is recommended to new readers when it does not stand up to the works written today.

Well this is not news to us we know Ian views on many classic sf that he thinks doesn't stand up to the works of today.

There has been other threads where there has been some talks about this.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Connavar

Well this is not news to us we know Ian views on many classic sf that he thinks doesn't stand up to the works of today.

There has been other threads where there has been some talks about this.

Isn't this what every generation thinks? "What's being done today is better than what went on before." Only to find that history almost always will not see it that way. My prediction is that "people will still be reading Foundation long after 99.999% of the books written today are on the ash heap.

Of the current books/series I think only Ender's Game (book + Speaker for the Dead, more than the series) will have the legs to pass into truly classic SF.

[JagLover]

The Pern novels are of the lost colony/fantasy genre rather than pure sci-fi in any case. I haven't read them for a number of years but I found many in the series to be very decent and enjoyable reads.

[blacknorth]

Well, out of all of those I have read only the Foundation series. And I think Ian has a point.

When I first read the series I was very young and it had the desired effect. Re-reading it a couple of years back I found it to be badly written and plotted. But, dammit, it still had the desired effect.

There's no doubt it's all been done better since - but the Foundation series was written by a fledgling Asimov, and it pushed scope on such a scale that it opened the way for epic sf.

I mean - no-one travels West in a wagon now. Asimov did.

[Rodders]

I've read all the Mission Earth books and i don't understand why they're so far down the list.

Still, how many poor series would you guys add? (There cannot be that many more, can there be?)

[AE35Unit]

Originally Posted by Parson

Of the current books/series I think only Ender's Game (book + Speaker for the Dead, more than the series) will have the legs to pass into truly classic SF.

And maybe Clarke's Odyssey series!

[AE35Unit]

Originally Posted by JagLover

The Pern novels are of the lost colony/fantasy genre rather than pure sci-fi in any case. I haven't read them for a number of years but I found many in the series to be very decent and enjoyable reads.

I've only read the one Pern book (Dragon Quest,1988) but there was some good science in it-McCaffrey is no out and out fantasy writer but I believe has a science background, and it showed in that book. Then I tried to read an earlier book (Dragons Dawn?)and failed-it read just like pure fantasy so i switched off.

[GOLLUM]

Indeed....I can't easily agree on Pern being included in that list as I happen to be a fan at least of the earlier novels but I guess they're more Science Fantasy than pure SF.