Lampworks notes — 2020-12-06

We often talk with each other about what books we've read, so this month we decided to share our list of all-time favorite sci-fi and fantasy books with you. We have similar interests, such as historical fiction, sci-fi grounded in real-world science, realistic characters, and epic fantasy world-building, so there was some overlap. We also learned some things about each other and ourselves. We seem to both gravitate toward classical sci-fi and "Golden Age" authors such as Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury, and our shared enthusiasm for Neil Gaiman's works rang out clearly in the fantasy arena. But we each found something new in the other's picks as well.

This isn't a "best of sci-fi and fantasy" list; it's the books that we think of as memorable, influential, and fun. You have probably heard of many of these before, but maybe haven't read them yet. With the holidays upon us, and good reasons to spend more time at home than ever this year, why not pick a few options from our list, settle in with a hot drink, and fly off to far flung worlds or go on fantastical quests in magical lands for a while? Or order a physical book from our Bookshop.org shop to put under the tree. You might just ignite the love of reading in someone new.