Locus Online's 2012 All Centuries Poll is Very Confusing

Courtesy of Black Gate, I came across Lotus' latest write-in poll for The Best Fantasy/Science Fiction works of the 20th and 21st centuries. I say works, because although they say it's "a poll for the best novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries, with five categories in each century: SF novel, fantasy novel, novella, novelette, and short story," I can't find much distinction between novel, novella, novelette or short story - not to mention a few other confusing elements.

Read on for the results.




Since it's by definition a popularity contest, I won't quibble with the ranking: the top 20 or so are largely predictable, but it's nice to see the Strugatskys so high up.

20th Century SF Novel:

Rank	Author : Title (Year)	Points	Votes
1	Herbert, Frank : Dune (1965)	3930	256
2	Card, Orson Scott : Ender's Game (1985)	2235	154
3	Asimov, Isaac : The Foundation Trilogy (1953)	2054	143
4	Simmons, Dan : Hyperion (1989)	1836	131
5	Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)	1750	120
6	Adams, Douglas : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)	1631	113
7	Orwell, George : Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)	1493	105
8	Gibson, William : Neuromancer (1984)	1384	100
9	Bester, Alfred : The Stars My Destination (1957)	1311	91
10	Bradbury, Ray : Fahrenheit 451 (1953)	1275	91
11	Heinlein, Robert A. : Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)	1121	75
12	Heinlein, Robert A. : The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966)	1107	76
13	Haldeman, Joe : The Forever War (1974)	1090	82
14	Clarke, Arthur C. : Childhood's End (1953)	987	70
15	Niven, Larry : Ringworld (1970)	955	74
16	Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Dispossessed (1974)	907	62
17	Bradbury, Ray : The Martian Chronicles (1950)	902	63
18	Stephenson, Neal : Snow Crash (1992)	779	60
19	Miller, Walter M. , Jr. : A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959)	776	56
20	Pohl, Frederik : Gateway (1977)	759	58
21	Heinlein, Robert A. : Starship Troopers (1959)	744	53
22	Dick, Philip K. : The Man in the High Castle (1962)	728	54
23	Zelazny, Roger : Lord of Light (1967)	727	50
24	Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983)	703	43
25	Lem, Stanislaw : Solaris (1970)	638	47
26	Dick, Philip K. : Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)	632	47
27	Vinge, Vernor : A Fire Upon The Deep (1992)	620	48
28	Clarke, Arthur C. : Rendezvous with Rama (1973)	588	44
29	Huxley, Aldous : Brave New World (1932)	581	42
30	Clarke, Arthur C. : 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	569	39
31	Vonnegut, Kurt : Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)	543	39
32	Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris : Roadside Picnic (1972)	518	36
33	Card, Orson Scott : Speaker for the Dead (1986)	448	31
34	Brunner, John : Stand on Zanzibar (1968)	443	33
35	Robinson, Kim Stanley : Red Mars (1992)	441	35
36	Niven, Larry (& Pournelle, Jerry) : The Mote in God's Eye (1974)	437	32
37	Willis, Connie : Doomsday Book (1992)	433	33
38	Atwood, Margaret : The Handmaid's Tale (1985)	422	32
39	Sturgeon, Theodore : More Than Human (1953)	408	29
40	Simak, Clifford D. : City (1952)	401	28
41	Brin, David : Startide Rising (1983)	393	29
42	Asimov, Isaac : Foundation (1950)	360	24
43	Farmer, Philip Jose : To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971)	356	25
44	Dick, Philip K. : Ubik (1969)	355	25
45	Vonnegut, Kurt : Cat's Cradle (1963)	318	24
46	Vinge, Vernor : A Deepness in the Sky (1999)	315	22
47	Simak, Clifford D. : Way Station (1963)	308	24
48	Wyndham, John : The Day of the Triffids (1951)	302	24
49*	Keyes, Daniel : Flowers for Algernon (1966)	297	23
49*	Delany, Samuel R. : Dhalgren (1975)	297	19

 

20th Century Fantasy Novel:

Rank	Author : Title (Year)	Points	Votes
1	Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Lord of the Rings (1955)	5675	340
2	Martin, George R. R. : A Game of Thrones (1996)	2182	149
3	Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Hobbit (1937)	2040	138
4	Le Guin, Ursula K. : A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)	1613	113
5	Zelazny, Roger : Nine Princes in Amber (1970)	971	70
6	Lewis, C. S. : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)	821	58
7	Mieville, China : Perdido Street Station (2000)	757	54
8	Gaiman/Pratchett : Good Omens (1990)	693	50
9	Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)	657	49
10	Crowley, John : Little, Big (1981)	645	41
11	Adams, Richard : Watership Down (1972)	632	46
12	Goldman, William : The Princess Bride (1973)	604	46
13	Martin, George R. R. : A Storm of Swords (2000)	602	43
14	Beagle, Peter S. : The Last Unicorn (1968)	597	45
15	White, T. H. : The Once and Future King (1958)	589	46
16	Kay, Guy Gavriel : Tigana (1990)	522	38
17	Gaiman, Neil : Neverwhere (1996)	509	38
18	Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983)	494	35
19	Vance, Jack : The Dying Earth (1950)	457	31
20	Bulgakov, Mikhail : The Master and Margarita (1967)	442	29
21	Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)	440	33
22	Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Silmarillion (1977)	433	32
23	Leiber, Fritz : The Swords of Lankhmar (1968)	425	30
24	Jordan, Robert : The Eye of the World (1990)	423	29
25	Donaldson, Stephen R. : Lord Foul's Bane (1977)	416	32
26	Bradbury, Ray : Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962)	411	30
27	Peake, Mervyn : Gormenghast (1950)	410	29
28	Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)	406	32
29	Powers, Tim : The Anubis Gates (1983)	403	29
30	Martin, George R. R. : A Clash of Kings (1998)	381	26
31	Bradley, Marion Zimmer : The Mists of Avalon (1983)	368	28
32	Hobb, Robin : Assassin's Apprentice (1995)	367	27
33	Pratchett, Terry : The Colour of Magic (1983)	359	27
34	Holdstock, Robert : Mythago Wood (1984)	326	25
35	King, Stephen : The Stand (1978)	316	22
36*	L'Engle, Madeleine : A Wrinkle in Time (1962)	310	23
36*	Pratchett, Terry : Small Gods (1992)	310	23
38	Howard, Robert E. : Conan the Barbarian (1950)	297	21
39	Ende, Michael : The Neverending Story (1983)	291	23
40	Peake, Mervyn : Titus Groan (1946)	287	20
41	McCaffrey, Anne : Dragonflight (1968)	281	22
42	Orwell : George : Animal Farm (1945)	279	20
43	Feist, Raymond E. : Magician (1982)	274	21
44	Silverberg, Robert : Lord Valentine's Castle (1980)	261	20
45	Lovecraft, H. P. : At the Mountains of Madness (1936)	249	20
46	Swanwick, Michael : The Iron Dragon's Daughter (1993)	247	18
47	King, Stephen : The Shining (1977)	238	18
48	Garcia Marquez, Gabriel : One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970)	223	16
49	Saint-Exupery, Antoine de : The Little Prince (1943)	217	16
50	Hughart, Barry : Bridge of Birds (1984)	213	16

21st Century SF Novel:

Rank	Author : Title (Year)	Points	Votes
1	Scalzi, John : Old Man's War (2005)	674	101
2	Stephenson, Neal : Anathem (2008)	432	63
3	Bacigalupi, Paolo : The Windup Girl (2009)	367	58
4	Wilson, Robert Charles : Spin (2005)	305	49
5	Watts, Peter : Blindsight (2006)	251	37
6	Morgan, Richard : Altered Carbon (2002)	238	37
7	Collins, Suzanne : The Hunger Games (2008)	199	32
8	Gibson, William : Pattern Recognition (2003)	197	30
9	Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009)	193	29
10	Stross, Charles : Accelerando (2005)	187	31
11	Mitchell, David : Cloud Atlas (2004)	185	30
12	McDonald, Ian : River of Gods (2004)	181	29
13	McCarthy, Cormac The Road (2006)	151	23
14	Harrison, M. John : Light (2002)	147	22
15*	Willis, Connie : Black Out/All Clear (2010)	142	20
15*	Chabon, Michael : The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2007)	142	23
17*	Simmons, Dan : Ilium (2003)	137	23
17*	Niffenegger, Audrey : The Time Traveler's Wife (2003)	137	23
19*	Doctorow, Cory : Little Brother (2008	125	22
19*	Ishiguro, Kazuo : Never Let Me Go (2005)	125	20

 

21st Century Fantasy Novel:

Rank	Author : Title (Year)	Points	Votes
1	Gaiman, Neil : American Gods (2001)	721	109
2	Clarke, Susanna : Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004)	609	94
3	Rothfuss, Patrick : The Name of the Wind (2007)	422	64
4	Mieville, China : The Scar (2002)	221	33
5	Martin, George R. R. : A Feast for Crows (2005)	213	34
6	Rowling, J. K. : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)	211	33
7	Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Curse of Chalion (2001)	177	27
8	Mieville, China : The City & the City (2009)	170	28
9	Fforde, Jasper : The Eyre Affair (2001)	160	27
10*	Bujold, Lois McMaster : Paladin of Souls (2003)	150	22
10*	Pratchett, Terry : Night Watch (2002)	150	26
12	Gaiman, Neil : Coraline (2002)	144	24
13*	Wolfe, Gene : The Wizard Knight (2004)	141	23
13*	Abercrombie, Joe : The Blade Itself (2006)	141	24
15	Pratchett, Terry : Going Postal (2004)	137	23
16*	Gaiman, Neil : The Graveyard Book (2008)	136	22
16*	Lynch, Scott : The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006)	136	23
18	Jemisin, N. K. : The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010)	124	21
19	Le Guin, Ursula K. : Lavinia (2008)	123	18
20	Sanderson, Brandon : Mistborn (2006)	122	18

The site promises a list of complete results, sorted into the categories seen above. While it claims to be "complete results, by category/rank and alphabetically by author," I can't find anything that sorts it by the five categories (fantasy novel, SF novel, novella, novellette, short story) anywhere. I may have overlooked it, or it could be in the process of being made, but I do think when you say there are five categories for a poll, it would be nice to see the results of those categories without having to go through each one individually.
The problem is, you can't do that either, because a number of the winning entries are not novels or novellas, novellettes, or short stories, but anthologies, collections or other publications not defined in the original poll. Cases in point:

20th Century SF Novels
Asimov, Isaac : The Foundation Trilogy (1953)
Bradbury, Ray : The Martian Chronicles (1950)
Wolfe, Gene : The Book of the New Sun (1983)
Sturgeon, Theodore : More Than Human (1953) 

20th Century Fantasy Novels
Vance, Jack : The Dying Earth (1950)
Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Silmarillion (1977)
Howard, Robert E. : Conan the Barbarian (1950)

These are all collections, not individual novels or stories, and furthermore, they aren't clear as to which publication they're even talking about. "The Foundation Trilogy" obviously refers to the three Asimov books, but are they referring to the 1963 (not 1953) collection, or the fact that the third entry in the trilogy was released in 1953? If that's the case, then that's three "novels" (strictly speaking, they're short story collections) as opposed to one, unless they're talking about the 1963 publication, in which case they've got the date wrong. What's more, Asimov's Foundation is listed separately from "The Foundation Trilogy," and comes in at 42, effectively being listed twice. What.

 The Martian Chronicles is more straightforward, being explicitly a collection of short stories. By "The Book of the New Sun," I'm guessing they're referring to The Book of the New Sun, Vols. I & II - that last part "Vols. I & II" highlighting that this is a collection of two volumes. Perplexingly, TBotNS is listed in both the SF and Fantasy novel sections, at 24 and 18 respectively. Again, What.

Onto the fantasy novels, Vance's The Dying Earth is - again - a collection of short stories. The Silmarillion is a tricky one, since you could consider it a novel and a collection, though the nature of the work has me leaning towards the latter. And much as I'm ecstatic to see Howard represented, the entry is just baffling, and is presumably meant to be one of the following, neither of which is satisfactory:

• Gnome Press's Conan the Conqueror (1950) - in which case they got the name of the 38th greatest fantasy novel of the 20th Century wrong (in addition to ignoring the original date of publication in Weird Tales, presumably because they were going with the first time it was published in novel form, which is needlessly confusing and imprecise)
• Gnome Press's Conan the Barbarian (1955) - in which case they got the publication date of the 38th greatest fantasy novel of the 20th Century wrong (in addition to it being a collection of short stories, not a novel)

Since Locus lists Conan the Conqueror 110th in the "complete results," I can only assume it's the second. Either that, or Locus is listing an entirely imaginary 1950 novel by the name of Conan the Barbarian as the 38th greatest fantasy novel of the 20th century. Third time's a charm: What.

It's a bit of a confusing list. Are Locus talking about specific book publications, or the novels themselves? Why didn't they break it down further into novella, novellette and short story? Heck, why didn't they include anthologies and collections too? And why in blazes is Perdito Street Station counted as a 20th Century fantasy novel?

Or maybe I'm just thick, you can't discount that factor.