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I have a collection of over 500 hard back science fiction and fantasy books, as well as numerous other books; history, mythology, and role-playing. Most of the Sci-Fi were originally my grandfathers. I am inputing them all here as I read them stating in 1999. There are many books in the collection I have read before 1999 and a lot of books here that I read that I don't own. The rating system only goes back to 2004.
Oh and there are plenty of mistakes in here, spelling, categories and such.
| Statistics on the books I've read since 1999 | | Categorys | | Alternate Fantasy | 70 | | Alternate History | 73 | | Alternate History: Civil War | 2 | | Alternate History: Steampunk | 7 | | Alternate History: WWII | 12 | | Astronomy | 2 | | Beekeeping | 21 | | Computer | 1 | | Fantasy | 179 | | Fantasy: Contemporary | 77 | | Fantasy: Lost World | 2 | | Fantasy: Lovecraftian | 13 | | Fantasy: Post-Apocalyptic | 20 | | Fiction | 9 | | Fiction: Military | 3 | | Gardening | 0 | | History | 122 | | Humor | 2 | | Linguistics | 2 | | Mythology | 33 | | Non-Fiction | 1 | | Political | 4 | | Pulp Adventure | 11 | | Roleplaying | 4 | | Sci-fi | 416 | | Sci-Fi: Cyberpunk | 0 | | Sci-Fi: Dystopian | 3 | | Sci-Fi: Military | 77 | | Sci-Fi: Post-Apocalyptic | 17 | | Sci-Fi: Space Opera | 47 | | Sci-Fi: Time Travel | 9 | | Science | 15 | |
| | Covers | | hardback | 711 | | oversized hardback | 1 | | paperback | 312 | | softcover | 233 | |
| | Collections | | Borrowed | 104 | | Granddads | 176 | | Moms | 4 | | Shawns | 974 | |
| | Anthologys | | Anthology | 78 | | Not an Anthology | 1116 | | Multi-Author Anthology | 64 | |
| | Books per year | 2025: 60
2024: 58
2023: 62
2022: 48
2021: 47
2020: 58
2019: 58
2018: 33
2017: 36
2016: 56
2015: 41
2014: 47
2013: 28
2012: 50
2011: 54
2010: 65
2009: 62
2008: 57
2007: 50
2006: 43
2005: 35
2004: 54
2003: 92
2002: 53
2001: 41
2000: 64
1999: 40
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| | Total books read: (includes rereads) 1434 | Total unique books: 1258 |
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The rating system I'm using is:
- I'll be getting rid of this one
- Really bad
- Bad
- Average
- A good book
- I'll probably read it again
- I recommend reading this
- Read it twice in the first sitting
Categories
I am using 3 main categories, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Alternate History. The great decider in whether a book is Sci-Fi or Fantasy is the use of the supernatural. That makes it Fantasy. So The Dragon Riders of Pern series is Sci-Fi there are not gods, magic, or supernatural, its all science based. Star Wars on the other hand (at least before Lucus retconned it with midicholians) is Fantasy because the Force is supernatural. Alternate History falls in a separate category. These are books purposefully set in the past where history changes and goes down an alternate timeline. The change can be due to science or the supernatural.
- Alternate History: A story that takes place in the past in our world which was the same until a certain point. This Point of Departure is the instance where the timeline between our world and the one in the story diverge. The PoD can be caused but time travel or supernatural means but the cause is not generally relevant to the story.
- Alternate History: Steampunk: The Point of Departure causes the world to develop super science in the Victorian Age. Usually developing steam powered devices and computing machines early. The story is generally set in the Victorian Age or immediately after.
- Alternate History: WWII: An Alternative WWII takes place. Hitler dies, Hitler lives, America never enters the war etc.
- Alternate History: Civil War An Alternative American Civil War takes place
- Alternate Fantasy: A story set on a parallel world in a semi-historical time where the supernatural exists. This differs from an Alternate History in that the world was always different from ours but developed along similar lines.
- Sci-Fi
- Sci-Fi: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic: The world ends, or nearly does drastically changing things.
- Sci-Fi: Cyberpunk: near future, dystopian, ai and prostecics are common
- Sci-Fi: Time Travel: Time Travel can cause an Alternate History or enter a Parallel World but the focus of a Sci-Fi Time Travel story is going back and forth in time not the world created.
- Sci-Fi: Space Opera: A story that occurs in space with the focus on action rather than science tend have larger than life heroes.
- Sci-Fi: Military: Involves future weapons and warfare with the focus being on the super technology. Often crosses over with Space Opera but the characters tend to be more normal and the emphasis is on warfare and weapons rather than action.
- Fantasy: Requires the existence of the supernatural. Stories that seem Sci-Fi can be Fantasy because a large portion of the story is explained as supernatural (ie the Force in Star Wars before Lucus retconned it).
- Fantasy: Contemporary: A story set in the modern world but where the supernatural exists. This is the same as a Alternate Fantasy, but is not a historical story.
- Fantasy: Post-Apocalyptic: The Apocalypse caused magic to reenter the world, so its in the future but the supernatrual exisits also making it more Fantasy than Sci-Fi.
- Lovecraftian Fiction: Involves Chthulu, the Great Old ones, and people fighting unspeakable evil which is trying to enter and take over the world. The original genre was Horror but more contemporary literature tends to be campy.
- Pulp Adventure: Typically 1920s and 1930s the heroes don't have supernatural powers but are the top end of what humanity has to offer. Typically Tarzan and Doc Savage.
| Six Frigates | | [08-Oct-2025]
by Ian W. Toll
History: 560 pages
The history of the first six frigates: Constitution, President, Constellation, Chesapeake, and Congress. Does a good job on the early years through 1812 but is really lacking after that. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| Friday | | [08-Oct-2025]
by Robert A. Heinlein
Sci-fi: 344 pages
Nothing spectacular. A Tank gets involved in politics and issues she doesnt understand and ends up fleeing the planet. Rating: 4 (out of 8) |
| To Rule in Amber | | | [06-Oct-2025]
To Rule in Amber by John Gregory Betancourt.
Fantasy: 310 pages.
Volume 3 in the series Dawn of Amber.
The real Pattern is fully established and Choas has an assassination. Rating: 6 (out of 8) |
| Chaos and Amber | | | [05-Oct-2025]
Chaos and Amber by John Gregory Betancourt.
Fantasy: 318 pages.
Volume 2 in the series Dawn of Amber.
Oberon escape the destruction of the family home and flees to Chaos itself. Rating: 6 (out of 8) |
| The Dawn of Amber | | | [03-Oct-2025]
The Dawn of Amber by John Gregory Betancourt.
Fantasy: 299 pages.
Volume 1 in the series Dawn of Amber.
The prequal series. Oberon learns about Chaos and discovers he has family. Rating: 6 (out of 8) |
| The First Chronicles of Amber | | | [01-Oct-2025]
The First Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny.
Fantasy: 730 pages.
Volume 1-5 in the series The Chronicles of Amber.
Still one of the best book series ever. Corwin wakes up with amnesia, gets involved in a struggle for a throne, and saving existence. Rating: 7 (out of 8) |
| The Summer War | | [27-Sep-2025]
by Naomi Novik
Fantasy: 127 pages
Novik continues to put our wonderful fairy tail like stories. The Summer people (fairys) try to manipulate a human family, and get manipulated in turn. Rating: 7 (out of 8) |
| The World and Thorinn | | [10-Sep-2025]
by Damon Knight
Fantasy: 181 pages
Really bad, pointless drug addled wandering by the character with no real story or resolution. Rating: 2 (out of 8) |
| The Shattering Peace | | | [07-Sep-2025]
The Shattering Peace by .
Alternate Fantasy: 276 pages.
Volume 7 in the series Colonial Union.
The brief peace is about to be shattered, by the Consu who are still messing with everyone and think its best of all the races fight. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| Going Intersteller | | [03-Sep-2025]
by Les Johnson
Sci-fi: 306 pages
Got this for free at the Baen book show 2025 dragoncon. Its not very good. A selection of medicore traveling sci-fi stories with some outdated science lectures in between. Rating: 4 (out of 8) |
| 1812 the Navys War | | [28-Aug-2025]
by George C. Daughan
History: 491 pages
A detailed history of the War of 1812. Its clear we lost. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| Cthulhu Land of the Long White Could | | [06-Aug-2025]
by Steve Proposch
Fantasy: Lovecraftian: 199 pages
Cthulhu stories set in New Zealand. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| The Chronicles of the Lensmen Volume 1 | | | [30-Jul-2025]
The Chronicles of the Lensmen Volume 1 by E.E. Doc Smith.
Sci-fi: Space Opera: 709 pages.
Volume 1 in the series Chronicles of the Lensmen.
Good classic sci-fi with scientist warriors and fleets of ships fighting ultimate evil for the good of freedom. Rating: 6 (out of 8) |
| Squid Empire | | [27-Jul-2025]
by Danna Staff
Science: 237 pages
A history of cephalopods from the beginning until now. Rating: 6 (out of 8) |
| Boundary | | [23-Jul-2025]
by Eric Flint
Sci-fi: 456 pages
Trying to mix paleontology and sci-fi discovering aliens but doing it in a mediocre way. This had potential but didnt make it. Rating: 4 (out of 8) |
| The Spirit of Thunder | | | [16-Jul-2025]
The Spirit of Thunder by Kurt R.A. Giambastiani.
Alternate History: 357 pages.
Volume 2 in the series The Fallen Cloud Saga.
Custers son gone native fights the U.S. for the Indians. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| The Year the Cloud Fell | | | [15-Jul-2025]
The Year the Cloud Fell by Kurt R.A. Giambastiani.
Sci-fi: 341 pages.
Volume 1 in the series The Fallen Cloud Saga.
An alternate history where Custer become President, the Indians have dinosaurs and things are very different. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
| The War with Mexico Complete | | [10-Jul-2025]
by Justin H. Smith
History: 503 pages
Print is too small. No maps. Other than that a detailed history of the Mexican War told from the American side. Rating: 4 (out of 8) |
| Dr. Dhrolins Dictionary of Dinosaurs | | [09-Jul-2025]
by Nathan Barling
Roleplaying: 304 pages
This was an amazing RPG book. Its mainly a monster manual but it covers real dinosaurs. Everyone get 2-3 pages, description of habitat and behavior as well as stats. There is also a section of link to real scientific papers on the animal and a if you want it to have magic powers too. At the end are domestication rules, behavior rules and several dino player characters and subclasses. Probably the best D&D book Ive ever read. Rating: 7 (out of 8) |
| Rendezvous with Rama | | [06-Jul-2025]
by Arthur C. Clarke
Sci-fi: 214 pages
An interstellar object is detected and a ship diverted to explore it ever so briefly as it rounds the sun. Rating: 5 (out of 8) |
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