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SF and the 20th Century, Part 1: Favorite Stories

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It's hard to believe, but that magic number is almost here. I'm not talking about "21," as in 21st century; though that's pretty amazing, too. I'm talking about 2001: the year I thought would never come.

Growing up, the year 2001 seemed so far away and, thanks to Arthur C. Clarke, had a magical quality that placed it in the realm of fantasy. It seemed to be the threshold beyond which all the dreams of our science fiction stories would become reality—even if such stories were set before that date.

Of course, not all those dreams are good. Some, in fact, are nightmares. But whichever they may be, there's no doubt that the 20th century has been a fantastic ride down the road of SF.

Over the next few months we'll be taking a look at some of the greatest SF stories and authors of the 20th century—the century in which SF really came of age. (For more on SF's earlier forms, see my article "By the Light of the Moon: Science Fiction's 17th-Century Roots.")

To kick off our look back at the 20th century, I've compiled a list of 10 of my all-time favorite stories. Did your favorite make the list? Read on and find out. When you reach the end, please share your thoughts with all the readers at Science Fiction and Society by posting in the discussion area.

And now, without further ado, the envelopes please...

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2001: A Space Odyssey (Novel; 1968; Arthur C. Clarke)

The grandest of all SF tales, 2001: A Space Odyssey changed the way that we view ourselves and our place in the universe. No story before or since

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