Poll: Best sci-fi book series ever

[Viruzzo]

The title is pretty explicative: which is, in your opinion, the best sci-fi book series ever written?

Since many sci-fi series come in trilogies, I've raised the bar a bit and inserted only series that had 5 or more novels in them (counting only the original author), and it's an original series, not a spin-off (for example, no Star Wars books). The contenders are strong, and I couldn't really think of another series that long that was worth mentioning; still if you have another suggestion please post it in bold in your reply, so that it's easier to spot and to account. If it receives enough praise I may add it to the poll.

Wikipedia links:
Dune by Frank Herbert - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_universe
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender%27s_Game_(series)
The Foundation by Isaac Asimov - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_Series
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorkosigan_Saga

Added:
The Dark Tower by Stephen King (3) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Tower_(series)

 

[PurpleLeafRave]

The Halo books
Nah, I'm just kidding...The only one I've read is Guide to the galaxy.

 

[TaborMallory]

I haven't read any of those, but I do know that Michael Crichton is a sci-fi genius. Does this count?

 

[Major_Sam]

My vote is bias as I've only read Hitchhikers but they are my favourite books of all time so I'm going with them.

 

[Vrex360]

Hitch Hikers Guide
Red Dwarf
Halo


Also I'd like to note I am writing my own epic sci fi novel... will it be as successful? Only time can tell.

 

[Viruzzo]

Red Dwarf

Isn't that a TV show? Have they made novels?

 

[fenrizz]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, no doubt.

 

[Overlord_Dave]

Stephen King's Dark Tower Series.

It is full of epic win from start to finish.

And I'd call more sci-fi than fantasy.

 

[oliveira8]

Dune only the first one was any good, the rest I found boring.

What about :-

Iain M Banks Culture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Banks
David Drakes Honor Harrington/RCN/Hammers Slammers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Drake
Fred Saberhagens Berserkers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Saberhagen
Keith Laumers Bolo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Laumer
E.E. Smiths Grey Lensman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._E._Smith
Gordon R. Dicksons Dorsai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_R._Dickson
S.M. Stirlings Draka http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M._Stirling
Wiliam Gobsons Neuromancer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibson

On a side note the original Star Wars book was written by Alan Dean Foster and is a different story to the film, with text like 'the blaster sucked out a searing hole in the troopers arm leaving clean ceramic carapace and nothing but cooked meat.' (Im paraphrasing he writes better than that) However I take the point its hardly classic.

Red Dwarf

Isn't that a TV show? Have they made novels?

Theres several books arent really technically a trilogy but if HHGTTG makes it in Red Dwarf can.

But HHGTTG is a trilogy! But its made up of 5 books...

 

[Vrex360]

Red Dwarf

Isn't that a TV show? Have they made novels?

Yeah, just four novels though

 

[veloper]

Dune is good. The first book I loved. They lost me through the second book, which I didn't like as much.

The foundation and Asimov novels in general have a too outdated look on future technolgy and that somewhat dimishes the books, since all the positronic brain stuff and similar crap was a major focus.

The Hitchhiker's Guide is more humor and parody rather than serious sci-fi. Halfway through the series I got bored with it though.

I would recommend John Scalzi's Old Man's War trilogy to sci-fi fans.
It's recent and has a much more palatable take on future technology than the old classics. Future advances like body modification are really integrated into the story in a clever new way.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Classic series, but according to my dad the radio series is better.

 

[kaziard]

gotta love the discworld series lol

 

[dorm41baggins]

gotta love the discworld series lol

Discworld is fantasy not sci-fi.

Of the options listed, I'd have to go with Foundation, though I really only enjoyed the original trilogy. I didn't like the direction Asimov took with it after that.

Same thing with Hitch Hiker's actually- the first few were great, but at some point, Adams started to get bored with it and it *really* showed in the writing. His "and then they all died"-style ending to the series really put me off.

Edit: On further reflection, I'd vote for 'other': Pern

 

[asinann]

Bio of a Space Tyrant.

 

[Fat Hippo]

The Riverworld Series by Phillip José Farmer (I think that's how it's spelled).

Very deep and original. It really pulled me in, especially with some of it's stranger ideas. A good example of intelligent science fiction.

 

[Chiddy]

Any books by Darren Shan, even tho theyre kinder horror