Science-fiction author David Louis Edelman (who I've featured here before) asks a very interesting question at his blog today: Just what are the best fantastical novels out there to recommend to your snotty, overeducated literary friends? It's a tougher question than you might think, as his related "books NOT to recommend" list shows. For example, the first thought that popped into my head is the mind-blowing Foundation series by Isaac Asimov; but Edelman rightly points out that despite the amazing concepts being bandied about in those books, Asimov's actual writing style can leave something to be desired, especially when one is accustomed to reading Pulitzer winners and the like.

Anyway, for what it's worth Edelman picks some pretty intriguing choices, that will make most sci-fi fans nod their heads in recognition: Starship Troopers, The Left Hand of Darkness, 2001 and more. Like I said, though, the much more entertaining list is the one of stuff not to recommend -- like late-period Heinlein (too much sex-and-hippie crap), Philip K. Dick (in that you need to read at least five of his books before any of them start making any sense), Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash (just too fanboyish for the non-sci-fi fan), and more. It's quite the thought-provoking entry; I encourage you to check it out if you have the chance.

Pictured: My humble addition to Edelman's list -- the trippy Hindu-themed Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. And by the way, isn't it about time for a retroactive new appreciation for this now mostly forgotten author? He was writing stuff just as dense and interesting as Heinlein and Dick at their height of their careers; it surprises me that the latter two are so well-known in our modern age but Zelazny isn't.