Xenagia Ratings: The Top Ten Books

[ShannonA]

One of the nice features we have here at Xenagia is a index of books. There's 500 books & editions in there right now, which is a good start, but a far cry from all the SF,F&H books out there.

Besides being able to add books and mark books, you can also enter ownership. Here's the current top ten books, in order, along with the URLs into the index.

If you agree or disagree you can pop over and make your own ratings using your Xenagia forums ID:

1. A Game of Thrones (7.9) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
2. Dune (7.82) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
3. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.79) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
4. Nice Princes in Amber (7.77) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
5. A Wizard of Earthsea (7.73) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=42
6. The Chronicles of Amber (7.72) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
7. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.7) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
8. Hyperion (7.7) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=349
9. Ender's Game (7.59) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=26
10 Ill Met in Lankhmar (7.58) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=53

You can also see a much longer listing of "best" books by choosing "best" "100" from the main Index page.

[Something Else]

I find a lot of the rankings very interesting... it'll be fascinating to watch as more users show up here. I also find it strange to look at the Bottom 10 - some books are on there that you wouldn't expect, like Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets... probably just because it gets judged harshly in comparison to the other books in the series.

[ShannonA]

I find a lot of the rankings very interesting... it'll be fascinating to watch as more users show up here. I also find it strange to look at the Bottom 10 - some books are on there that you wouldn't expect, like Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets... probably just because it gets judged harshly in comparison to the other books in the series.

The ratings are indeed still pretty light. I consider the "best" a good first-cut of "these are pretty good books", while the "worst" I don't consider that useful yet. We've gotten another 80 or so ratings since I posted. I'll repost tomorrow after the stats get rerun (over night).

[ShannonA]

Here's the updated listing. As previously noted, these things are still pretty volatile. If you don't agree with the ratings, pop over and put in your own, using your Xenagia forum name:


1. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.76) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
2. Dune (7.74) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
3. Nice Princes in Amber (7.72) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
4. The Chronicles of Amber (7.68) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
5. A Game of Thrones (7.64) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.6) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
7. A Wizard of Earthsea (7.58) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=42
8. Swords Against Death (7.51) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=28
9. Ender's Game (7.5) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=26
10. Farenheit 451 (7.5) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=193

All the ratings dropped, which is just a reflection of the fact that the index is still finding its "center". A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy rose up to the top, not the first time it's been there. Ill Met in Lankhmar (the collection of the first two Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser books) was replaced by Swords Against Death (the second book), suggesting its the better of the pair. Farenheir 451 rose into the top ten, displacing Hyperion (a book that I adore, but I bet is less read.

[ShannonA]

For fun, here's what these looks like today. Remember that you can click over to rate these ten books, plus almost 500 others, plus you can enter new books:


1. Dune (7.85) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
2. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.76) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
3. A Game of Thrones (7.74) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
4. Nice Princes in Amber (7.74) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
5. The Chronicles of Amber (7.72) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.61) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
7. A Wizard of Earthsea (7.59) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=42
8. Swords Against Death (7.53) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=28
9. Farenheit 451 (7.52) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=193
10. Fiasco (7.52) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=23

[ShannonA]

Rather than just iterating exact variations of the same list, here's something different today: the top ten books listed as straight science-fiction (without a subgenre, like "science fiction / humor"):

1. Dune (7.90) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=474
2. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.62) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
3. Ender's Game (7.52) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=26
4. Fiasco (7.52) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=23
5. Foundation (7.48) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=1
6. Ringworld (7.44) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=140
7. Hyperion (7.44) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=349
8. A Wrinkle in Time (7.41) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=139
9. God Emperor of Dune (7.40) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=189
10. Lord of Light (7.40) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=34 (http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=34)

Agree? Disagree? Give us your own ratings by clicking through on the above links.

[ShannonA]

And here, conversely, is the list of the top ten non-S&S fantasy books, which is largely a mess of Amber books.

1. Nine Princes in Amber (7.76)
2. A Game of Thrones (7.75)
3. The Chronicles of Amber Omnibus (7.73)
4. A Wizard of Earthsea (7.60)
5. The Courts of Chaos (7.45)
6. The Guns of Avalon (7.44)
7. Deadhouse Gates (7.36)
8. Blood of Amber (7.29)
9. Stormbringer (7.29)
10. Bridge of Birds (7.29)

As always, if you know the books, let us know your ratings too!

[ShannonA]

These have largely settled, other than American Gods rising up into the pantheon:
For fun, here's what these looks like today. Remember that you can click over to rate these ten books, plus almost 500 others, plus you can enter new books:

1. Dune (7.92) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
2. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.80) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
3. Nice Princes in Amber (7.76) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
4. A Game of Thrones (7.75) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
5. The Chronicles of Amber (7.73) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
6. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.62) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
7. A Wizard of Earthsea (7.60) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=42
8. Swords Against Death (7.54) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=28
9. American Gods (7.53) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=112
10. Farenheit 451 (7.53) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=193

But if you haven't rated them, please do, over in the Book Index.

[ShannonA]

I fixed the front page of the Xenagia index yesterday so that you can now do all the best/worst/newest/etc. searches by genre.

In that spirit, here's a different best of, for modern fantasy books. As usual, if you don't agree with the ratings, please submit your own through the Index.

1. American Gods (7.61) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=112
2. War for the Oaks (7.41) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=104
3. Neverwhere (7.35) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=376
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7.33) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=448
5. The Folk of the Air (7.27) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=45
6. Our Lady of Darkness (7.25) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=254
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (7.23) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=150
8. Summer Knight (7.22) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=176
9. Good Omens (7.22) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=487
10. Fool Moon (7.20) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=174

[ShannonA]

The Xenagia Top Ten continues to grow and evolve. We're up to 1100 ratings now, and here's the current top ten. This time around I've also marked how many places a book has moved since I posted the first list of these, a couple of weeks ago.

1. Dune (8.22, +1) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
2. Hyperion (8.06, +6) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=349
3. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.99, ~) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
4. Nice Princes in Amber (7.99, ~) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
5. A Game of Thrones (7.93, -4) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
6. The Chronicles of Amber (7.89, ~) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
7. Foundation (7.8, new) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=1
8. The Claw of the Conciliator (7.74, new) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=15
9. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (7.72, -2) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=145
10. The Sword of the Lictor (7.72, new) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=17

The books that slipped entirely off the top ten in the previous two weeks were A Wizard of Earthsea (-7 to #12), Ender's Game (-22 to #31, ouch), and Ill Met in Lankhmar (-10 to #20).

[ShannonA]

Since last I updated this we've jumped from 1100 to 1400 ratings. Here's the current Top Ten, which changes from last time noted as rating changes this time around.

1. Dune (8.22, +.06) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=186
2. Nice Princes in Amber (7.99, +.04) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=160
3. Hyperion (8.06, -.11) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=349
4. A Game of Thrones (7.92, -.01) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=103
5. Lord of Light (7.89, new) -
http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=34
6. The Chronicles of Amber (7.89, -.02) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=274
7. Use of Weapons (7.86, new) -
http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=508
8. A Scanner Darkly (7.84, new) -
http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=481
9. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (7.83 -.16) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=125
10. The Claw of the Conciliator (7.83, +.09) - http://index.xenagia.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=15

Off the list entirely were Foundation, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and The Sword of the Lictor.

I appreciate the fact that some of the new entries are books fairly recently added to the index, now finally rising up to more appropriate places.