Dwight is more likely to be handing out back-handed compliments to Apple or forcing a nice word about Microsoft, but here he decided to do something quite interesting: 15 Geek Novels to Read Before You Die.

So, here’s my rundown of them…

1. Entire Harry Potter Series: working on the last one (p 404 – first mention of “the Deathly Hallows”)
2. Catcher in the Rye: I’ve always avoided it mostly due to the cliché Salinger worship
3. Snow Crash, Neal Stepenson: actually, never heard of it!
4. Neuromancer: read it, wouldn’t suggest it, it’s okay
5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: ab-fab! The only book I don’t still have in the series is this original, and I’ve been jonesing to re-read it for years.
6. A Wrinkle in Time: recently re-read, it’s Christian re-editing leaves a bitter taste, though historically important
7. Lord of the Rings Trilogy: never read the last 200 pages, but of course amazing
8. House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski: also unknown to me
9. Stanger in a Strange Land: amazing book, i’d like to re-read it
10. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: a good book, certainly, but I prefer P.K. Dick when he is being more abbreviated, and I think the movie is a beautiful envisioning of it (as opposed to Dwight)
11. 1984: an absolute requirement of any citizen!
12. Dune: I think Herbert is better than Tolkien at inventing and delivering a new world with new ideas, this is a great work
13. Childhood’s End: I haven’t read this Clarke novel, but love Clarke
14. Cat’s Cradle: ditto here on Vonnegut – a great writer, I haven’t read this one
15. I, Robot: absolutely a classic, should be required reading for Computer Scientists; the movie is not the book!

So, that’s 2/3rds I’ve read. I guess I should put 2, 3, 8, 13, and 14 on the reading list (which is quicker to grow than to be read). Back to that Potter Book…