Over the years I’ve found a few of what I call perfect books, stories where I wouldn’t change a word. There are hundreds of books that I love and periodically reread and thousands that I’ve enjoyed, but only a few that I would call perfect, and some of my favorites don’t make the list. Here they are, in no particular order:
Roger Zelazny-Nine Princes in Amber
Roger Zelazny-A Night in the Lonesome October.
Vernor Vinge-A Fire Upon the Deep
Robin McKinley-Sunshine
Martha Wells-The Element of Fire
Martha Wells-Death of the Necromancer
Tim Powers-Anubis Gates
Tim Powers-Last Call
Christopher Hinz-Liege Killer
Neil Gaiman-Neverwhere
Neil Gaiman-The Graveyard Book
Lois McMaster Bujold-A Civil Campaign
Neil Stephenson-Zodiac
Emma Bull-War for the Oaks
S.M. Stirling-Marching Through Georgia
H. Beam Piper-Space Viking
Terry Pratchett-Feet of Clay
Terry Pratchett-Small Gods
Pamela Dean-Tam Lin
Nina Kiriki Hoffman-The Thread that Binds the Bones
(Originally published on the Wyrdsmiths blog December 4 2006. Reposted as part of the reblogging project, and updated to add The Graveyard Book and A Night in the Lonesome October)