Our readers nominated 23 opening lines from science fiction and fantasy novels. They voted 1,100 times (and these votes represented 27 countries). Now, the results are in for the Top 10 Fantasy and Science-fiction literary opening lines of all time.
In the Number One spot, the winner… as selected by the readers of GeekDad… is… (drum roll…)
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. — The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Possibly the simplest line in the list, but certainly one that preludes one of the best fantasy novels of all time (2 nd best, according to our readers).
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. — The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. — The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams
It was a pleasure to burn. — Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it. — The Princess Bride, William Goldman
When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced he that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. — The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. — 1984, George Orwell
The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel. — Neuromancer, William Gibson
Call me Ishmael. — Moby Dick, Herman Melville
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression “As pretty as an airport.” — The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, Douglas Adams
All this happened, more or less. — Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The full results:
