BookRank

Best of the year

Best books of 1980

26 highest-rated books first published in 1980.

← 19791981 →

Why Cosmos is #1

Cosmos (Carl Sagan) scores 8.8/10 from 365 ratings — 0.5 points ahead of A People's History of the United States in second place.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. Method →

  1. Cosmos
    CosmosCarl Sagan · 1980 Popular science365 ratings4
    8.88.8 / 10
  2. A People's History of the United States
    A People's History of the United StatesHoward Zinn · 1980 History367 ratings
    8.38.3 / 10
  3. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
    The Restaurant at the End of the UniverseDouglas Adams · 1980 Science fiction1.8K ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  4. The Surgeon's Mate
    The Surgeon's MatePatrick O'Brian · 1980 Historical fiction54 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  5. The Paper Bag Princess
    The Paper Bag PrincessRobert N. Munsch · 1980 Children’s books73 ratings
    8.28.2 / 10
  6. The Name of the Rose
    The Name of the RoseUmberto Eco · 1980 Crime & mystery123 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  7. Wild Seed
    Wild SeedOctavia E. Butler · 1980 Science fiction171 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  8. The Magicians of Caprona
    The Magicians of CapronaDiana Wynne Jones · 1980 Fantasy58 ratings
    8.08.0 / 10
  9. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
    How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will TalkAdele Faber · 198093 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  10. Unfinished Tales
    Unfinished TalesJ. R. R. Tolkien · 1980 Fantasy176 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  11. The Wounded Land
    The Wounded LandStephen R. Donaldson · 1980 Fantasy80 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  12. The Clan of the Cave Bear
    The Clan of the Cave BearJean M. Auel · 1980Filmed 1986 Historical fiction366 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  13. A Confederacy of Dunces
    A Confederacy of DuncesJohn Kennedy Toole · 1980 Humour708 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  14. The Twits
    The TwitsRoald Dahl · 1980 Children’s books301 ratings
    7.87.8 / 10
  15. The Bourne Identity
    The Bourne IdentityRobert Ludlum · 1980 Thriller555 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  16. The Shadow of the Torturer
    The Shadow of the TorturerGene Wolfe · 1980 Fantasy375 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  17. The Indian in the Cupboard
    The Indian in the CupboardLynne Reid Banks · 1980 Fantasy176 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  18. The Mist
    The MistStephen King · 1980 Horror510 ratings
    7.77.7 / 10
  19. The Ice Dragon
    The Ice DragonGeorge R. R. Martin · 1980 Fantasy116 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  20. Beyond the Blue Event Horizon
    Beyond the Blue Event HorizonFrederik Pohl · 1980 Science fiction92 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  21. The Snow Queen
    The Snow QueenJoan D. Vinge · 1980 Science fiction77 ratings
    7.67.6 / 10
  22. Nightflyers
    NightflyersGeorge R. R. Martin · 1980 Science fiction82 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  23. Firestarter
    FirestarterStephen King · 1980Filmed 1984 Horror529 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  24. The Key to Rebecca
    The Key to RebeccaKen Follett · 1980 Thriller68 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  25. The Number of the Beast
    The Number of the BeastRobert A. Heinlein · 1980 Science fiction54 ratings
    7.47.4 / 10
  26. Congo
    CongoMichael Crichton · 1980Filmed 1995 Science fiction510 ratings
    7.17.1 / 10

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