A while back I wrote a 500-word piece looking at essential science fiction (SF) for the IT pro, following up a review I wrote of David Brin's novel Existence. Part of that piece was an on-going personal project, a list I've been referring to on Twitter as "the essential futurist SF list". With summer finally here, it seems the right time to publish some of that list, so I've collated below 26 of what I consider the most essential SF titles for people interested in imagining all possibilities for the future. Think of it as a summer reading list that's a gateway to building tomorrow - all over your cold beverage of choice. It's a fascinating book, and deeply prescient - especially when you consider it was written in 1981.