15 Bestselling Novels from the '70s and '80s You Should Read Again

The 1970s and 1980s gave us some of the most groundbreaking and critically acclaimed books in history. From Margaret Atwood to Carl Sagan, these writers wrote novels that inspired some incredibly successful movies and TV shows, almost 40 to 50 years later. Not only are these books well-written and engaging, many of them are now cult classics. Here are 15 bestsellers from the 70s and 80s you should absolutely pick up again.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume will never not be relevant for young girls. "You could almost hear the collective generational sigh of relief in 1970 when Blume published this groundbreaking, taboo-trampling young adult novel: finally, a book that talks frankly about sex without being prim or prurient, and about religion without scolding or condescending," Lev Grossman wrote in TIME.

Carrie by Stephen King was released in 1974. Stephen King's first major success, Carrie is one of the most well-known novels not just in the horror genre but in popular fiction. The book was made into a cult film in 1976.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty was released in 1971, and is of course the basis for the cult classic horror movie of 1973. The story about a girl possessed by the devil is still one of the most iconic horror novels of all time.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was released in 1970. Her first book, the novel was controversial for adult themes. "The Bluest Eye is not only a story but an awe-inspiring poem," says The Guardian.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams was released in 1979. The comedy science fiction franchise is still funny and timely today.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson was released in 1971. "It is, as well, a custom-crafted study of paranoia, a spew from the 1960's and-—n all its hysteria, insolence, insult, and rot—a desperate and important book, a wired nightmare, the funniest piece of American prose since Naked Lunch," Crawford Woods wrote for The New York Times.

All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward was released in 1974. "It's the work that brought down a presidency and launched a thousand reporting careers," as Alex Altman put it in TIME. "It remains a testament to the power of shoe-leather reporting—and is perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history."

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood was released in 1985. "The author has carefully drawn her projections from current trends," Mary McCarthy wrote forThe New York Times. "As she has said elsewhere, there is nothing here that has not been anticipated in the United States of America that we already know."

The Cider House Rules by John Irving was released in 1985. It was made into a movie starring Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron in 1999.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum was released in 1980. It inspired the Bourne movie franchise, one of the most successful action movie franchises of all time.

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice was released in 1988. The book was made into a movie starring Aaliyah in 2002.

Cosmos by Carl Sagan was released in 1980. The book explained evolution and science in a lyrical, engaging way for non-scientists.

You're Only Old Once! by Dr. Seuss was released in 1986. Created for adults, the book was his first book not meant for children in decades. 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro was released in 1989. The beautiful story of restraint, love, and loss set in wartime England was made into a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in 1993.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan was released in 1989. Groundbreaking for the time, the story tells the tale of several Chinese-American women and their mothers, spanning decades of history.