In 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams, the opening line 'Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.' is great. It throws the reader right into the vastness of the galaxy, showing that the story is going to be set in a huge and perhaps strange cosmos. It has a touch of humor and irreverence as it describes the location as 'uncharted backwaters' and 'unfashionable', which is characteristic of Adams' writing style.
One of the best opening lines is from 'Dune' by Frank Herbert: 'A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.' It immediately sets a tone of precision and importance, hinting at the complex world of politics and ecology in the story.
A good one is 'On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.' It starts with a thought - provoking comparison between humans and dolphins, and makes you anticipate a story that might question our assumptions of intelligence. Another great opening line is 'The Time Traveler (for so it will be convenient to speak of him)' which sets up a story about time travel in a very matter - of - fact way, getting you ready for an adventure through time.
The opening line of '1984' by George Orwell, 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' is great. It creates an immediate sense of unease and a world that is just a bit off. The idea of the clocks striking thirteen goes against our normal perception of time, signaling that this is a society with its own strange rules.
In 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens, 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...' is a great opening. It's very thought - provoking. It makes you think about duality and how different things can be at the same time. It also hooks the reader as they want to find out more about these 'times' that are both good and bad.
In 'Pride and Prejudice', Jane Austen starts with 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' It's a great opening as it gives a quick insight into the society and the themes of marriage and wealth that will be explored in the novel. It's also a bit tongue - in - cheek, which is characteristic of Austen's writing.
In 'Americanah' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the opening line 'Ifemelu—rhymes with Chimamanda—noticed it on her first day at Princeton.' is great. It gives us a character's name right away and also links it to the author's name in a clever way, which makes the reader curious about this Ifemelu and her experience at Princeton. It starts the story in a very specific place and situation, which is effective in drawing the reader in.
One of the top best opening lines is from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' This line immediately sets the tone for the story which is centered around marriage and social status in the English society of that time.
One great opening line is from 'Dune' by Frank Herbert: 'A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.' It sets a tone of precision and importance right from the start.
One great opening line could be 'In a world where the sun never set, the people had forgotten the beauty of the stars.' It immediately sets an unusual and somewhat mysterious setting that makes the reader wonder why the sun never sets and what that means for the people. It also creates a contrast between the sun and the stars, which can be explored further in the story.
A great opening line is 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. This line is simple yet very effective. It makes the reader wonder about that one special child and why they don't grow up like the others. It also gives a sense of mystery and the promise of an adventure.