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Ihope this hasn't been done before, but a lot of newbies/lurkers are here so...
Who (Or what) is your favorite sci-fi author of all time?
Mine has got to be Arthur C. Clarke. I loved 2001, 2010, Rend. with Rama, Childhoods End, just to name a few.
Frank Herbert comes in at a close second though. DUNE rules!
"You have not experienced Shakespeare until you've read it in the original Klingon text."
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Tolkien. Hands down
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But does Tolkien write SF or just fantasy? Big difference as far as I'm concerned.
My favorite is Orson Scott Card. All I've read by him are Enders Game and Folk of the Fringe. Second favorite would be Asimov, third Clarke. You know, I'm not sure if i've ever read any thing actually by Asimov all the way through. I read all twelve Robot City books when I was young, but he didn't write them. they're just set in his universe. The only Clarke novel I've ever read might be 2061. I did see the 2001 and 2010 movies, and they were good.
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David Weber.
Lois McMaster Bujold.
Alex
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Verne I think should top the list.
Also being a fan of military Sci-fi Pournelle and David Drake are near the top of my list.
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Ooh, I forgot Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Darn. there are just so many good authors to choose.
And Cochrane, read 2010 at least. It's one of the greatest books ever. 2001 was, uhh.., 'wierd'
"You have not experienced Shakespeare until you've read it in the original Klingon text."
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
rescinding my previous vote
I forgot Orwell!
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Tie between Verne & Wells.
Modern stuff? Hands done, for me, Bruce Sterling.
"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
John Stuart Mill
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With you on that one, although I really rate Simon Green. But then, I'll admit I'm in a minority on that one...Originally posted by qerlin
Modern stuff? Hands done, for me, Bruce Sterling.
Jon
"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea is asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song.
Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."
THE DOCTOR, "Survival" (Doctor Who)
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My favourite SF authors are:
1. Robert A. Heinlein
2. Anne McCaffrey
3. David Weber
4. Elizabeth Moon
5. Andre Norton
6. Aaron Alliston
Especially Heinlein.
As for Tolkein, my trying to read Lord of the Rings again and failing miserably.
"Those Klingons are up to something, I can feel it in my bones"
Cmmdr JT Wayland
Strategic Operations Officer, Starbase 415, Dragomer Sector, Klingon Border, 2372
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I have no appetite for novels right now. I prefer reference books like the Trek Tech manuals, the Trek & Wars encyclopedias, and RPG books.
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Wells, no question. Much of what we take for granted as the conventions of written SF were invented by him. He was also just a first-class thinker in general. I disagree with his political views in most ways, but his ideas are always well though-out and well put. Verne was also very great, but his influence on later generations was not actually nearly so profound as that of Wells................
Slan agat!
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Here's a thing that I've suggested to several folks who've had trouble getting into LOTR - skip the first 100 pages and come back to them at the end of Fellowship of the Ring. Sounds daft, I know, but it works, trust me! I've suggested it to various friends and relatives over the years, and it works without fail.
Anyways, best Sci-Fi author ever? The nominations are:
[list=1][*]Arthur C Clark - he must hold the world record for fresh ideas and concepts. My favourite SF book of all time is "The City and the Stars". He wrote it in 1956, and posited a form of VR entertainment, amongst other things - haunting story.[*]Issac Asimov - his earlier short stories and novellas, including the first three Foundation books, first drew me into SF.[*]H.G. Wells - a little moralistic and allegorical for my tastes (I'm with Tolkien on that subject - hate it), but had some amazing ideas.[*]Larry Niven - another favourite who's pushed the boundaries (often with Jerry Pournelle). If you haven't read "Ringworld" or "The Mote in God's Eye", do yourself a favour.[*]Iain M Banks - my controversial choice
Honourable mentions:
- Harry Harrison, for giving us Deathworld and the Stainless Steel Rat (I love Slippery Jim DiGriz)
- Anne McCaffrey, for the earlier Dragonworld books (up to "White Dragon", anyways)
- Brian Aldiss, the next big British 'ideas man' after Clarke - try "Hothouse" or "Helliconia Trilogy"
- C. J. Cherryh, for the Merchanter books, Chanur, etc.
- 'Doc' Smith, for writing the best OTT space opera ever!
Last edited by Cdr Scot II; 10-04-2001 at 02:53 AM.
“Maintain the mystery, and don't try to think unthinkabilities...”
Iain M Banks, 2003, on the Art of writing good SF.
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David Drake, the author of Hammer's Slammers
and Robert Heinlen.
Honorable Mentions: S.M. Stirling, Katherine Kurtz and Harry Turtledove, the masters of alternate worlds.
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
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My favorites, no special order:
Jack Vance
Isaac Asimov
Cordwainer Smith
John Brunner
Mike Resnick
Orson Scott Card
and even if it's generally not sci-fi: Terry Pratchett
Hoping You'll understand all of this
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