Favourite Science Fiction Writer

[jungle11]

I thought this could be interesting - I've read it avidly for years.

My favourite is proberly Steven Baxter - the characters were a little thinly painted, but the ideas and concepts - WOW! And every now and then, something you've read in one of these books becomes reality, I love to imagine what we might be capable of in another thousand years

cheers

Jungle11

[DJDD]

robert heinlein
arthur c. clarke
E.E. 'doc' smith


contemporary authors? :P all that pseudo-scientific stuff they raise, and popularising/generalising all of those topics Alex (xelasnave) has raised on IIS. bah!

give me space operas, big space battles and frightening aliens trying to suck out our eyeballs for soup any day!
:lol:


actually, i quite like David Brin novels, too. :thumbsup:

[wavelandscott]

The list looks good so far but I'd add a current and classic respectively...Orson Scott Card and of course Frank Herbert

[TrevorW]

Peter Hamilton (Naked God, Neutronium Alchemist etc)
Frank Herbert (Dune)
Asimov (Foundation, I Robot)
EE Doc Smith (Lensmen, Skylark series)
David Brin (Star Tide Rising)
Orson Scott Card (Enders Game)
Arthur C Clarke (2001, 2010 etc)
David Wingrove (Chung Kou)
David Weber (In death ground)

to name a few I've read re read over the last year all great currently reading "Saga of the Seven Suns", Kevin Anderson

[vash]

Douglas Adams

[xelasnave]

Issac Asimov
alex

[StarScream]

Time - Stephen Baxter
The Dark Beyond the Stars - Frank M Robinson

[jungle11]

Hey that's quite a list Trevor, very nice indeed. I only found Peter F Hamilton a couple of months ago, and he's great, one of the best i've read for the pure fun of it.
I also started on 'Saga' this year - brought all seven cause i liked the cover art! Dumb, i know, but its pretty good. But there's a big hole in the story.
We use the Klikiss Torch, but the whole story, in the first few books, centres around our lack of etki for our stardrives. Who needs etki when you've got portals big enough to move entire stars?:shrug:

[jungle11]

Yes! Thats what i mean, his ideas just blow you away.:thumbsup:

[TrevorW]

Actually I thought they move neutron stars to get the extra mass needed to ignite gas gaints although the story quickly moves on from the use of the Klikiss Torches. It is plausible that the forces needed to move neutron stars would tear apart spaceships or they couldn't reverse engineer it for transportal use

:D

[jungle11]

That'll do!:thumbsup:

[Jen]

I dont read as much as i should :doh: when it comes to books but i am a big Steven King fan :lol:

[Glenhuon]

Thats who got me hooked on SF as a kid. :)
Probably read all his stories several times over the years.

Bill

[GeoffW1]

Hi

I'm going to include Science Fantasy as well, the line is blurred anyway -

- Jack Vance, way in front. He has 3 distinct genres in his writing, all terrific. I've collected all his titles I can find. Give him a try.

- Dan Simmons, mainly the Hyperion Cantos

- Iain M Banks

- Kevin J anderson

- and Gavin Menzies ;)

Cheers

[AussieSky]

Niven and Pournelle

[Dog Star]

Harlan Ellison
Ray Bradbury
Theodore Sturgeon
Philip Jose Farmer
These are probably my favourites but I've certainly got nothing against the authors mentioned so far.
Hmm. Better mention Robert Silverberg too.
PS - If fantasy counts then I want to throw in Terry Pratchett and Stephen Donaldson as well.

[wavelandscott]

What a great list...I think I've read most of them!

[TrevorW]

Sargan
Ben Bova
Gordon R Dickinson
Harry Turtledove
Roger Zelaney
Harrison
Harbinson
HG Wells
Whydam
George Orwell

[gman]

Have many sci fi books and authors to match but my favourite book is called "When Gravity Fails" by George Alec Effinger

[JohnH]

Oh no way I can stick to just one so

George Orwell
HG Wells
Michael Crichton
Phillip K Dick
EE Doc Smith
Arthur C Clarke
Ben Bova
James Blish
Ian M Banks
Frank Herbert

[Ric]

I tend to read the back cover first and if it sounds like a great story I'll read regardless of the author.

[Kal]

Asimov. Read the robot series when I was in high school then the foundation series.

My handle actually comes from Asimov in a roundabout way. There were some follow up books written by Roger Mcbride Allen based on the universe Asmiov created, and the first book was called Caliban about a robot created without the 3 laws that is a prime suspect in a murder. I took that as inspiration for my handle Kaliban, which I shortened to Kal on these forums.

[DJDD]

oh, and
Iain M. Banks
Jack Vance
Isaac Asimov
others...
:)

[Octane]

I am most glad that no-one has mentioned L. Wrong Hubtard.

If anyone does, I will slap you. Then, I will cut off your leg, and beat you to death, with the soggy end.

Regards,
Humayun

[jungle11]

Jack McDevitt - The academy series is best

Adam Troy Castro - I've only read Tangled Strings, which is short stories, but this guys taste in sci-fi is refreshing

[DJDD]

:lol:

acdtually, i liked Battlefield Earth apart from a tedious 100 pages towards the end.

I also read 5 of the 10 volumes of the Mission Earth series. Hmm...quite long and should have been edited to about 2 volumes.

still, i thought both of the above were a good read.

shame about the Battlefield Earth movie...

[jungle11]

What was John Travolta thinkin! F-4s flying after 1000 years, what a hoot!

[jjjnettie]

Robert A Heinlein - his juveniles are great fun
Douglas Adams - brilliantly witty
Poul Anderson
Robert Silverberg
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Asimov
Arthur C Clarke
Stephen Donaldson
etc etc etc etc

At the moment I'm re-reading Ben Elton's "STARK" again, for the nth time.
Which I will follow with his "This Other Eden."
Ben is another writer who uses a "Future History" style of writing.

[Darrin]

Kevin J. Anderson (Saga - next book just out)
Wyndam

[DJDD]

jjjnettie just added more to my list...

i suspect that we can all just say, "see below".
:lol:

[Terry B]

I agree with most of them. I also like Anne McCaffrey.

[jungle11]

I keep thinking of goodies

Alastair Reynolds...quite a few books, different and cool.

[firstlight]

Never seem to have time to read anymore, but I have been a keen sci-fi fan from my introduction to the Arrow Book Club and the school library in early primary.

Best story:- "Footfall" Niven and Pournelle

Best series:- Dead heat between "Saga of Pliocene Exiles" Julian May and the "Darkover" series Marion Zimmer Bradley. The Dune series is a close second ,but frank Herbert lost the plot towards the end.

Damn I forgot Douglas Adams... "HGTTG". Sandwiched in there somewhere I guess. BTW, I read somewhere that a new HGTTG is being written "And Another Thing...". I was very disappointed with the movie... even moreso when I learned that Adams worked on it... totally destroyed and rebuilt inferior characters.

Um... i appear to be digressing:D

[jungle11]

Hey, I read 'footfall' when i was mabye 14. It was my first alien invasion novel.
"Attack of the killer Elephants" Loved it - and how we got them in the end was a stroke of genius, maybe even believable too:thumbsup:

[seeker372011]

a few Heinlein fans here I see:

quote
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." :- Robert A Heinlein

unquote

Oh and I also like Asimov and Larry Niven's Ringworld-the first one, not the wimpy sequel- was one of the greatest SF novels ever

Also Ursula le Guin-"left hand of darkness" , anyone?

and does anybody remember this marvellous short story called
""By his Bootstrap"-one of the most original time travel stories, which I feel the Back to the Future franchise borrowed from (no evidence that they did though!)..just cant remember who wrote it

[seeker372011]

come to think of it I agree with every one of these..this is golden age stuff of course

Harlan Ellison-gets my vote for the best title of all time.."repent Harlequein, said the Tick Tock man!"

and who was it who wrote the brilliant short story "Surface Tension"..James Blish? I can't remember !

[jjjnettie]

As advertised next to my Avatar.;)
He does write a good yarn.
You can immerse yourself into the universe of his characters, follow his timeline from the past and into the future.
Quite a lot of his science fiction has become science fact.

[Dog Star]

Yep. Pretty certain that that was indeed James Blish. What a great yarn, how could I have forgotten him?
My favourite Ellison title would have to be "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" - chilling!
That quote from Heinlein - Specialization is for insects - is an absolute classic! It's been my personal mantra ever since I read it all those years ago.

[Liz]

Arthur C Clarke
Isaac Asimov ...... these guys were the best

others - Stephen Baxter
Ben Bova
Kim Stanly Robinson
all the Dune books - new and old
love the Darkover Series by Marion Zimmer Bradley
John Wyndam books when at school : )
and many more

[33South]

Anything by Asimov - I have cycled through the foundation serious several times

Couple more legends

Brian Aldiss - "Non-Stop" always reckoned this would make a good film.
Clifford Simak - "Way Station" Could have been a Prequel to MIB

"By His Bootstraps" was a sign of things to come - Heinleins first publication under the name Anson MacDonald way back in 1941

[DJDD]

"Way Station" is one of the best novels ever written. :2thumbs:
Big call but...

"By His Bootstraps"- did not know that was by "Heinlein" but the title does sound like it was.

[Terry B]

A curious thing about some of the older sci fi. I read some stories written in the 40's recently and the thing that struck me was that all the characters smoked. How times have changed.

[DJDD]

the smoking things was always something to laugh at (or scratch your head) when born after the '60s.

and in some cases times have not changed (or are swinging back?)

for example, in soem of heinlein's earlier work he would state that women could do anything men could do but as soon as a woman was married/had children she had to stay at home, and was suddenly not able to think for herself. I think Heinlein had progressive views on gender but had to make a buck so wrote for his times and audience, too. That audience woudl not have appreciated the feminist movement...

[MrB]

Already mentioned but definitelly have to mention again:
Douglas Adams
Philip K. Dick

For anyone not familiar with Philip K Dick, you'd be familiar with movie adaptations of his stories. He wrote mainly short stories in the 50's to 70's and more than likely while on drugs.
Films:
Blade Runner... based on the story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Total Recall... based on the story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale
Minority Report... though does deviate from the book in a few places.
Screamers... based on the story Second Variety
Impostor (http://www.philipkdickfans.com/hollywood/impostor/index.html)... written in '53, adapted to movie twice, in '62 and again in 2002(with Gary Sinise). One of my favourite short stories, probably because it was the first PKD story I read, tho from memory was only about 3 or 4 pages long.

[JohnH]

And do not forget Next - adapted from 1954 short story "The Golden Man" a great movie starring Nicolas Cage....

[TrevorW]

Seen all the movie adaptations of his books but never read any.

It's like Stephen King I think I've seen a dozen of the movies but only read one book

[jungle11]

Can't knock Stephen King - I've never read another writer who had his 'magic' with words. There are excellent writers - then there's King. Read all his books, only wish he wrote sci-fi.
There's this one short story he did - cannot remember what it was called. About this guy who is sent on a space mission to Venus. There turns out to be this semi-intelligent electrical lifeform there and unbeknown to our hero, he becomes 'infected' with it. Back on earth he grows an eye on his hand as this thing works out how to use his body. The story describes the alien's impressions of earth (utter shock and horror because we are in turn completely alien to the creature)......its cool
sorry....anybody know what this story was called - it was one of his very early ones.

cheers

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

He does - the Dark Tower series. Roland is a gunfighter there.

Cheers

[firstlight]

Philip K Dick was an author I've read, but I'm ashamed to say that I can't think of any other story than "Do Androids...", but Blade Runner gets my vote as best sci-fi movie, closely followed by "Alien" and "Silent Running".

[acropolite]

I have to agree with Tony on Juilan May, the Saga of the exiles is an excellent series, together with the Galactic mileu trilogy, 8 books that tie together in a fascinating way. The Rampart worlds trilogy is quite a good read as well. Julian May is a woman BTW.

I too enjoyed "When Gravity Fails" by George Alec Effinger mentioned previously by Grant.

Isaac Asimov would have to be high on the list particularly I Robot.

[jungle11]

Your right Geoff, loved the Dark tower, and stories like It, (one of the best alien concepts i have read) The Tommyknockers, The Mist, The Running Man, Dreamcatcher.....

What i should have said was, 'i wish he wrote more sci-fi.' Preferably hard sci-fi, but then it proberly wouldn't be steven king if he did.

Thanks

[sjastro]

I've only read two science fiction books in my life.

Brave New World:- Aldous Huxley
Macroscope:- Piers Anthony

Probably it explains why I am so improverished culturally.:)

I've been trying to get my hands on Somnium by Johannes Kepler supposedly the first science fiction novel written.

Regards

Steven

[MrB]

Slightly off topic, sorry.
Having mentioned that Total Recall is adapted from Philip K Dick's We can remember it for you wholesale, and being aware of the many Star Trek fans on IIS....
Has anyone here ever noticed the automated taxi's in Total Recall.... the driver in particular?
Next time you see it, look closely at the robotic face, and listen to it's voice.... then think of this line: "Please state the nature of the medical emergency" :D

[Glenhuon]

There's one story, that I can't remember the author of, which sticks in my mind. Its about a guy who emigrates to a new planet and gets himself elected president and is given a gold chain witha small box to wear around his neck as a badge of office. What he does'nt know is that all residents vote on his decisions with a couple of buttons in their homes. Too many negative votes and it explodes and blows his head off :)
We should adopt this idea. :lol:

Bill

[DJDD]

:eyepop:
are you a child prodigy, Steven?
how can you be old enough to answer advanced physics questions yet only have read two science fiction novels?
:lol:

[sjastro]

Oh yeah if only.............
Childish maybe, prodigy no.:)

Steven

[phobos]

I am a fan of many already listed such as Asimov, Clarke and E.E. Doc Smith however there are 2 others that should be mentioned as well.

Ray Bradbury and Greg Bear.

[firstlight]

Agreed

[jungle11]

I might add Gregory Benford to the list.

Wasn't overly impressed with his stories, but his concepts of aliens and descriptions of places around the galaxy were cool.

[Clarry]

Sci-Fi series are always a winning formula in my opinion. There’s something captivating about getting stuck into a saga where you feel you know the characters so well.
As I’m sure most of you will agree, it’s hard to go past Asimov’s Foundation & Robot series. But there are plenty of others. Julian May’s Exile series is fabulous, as is David Brin’s Uplift stories. Dan Simmons is another must read with his Hyperion books. Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn Trilogy is one of the most involved & complex, yet fantastic stories I’ve ever read. The Ender series by Orson Scott Card must be mentioned too. Let’s not forget the Dune books. I’m currently reading David Niven’s Ringworld series and loving it.
Then there’s the stand alone novels that will always be my favourites. Joe Haldeman’s Forever War is stunning. I think I can put Enders Game in this lot too, although it’s part of a series it’s a fabulous single book also. Harry Harrison wrote a humorous Sci-Fi called Billy the Galactic Hero. If you can get your hands, on it read it. A. A. Attanasio The Last Legends of Earth, another good read.
There’s no way I could name a single author, they’re all so different.

[firstlight]

Of course, Harry Harrison... I really enjoyed the Stainless Steel Rat series. And did some one mention James Blish? The "Cities in Flight" series comes to mind.