Favourite Science Fiction Writer - Page 2

Ric · #21 19-11-2008, 10:32 PM

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

Kal (Andrew) · #22 19-11-2008, 10:39 PM

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 · #23 19-11-2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJDD

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

actually, i quite like David Brin novels, too.

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

Octane (Humayun) · #24 19-11-2008, 11:21 PM

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 (Greg) · #25 20-11-2008, 08:43 AM

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 · #26 20-11-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 (Greg) · #27 20-11-2008, 09:40 AM

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

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #28 20-11-2008, 12:55 PM

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 (Darrin) · #29 20-11-2008, 01:25 PM

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

DJDD · #30 20-11-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJDD

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

actually, i quite like David Brin novels, too.

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

jjjnettie just added more to my list...

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

Terry B · #31 20-11-2008, 02:07 PM

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

jungle11 (Greg) · #32 20-11-2008, 02:52 PM

I keep thinking of goodies

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

firstlight (Tony) · #33 20-11-2008, 02:53 PM

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

jungle11 (Greg) · #34 20-11-2008, 03:02 PM

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

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #35 20-11-2008, 11:29 PM

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 (Narayan) · #36 20-11-2008, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.
.

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 (Jeanette) · #37 20-11-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seeker372011

a few Heinlein fans here I see:

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 (Phil) · #38 21-11-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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 !

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 · #39 21-11-2008, 09:09 AM

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 (Chris) · #40 21-11-2008, 09:11 AM

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