The Greatest Living SF Author
Philip K. Dick is dead, alas. As are Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov. (And, apparently, Arthur C. Clarke.) So, who would you nominate for a poll on this subject? Here are my nominees, in no particular order:
Neal Stephenson
China Mieville
John C. Wright
Orson Scott Card looked like a contender early on, but he did his best work first, in my opinion. Good, to be sure, but not great. Charles Stross has declined from his breathtaking Accelerando days; I enjoy his Laundry novels but while they are fun, they are not the stuff from which greatness is made. Lois Bujold is very good, but not on the level of the three men listed above. Once the Fourth of the original Big Three, Arthur C. Clarke is overrated and hasn't written anything worth reading in years, presumably because he is still dead. William Gibson isn't so much in the limelight these days, but he continues to write interesting books. Tanith Lee is a fabulous stylist, but she has faded from the Secret Books of Paradys days and she wrote fantasy, not science fiction, anyhow.
Perhaps the New Heinlein, Mr. John Scalzi? A mere jest, in more ways than one. Anyhow, if we can narrow the list to 10, then I will post a poll tomorrow and we can sort out everyone's opinion on the matter. If you have a potential nominee, please make the case here.
Three possible nominees from three recognizable authors who shall remain nameless unless they wish to identify themselves: Gene Wolfe, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle. A fourth author seconds the nominations for Niven and Pournelle, and, (rather dubiously in my opinion), throws David Weber's name into the hat. I say this as one who has recently revisited the Honorverse.
Neal Stephenson
China Mieville
John C. Wright
Orson Scott Card looked like a contender early on, but he did his best work first, in my opinion. Good, to be sure, but not great. Charles Stross has declined from his breathtaking Accelerando days; I enjoy his Laundry novels but while they are fun, they are not the stuff from which greatness is made. Lois Bujold is very good, but not on the level of the three men listed above. Once the Fourth of the original Big Three, Arthur C. Clarke is overrated and hasn't written anything worth reading in years, presumably because he is still dead. William Gibson isn't so much in the limelight these days, but he continues to write interesting books. Tanith Lee is a fabulous stylist, but she has faded from the Secret Books of Paradys days and she wrote fantasy, not science fiction, anyhow.
Perhaps the New Heinlein, Mr. John Scalzi? A mere jest, in more ways than one. Anyhow, if we can narrow the list to 10, then I will post a poll tomorrow and we can sort out everyone's opinion on the matter. If you have a potential nominee, please make the case here.
Three possible nominees from three recognizable authors who shall remain nameless unless they wish to identify themselves: Gene Wolfe, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle. A fourth author seconds the nominations for Niven and Pournelle, and, (rather dubiously in my opinion), throws David Weber's name into the hat. I say this as one who has recently revisited the Honorverse.
186 Comments:
Dan Simmons
Jose Phillip Farmer
John Ringo
Christopher Nolan (Inception)
Peter F. Hamilton
J. Michael Straczynski (for BABYLON 5)
Robert J. Sawyer (for productivity and fecundity of ideas, if not beauty of prose or characterization)
How about Jack McDevitt? His Hutch Hutchins books have some great aliens, and interesting characters. His Ancient Shores has the unique distinction of being the only SF book set around Cavalier, North Dakota,
Gibson is a personal favorite.
Stephenson ranges from brilliant and engaging to tedious and pedantic. The spark is there... but sometimes he's too clever for his own good.
Neal Stephenson
Peter Hamilton
David Weber
Lois Bujold
Daniel Keys Moran
C.J. Cherryh
Greg Egan
I'm not sure how Greg Bear and Vernor Vinge's recent stuff is, but I get the impression they're off-peak.
Clarke has been dead for a few years.
Explains the lack of worthwhile writing.
Viidad... agreed on Stephenson. Loved Cryptonomicon, loved the beginning of the Baroque Cycle, although it got a little tedious by the end, but totally bogged-down in Anathem. I really wish he would write something more along the lines of Cryptonomicon, maybe some near-future scifi building on the inevitable world changes once Gen-X comes to power.
Vox Day
I am a very fickle reader, so I haven't followed all the writings of even my favourite authors. I remember reading Neverness by David Zindell in the early 90s and thought he had potential for greatness. Anyone read any of his other stuff?
David Weber for space opera and sales, at least.
I look forward to the outcome. I used to enjoy hard SF, but it dried up or became no fun to read for the stuff I've been able to find. Sure, I love lots soft SF adventure, space navy/opera, and space fantasy, but none of those count to the dreams of discovery, invention, and inspiring vision.
I've also been enjoying Tom Krautman's works; he deserves on the list as the hardest military SF I've read since John Ringo's initial series. Thanks for advertising those.
Vox, it's a sucker question.
The #1 and #2 slots are held by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It's a toss-up who outranks the other (especially since they are strongest as a collaboration), but they have everybody else listed outdistanced by a country mile.
Tim Powers
Gene Wolfe
Peter Hamilton
Greg Bear is a hack these days. Vernor Vinge is well past his prime.
Dan Simmons best works where his first couple of books.
I second Niven. C.J. Cherryh, has done some very good stuff, but like Lee is mostly fantasy. Ditto for Lawrence Watt-Evans. I'll have to check my bookshelf when I get home and see if anyone else comes to mind.
rycamor, I loved Neverness as well. Read 50 pages into the continuation of the series and it was terrible new atheist tripe.
I second the nomination of John C. Wright. I have never enjoyed a complete series as much as the Golden Age trilogy, and he doesn't seem to peter out like N. Stephenson and Dan Simmons. I'd also add Peter Watts to the list. Blindsight was Ender coming of age in a different universe with an undefined enemy. And the Rifters trilogy was excellent.
Norman Spinrad.
C.J. Cherryh belongs on that list, no question; and I definitely second the nominations of Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven—actually, I’d also nominate them as a pair for their collaborations.
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
Peter F. Hamilton
John C. Wright
Gene Wolfe
"The #1 and #2 slots are held by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle..."
Their works feel dated and have not aged well. It may be that they were so inspiring and copied, that it feels so derivative by someone reading them for the first time circa 200X.
Write in: John Scalzi
Or is this not including a swimsuit competition?
"Their works feel dated and have not aged well. It may be that they were so inspiring and copied, that it feels so derivative by someone reading them for the first time circa 200X."
TV Tropes-Seinfeld is Unfunny
I've based my picks on two things, pure enjoyment of reading the author, and the ability to make me think.
Gene Wolfe
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
Peter F. Hamilton
Neal Asher
Vernor Vinge
Tim Powers
Tom Kratman
Alistair Reynolds
I have to agree with Neal Stephenson, and I'd also suggest that Larry Niven is a rather conventional choice. I need to go out on a limb for my third choice though, Peter Watts. His volume of work isn't large, but for hard sci-fi, he's phenomenal. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for those of us who really try to imagine "what if the world really worked like this" I've never read anyone as good as Watts.
I'd nominate Spider Robinson (who was called "the new Heinlein" long before Scalzi, and with far greater justification) and Pournelle. Niven just behind those two; while I like the Niven/Pournelle collaborations best, Pournelle's solo work rates a bit ahead of Niven's for me.
I suggest we get this poll taken soon, while these guys are all still alive. Pournelle is 80 and not in the best of health.
Am I missing something important in his body of work? I'd not call China Mieville a science fiction writer at all, but a writer of atypical fantasy novels that are dreadfully in need of a brutal editor.
JS, no trope, it's is the only thing that seems to explain their popularity among the older crowd (45+). I don't feel the same when reading Dick or Bester, but Mote felt dated. Like watching an old Dirty Harry or Bronson flick, it's dated.
David Brin
Niven and Pournelle (Always together)
C.J. Cherry (She has done a lot more Scifi than fantasy. Foreigner Series, Chaunar Series, Cyteen, Alliance/Union Series, Faded Sun Trilogy)
Tim Powers deserves to be on the ballot. I'm not sure exactly how he should be classified.
"I'd not call China Mieville a science fiction writer at all, but a writer of atypical fantasy novels that are dreadfully in need of a brutal editor."
I think China is mostly writing for people like Vox that read 10,000 words a minute.
i need a clarification: there's a distinction to be drawn between 'greatest living' and 'greatest publishing'.
almost by definition, the grand master who can be popularly acclaimed as such is going to have the bulk of their quality work behind them. while the vital young writers are unlikely to have a large enough oeuvre to properly judge their historical importance.
Cherryh *used to be* quite good and has a handful of awards from back in the day when the awards still meant something. ignore that she is absolutely useless for internal masculine dialogue and she's much better than Le Guin.
i would also rank Cherryh higher than Pournelle and at or higher than Niven ... as individual authors.
if you're going to consider the Niven / Pournelle partnership though, that's a slam dunk. several of the Ni-Po collabs belong in the top 20 all time greatest SF novels.
haven't read Mieville or Stephenson so can't comment. my opinion on Wright should be obvious.
Heh March 14, 2014 1:28 PM
Tim Powers
is fantasy. esoteric histories of real personages from the 19th century do not SF make.
Vernor Vinge is very good but his last novel was a misstep.
Neal Stephenson and Tim Powers, definitely. IMO the two best if you consider sheer writing chops.
Farmer is, alas, also no longer with us.
Hugh Howey may well deserve a place on the list, but I'm going to wait for a few more books before giving him the nod.
Spider Robinson at his best, sure. Unfortunately he crams way too many lefty sermons in the middle of the text. It's like hitting a speed bump.
Pournelle is one of my favorite. Moties and all.
Stephenson has done good scifi but his baroque became very painful. It was manic editing where I had to read some of the books a few times over because I'd be half a chapter in before my lazy brain could figure out the time period he had flashed to/from.
Are you going to followup with a Fantasy list?
I'd opt for Niven and Pournelle, but then I'm over 45. I don't find their work dated, but I also like old Charles Bronson movies, and I can see how someone younger might. At his best, I'd say Neal Stephenson, but he isn't always at that level. Ten years ago I'd have said Vinge, but not anymore.
Clarke has been dead for a few years.
Ah, thank you. Corrected.
Vox Day
I can only presume that is a joke. I am not an SF author and can only really write SF in collaboration. I'm not even in the top 50. Fantasy, perhaps, but definitely not SF.
Am I missing something important in his body of work?
Definitely. Embassytown is his best work and is pure SF. The City and the City is also very good.
Are you going to followup with a Fantasy list?
Yes.
Tim Powers is great (Declare is the best novel I've read in the past 10 years). But he doesn't write SF.
Oh, right, make the case:
C.J. Cherryh has done some pretty good technical/social SF, but she really shines with alien viewpoints: at that, she's as good as anyone ever has been. The comment above that she writes mostly fantasy is mistaken.
Greg Egan does what I think of as "extreme" science fiction, using weird physics and the like. I would be the first to admit that his vision of man and the universe can get annoying, though.
I'd call Tim Powers one of the two best fantasy writers currently in the business, but he's definitely a fantasy and not an SF writer. (Yes, I know about the two early books and, more to the point, Dinner at Deviant's Palace.)
Gene Wolfe is a strong candidate -- if John C. Wright didn't nominate him, he certainly would have.
John C. Wright himself does SF of tremendous scope and imagination, but I think he's not quite up to the others on this list in the craft of writing. He's getting there, though: it wouldn't surprise me at all if he tops the list eventually.
Stephenson, with Wright and Pournelle very close behind.
Margaret Atwood. Though I feel sure this group will dismiss her as being a leftist feminazi. Still, she's as good as they come. I only wish more of her work was SF.
He's getting there, though
Just wait until you read AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND. It's more powerful than THE GOLDEN AGE.
Stephenson. I read him until I ran out of books. Mieville's go talent, but the story lines are weird and I'm not into bugs all that much. Never read Wright. I do like Stross. I like the Quantum Mortis books as well as any other living author.
> The comment above that she writes mostly fantasy is mistaken.
I will accept the correction.
Michael Flynn anyone?
Mieville is annoying. Not just the Lefty politics, which ought to put anyone off, but the affected style and the lack of ability to entertain.
Dan Simmons - Hyperion cycle
Lucius Shepard - The Golden, Green Eyes, Life During Wartime
David Wingrove - Chung Kuo series
Robert Charles Wilson - Chronoliths, Spin, etc
Steven R Donaldson - The Gap Cycle
I agree that Niven and Pournelle should top the list, some other writers deserving of mention:
George RR Martin: He used to write SF, and it was good
Bruce Sterling: easily as good as Gibson
Stephen Baxter: the latter day Olaf Stapledon
Niven and Pournelle
John Ringo if for nothing but the Posleen War books (though I've enjoyed the Troy and Looking Glass books, too).
J. Michael Straczynski for Babylon 5 (even though much of the story was derivative of Lovecraft, CS Lewis, Jung, Doc Smith, .... it was the way he put that show together as a novel and that he had the balls to push his vision through and make it happen against the rules of TVLand)
Honorable mention to Alan Dean Foster - I looked forward to his Commonwealth books in high school and college
I'm not sure 10 sci fi authors that are worth a damn exist.
I mean somewhere around 8 and 9 someone is going to be grasping for... Micheal Creighton?
[i] Margaret Atwood. Though I feel sure this group will dismiss her as being a leftist feminazi. Still, she's as good as they come. I only wish more of her work was SF. [/i]
Truth, assuming this is not a attempt at trolling, Atwood herself, whatever her talents may be, has rejected the label of SF for her work, so she may not count. See here:http://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/apr/26/fiction.margaretatwood
Bruce Sterling: easily as good as Gibson
No way, I kept reading his stuff after being told that, only to be disappointed. He's actually best at non-fiction.
thecryptile March 14, 2014 2:49 PM
George RR Martin: He used to write SF, and it was good
i'ma let you finish ... but i can't agree with that.
prior to this fantasy series, Martin was definitely 2nd tier. Sandkings is the only 'major' SF he got serious recognition for and that was a novella. and even that is a bit simple minded.
"Atwood herself, whatever her talents may be, has rejected the label of SF for her work, so she may not count."
Yes... but her reasoning for discounting herself is seriously flawed. "speculative fiction could really happen!"
Well hell... lots of sci fi has really happened already.
VD
any word on my clarification request?
I have to go with Neal Stephenson. Best all around. Both in the quality of his literary content and his deeply intriguing speculative creations.
Michael Flynn would be my second choice.
Larry Niven deserves a strong mention for the humor and sheer fun of his imaginative constructs. Although his very best work has always been in conjunction with other writers. Mote in God's Eye, Lucifer's Hammer and in particular Legacy of Heorot.
The downside to Niven, is that he often flatly refuses to write anything anticlimactic. Footfall was typical of this, "Together they stepped forward and set their feet on the Herdmaster's Advisor's chest." Well this book has ended, right here, right now. Go outside, Go to a bar, Go anywhere you want to but you can't stay here because this book is done.
Fourth is Lois Bujold, I love her prose and her characters. However, she doesn't do a lot with science and what she does, isn't ground breaking. While she can write great romances, she seems to want sex to be as uncomplicated as going the toilet. Occasionally this desire on her part undermines established characters. Ivan Vorpatril as an established character would not be super cool about taking his new wife to the Orb of Unearthly Delights. Ekaterin wouldn't be thrilled either.
David Brin is my fifth choice. Brilliant conceptually but his books tend to be over written. Sadly it becomes a labor to finish to them.
Honorable Mention to Hiroyuki Yamaga.
One author that hasn't been mentioned that had at least a couple of good novels is John Varley. I don't think he belongs in a top 10 though.
> David Brin is my fifth choice.
Yeah, Brin may deserve to be in the top 10.
i need a clarification: there's a distinction to be drawn between 'greatest living' and 'greatest publishing'.
That is true, but why do you need a clarification when it clearly says "GREATEST LIVING"? If I had meant "greatest publishing", then I would have written "greatest publishing" and not "greatest living".
Truth March 14, 2014 2:31 PM
Margaret Atwood. Though I feel sure this group will dismiss her as being a leftist feminazi.
if she doesn't qualify as a leftist feminazi ... who does?
further, she hasn't written enough SF, regardless of it's quality, to be considered.
i do find it hilarious that a feminist, atheist, humanist woman purposely broke up another woman's family ... and then used that as a template for a book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Before_Man
feminists are absolutely shameless.
she explained that science fiction, as opposed to what she herself wrote, was "talking squids in outer space."
what a provincial fucking tard. no wonder Truth has a hard on for her.
1. Whitley Strieber
I think China is mostly writing for people like Vox that read 10,000 words a minute.
It doesn't have anything to do with the length of his books, but his pacing and structure--at least on King Rat and Perdido Street Station which I read. When you can't "find the plot" for 200+ pages of a novel that's not much over 600 pages, I start to wonder if I've wandered by accident into a grotesque parody of James Joyce. Lots of stuff happened that just wasn't "tight"--it was clearly put in because Mieville thought it made a cool visual and he couldn't resist, even though it actually detracted from the plot of what was really a high-stakes fantasy thriller.
I also thought about reading The Scar but after about 50 pages, I couldn't get into it, and I was afraid that my prior experience was giving me a bad attitude about his writing anyway. Never tried anything else he wrote, but I keep thinking that with a good editor, he has some potential. Maybe.
I didn't realize he had wandered into actual science fiction; his notion of doing an anti-Tolkien "Weird Tales" take on fantasy was his brand for quite some time.
I also agree that his obvious politics which was frequently referenced in the books I read, especially Perdido, was seriously off-putting. For King Rat I felt like he was showing off too much how much he was into drum and bass and the London club scene, or something, though. Off-putting for entirely different reasons.
I think Vox is one of the best living fantasy authors right now. I've really enjoyed his books in the Selenoth Universe. I'm curious to find out who Vox thinks is a good fantasy author besides himself and George. I'm a casual fan, so, but a fan nonetheless.
I think Michael Mann etc. should get an honorary mention for their contributions to science fiction.
"haven't read Mieville or Stephenson so can't comment."
bob.
HOW THE F HAVE YOU NOT READ CRYTPONOMICRON????
Bruce Sterling: easily as good as Gibson
Not in my book. I read him after devouring all of the available William Gibson, and I remember being utterly disappointed by his "Islands in the Net".
I was in my late 20's - early 30's when I read this book and it was perhaps the first time the politics of a book turned me off.
Why? Sterling had a near future, circa 2020, where the state of Texas has outlawed gun ownership.
I'd later learn that Sterling was FROM Texas, albeit Austin.
No guns in Texas is pure liberal fantasy.
"if she doesn't qualify as a leftist feminazi ... who does?"
I would note that Truth is suggesting that because she's a liberal feminist we won't give her a fair shake.
Which isn't true.
There are far better reasons to leave her off the list than that.
Stephenson is certainly at or near the top of my personal list. Brilliant ideas paired with often brilliant writing. The first 80% of Snow Crash and Diamond Age are about as good as it gets - sadly, he's always had problems with endings.
Two others not on your list:
Vernor Vinge. Sure, his best work is a decade or more old. Sure he outsourced "Children of the Sky" to his wife with predictable results. But "A Deepness in the Sky" stands up well against almost any SF written in the last 20 years. The tragedy of a humanity that reaches the stars but still finds itself doomed to cycles of periodic collapse is pretty powerful stuff.
Alastair Reynolds. I'm not sure there's anyone doing hard sci-fi as well as him at this point. His storytelling and execution often fail to really live up to the promise of his ideas, but man, those are some bold ideas. His answer to the Fermi Paradox in Revelation Space is chilling, and worth anyone's time. I feel like he's improved substantially as a writer and may well have his best works still in the future.
And sadly Iain Banks is no longer eligible for this competition. He would certainly have been a worthy nominee.
C J Cherryh is definitely at the top of my list.
I'd put David Gerrold in my top 5, for his War Against The Chtorr series alone, if it was the only thing he'd ever written, but he really needs to finish it, the lazy fucker.
What, no love for Harlan Ellison?
Admittedly more influential as an editor than as an author, but still...
I loved Donaldson's Gap Cycle (less the first one, which I didn't read). So anxiety-inducing. And an attempt at real physics on a spaceship!
What about Richard K. Morgan? I've only read 2 of his, but he's not bad though a bit pulpy.
VD March 14, 2014 3:17 PM
then I would have written "greatest publishing" and not "greatest living".
because your original essay makes several explicit references to four authors ( Card, Stross, Clarke and Lee ) who are past their primes.
if being 'past their prime' is a consideration, then the question is more about who is the best currently publishing.
given that clarification i would say:
1 - Niven / Pournelle collaborative work
2 - Cherryh
3 - Gerrold
4 - Niven
5 - Brin
6 - Pournelle
7 - Wright <<<< with a bullet
i forgot David Gerrold; the Trouble with Tribbles alone will cement his place in SF lore. Man Who Folded Himself is one of the best time travel novels ever written. When Harlie was One is one of the first conceptualizations of computer virii. the forever unfinished Chtorr novels ( Gerrold was Jordan before Martin was cool ) are gobsmacking.
Gerrold's been going left and more overtly homo for years though, so he probably wouldn't want to accept an award from you.
Harlan is still alive and should probably be mentioned just so he doesn't taunt you mercilessly for slighting him.
Pohl died last year, so Heechees not eligible.
god, i need to get my collection out of storage SO bad.
Pournelle, with Niven a close second.
I thought Farmer was dead?
For living authors I'd have to say I enjoy David Drake, but think his writing is starting to go down a bit in quality.
Jerry Pournelle would get my vote.
Bruce Sterling: easily as good as Gibson
I read the Difference Engine by him and Gibson and I thought it was just average. It was so flat and dull.
Most of my favorites are dead, but here are my favorites still among the breathing:
Vernor Vinge
Jerry Pournelle
Dan Simmons
i forgot David Gerrold; the Trouble with Tribbles alone will cement his place in SF lore
Which was a ripoff of Heinlein's Rolling Stones (i.e. the flatcats that were multiplying too enthusiastically on a spaceship). Ripoffs can make you famous, but they don't make you great.
Vernor Vinge / "A Deepness in the Sky" was damn good. But his output since.....
So is "Greatest Living SF Author" measured in single books, or series of books, single moments of greatness, or a steady stream of good?
PS: For dead guys, why did you leave out Jack Vance?
and Larry Niven too. I thought him dead for some reason...
Nate March 14, 2014 3:28 PM
HOW THE F HAVE YOU NOT READ CRYTPONOMICRON????
errr, cuz that's after i had already started tapering off on my SF/F purchases because so much of what was on the shelf was crap?
are you revoking my non-existent Ilk card now? please don't revoke my nonexistent Ilk card, i don't want to be a sad panda.
[ tear ]
that would be hilarious ( for LL purposes ) if i refused accreditation as Ilk ... but was popularly acclaimed as Ilk anyways.
crap, i still don't have Card and Vinge on the list.
put Card under Niven and tack V. Vinge on at the bottom due to lack of output. Joan Vinge is right out.
Harlan Ellison is a performance artist who writes on the side.
Brian Aldiss and Robert Silverberg could be put on the list. Neither is in my Top 10 honestly, but they have a considerable body of work with some classics in there. (Most of their best work was short stories in my opinion.)
Pournelle, Niven, Drake. Probably in that order. Are we judging current output or lifetime best?
Sorry I haven't read the whole thread yet.
Honorable mention to Alan Dean Foster - I looked forward to his Commonwealth books in high school and college
I wondered if he would get a mention. I found many of his books entertaining enough to read, but not all that memorable, which would seem to be a requirement of "greatness" for me.
I loved Donaldson's Gap Cycle (less the first one, which I didn't read).
That's interesting, since the brutality of the first book probably turns off a lot of people who might have liked the rest of the series. (Think the scene in Lord Foul's Bane that stopped a lot of people, and crank it up to 11.) I'm a big Gap and Donaldson fan, but I wouldn't put him on the list for one series.
One thing I've learned from reading this blog is that I haven't really read that much SF. In my heavy SF/F reading days when I was younger, I was mostly reading F, and I think a lot of the SF was forgettable -- or from those dead guys who don't count for this.
Hey, what about -- oh, I see Harry Harrison is dead too, never mind.
Farmer - Died 2009.
Just finished the latest in the Leary series by Drake and was.... disappointed. The story just didn't seem to have the vigor of earlier ones. Or maybe it was too much like earlier entries in the series (I strongly recommend With The Lightnings. Good as the early Hammer's Slammers stuff). His General series, done as collaborations were good also (S.M. Stirling by himself isn't near as good as with Drake).
CarpeOro March 14, 2014 4:01 PM
S.M. Stirling by himself isn't near as good as with Drake
you've read the Marching Through Georgia books?
Just one thing to say about Stirling; ninety pound pixie syndrome. It's bit him _bad_.
A vote to add Cherryh and Gibson.
Cherryh does an outstanding job of throwing alien culture and values against each other while generally maintaining a serviceable plot. Gibson's exploration of electronic 'space' and futuristic themes is excellent.
Another thing to say about Stirling: a flighty Oregonian pagan woman with a disabled daughter is probably the last person capable of establishing some kind of effective civilization reboot. This is why so much of science fiction--if it doesn't suck outright--is still so mediocre and unsatisfying. The realistic parts are supposed to be realistic, so your fantastical parts work better. People will still be people. And if you've ever known any woman who identified as "pagan" you'd know they are some of the shallowest, flightiest people you'll ever meet.
A vote for Jerry Pournelle...
Stirling is good story teller. He moves the adventure along but there is nothing in his work that puts him in the same league as Stephenson or Niven.
And then there is his whole amazon-warrior/lesbian thing. It always left me with the uncomfortable suspicion that he fantasizes about himself as a woman.
Nate - Crichton is also sadly no longer among the living. Though his SciFi was intriguing, if often butchered in film. Does State of Fear count as SciFi though? It was also a great skewering of AGW.
I read the Difference Engine by him and Gibson and I thought it was just average. It was so flat and dull.
D'accordo.
So is "Greatest Living SF Author" measured in single books, or series of books, single moments of greatness, or a steady stream of good?
It's subjective. But, in general, the brighter and more sustained the moments of greatness, the better. Brin and Silverberg do merit mention. Brin for momentary heights, Silverberg for sustained quality and his editing influence on others.
His writing isn't great, but Robert Forward comes up with some of the most plausible, really weird aliens in alien environments ever. Intelligent life on a neutron star? And his handwaving justification for it is better than almost everyone's handwaving justification for FTL.
Neal Stephenson should be given an award that has a statuette of a man (or alien) missing its end.
The poll should be who is the best author after Gene Wolfe, and should include Matthew Hughes even though I'd vote for John Wright.
https://www.matthewhughes.org/
Which was a ripoff of Heinlein's Rolling Stones (i.e. the flatcats that were multiplying too enthusiastically on a spaceship). Ripoffs can make you famous, but they don't make you great.
For what it's worth, according to Gerrold himself (and his interest in the situation notwithstanding, this explanation has always seemed very plausible), the "ripoff" was entirely unintentional.
Gerrold had originally conceived of the episode as basically a "rabbits-in-Australia" IN SPACE! story combined with a dash of "just because it's cute doesn't mean it isn't dangerous", and didn't realize the similarity until the STAR TREK production office told him they'd have to send a copy of the script to Heinlein. Heinlein himself responded that he didn't see enough likeness to be worth quibbling over, and added to Gerrold, "[A]nd both of us owe a debt to Ellis Parker Butler" [and his story "Pigs is Pigs"]... and possibly to Noah."
Gerrold also followed that up by acknowledging that notwithstanding Heinlein's graciousness, if he had consciously realized the similarity at any point before the episode was that far into production he would have withdrawn the script, or at the very least drastically reworked it to further minimize commonalities.
This has been a wake-up call for me. I don't feel qualified to comment on this list beyond Stephenson, Niven, and Pournelle. I really slacked off on sci-fi reading after becoming a family man and am just now discovering how many of my favorites have died off, including Robert Forward (sorry Anthony).
On the three I recommend, Neal Stephenson for breadth of vision and insights into culture and its relationship to the geeks of the world. I think he's the only great (established) sci-fi writer who understands Gen-X. Obviously there are a few in the wings to take that place soon. Niven and Pournelle for lifetime influence, sustained quality of writing and interesting ideas.
Marissa - You are entirely correct. Wiccans and SCA members wind up on top? Umm, no. Some Marine Col like Dale Dye and his men would walk over The Protector and his jailbird gangbangers.
John Ringo
David Brin
David Gerrold
Piers Anthony (his early Sci-Fi works were pretty good)
Based on the state of the economy right now along with world events, I would say the greatest living writers of SF right now are the legislation writers of Congress.
Marissa - You are entirely correct. Wiccans and SCA members wind up on top? Umm, no. Some Marine Col like Dale Dye and his men would walk over The Protector and his jailbird gangbangers.
Man, that is a weird name to bring up. I'm currently reading The Battle for Hue and of the pictures in the middle of the book (which I was looking at last night), Dale Dye is in one of them. Strange synchronicity.
Al Gore
"Earth in the Balance" - his finest wok of SF.
Rudy Rucker?
Marissa - Yeah weird. His was just the first name I came up with who studied classic warfare.
I second the Al Gore nomination, and throw in the authors of the IPC (or whatever the acronym is) report on Global Warming. Good sci fi there!
VD:
Arthur C. Clarke is overrated and hasn't written anything worth reading in years, presumably because he is still dead.
It's like that running gag, back when Saturday Night Live was actually funny:
"Generalissimo Franciso Franco is still dead!"
I say, I'm voting for that Theodore Beale chap. Good show!
PAUL KRUGMAN FTW BITCHEZZZZZZZZ
PAUL KRUGMAN FTW BITCHEZZZZZZZZ
Dismal science fiction indeed!
Wolfe. Even better as a fantasist, actually.
"are you revoking my non-existent Ilk card now? please don't revoke my nonexistent Ilk card, i don't want to be a sad panda."
No ilk card is being pulled. I can't fathom a world where ilk cards exist anyway.
Look just shutup and go read the damn book. The opening paragraphs are kick-you-in-the-face good.
Stephenson for sure. I haven't read enough SF in the last few years, though to go much beyond him. I have enjoyed Kratman these last few weeks, so we can keep his name in the hunt. But honestly, beyond them, I have read more non-fiction and fantasy for the past 10-15 years.
Well, I did read some of Eric Flint's books (1632, etc.). I enjoyed those books, but wouldn't consider Flint one of the greatest living SF authors, though.
Stephenson, Wright, Flynn, and Wolfe.
Gene Wolfe is really it. Lucius Shepard will break your heart, but that isn't a measure of ninja-awesome sci-fi. Gibson's short fiction is quite solid, but the novels just got weaker and weaker. Neal S. was always overrated. Donaldson's sci-fi doesn't hold up to rereads.
Lafferty and Bester are no longer with us, so it's got to be Wolfe all the way.
Another vote for Gene Wolfe. Unquestionably the most "literary" of anyone in the entire SF field.
Jerry Pournelle
Larry Niven
Orson Scott Card
Peter F. Hamilton
Mike Flynn too. His novel writing got off to a slow start but Eifelheim and The January Dancer series leave no question about his abilities.
Stephenson has great ideas but his novels are simply too scattershot.
No ilk card is being pulled. I can't fathom a world where ilk cards exist anyway.
Well how else will they identify you at the Ilk Lodge? Secret milkshake?
Couldn't stand Wolfe. Perhaps I don't have enough nihilism or Catholic teaching in childhood to appreciate, although his fantasy series Shadow of the Torturer was quite good. Or, are you considering that science fiction?
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
Neal Stephenson
Dan Simmons
John C. Wright
Neal Stephenson
Just look at his range:
He can create a pageturner (Reamde),
a book of platonist philosophy that turns into a pageturner (Anathem),
a war-story/gospel (Cryptonomicon, aka the Gospel according to Goto Dengo),
an insane gargantuan multi-threaded century-spanning historical proto-steampunk treatise on currency featuring both a guy with half his equipment missing and a zombie badass Isaac Newton (Baroque Cycle),
cyberpunk (Snow Crash),
nanotech (Diamond Age),
bioterror (Zodiac).
Not to mention that he can make a three-page description of eating cereal both interesting and hilarious. He has ideas, plot and language.
/me loves this thread. Now I have a whole new set of names to add to my reading wish list, in addition to Vox's new stuff, John C. Wright, Tom Kratman, and Larry Correia. I really have been out of the loop.
Now, if I could only set aside half a year of evenings...
For me it would be Niven, then Stephenson. Of the two Niven has far more even quality, though Stephenson's best work is truly inspired.
The post doesn't specify it has to be novels so here's some I like from the world of comics/manga:
Yoshiyuki Tomino - Mobile Suit Gundam
Hiroya Oku - Gantz (note: not for the faint of heart)
Hiromu Arakawa - Fullmetal Alchemist
Masamune Shiro - Ghost in the Shell
Katsuhiro Otomo - Akira
Jim Shooter - Star Brand, Solar, Magnus, various other early 90s comics from Valiant
Went a little heavy on the Japanese side since I find most American comic sci-fi authors are as trite as their novel writing counterparts.
Japanese science fiction is usually pretty good. Less whining about whitey and nonsense girl power, more big ideas and explorations of technology. The stuff I listed is worth a look even if it's determined only novel writers belong on the poll.
JCclimber: Couldn't stand Wolfe. Perhaps I don't have enough nihilism... to appreciate...
Where do you see nihilism in Wolfe? Some of his characters may be nihilistic, but it's not anything he professes, or promotes in his writing.
...although his fantasy series Shadow of the Torturer was quite good. Or, are you considering that science fiction?
It's actually science fiction, since it's set in a far future Earth ala Vance's Songs of the Dying Earth. This is made really clear in the Long Sun and the Short Sun series, which both take place in the same universe.
"Secret Milkshake??"
Chili cookoff
So are you having the community come up with your author recruitment list for Castalia House?
Mike Resnick
Barry Malzberg
Robert Silverberg
Harlan Ellison
If he hadn't died recently, Richard Matheson
Peter Hamiliton, Nightsdawn.
Larry Niven - Ringworld
OS Card - some of the Ender books
David Drake - Hammer's Slammers.
I forgot Vance! But isn't he hobnobbing with Heinlein now?
I enjoyed the first two of SM Stirlling's Emberverse books, but I had the same misgivings. The pagan Rennies I know are fun and really nice people, but they would be dead within the first weeks of a global crisis like the one in the books. The SCA folks I know might fare better, because they actually learn the skills necessary to survive in that situation. But I agree with what's been said previously - a former marine, Seal, or Special Forces group could organize things and keep things on a even keel before the SCAers could say "Huzzah". It might not be pleasant for everyone, but it would work.
Gene Wolfe. By a long shot. Niven is good but Wolfe is...something else. He _properly_ welds metaphysical to SF.
I don't have enough nihilism or Catholic teaching in childhood to appreciate
Catholic yes..nihilism??? Have you read him?
Harlan Ellison
Oh I forgot. Yes he should be up. "Repent Harlequin Said the Tick Tock Man" is such a great short if I remember the title correctly. He may be a real life jerk but he has plenty of talent. Given its libertarian bent I'm surprised it hasn't gotten directly mentioned.
Ben Bova. Both Niven and Pournelle are worthy, too. All three still living.
In terms of more recent authors, Dan Simmons and Peter F Hamilton are great.
Margaret Atwood. Though I feel sure this group will dismiss her as being a leftist feminazi
He said Sci-Fi not fantasy. Atwood is stylistically strong, at least in the one book I've read of hers (Handmaiden's Tale) but otherwise dreadfully dull and pure crazy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Before_Man
Did not know that. While it isn't enough to disqualify her above the already mentioned it is enough to dislike her a bit more.
I'm also surprised Ringo is getting so many mentions. He's fun. Not great. There is a difference.
"I'm also surprised Ringo is getting so many mentions. He's fun. Not great. There is a difference."
The Last Centurion is probably his strongest work. It's a standalone, though. Ringo's series work has some problems. Besides not resolving any of the series, his first book in any series is a different tone from the following books because of a focus on training, building, and logistics, and his endings are sudden and lacking. Yet I still find myself buying his newest, even when I have no interest in the subject, like zombies.
I agree. He's fun, but not great. I think Larry Correia's got a better chance to make the list in a few years than John Ringo.
'I'm also surprised Ringo is getting so many mentions. He's fun. Not great. There is a difference."
says more about competition than Ringo mate.
Times are tough.
Average puts you in the top 10 today.
Gene Wolfe. By a long shot. Niven is good but Wolfe is...something else. He _properly_ welds metaphysical to SF.
He's also a great cure for insomnia
I say Niven and Pournelle, but of course Pournelle and Niven are good too. I really like David Weber, but he does not belong on the list. If he does make it, it will be the lack of competition.
Stephenson, not close.
On a related note, REAMDE is very sympathetic to a blue SF (and more than SF) point of view.
I would not be surprised if Anathem is read in 1,000 years. Not sure if he lost his train if thought at the end, or if it finally went over even my head.
80's LeGuin were good reads.
Ducks.
Tim Powers, Gene Wolfe, or Jerry Pournelle.
You are missing the obvious. First, the greatest living SF writer means it doesn't matter when they peaked, just that they are alive.
Second, you said writer. So,
Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse)
Brian Michael Bendis is probably one of the best writers who ever lived though his work is mostly in comic books.
Stan Lee is still alive too for that matter.
Each of these has done more for SF than Pournell or Niven. They are more recognizable, more prolific, etc.
If you're limiting it to book writers, I'd say
Card
Vinge
Hamilton
Stephenson
I was surprised to learn that Piers Anthony doesn't have a better rep. I think if you said "best writing", his star would fall. But if you said "most important" writer, he should make the list. His writing meant a lot to me at the time I read it (teenaged years). So, I'd second a vote for Anthony though possibly he'd be better in the fantasy section. Also such a vote would piss off the SF glitteratti who think only "literature" can be great.
Lucius, Piers Anthony was my favorite author for a while in my teens too. I kinda soured on him when I got older, and started to notice that he seemed to be telling the same story over and over, and the left-wing stuff started to tire. He has written quite a bit of SF, some of it pretty good, but I don't know if any of it qualifies as great. I've been thinking of re-reading Bio of a Space Tyrant, though, because I barely remember it but remember liking it at 16 or so.
I'll suggest Greg Benford, Alastair Reynolds, Eric Brown, Stephen Baxter. And of course Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg, and Jack McDevitt. And to make it an even 10, Nancy Kress, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle.
All of these people write core sf, not speculative fiction. They have each written at least one major work that addresses core tropes. Their characters are realistic and complex. By and large they don't put their protagonists in a bind and then take the easy way out.
Intellectual disputation Vox?
"what a provincial fucking tard. no wonder Truth has a hard on for her."
I have no hard on for her, but I found The Handmaid's Tale and the Oryx & Crake trilogy to be inspiring and masterful.
I also wonder if Stephen King isn't eligible here. I know he doesn't write a lot of hard sci-fi, but there's a lot of his work that could be considered sci-fi. And he's nothing if not successful.
One other nominee from me would be Paolo Bacigalupi. His collection Pump-Six was some of the best Sci-Fi I've ever read and he's won tons of awards for his novels.
Pournelle. Niven would not be as great without him.
I would say Pournelle, Drake, and Kratman ...
Ah, yeah, Mike Resnick belongs on any short list.
Since you all know Pournelle and Niven so well. What would you value a hardcover first edition of Lucifer's Hammer in decent condition? I happen to have inherited one but there's no sentimental value.
Can't agree with Whedon. Most of his work is fantasy and Tim Minear did the heavy lifting on Firefly. Whedon just made sure his 90-lb waif-fu author's pet got the treatment he wanted. If in weren't for the Avengers, his star would have faded.
You'd be able to make a stronger case for Neil Gaiman for actually being viable in four different media even though he's a better fit for the fantasy list.
The biggest problem with Sterling's Ember Universe is The Postman. I read The Postman after reading the first three Ember Books. The Postman is just a way better story and doesn't need a crazy deus ex machina to make the story work. After reading The Postman, I realized that the Ember Universe was just a fantasy knock off. This is the reason I don't watch Revolution either. It is a pale imitation of an imitation, since it is clearly a rip off of the Ember Universe.
I enjoyed Gregory Benford's work, seemed pretty good at the time.
Blume - Stirling has written that his Emberverse was just his way of writing Hyborian stories (paraphrasing). He wants to tell RE Howard combined with Peter Jackson movie Tolkien with 90 lb pixies. I read the Postman first. Standard post-apocalypse as far as I can see. Ringo's techno-primitive book would be more interesting if he could get over his sexual issues. It's like reading Gor novels.
Truth March 14, 2014 9:18 PM
What would you value a hardcover first edition of Lucifer's Hammer in decent condition?
it was published in 77, i'd have to think there are a bunch of them still floating around.
amazon lists 'new' and 'collectible' for under $100 with less than mint stuff going for under $40. and remember, 'mint' means absolutely pristine. value falls off a cliff if the object shows any wear or damage.
http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-Larry-Niven/dp/0872234878/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Truth March 14, 2014 9:08 PM
Intellectual disputation Vox?
you learn to grasp basic intellectual and philosophical concepts like "paraphrasing" ( which has a history thousands of years old ) and we'll start worrying about the disputation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraphrasing
Larry Niven is the best living SF writer. 'Larry Niven is the only one still writing like Poul Anderson' they said in 1980; still true. Niven's mastery of lucid prose is a model for all you verbose bitches, and his stuff sings too. The Goliath Stone. Pournelle is good too, and their collaborations often showcase Pournelle's remarkable mind and spirit. Ilk who fought in Korea and have an honorable record as a Cold Warrior are welcome to disagree; the rest of you are not.
Joe Haldeman's blog is easy to access, and his short stories are remarkable. Plus, The Forever War.
David Drake's early stuff is more to my taste and less politically correct than his later stuff. The Lt Leary series latest had one 'tough gal humiliates macho man' scene after another. That said, he's still the best living SF writer after Niven and Pournelle. No one else alive is doing the Weird Tales alternate/speculative technology stuff.
SF is going through a stale period. Scalzi doesn't write any worse than some of Judith Merril, but his imitators do, and they don't know it so they give each other prizes. Oh well.
David Gerrold facts:
-last book in the Chtorr cycle released in 1992
-last word on his web page is that he's still working on book 5 of 7 and hoping to get it completed 'this year' ... this year being 2011.
http://www.gerrold.com/chtorr-faq.htm
y'all Robert Jordan and George Martin fanboys can just shut the hell up. you have NO IDEA how long a writer can sit there with a thumb up his ass. ( problem being, queers enjoy this kind of thing )
probably the only author with a longer 'fail to publish' time ( and less excuse ) is Heather Gladney.
the Naga trilogy had it's 2nd book published in 1989. as of last word, Heather was also still pretending to be writing.
I find the exclusion of and comments about Harlan Ellison sickening, a disgusting symptom of antisemitism. You will be hearing from my, my friends lawyers.
Saberhagen - because Berserker.
Niven and Pournelle because Ratcat.
Saberhagen is dead, Jim.
I was about to say Iain M. banks. And then I remembered that he recently passed. This made me sad.
The Algebraist is one of the best Sci-Fi books I've read.
Harlan Ellison
Barry Malzberg
Robert Silverberg
Dan Simmons
John Varley
"Margaret Atwood. Though I feel sure this group will dismiss her as being a leftist feminazi. Still, she's as good as they come. I only wish more of her work was SF. "
Though I realize China Meiville is a male, I dismiss him as leftist feminazi as well.
Fred asks a question:
"What am I, and people my age, supposed to feel other than raw contempt for pig-ignorant, self-righteous, utterly useless illiterates whom society will have to feed and house like barnyard animals for the next fifty years? "
to which i reply with a question of my own:
why did you and your generation allow the public schools and education system to degenerate like this, Fred?
Don, that actually explains it. The plot was just an excuse for his pet fantasies to play out. Like his wiccan pixie heroine. So instead of bothering to write his own he just stole the postman's and then he just dumped fantasy elements on top of it. Main Hero of both stories starts out in the Midwest during the apocalypse. Then he makes his way to Oregon. Where he meets people trying to rebuild after the apocalypse. He joins up with them. Gathers the support of the University of Oregon. His fledgeling nation is threatened by a megalomaniac with a large army supported by slavery. They really can't defeat the large army so they end up having a trial by combat between the respective champions, where the Megalomaniac is defeated. The kid being King Arthur in the next set of books just made me go nope, I am done.
Bujold is a hard one; she's one of the greats, but because of her fantasy, the Curse of Chalion series. Her Miles stuff certainly reaches heights at times, but isn't as great.
Timothy Zahn for consistency.
Orson Scott Card deserves a place on the list, despite his quality drop.
John Ringo or David Weber (earlier stuff) if we're talking about sheer enjoyment.
David Drake
S. M. Stirling
John Hemry (goes by Jack Campbell)
Niven/Pournelle are apex predators. Lucifer's Hammer was ripped off by two different movies, and still didn't do it justice.
Neil Stephenson. Out of the box he was amazing, but his ability to write exceeds his ability to plot. Still amazing.
Robert Silverberg. Excellent, eclectic, prolific. So sad that nothing of his stuck with readers, but worthy of being considered a master
Louis Bujold. She tells a ripping yarn.
Stephen Baxter. Pushes the boundaries for contemporary hard SF.
Alan Dean Foster. The man is a machine, and the Humanx Commonwealth series of novels is excellent genre SF.
I think if you are doing a top list like this, worldbuilding vision is important, as is breadth of relevant output, followed by basic quality and style points. There are tons of high fliers with a handful of fantastic books, but if you want to be a top 10 greatest living SF writer, you need a shelf of badass SF.
The Blue Adept series was decent. But, yeah, the later Xanth stuff are tired retreads unfortunately.
Stirling was pandering/ writing for his fans with the new world dominated by Pagans or Atheists.
I'm glad to see slams on China Mielville, except I can't back them up as I put his books down pretty quickly. However, I still scream when I see a map of China and whimper when I hear a reading of Moby Dick.
As to Jim Shooter---Secret Wars II....so bad, so very bad. I did like the New Universe stuff at least at the beginning (not sure if Shooter was with that or a later incarnation of Star Brand.)
1. Pournelle and Niven. Pournelle by himself belongs again in the list. Mote, Lucifer's Hammer.
2. Vernor Vinge for Marooned in Real Time, The Bobble War, and Fire Upon the Deep. Vinge caused a general collapse in SF because he revealed that Standard Leftist Space Future was garbage, and now many either did not want to write something else or could not. He also started the third religion started by a SF author, Singulatarianism.
3. C.J. Cherryh
4. David Brin...Uplift
5. Lois McMasters Bujold for Miles. She had one of the best anti-abortion arguements in her 'rescue the science experiment supersoldier' short story
6. Dan Simmons
7. David Drake
8. OSC
9. Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
It's gotta be between Stephenson and Mieville- in my opinion, no one else is even close.
Gene Wolfe is head and shoulders above everybody.
Alastair Reynolds for his hard science fiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mda8RBiEkcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mda8RBiEkcc
1)Gene Wolfe, no question at all.
2)Greg Egan
3)Alistair Reynolds
That is all.
Haven't read him, but a guy I haven't seen mentioned yet is M. John Harrison. Anyone read him? I hear Viriconium is pretty good. And for what it's worth, a number of writers, including Mieville, apparently think he's the greatest.
Piper, because his "suicide" in the gunroom was an elaborate ruse. Sure, he's about 110 years old now, but if he had really died, we'd have heard about it. He would have told us about it himself.
I'll put Hugh Howey into the mix, somewhat unfairly. One book isn't a great indicator, but it is a pretty good start to a potential career. And he's still alive.
So there you have it. About a dozen candidates (if that), most of whom have their best work behind them. I look forward to 2014: the year the rains came to end a long dry season.
I think the less "the literature of ideas" spends on trying to be "literature" and more on being "of ideas", the better. Somewhere along the way, Tor and other publishers thought it would be more fun for readers if the authors finally sided with our moms. They threw out the comic books and gave us atheist Sandi Patti albums to enrich us instead.
The greatest living science fiction writer? Wouldn't that be Karl Rove? Or Bill Kristol?
I'm not deeply read in the genre so my opinion isn't worth much except as a contrarian. But it's possible to entertain the idea that because I dislike enough of what I've read of SF, the small bits that I do like might indicate something worth noticing. And I thought "The Mote in God's Eye" was uniquely thoughtful, original, compelling, and stimulating, even if the prose was god-awful, as it almost always is. So I nominate the team of Niven/Pournelle as a specific entity, rather than either one as an individual. signed, a crank.
p.s. I know many people here consider Kurt Vonnegut to be a literary writer posturing in the SF genre rather than a true SF writer, and that's fine, I can dig that. But none of y'all are ever gonna come up with a better more original concept than Ice-Nine. Eat it, dudes, you've been bested.
I do like Heinlein's Martians a great deal, though.
"agreed on Stephenson. Loved Cryptonomicon,"
translation: Hi, I've never read Gravity's Rainbow.
If we get outside the strict prose fiction model for other media (viz. somebody nominated Joss Whedon) is there any love out there for Paul Pope's "THB" comic books set on a colonized Mars? Squazillionaire teenage heiress on Mars dodges assassins and kidnappers with the help of her giant robot bodyguard, how can you not like that?
scoobs...
Curious if you're familiar with an anthology called The Secret History of Science Fiction
Gene Wolfe. Read 'Strange Travelers' for two of the best short stories ever, bar none: 'Bed And Breakfast' and 'To The Seventh.'
luagha: Gene Wolfe. Read 'Strange Travelers' for two of the best short stories ever, bar none: 'Bed And Breakfast' and 'To The Seventh.'
I would have to add 'The Death of Doctor Island' to that list. And I think The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories [sic] is actually the better anthology.
This has been a wake-up call for me.
Same here. One thing reading this blog has taught me: I've read very little great science fiction, especially if you take away Asimov. When I first joined the SF Book Club as a teen, the only SF book I remember from my initial 13-for-a-penny or whatever it was was Ender's Game. One of the greats, but on the fantasy side I got started on Covenant, Saberhagen's Sword books, the Belgariad, Amber, and Tad Williams's MST series. Kind of an embarrassment of riches for fantasy at the time, I guess, so I mostly went that direction.
I used to have a long list of books I want to read someday. Now I have a long list of bookmarks to blog posts like this one, each listing many books I want to read someday.
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