Who are the best science fiction/fantasy authors?

5/22/ | Myself

[GSWarrior]

There must be a lot of SF fans here. Who are you favorite authors or books? What are you currently reading?

I enjoy SF books that focus on character development over hard scifi themes. Robert Silverberg, IMO, is about the best there is. I also enjoy Gardner Duzois' short stories--some gut-wrenching stuff. Jack Vance's are also very entertaining. Orson Scott Card is pretty good too.

I am currently reading Altered Carbon, by Richard Morgan...it's kind of slow and hard to follow. Not likely to read his other novels.

I have enjoyed some, but not all, of Niven and Pournelle's works.

[Harold Shea]

" I will point to a book that has not been mentioned. I was always fond of Harlan Ellison’s A Boy and his Dog. If anyone has ever seen the movie, do not hold that against the book. It was a God awful movie with Don Johnson who was a complete unknown at the time. "
Another pretty good story shot all to heck was Alan Dean Fosters Dark Star,
James White had some good stuff.
Sprague DeCamp wrote some great fantasy.

[hinckley buzzard]

Azimov's Foundation Trilogy is the defining epic space opera. Herbert's original Dune (the series goes downhill fast after that.)

[TexasBarak]

I love the Man-Kzin War series.

This series contains some of the bet science fiction I have ever read, bar none. I can't recomend it enough.

[GSWarrior]

My favorites works by my favorite writers:

Robert Silverberg
The Book of Skulls
The Masks of Time
Dying Inside

Gardner Dozois
Chains of the Sea
A Dream at Noonday
A Special Kind of Morning

Jack Vance
The Last Castle
Tales of the Dying Earth
The Demon Princes series

Orson Scott Card
Ender series
Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus

[Harold Shea]

Had Pipers Little Fuzzy long ago but loaned it
out and never got it back,nobody returns a loaned book.

Great cover art it had,that teddy bear holding
a pitchfork.

Van Vogt wrote some great SF,too bad some of the
early writers are not being printed more often

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Surprised you're the only who to mention Alfred Bester. The Demolished Man was terrifying.

While C. S. Lewis has been mentioned, his main Science Fiction (The Perelandra trilogy) has not been.

[tbw2]

This response is a vanity, and I admit it. But I am a science fiction author.

“Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell” available for sale
http://www.amazon.com/Sirat-Through-Fires-Tamara-Wilhite/dp/0979988438/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211578080&sr=8-2

And the new Amazon Kindle version is $7.99.
http://www.amazon.com/Sirat-Through-Fires-Hell/dp/B0019D1966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211578080&sr=8-1

My sci-fi collection “Humanity’s Edge” is also available.

Conservative sci-fi by a freeper!

Sincerely,

Tamara Wilhite

also author of “Natural Talent” and “Geronimo Reduex”.

[JenB]

One of the happiest little moments I can remember was the day I was in a used bookshop I didn’t often frequent and, after eight years of looking, found “The Wall of Serpents”, the last two stories in the “Incomplete Enchanter” universe.

Another was the day my siblings and I happened across “The Princess Bride”.... movie, then book. Love both.

[TradicalRC]

Jasper Fforde
Jonathan Carroll

[Salgak]

Oh John Ringo, No! (grin)The Last Centurion rocks, I have an advance copy. . .

And a number of his books are free, at the Baen Free Library. . .

For a sample of his latest work with "Doc" Travis Taylor, there's always Jiltanith. . .

And for those who want more. . . ask around for Barflies, we might point you to a treasure trove of Ringo, the CDs from a few of his books. . .

[RobFromGa]

second that— Riverworld Series by Farmer is great!

on the SF front, Niven Ringworld series is also great...

[tanknetter]

For contemporary fare (I don’t think anyone today can hold a candle to the likes of JRR Tolkein, Edgar Rice Bourroughs, Jules Verne or HG Wells) I’ve really taken a liking to the “1632” series by Eric Flint (and a few others). Light-heartedly written, somewhat tongue-in-cheek but easy and enjoyable reads. The “1632 Technical Manual” discussion group on the Baen Bar is pretty impressive.

Turtledove wrote some truly excellent alternate history/historical sci-fi (Guns of the South, How Few Remain, the first few books of the World War series), but lately his material reads like he’s just churning stuff out in an ongoing quest for more advances ...

[djf]

Philip K. Dick

IMHO, a writer without peer.
If you don’t believe me, read Ubik!

[TheLion]

Agree with you about Silverberg. I think he was the best over all. I really like A. E. Van Vogt and Clifford Simack also.

[djf]

Yes! Took over a hundred posts before anybody mentions Ellison.

Short and twisted, but a damn good writer.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Poul Anderson - His Dominic Flandry series is a good place to start. Good old fashioned space adventure.

Lois McMasters Bijorn - Start with Shards of Honor.

David Webber - I want a Treecat!

Lee & Miller - Best to start with Local Custom. Crystal Soldier is really the first book but it will make much more sense if you read the others first.

[GSWarrior]

I’ve seen Ringo’s name come up a lot on this thread. Could you recommend a good place to start? Do his series books stand alone or should I really start at volume 1?

[Professional Engineer]

This guy hands down.

[GSWarrior]

Omigosh!

How could I have forgotton Colin Wilson's Spider World trilogy? Good stuff.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

“Surprised you’re the only who to mention Alfred Bester. The Demolished Man was terrifying.”

Haven’t read that. Read “The Stars My Destination” more than once. Very good.

“While C. S. Lewis has been mentioned, his main Science Fiction (The Perelandra trilogy) has not been.”

Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and “That Hideous Strength” were very good. For Lewis the quality of their work qualifies him for the top ten of SF, but his quantity disqualifies him.

I think Bester is a notch below the other top ten SF writers we’ve mentioned.