Great thread. It’s like walking through a used bookstore and nodding at my favorite authors.
Some names I haven’t seen mentioned yet (most of my favorites have been listed):
Connie Willis - best author writing “currently” hands down - but her output is sooo slow, it’s been eight years since her last novel though she’s written some novellas since. Try “To Say Nothing of the Dog” for a wonderful light comedy about time paradoxes, cats, the Blitz, and it’s a Victorian comedy of manners as well. Or “Doomsday Book” for a truly wonderful tragedy.
Keith Laumer - Baen’s been reprinting his great old stuff. Try the “Retief” stories, or just pick up a collection. Conservatives should love his things.
C.L.Moore - haven’t read enough of hers but she wrote such lovely old stories.
Cordwainer Smith - ditto
James Blish
Roger Macbride Allen’s Time trilogy.
Jack McDevitt, Robert Sawyer, Allen Steele - all current authors that are as good storytellers as the old masters, but writing with a more modern viewpoint. Sawyer especially, while I don’t always like his viewpoints, takes on issues that I think will actually be issues for the next century - questions about what is human and where the edges of humanity are.
What about:
* Andre Norton?
* Poul Anderson?
* H. Beam Piper?
* A.E. Van Vogt?
* Norman Spinrad?