Science Fiction Writers

[FX-Arch]

Currently I'm reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Haven't seen anyone posting this author before. Thought he was quite famous 

[Kaleo]

Well you thought wrong...

[player1]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Ursula Le Guin.

@infy: See this rambling post.

P.S. Orson Scott Card is still my #1.

EDIT: Technically it's not science fiction, but if any of you know Harry Turtledove...

I think it is...

Ever heard of "Ender's Game"? That's pretty science-fictiony...

I think he meant the Harry Turtledove stuff which is classified under scifi in the sub-category of alternative history. Speaking of which, favorite sub-genre of scifi, if you have a preference?

Currently I'm reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Haven't seen anyone posting this author before. Thought he was quite famous 

Well you thought wrong...

3)
Kk, this could be a long list : D. I must mention Dan Simmons atleast, with his Hyperion saga and Ilium/Olympos, which really are enjoyable to the end (and yes, I like long books : p).

as mentioned above, Dan Simmons is also well-regarded

i kid...

Thanks for recommending Dan Simmons. He's on the "to-read" list, along with Peter F. Hamilton, and a whole slew of others. Iain M. Banks is quite good, if you like the new baroque space opera (and I do).

The last six or seven posters mentioned quite of few of the old guard or grand masters (McCaffrey, PKD, Haldeman, UKLG, Clarke, Bester, Bova, Asimov, Pohl, Anthony), all good authors whose work I quite enjoyed (or did at some point in the last forty years of reading scifi); what current or new authors or unknown or little known authors can you recommend? Cheers to Lava for the Anselm Audley rec & NiTRoX for the Philip Pullman rec. I'm going to the library to look for both now. It could be mind-boggling to read Lava Croft's favorite scifi writer and then read NiTRox's favorite scifi writer. If you never hear from me again, take my advice and read Robert Sheckley.

Also, I want to expand upon something Lava mentioned last summer. Best storyline in a scifi game?

@Plague Bringer: I always had you pegged for a reader. By the way, nice selections.

@techhead: Right on. I kind of thought you might be a scifi reader, too. Good stuff there.

@gareth: That looked pretty militaristic and commercially so. As Paradox would say: Niven (you might enjoy it).

@AKAnotu: This Jack McDevitt guy looks interesting, thanks.

@PIE: I guess nobody reads the pulp guys. Most poll respondents had no idea who the authors were. Still, a scifi poll wouldn't fit on the page.

@mooseberry: Paradox hasn't stopped by to say it lately but that book you liked was by

Niven

(Larry Niven, that is, and his sometime collaborator Jerry Pournelle).

Science Fictionally Yours,

PlayerOne

P.S. Niven

@Paradox: Your programming has achieved completion, I'm going to the library to get some... Niven.

[Bajsefar]

I read Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard and thought it was entertaining, though crappily written.
Then I found out he was the founder of the scientology sect, and crazy as hats.

My favourite SF novel was The Naked Sun by Asimov, none i've read have come close, though i've read some good ones.

Aint read that mucg though, gonna check through here for suggestions. :>

(On a second note, Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and all those were pretty fscking AWESOME.... Now I can't decide upon which one I like better.)

[Plague Bringer]

Woah! Holy shit. Uber necro; Anyone else notice that?

Kaleo
« Reply #19 on: August 09, 2007, 05:58:47 AM »

->

Player One
« Reply #20 on: May 12, 2008, 09:25:23 PM »

[player1]

@Bajsefar: "crazy as hats"

[Bajsefar]

He is.
THE GOAL, THE REASON WHY HE FOUNDED THE SCIENTOLOGY SECT WAS TO TAKE OVER THE DAMN WORLD!
Now, if that aint crazy as hats, I am.

I want time for reading again, and doing other stuffs as well. Can't wait till school's over for this year. >.>

[Plague Bringer]

Wow. I made an effort to make sure those post-dates were right. -.-

[player1]

So, uh... whatcha readin' now?

[Ellohir]

My top 5:

Dan Simmons: Hyperion and The fall of Hyperion are the best Sci-Fi I've ever read.
Orson Scott Card: Ender's game and the following trilogy.
Philip Pullman: ¿Is His dark materials really Sci-Fi? I'm not sure...
Frank Herbert: Dune, in general I like all Dune books.
Isaac Asimov: I loved I, Robot and have to read Fundation trilogy.

[TinMan]

Orson Scott Card is my favourite science fiction writer.
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind

If you would consider George Orwell's 1984 to be science fiction then that would be #1 on my list.

[player1]

I consider both Orwell and Huxley (as well as a few others like C.S. Lewis) to be working well within the bounds of science fiction, or at least speculative fiction, as I personally broadly define it. I would also consider that to be an excellent science fiction book, one of the all-time top five literary science fiction short novels with political overtones. I would include most of Ayn Rand's page-turners in this sub-genre, even the four-hundred page ones. *)_

 

[Kaine]

-Michael Crichton's Sphere
-Frank Herbert's Dune
-L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth (Not a fan of the religion he founded however)

If we're including semi-fantasy with a sci-fi twist:
-CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia
-Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis's Death Gate Cycle  (One of the most enjoyable works I've ever read)

Most things by Stephen King are entertaining as well.

EDIT: I really like this thread, it reminded me I have yet to read several sci-fi classics.  I think I'll hit the library tonight!

[player1]

If you like C.S. Lewis, you may enjoy the Space Trilogy; I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, and have meant to read the last one for some thirty years now.

EDIT: I really like this thread, it reminded me I have yet to read several sci-fi classics.  I think I'll hit the library tonight!

Edit: I keep promising myself that if I get time this summer, I'm going to read the authors recommended by Lava, NiTRoX, and AKAnotu. Maybe next summer.

[Kaine]

Now I know they say never judge a book by it's cover, but how could you not love this? 

Also thought of another old favorite:  Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

Epic.

[player1]

Now I know they say never judge a book by it's cover, but how could you not love this? 

Also thought of another old favorite:  Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

Epic.

That is most certainly an awesome book (Out of the Silent Planet), as is the second one, Perelandra.

A Wrinkle in Time was great. I just recently started re-reading Eleanor Cameron's The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet.

Edit: I almost forgot to say Niven. And italicize titles.

[Kaine]

Hands down the worst Sci-fi I've ever read was John Steakley's Armor, with William Gibson's Neuromancer coming in second.

Even still, they weren't that awful.  I'll probably give them a re-read in 5-10 years.

[player1]

I personally loved the William Gibson stuff, but then, I was also living in NYC in the 90s, so that may explain that. How about Michael Swanwick or Bruce Sterling or Neal Stephenson or Iain M. Banks or Charles Stross or Cory Doctorow or Paul DiFilippo?

[mooseberry]

Orson Scott Card is my favourite science fiction writer.
Ender's Game
Ender's Shadow
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind

Still an all time great.

Harry Turtledove's Alternate history (a sub genre of sci fi I believe) is quite wonderful, Stranger in a Strange Land is of course wonderful. I'll think of more later.