Best Sci-Fi Writer

[The Dreaming]

Well shoot, I considered myself farly well read in Sci fi, but there have been a lot of writers mentioned that I have never read or heard of. I thought I had put quite a powerful group uf writers up there. I also didn't think to include Verne and Wells, although I probably should have. However, I am loathe to change the poll, because all those people who voted "other" won't be able to vote in the new category I make for them,

[Loredoctor]

Perhaps a new thread?

[wayfriend]

Neil Stephenson writes the best Sci-fi now.

Verner Vinge, Gene Wolf, Ian M Banks, and Peter F. Hamilton round out the top 5 for me.

[Loredoctor]

Banks = legend. Best sci-fi writer today.

[Avatar]

Yeah, really like Banks, his sci-fi stuff anyway. Prefer the "Culture" books to any others though.

--Avatar

[Loredoctor]

The Culture books are great, however I liked Against a Dark Background the most. And the Bridge is a classic.

[matrixman]

My loyalty is with Clarke. If ever the day comes when I'm able to express my thoughts with the written word as lucidly as he does...well, I still won't believe it.

Great post by dAN about Asimov, though.

[Avatar]

LM-- Enjoyed Feersum Endjinn as well, once I got my head around the wierd phonetic writing. Was Against a Dark Background the one with the Lazy Gun and the Solipsist Mercenaries? Can't remember.

MM-- Like Clarke usually, but I often have to go long periods in between reading his stuff. Don't know why, just gets too much for me maybe? Last one I read was the one about the asteroid, Hammer of God maybe? Really can't remember.

--Avatar

[The Dreaming]

I havn't really read any Clarke since Rama. Clarke just doesn't really do it for me usually.

[Loredoctor]

Avatar - AADB was indeed the story with the Lazy Gun and the Solipsists. It also had the brilliant Entraxrln. I loved Feersum Endjinn, and yes it was hard to read.

[Avatar]

Avatar - AADB was indeed the story with the Lazy Gun and the Solipsists. It also had the brilliant Entraxrln.

Aah yes, definitely one of my favourite Culture novels, along with The Player of Games and The Use of Weapons.

Truly, you have good taste.

--Avatar

[Cail]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Philip K. Dick. The man was an absolute visionary.

[Loredoctor]

Someone needs to create a second poll; look how many people have voted 'other'.

[Nav]

Avatar - AADB was indeed the story with the Lazy Gun and the Solipsists. It also had the brilliant Entraxrln. I loved Feersum Endjinn, and yes it was hard to read.

I love the back cover quote on AADB: "Banks warned you up front, this is a dark book."
The end is pretty damned dark but perhaps not as disturbing as that of Use fo Weapons or as bleak as Consider Phlebas. Banks really does enjoy a good massacre. I found Feersum Endjinn refreshingly upbeat though, and I'm certainly enjoying The Algebraist so far. The Dwellers are so funny.

I generally loathe to read anything that's been dubbed a 'classic', so many of the listed authors don't appeal to me. Experience has taught me that I simply don't like the books that most people like. I intend to add Zindell to my reading pile though.

[Isern]

And what about Lois Bujold? Great world-building, and fast-paced space opera and character foo on top of it.

And agree with whoever mentioned Gene Wolfe. Brilliant short stories, too. And great early clone speculation.

Ursula K. LeGuin, Dan Simmons, Jack Vance, Dave Zindelll
And a lot of people who had really good short stories: George R.R. Martin, James Tiptree, Jr., Terry Bisson, John Varley...

Dang, I could never pick one person as the very best. But if I did, it wouldn't be SRD. Heresy.

Isern

[Lord Mhoram]

I voted Other, since Roger Zelazny is my favorite science fiction writer, especially in the short story format. But Frank Herbert's Dune and its sequels is one of my favorite books too.

[Spork]

I cant believe the above post is the only mention of Zelazny in this whole thread. On the site, there are only 40 hits. d00ds!

Did you guys read any of: Chronicles of Amber, Bring me the head of prince charming, Lord Demon (Liskold finished posthumously)?

After just finishing the new Donaldson, I picked up all the amber books in a single volume from the library and am re-reading for the nth time, where n is a number larger than 1.

My short non tolkien, non-donaldson list:
Zelazny: n>4
Heinlein: n>3
Chalker: n>3
Cherryh: n>2
And an obscure one: Gerard Klein -- worth the nth read

edit: just got wise to the "sci-fi" in the titile of this thread ... oops

[Ainulindale]

Although I recognize the greatness of all the choices, and to be sure an arguement can be made for any of them, but my favorites are:

Frank Herbert
Gene Wolfe
Lois Mcmaster Bujold
Dan Simmons
Michael Swanwick
Robert Silverberg
Peter F. Hamilton

[Roland of Gilead]

I've read every one of these authors, and I would have to go with Peter F. Hamilton.

But he needs to stand the test of time. So Heinlein, who has done just that, would be my second choice.

Also, as a sidenote, I don't rank SRD number one. But I DO rank him number one as a writer of both fantasy and sf. Who else on this list can write BOTH as well as our man?

[Ainulindale]

Also, as a sidenote, I don't rank SRD number one. But I DO rank him number one as a writer of both fantasy and sf.

I defintely don't agree with that. If you give equal credence to fantasy and Sci-fi I think their are a few. Robert Silverberg, Gene Wolfe, Philip Jose Farmer, Poul Anderson, Michael Swanwick, maybe even Roger Zelazny, or Ursula Leguin. Even more notably Michael Moorcock. What about Jack Vance? Not only all their novels but their winning short stories/anthologies/Novellas, and works in various magazine, completely put them on another level to Donaldson, in such a comparison IMHO.

It's a matter of opinion I guess, and I certainly respect Donaldson, but I certainly wouldn't consider Donaldson to be the King of the speculative fiction.

I think I would group Donaldson on a tier below them in such a comparrison and more comparable to someone like Tad Williams, with his MSaT series, Otherland series, War of Flowers, Shadowmarch, and Tail Chaser Song efforts.

I have a profoud respect for Donaldson's work, however I simply can't agree with that notion, but respect your opinion nevertheless.