Greatest living science fiction author?
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*side eye*
Highly recommend people give Adam Roberts a try.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Roberts_(British_writer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Roberts_(British_writer)
I wasn't a fan of those world war 2 ~but with magic~ books - basically technology gets a 1:1 conversion into magic so rifles become magic sticks and submarines becomes leviathans, etc.
Poodlestrike
Banned
Gonna go with David Brin. Kiln People and Existence both blew me away.
Richard Morgan did great with the Altered Carbon books, but I feel he still considers himself mainly a fantasy writer. Same with Dan Simmons and the Hyperion cantos.
I feel like John Halderman should be in the conversation. Maybe Orson Scott Card, but then again are "popular and successful" equal to good? (I'd say no... are we gonna put Rowling on the same pillar as George Martin?)
But I really think it's gotta be Alistair Reynolds.
I feel like John Halderman should be in the conversation. Maybe Orson Scott Card, but then again are "popular and successful" equal to good? (I'd say no... are we gonna put Rowling on the same pillar as George Martin?)
But I really think it's gotta be Alistair Reynolds.
Monocle
Member
Wonderful tribute. Thanks for the link.
I felt the same with the Byzantine-ish Empire w/ time-lost Roman Legions ~ but with magic ~ series of his. But the Worldwar series (Earth invaded shortly after outbreak of WWII by reptilian alien species, no magic) I loved.
I know him as a director, what's his work like in literature?
Wait what? I thought he was well liked?
More Fun To Compute
Member
Vernor Vinge.
Messofanego
Banned
Why not? Genuinely have no idea about that author, just want to know the criticisms.
There's nothing wrong with him as an author, per se, but calling him the greatest living science fiction author is a bit much when Le Guin and Gene Wolfe are still alive.
It's fine to like Howey's stuff and all but come on.
Consequence
Member
I think it's Reynolds. I love Simmons' Hyperion more than anything from Reynolds but he just doesn't write SF much.
This makes me so happy.
elrechazado
Banned
Heh came in here to post Neal Stephenson and I already did in the first post.
ElectricKaibutsu
Member
I'm a big fan of Rainbows End.
O.DOGG
Member
I think this title should go to William Gibson, not only because of Neuromancer and his first couple of books can rightfully be called sci-fi classics, but also his more recent work is tremendously visionary. I had major trouble getting into his latest book but I'll try again. He's earned it.
He's fine, but greatest living science fiction author? Honestly, most of the suggestions in here seem nuts to me. I guess people are just mentioning their personal favorites or whatever, so maybe I was expecting something different from what other people were thinking.
Generally the people you think are the best are also often your favorites.
He was being torn a new one in the What are You Reading thread. He's one of the worst 'popular' authors in my opinion. I don't think Richard Morgan should even be in the conversation either.
edit: Hugh Howey?
Next, The Martian is the best SF of the decade and The Expanse and The Lost Fleet are masterworks.Hmm. I don't usually think of things that way. If someone asks who the greatest living scifi author is, I'm going to try to separate my personal likes and dislikes out from the stuff that's more relevant to the question: skill, quality, impact on the field, etc. Like, I'd probably have way more fun with a Lee & Miller light space opera novel than a serious Le Guin book, but I'd feel really weird putting them above her in a "greatest scifi author" list.
Lee & Miller?
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, wrote the Liaden series which is an awesome good time and I highly recommend it.
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, wrote the Liaden series which is an awesome good time and I highly recommend it.
Where would I start and what is it like?
It's one of these series where the reading order is best described as "it's complicated"... but my recommended entry point is Fledgling. It's standalone, so no prior information is needed to enjoy it, and it hooks back into the main series after its sequel, Saltation.
The series is an episodic space opera adventure that I usually describe as somewhat like Bujold's Vorkosigan books, but with a bit less action, a bit more romance, and a surprising amount of manners (it makes sense in context
). Warm writing, a delightfully built setting, and a lot of fun characters.
hobblygobbly
Member
Lois McMaster Bujold I feel. The Vorkosigan Saga is amazing - it has everything from conspiracies, spying, space battles, grand space opera, mercenary work, travelling the stars, everything you would love with great writing + storytelling.
If this thread was a few years older it would be Iain M. Banks for me. I consider the Culture series one of the best pieces of science fiction ever written and it was by him. Sadly he passed in 2013.
If this thread was a few years older it would be Iain M. Banks for me. I consider the Culture series one of the best pieces of science fiction ever written and it was by him. Sadly he passed in 2013.
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