Sci Fi writers

H.G. Wells.

I cannot believe there's no love for him here.

He was a genius with the genre.  A pioneer too (even if Verne was earlier) and ahead of his time.  I prefer his style of SF to most others.  I'm not into Space Opera SF or really much SF set in Space or on other planets (there are exceptions, of course).  I much prefer Earth-based SF with intelligent stories.  I also like post-apocalyptic which for some reason never seem to be lumped in as SF.

I love Vonnegut too but he's not pure SF as such.

Oh yes Aginor, I know who you are.

And on that note, Sanderson has really done a great job! Dare I say it, far better than Jordan...

Can't say I'm a great lover of the genre but Iain M. Banks has written some quality stuff.

One guess...

Interesting list! I hate to do it, but might I just point out a couple of things. First, the dearth of female writers in the list. Lois McMaster Bujold, for example, shares with Heinlein the honour of winning four Hugo awards. Julian May's 'Saga of the Exiles/Galactic Milieu' dual series was one of the greatest stories of the 1980s. Mary Doria Russell's 'The Sparrow' is the best anthropological discourse in SF I've ever read. Margaret Atwood, despite her claims she doesn't write SF, is consistently brilliant, as is Doris Lessing. Then there are 'softer' scifi writers like McCaffrey and Norton.

And second, the relative absence of contemporary writers. Of this list probably only Banks is still writing, let alone at the top of his game. One could suggest William Gibson, Chariie Stross, Alastair Reynolds, Cory Doctorow, Elizabeth Moon, Peter Hamilton, C.J. Cherryh, Connie Willis, Sherri S. Tepper and Joan D. Vinge. I've met many of these authors, have been on panels with some of them, and treasure their life and works. This is all without getting into fantasy writers, whom some consider part of sf and others hate with a passion.

As much as I grew up with the Asimovs, 'Doc' Smiths and Clarkes, in my view modern writers have built on this excellent foundation and are producing superb work. I'd encourage you to try some!

I still have to try out Douglas Adams. Not long ago I read an article in my newspaper about his HGTTG, which sounded like I was really missing something. It's top of my list now of books-to-read.

el böthy wrote: Damn, I´m stupid as f**k! I love Orwell, 1984 is one of my favorite books, why did I leave him out of this poll?!?!?! Well, there is always the "other" option

Off the list, Kurt Vonnegut for his sci-fi.  On the list, Dick and Lem.

I also want to mention Margaret Atwoot for Oryx and Crake and its sequel, The Year of the Flood.  Along with the more powerful, and fave recent book I've read, the Road by Cormac McCarthy (gave me nightmares though), those are particular fave modern books.

I was obsessed with Philip K. Dick.  particular faves of mine are Ubik and Dr. Bloodmoney.

Formentera Lady wrote: voted other: Karel Capek. This czech author wrote in many genres, but most notable are his hilarious dystopian novels and plays, among them: - R.U.R. : the first time that the word 'robot' is used for an artificial person. It's about the conflict between human beings and the so-called robots. - The Absolute at Large (better translated as: The Factory of Absolute): a machine converts matter into energy, and sets free as a by-product the so-called absolute, which is a kind of spiritual essence. This 'absolute' in the air causes a sudden outburst of spiritual power in the humans, which eventually leads to a catastrophe. - Krakatit: a scientist, who invents an enormous explosive, gets into a conflict, because his invention can be used peacefully for power plants, or for weapons - War with the Newts: another intelligent civilization is discovered on earth, the newts. They are technically not so far developed than the humans. How will the human society react to them? It ends in a total disaster.   (Oh, I just noticed, you did not include any of the dystopian authors (Orwell, Huxley, Zamjatin, etc.), so probably this is nothing for you and you can forget my post. But on the other hand, if you like Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, it is not too far fetched to suggest these. )

Damn, I´m stupid as f**k! I love Orwell, 1984 is one of my favorite books, why did I leave him out of this poll?!?!?! Well, there is always the "other" option

I haven't read much from the genre, and actually none "pure sci-fi", mainly I've read dystopias.