Sci Fi writers

Geekiest poll ever? ...maybe!

I´m not an expert on the genre, at least not the literary one (for I know quite a bit about sci fi movies), and I´m fairly new to it, but I´m becoming a huge fan. So far my favorites are Clark and Adams.

What about you? Oh, and please do discuss


Edited by el böthy - March 11 2011 at 14:39

God.

Edited by KoS - March 11 2011 at 11:49

Douglas Adams is my god.

I think Jack Vance is very good.

manofmystery wrote: I'm going with the originator of the genre, Jules Verne.  Grew up reading his work but then, who didn't?

 

Kotro wrote: manofmystery wrote: I'm going with the originator of the genre, Jules Verne.  Grew up reading his work but then, who didn't?   Hardly the "originator", but a damn good author nevertheless. Absent from the poll is Clifford D. Simak, whom I enjoy quite a bit.

Oh Simak...'Way Station' is great...and, I ashamed to say, 'City' is still on my wishlist.

Speaking of Verne, I'm angry like hell...in this crappy country, 'Paris in the 20th Century' is not yet translated.

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. )


Edited by Formentera Lady - March 11 2011 at 18:02

So many authors here I like, plus some missing that are maybe only borderline sci-fi...Jonathan Lethem (if nothing else, his novels "Gun, With Occasional Music" and "Amnesia Moon" are SF, Nick Harkaway (Gone Away World is his only novel that I know of, it's post-apoc. SF with humor and a good story overall, Alfred Bester (The Stars My Destination and the Demolished Man are both great, essential IMO).

Then my favorites from the list...P.K. Dick, Douglas Adams, Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Clarke, Heinlein, and all the other great ones.  I'm really torn here between PKD and Douglas Adams...I've been reading more of Dick's novels lately, but all five books of the original Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy are among my favorites and the Dirk Gently novels aren't far behind (plus I enjoyed Last Chance to See).   I guess based on that Douglas Adams will get my vote.

I've started an Iain M. Banks book recently as well (The Algebraist), it's been pretty enjoyable thus far.   

Besides the obvious Adams, I voted other for Larry Niven

Runner-up Heinlein

Please do talk about your favorite books about the authors you chose.

Of course when it comes to Adams The hitchhickers guide to the galaxy is unquestionably my favorite. It´s just hilarious.

As for Arthur C Clarke, 2001 is incredible, BUT I would say the film is far better than the book, but what´s great about it is that they do have their different take on some things without being too far apart.