Who's the best Sci-fi author?

My vote goes without a doubt to David Brin. Especially for the "Uplift" novels. If anyone knows a better sci-fi author, post it.

I don't know who the best is, its all down to personal opinion, but Robert A. Heinlein, Eric Nylund and William C Dietz rank highly with me.

I'm gonna go with Robert Heinlein on this one. Stranger In A Strange Land was one of the best novels I've ever read, and I've read a million; the Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers were good reads as well. Heinlein has a knack for making Sci-Fi relevant to all ages and generations, via his creative politics and social discourses. In fact, I believe SIASL is even more relevant today than when it was written. I highly recommend the unabridged edition, as the novel was so far ahead of its time that Heinlein was forced to remove the best bits when it was originally published. Censorship's a bitch eh?

Larry Niven & Gerry Pournelle also wrote a duzey of a book with The Mote In Gods Eye. Absolutely phenomenal. Only goes to show that the best Sci-Fi is that which allows us to examine ourselves in the greater context of the universe. I guess that's why the new Battlestar Galactica show is so darn good too.

Oh, one more, Orson Scott Card's Enders Game.

I read SIASL more than a decade ago in my "mtv" phase. Reread it a while ago and was able to appreciate it a lot more.

If I had to pick the best sci-fi author..I'd pick Isaac Asimov hands down!
Apart from his Foundation series his Robot novels really brought about a positive perspective on the benefits of robotics. He really was one of the first to get rid of robo-phobia which was the mainstream thought back in the days.

Orson scott card rules!

Without exception, hands-down, the best sci-fi author in the history of sci-fi is...

Isaac Asimov!

Also gets an honorable mention for best lambchops.





My favorite[s]:

en.wikipedia.org...

In 1942 he published the first of his Foundation stories—later collected in the Foundation Trilogy: Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953)—which recount the collapse and rebirth of a vast interstellar empire in a universe of the future. Taken together, they are his most famous work of science fiction, along with the Robot Series. Many years later, he continued the series with Foundation's Edge (1982) and Foundation and Earth (1986), and then went back to before the original trilogy with Prelude to Foundation (1988) and Forward the Foundation (1992). The series features his fictional science of Psychohistory in which the future course of the history of large populations can be predicted.

Totally!
Besides, those sideburns are just way cool!
Funny story, my boss nursed Isaac Asimov shortly before he died. She really didnt even know who he was..
I walked into work a few months ago all tired and sleepy. She asks "what have you been partying all night?" And I said "no I was up reading a book...I just couldnt put it down" I told her I was reading the prelude to foundation, by Isaac Asimov and the first thing she says...( So tasteless) is "oh yea I know him, he was an ***hole"
Its a small world after all!

L.E.Modesitt because he wrote my all time favorite sci fi book 'The Hammer of Darkness'

Greg Bear is awesome as was Asimov plus, Robert Silverberg, A.E.van Vogt and Iian M Banks. So many others i could go on for days.

Robert Sheckley, Gordon Dickson, Kurt Vonnegut, Harry Harrison, Piers Anthony, A.A Attanasio, Stephen Baxter, ok i'll stop now, sorry.

Originally posted by I_s_i_s
I walked into work a few months ago all tired and sleepy. She asks "what have you been partying all night?" And I said "no I was up reading a book...I just couldnt put it down" I told her I was reading the prelude to foundation, by Isaac Asimov

Lovelovelove 'Prelude' it was my first Asimov book ('bout 12-or-so years ago) and after that I was hooked!

and the first thing she says...( So tasteless) is "oh yea I know him, he was an ***hole"
Its a small world after all!

Most of the greats were, or so I always seem to hear... having to be nursed couldn't of helped much either.

Rest In Peace Dr. Asimov.


Thanks for the book mention, mojo4sale. I looked it up [ The Hammer of Darkness ] and am going to check it out... looks good.

Regards

Neil Stephonson, author of Snow Crash, The Diamond Age and the Cryptonomicon.

Douglas Adams, author and creative force Behind many Doctor Who episodes and the Great Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy which has seen it grace just about every format. I think there is even a Video Game lol.

[edit on 12-3-2007 by sardion2000]

I have to go along with other members and say for me it's Heinlein as well.

I think I read Starman Jones, Citizen of the Galaxy and Tunnel in the Sky over the course of a week when I was 13 and then that was it I read everything I could get my hands on.

I have to say he was the author I enjoyed the most growing up. I still have copies of most of his books on my shelves and every now and again take one down and re-read it.

I've recently re-read JOB which is a goodin and I also re-read FRIDAY about a year ago.

ALways nice to come back to Heinlein.

Spiderj

Originally posted by Rren

Thanks for the book mention, mojo4sale. I looked it up [ The Hammer of Darkness ] and am going to check it out... looks good.

Regards

No worry's, i have over 200 sf and fantasy books ive collected over the past 20 odd years and this would be the book that ive read more than any other. My copy's over 20 years old and looking pretty dog eared.

I forgot to mention Robert Heinlein, disgusted with myself ( my favorite was number of the beast and friday ) Michael Moorcock was also ahead of his time.

[edit on 13/3/07 by mojo4sale]

Well, I don't know the who the best author is but in my opinion, it has to be Robert Jordan. Or Terry Goodkind.....or maybe even Modestitt Jr...Orson Scott Card is pretty good too....

I'm really suprised that no one has mentioned R.A. Salvatore yet. Creator of Drizzt Do'Urden, and series that spans 20 books. He would be my favorite. A close second would be the duo of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman of Dragonlance fame. Now maybe none of these were mentioned because i just thought what if you meant Sci Fi and not Sci Fi Fantasy. For the just the Sci Fi genre i'd go with Arthur C. Clarke. 2001: a space oddesey is great, i read it after i saw the movie and realized that movies do a real injustice to great books.

Well heck if we're going fantasy as well as sci-fi I'd throw down with margaret weiss and tracy hickman.

I really enjoyed the dragonlance books though I didn't really follow it after the original three oh and I read the first book series about Raistlin and Caramon...think it was test of the twins or something like that but there were three of them and I remember enjoying them.

People will say tolkien and I enjoyed the movies and I've read hobbit and the ring books a few times but man parts of those books just draaaag on.

Sorry if I've offended any rabid Tolkienites.

I also enjoyed the Sword of Shanara series by Terry Brooks.

Those were good.

SPiderj

Since every one else is offering their fantasy faves i couldnt pass by without offering up Stephen Donaldson, Sheri S Tepper and the King of Fantasy R.E. Howard (Conan).

R.E. Howard (Conan).

By Krom I cant believe I forgot that!

Nice call.

Spiderj

I've got to add that David Brin was a NASA consultant. Maybe he slips in some truth about aliens and/or technology. His book Earth definitely holds some truth.

I didn't realize that writing SF was a competition sport;

But Im placing my wager on Kurt Vonnegut, Harlan Ellison in a dead heat to win.

Frank Herbert to place

J. R. Williamson to show



[edit on 22-3-2007 by whaaa]

H.G Wells ? Jules Verne? Gene Roddenberry?

Have you people gone mad? their names were not mentioned due to their popularity, but lets face it, no one comes close. Maybe Asimov.

Originally posted by StreetCorner Philosopher
H.G Wells ?

Meh. Dated and frankly boring.

Jules Verne?

Meh. Ditto as above.

Gene Roddenberry?

Double Meh. Way too overexposed, too Utopian and Naive.

Have you people gone mad? their names were not mentioned due to their popularity, but lets face it, no one comes close. Maybe Asimov.

Ever read Neil Stephonson? Check him out. He's only written two sci-fi books(well three if you count Cryptonomicon but I don't), called Snow Crash and the Diamond Age. Those two novels are at the top of my list for a very good reason, though I hated the Diamond Age first time through, it took me another read through to be able to appreciate just how well done the novel actually was. Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons is also a very cerbral novel, though it takes a LONG time to get going.

[edit on 22-3-2007 by sardion2000]