Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors

[durus]

Well, the Subject Pretty much says it all.
My 5 favorite Authors are as follows:

Steve Aylett: Sci-Fi. This guy has issues and it comes through in his writing. His books read like poems, disjointed, rhyming, moving and astounding. He jumps between topics in ways that only a geek can appreciate.

Jeff Noon: Sci-Fi again. He comes up with some Crazy Ass Ideas.

Ian M. Banks: Love all his Sci-Fi stuff. The culture is awesome. The Player of Games is the first book from that collection.

Peter F. Hamilton: Night's Dawn Series. Great Premise. Excellent Sci-Fi author.

David Gemmell writes great Fantasy books, highly forgettable storylines so you can read them more than once (i still remember ALL of Tolkiens books).

[BlueBoy]

In no particular order:

Stephen Baxter
Jerry Purnell
Issac Asimov
Arthur C. Clarke

[svvampy]

I like Gibson, don't mind Dick. I'm partial to Stephenson and I found Zindell interesting. I recently read and enjoyed some Niven and have been lapping up Asimov and Clarke since I turned twelve. I also love Jordan, Adams and Herbert and recently have been getting into some Heinlen - Starship Troopers is such a better novel, but still, the movie is a bit of fun.

[Necron]

I like the guy who wrote "Enders Game"..... Does anyone know who im talking about because I have a shocking memory!.

This movie made me think about humanities future becuase it is sci-fi with a very real atmosphere and shockingly real situations.

Who is he???, I think his name is something... scott..something, or something like that??

Dont worry it's Ridley Scott Card

[svvampy]

Originally posted by Necron
I like the guy who wrote "Enders Game".....

That would be Orson Scott Card, I have some of his stuff, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

[ersatz]

svvampy beat me to the Card naming. Alright book, but wouldn't put it in my top list. Didn't realise there was a movie of it, wouldn't mind checking it out.

PK Dick is at the top of my list. Got to get around to reading Valis sometime. That was one seriously fucked up individual. Have most of his short stories and a couple of his novels. The "Second Variety" stories still creep me.

Heinlein, especially Starship Troopers. Movie's totally different but pulls it off vnicely (90210 in bootcamp :D).

Asimov, particularly "End of Eternity". For some reason the one character that always stands out for me is the guy with no hair who gave up his world for the "greater good".

I know he's more of a pulp-horror writer, but been going through some of Stephen King's scifi-ish books like Firestarter and The Stand (god I love that book).

Also Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 and Machineries of Joy (the one with the kid and his mushrooms).

I'll have to stroll over to my bookcase to get more names, but they're a start.

I've never read any of the people durus mentioned.

Oh yeah, Clarke too, can't go past him.

[dozer]

dick is definitely the best, a scanner darkly my fauve, hopefully gilliam will make the movie.

[BlueBoy]

How can I forget Philip K Dick and Neal Stephenson!

[Buffy]

Damn I clicked this thread with a list of authors to mention, and when i read through all of them are here... every one thats been mentioned i've read and loved.. sci fi/fantasy is the best genre IMO, I can't get enough of it.

ps. reading the peter f hamilton series again atm, considering I bought the books for Pirate to read and he still hasnt'gotten around to it 6 months later :p (he still hasn't read heaps of books ive bought for him saying 'omg i can't believe you haven't read that' including, snowcrash, cryptonomicon, many coloured land books by julian may etc etc...so everyone hassle pirate to read ok?) :D

[Lunatic]

Pirate Read?

From the impression that I get from ZGeek Pirate is like some tormented creature locked in a windowless basement 23 hours a day with only a net connection and a lust for p0rn.
I can hear the stereotypical female voice saying, "Oh my god, he's hideous!" now :)

Back to the topic of the thread:
Ian Irvine is a fantastic Aussie writer. "The View from the Mirror" Saga pretty much rocks.

I'm reading Stephenson's Quicksilver now - Pretty good book but its a bit harder to read, You have to get into that Baroque mindset :)


:banana:

[Al]

Terry Goodkind - Wizards first rule.

Robert Jordan - Wheel of time.

I'll second Peter Hamilton.

Not that I read much these days, between computer games, tv, sex and beer I'm flat out!

[Buffalo]

No One here has mentioned the Great Douglas Adams!!!

There's also:

Anne McCaferty all sorts of fantastic SciFi and the Dragon Riders of Pern series

Kim Stanley Robinson for his masterpieces: Red, Green and Blue Mars the the rest of the "Mars" series...

[Afta Image]

I must admit, whle I have dabled with a few authors, my favourite would be Issac Asimov, partly because in my youth I started off with his child like series of Lucky star and grey into his robot novels, and I have read some of his foundation series. Though I have not read that much of his of late, I have been trying alternate genre's. But Issac has my vote.

[The Avatar]

Those guys pale in comparisson to....

Neal Asher !!!

If you have not read anything from this author then I strongly advise you to read Gridlinked. That is his first book. Then read the Skinner!!! That is the best book in the world. He is soooooo awesome with his writing. U can get his books on amazon.uk. He is an english author.

If you order the book and dont like it, I will pay for it!

trust me he is so much better than anything I have ever read and I read heaps!

[Bifrost]

Big werd up for Gemmell (David, that is).

Have a fairly extensive Gemmell Collection. His storylines (as mentioned before) are fairly formulaic (but then which regularly bestselling author isn't?), but his characterisation is, I reckon, second to none. He has created some of the best and most memorable characters I've ever read.

Asimov is a fav of mine too. Read the foundation series all up to (and including) Second Foundation, but got kind of bored because I read them all in a row. Really should go for a re-visit to Terminus some time...Salvor Harden is my idol. Read I, Robot too, but I'm not a big short story sort of guy.

No one has mentioned Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman yet, so I will. Love Moore's work - he writes a seriously gripping plot in Comic or novel and Gaiman (whilst being extremely odd) writes beautifully as well. I also find his oddity refreshing after so much formula about the place.

I'm particularly enjoying writing my own book at the moment (sci-fi), so I'm not reading as much as I'd like. I need to get over the 30,000 word hump this week...

[C0V3R]

Frank Herbert (and his son + kevin j anderson) - for all the dune series

Robert jordan - wheel of time series

Terry goodkind - wizards first rule series.

[Scythe]

Terry goodkind - wizards first rule series.

I have a real beef with Goodkind. The first few books were excellent, but since then he's descended into the most flawed, obvious and transparent criticism of anti-war protesters and left-wing liberals i've ever read. :grr:

One i'd like to mention is Terry Pratchett. Besides being funny, some of his books are a lot more profoud than they look at first glance. ("Thief of Time" has one of the best accounts of Quantum Theory i've ever encountered.)

I also second all the authors already mentioned, especially Asimov and Gemmel.

[ersatz]

goddamn, how could I have forgotten Douglas Adams?!?

Alan Moore's a ledge, does he write novels as well? Please advise

I like Stephen Baxter, read Titan about 5 times (not much else to when floating down a river), highly recommend it. More of an alternate present/future now though, but not too far off (the earthbound stuff at least), but I want my softscreens! Got a kick out of Voyage as well, interesting to see how things could have been if we'd gone to Mars in '85 and what we have instead.

[Necron]

Alien is the best ever book to read... betta and scarier than the movie can ever be!!!

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by Buffalo
Kim Stanley Robinson for his masterpieces: Red, Green and Blue Mars the the rest of the "Mars" series...

There was more??

[C0V3R]

Originally posted by Scythe
I have a real beef with Goodkind. The first few books were excellent, but since then he's descended into the most flawed, obvious and transparent criticism of anti-war protesters and left-wing liberals i've ever read. :grr:

One i'd like to mention is Terry Pratchett. Besides being funny, some of his books are a lot more profoud than they look at first glance. ("Thief of Time" has one of the best accounts of Quantum Theory i've ever encountered.)

I also second all the authors already mentioned, especially Asimov and Gemmel.

Hmmm I sort of know what you mean, though I do understand what hes on about. The last one or two books werent too great.

[durus]

Steve Aylett: Slaughter Matic
Awesome book, the best one he wrote (i have a few of his books)

[Lujan]

Michael Marshall Smith - Only Forward is one of the most amazing books I have ever read.

[Turtle_Wrangler]

I expected only to have to quote someone on this, and add "Werd." Frankly, im shocked that ive managed to read through a page and a half without seeing the guys name. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is the best fantasy series ive ever read, period.
Stephen R. Donaldson deserves a huge mention here, and the only reason I didnt put his name in BIG FUCKING letters, is to avoid drawing away from a quite nice thread...

[katana]

WOW no one has mentioned Robert Heinlen. One of the best Sci-Fi writers ever.

[druckfugged]

Heinlein is to sci-fi what King is to horror, and while some of the books of his i've read were absolute clangers, (which'd include Stranger In a Strange Land) the stories like Time Enough For Love, Glory Road ,The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, and Friday were just so great you can forgive him the occasional dud.

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by katana
WOW no one has mentioned Robert Heinlen. One of the best Sci-Fi writers ever.
Not looking hard are we? :p

[SOC]

Originally posted by Lujan
Michael Marshall Smith - Only Forward is one of the most amazing books I have ever read.

Awesome book, and the only one of his I've read.

My favourites:
Douglas Adams
Stephen King
Robert Rankin
Phillip Jose Farmer
Isaac Asimov
Richard Matheson

[mysterious-dr-x]

id like to add

ian irvine
steven erikson
tricia sullivan

to the list, admi5ttendly i have only read one book by each of these auters, but i enjoyed them all & have others lines up....

...oh! how could i forget the guy im readin right now! lincoln child. im currently reading utopia, its very good.

[Lujan]

I second Heinlen & Stephen Donaldson, My Favourite Heinlen book is Job.

Also
Spider Robinson
Terry Pratchett
George H. Smith
Fritz Leiber

[Sutter]

Heinlein? HEINLEAIN??? I got halfway through Time Enough For Love and chucked it. Unless someone can give me a really good reason, I don't think I pick him up again.
The rest of the list though: :D

A couple more to add:

Greg Egan

Joe Haldeman

[druckfugged]

Time Enough For Love is for serious Heinlein-heads and is one book on recurring themes, time travel and geneaology, and the adventures of Lazarus Long. A good introduction to Heinlein is Glory Road or Friday, which are standalones and cracking good reads.

[Tyfus]

Frank Herbert... Lafferty... Wim Gijsen (awesome mixture of sci-fi and fantasy elements)

[locust]

Originally posted by Sutter
Heinlein? HEINLEAIN??? I got halfway through Time Enough For Love and chucked it. Unless someone can give me a really good reason, I don't think I pick him up again.


The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is barely trippy at all, and very entertaining. In modern movie parlance it's a "romp."


Greg Egan

Seconded.

[Diva]

Tim Powers
James Blaylock
(they were both friends and protogees of PK Dick's, and there are characters based on them in some of PKD's stories)
Charles de Lint
Jane Yolen
Sherri S Tepper
George RR Martin
Tom Holt

also Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow's anthologies are brilliant - they do the annual publication of 'The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror', a comprehensive and in depth look at each genre including film and comic media. They always include a lot of short stories too.
Plus, they did a series of modern retellings of faerie tales, starting with 'Snow White Blood Red', I think there were 7 in total. These are done by a variety of fantasy and sci fi authors (the sci fi Snow White was awesome)

for the person who said the last few Pratchett books weren't as good - bite your tongue! They are not as funny or as caricatured as his early works, but they are much better written and indeed much better books. I can chart the change from Hogfather onwards - I was studying anthropomorphic personification at uni when I first read that, and it is just brilliant. The Thief of Time and Night Watch are imo the most literate and comprehensive stories he has produced. As a historian, I managed to pick nearly a dozen revolutions that he referenced and took events and figures from for Night Watch, but I no doubt missed more.

And all the Watch books are good - in case you haven't noticed, Prachett is doing a different style with each one. There is the police procedural, the gumshoe detective, the political thriller, the noire, and Night Watch is Pterry's book about revolutions and the law. Vimes is the best character he has created, and he is exploiting the potential of that character as far as it can go. (Carrot is great too, but he does not have the depth that Vimes does, his world is very black and white. That is why he hasn't been the protagonist since his first appearance in Guards Guards)

[Grizzlee]

Originally posted by Bifrost
Big werd up for Gemmell (David, that is).


No one has mentioned Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman yet, so I will. Love Moore's work - he writes a seriously gripping plot in Comic or novel and Gaiman (whilst being extremely odd) writes beautifully as well. I also find his oddity refreshing after so much formula about the place.



You forgot Chris Claremont....can be confusing as hell but always worth the read. (Shadow Moon sequel to Willow also co author, George Lucas) You should try the Xtreme X-men series..yes not a book but great storyline.

Throughly enjoying Terry Goodkind and classics for me are Terry Pratchet (Good Omens with Neil Gaimen was fantastic) and Brian Lumley (Vampire World series).

One of my still all time favs is War of the Worlds by Orson Welles .

[Fuzzy Dice]

Yeah, Heinlein is hit and miss, but some of his stuff is just aces - like Starship Troopers, which was made into my favourite B movie.

Frank Herbert is phenominal but his son should be keel hauled for assing up the dune series as he has.

John Steakley's Armor is a fine read.

Orson Scott Card gives me problems in the form of not being able to put his books down.

[Glompbot]

Some of these have been mentioned already, some have not.

I'll start off with my favourite author:
Sheri S Tepper - Ok, so she's a bit of a femminist and likes attacking religion, and I admit I do share a lot of the views she puts across in her books, but she is a fantastic author and well worth the read. A lot of her writing found me considering things i had never considered before... I recommend reading the following trilogy of books: Raising the stones, Grass, Sideshow.

Terry Pratchett - I've always been a fan, I'm often found giggling madly on trains when reading these books.

Raymond E Feist - I grew up reading his riftwar series. I've always gone back to these books and reread them 100's of times.

Michael Marshall Smith - All of them, not just Only forward... They're all fantastic.

Robin Hobb - Now just finished her third trilogy based in the one world, sometimes long winded, but sometimes utterly fantastic.

[ersatz]

read Ender's Game, pretty good but nothing amazing. I preferred Orson Scott Card's work in Monkey Island 2.

[bronno]

Arthur C Clarke for 2001 and the Rama series.

Stephen Donaldson for The Gap series, and the Thomas Covenant chronicles

[pliskin]

top 5 authors in no particular order

phillip jose farmer
raymond e fiest
neil stephenson
frank hurbert
clive barker

i realise barker may be classed more in the horror genre . but any1 who has read "imajica" and "great and secret show" will understand .
its also amazing to find other ppl who have read "only forward" . does any1 still have a copy of this book? as i would love to re-read it?

[Glompbot]

Originally posted by pliskin
its also amazing to find other ppl who have read "only forward" . does any1 still have a copy of this book? as i would love to re-read it?

Dymocks still has it in stock

[pliskin]

Originally posted by Sapia
Dymocks still has it in stock

yeh , i know u can still get it at bookstores, im after some1 who has a copy i can borrow for a few days! Damned if i wanna pay $25 for a book ive already bought once b4.

[sciwra]

Ok my tastes lean toward fantasy more than sci-fi but they mix in sometimes. Must say though I'm not a Pratchett fan, he's easy enough to read but I don't rush out to buy/find anymore.

Diva and Sapia mentioned two of my faves,

George RR Martin - the big fella puts out some interesting story lines and isn't afraid to jump around between a number of scenarios. Brings them all together quite well though.

Raymon E Fiest - Again with Riftwar, though I never got to read it properly. Always read books out of series. Slightly offputting.

However I didn't see (might have missed) the writer who really got me into reading fantasy. Well after Lord of the Rings way back in Primary school anyway.

David (&Leigh) Eddings. How many bloody series' have they pumped out? These guys were the first to get me in with the Tamuli amongst others. Easy reads with good characters (so I thought). Haven't read them again yet but am considering starting again soon.

So there's my contribution, Eddings was my initiation into fantasy.

[Bifrost]

Originally posted by Bifrost (like two months ago)
I'm particularly enjoying writing my own book at the moment (sci-fi), so I'm not reading as much as I'd like. I need to get over the 30,000 word hump this week... Well, I finally got over the 30,000 word hump this week! Yay me.

[slaine1]

I cannot believe that none of u (l)users have mentioned the ultimate master that this ... Jack Vance. Nobody can beat his quirky prose for sheer aesthetic beauty imho.

Check out Araminta Station.

And his little Protege Michael Shea is also worth a look. (especially Nifft the Lean)

Oh, and let's not forget Keith Laumer either (the mighty Bolo and Retief series)

Other than that, big werd ups for Stephensen and Ian. M. Banks.

As for Donaldson, all I can say is, I read his "white gold welder" books as a youngster, and hated them. Thought they were crap and absolutely couldn't stand the main character, that whiney little fuck. Oh well... but then again, I did read Eddings as a youngster ... so maybe I'm standing in a glass house, pretty much naked, with a stone in my hand. (ymmv)

[Drakin]

Katherine kerr - Deverry series (ongoing)
Fantastic series with an interesting re-incarnation theme that allows the characters to build whilst being different people and getting life from a different point of view.

Robert anton wilson (and the other dude) - Illuminati trilogy, Schrodingers Cat.
Bizzare books encompassing just about every conspiracy ever.
Told like the guy is on acid. Reads like a headache in print.
Worth it in the end.

Tad Williams - Otherland
This series has been the best VR books i have ever read.
VERY GOOD!

Charles de lint - greenmantle/moonheart (there are others but these are my fav)
This guy rights about native spirits and such like, always just a step round the corner of this world is the spirit world with all its charm and danger.

Greg egan - Axiomatic and Diaspora
Axiomatic is a compendium of his short storys. Diaspora is the closest, apart from smoking salvia, i have got to understanding multidimensions and perceptions not limited by five senses

Honourable mentions

Bruce sterling
Douglas adams
William gibson
neal stephenson
jeff noon
robin hobb
terry goodkind
terry pratchett
kate elliot

[gamooma]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned Cecelia Dart-Thorton yet. I'm half way through her fantasy series "The Bitterbynde". It's the best I've read for a long time.

[davery]

Enjoyed the first book or two of the "Bitterbynde", was ready to kill by the third... not wanting to spoil the read for you, but bitterly disappointed. Your mileage may vary. *shrug*

Authors of note, IMHO (many mentioned previously, consider the repetition a http://forums.zgeek.com/images/icons/icon14.gif):

Fantasy:

Stephen Erikson (sp?) - highly recommended !
Elisabeth Haydon
China Mieville
Terry Pratchett - good light reading... clever at times.

Sci-fi:

Sean McMullen - australian sci-fi, recommended !
Greg Egan - top stuff, why has he stopped writing ???
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Michael Marshall Smith
Gregory Benford
Stephen Baxter

Unclassifiable :p

Jeff Noon - love his work, serious acid trips... :D
Clive Barker - seriously dark stuff, nice.

and many, many other good reads over the years whose names and books escape me...

[Diva]

Drakin - I love de Lint too, but I prefer his later books to the ones you mentioned. My favourites are those in the 'Newford Cycle'. from 'Memory and Dream' onwards. 'Some Place to be Flying' leaves me in awe and emotionally shattered each time I read it.

One of the amazing things about de Lint is that he is really good at both novels and short stories - you would be suprised at how many authors are unable to make the cross over, they are quite different forms of writing. 'Dreams Underfoot' and 'Moonlight and Vines' are two of the best short story collections I have ever read.

re Clive Barker - lots of good ideas, not a great writer, and completely unable to write a decent ending. He needs an editor to kick him into line. Imajica was at least 200 pages longer than it should have been, and the conclusion was lame for a 1,000+ page book (I know it is in two parts now, but I have it as a single volume)

re Terry Goodkind - don't do it! the books start ok but get a lot worse. He has no coherent world, he is publically disparaging of the fantasy genre and the people who read it, and the entire purpose of the books is to expound on Ain Rand's ideas, of which he is a devote. I have the first few but I found one of them (The Pillars of Creation I think) so vile I didn't read any more, and then found out a lot of stuff about the author that I found so disturbing that I decided I won't give him any more of my money.

I mentioned Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen in an earlier post, by Jacqueline Carey - well the 2nd one is excellent too, and the 3rd (and final) one is already out in hardcover so I should be getting it soon (in paperback). I highly recommend this to anyone who likes low magic / political fantasy, and to anyone who enjoys GRR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

[C0V3R]

Kevin J Anderson is pretty good.. I just finished the first book of his trilogy (written solely by him - he co-authored prequels to Dune that were quite good too)

[C0V3R]

Originally posted by gamooma
I don't know if anyone's mentioned Cecelia Dart-Thorton yet. I'm half way through her fantasy series "The Bitterbynde". It's the best I've read for a long time.

I've recently read the whole series.. the last book is abit tiring, but its not too bad overall.

[SOC]

Another favourite of mine is Rob Grant, one half of the team behind the TV show Red Dwarf. He's now writing novels, and I've just finished his latest one - Incompetence - which I got him to sign when he was at Forbidden Planet 2 weeks ago.

[JessicaDV8]

I like Ursula K. LeGuin. My dad loved Larry Niven, and I like him too, mostly for sentimental reasons.

Michael Crichton might be sneered at by hardcore sci-fi fans, but I still like him. As much as I love science fiction, I always feel let down by the character development -- usually, sci-fi authors get caught up in the, well, sci-fi bits and neglect to make their characters seem human and interesting. Crichton does not have that lack of balance.

I like a lot of other fantasy/sci-fi authors, but I loathe Piers Anthony, because he is a misogynist twat*.





*I only use that word because I think the juxtaposition "misogynist twat" is funny. Sorry.

[Foxfire]

Raymond E Feist - I grew up reading his riftwar series. I've always gone back to these books and reread them 100's of times.

Sapia you are my goddess... *swoons*

I thought I was going to have to be the first one to mention Raymond E Feist. I first read Magician back when I was in year eight.... hrm... about ten years ago now and I make a habit of re-reading it once or twice a year, it's definately my most favourite book. 'My most favourite'? damn bacardi is grammar my wrecking.

I enjoy his other books, but really don't like the ones with Janny Wurts, and Murder at LaMut *shudders*

Honourable Enemy (Honoured Enemy?) on the other hand I finished in one sitting, it was a really enjoyable writing of what else was going on during the war.

David Gemmell, he's right up there with Raymond Feist as one of my favourites, but his later books have been kinda lacking with comparision to his first ones, whether it's because I'm just too used to his story telling now, or his writing is slipping... either way he has a lot of damn good books out.

Michael Chriction (yeah I spelt that wrong) I really enjoy as well, he has a way of sucking you in and making you believe his worlds are real.

Terry Pratchett, mmmm he's cool.

Anne Mccaffrey I added an f or a c too many has a really nice world Pern, full of DRAGONS (yay love dragons) ^_^

Terry Goodkind... well... transparent, cliched, not really original. I bought his first book and won't buy any more.

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn is an interesting mix of fantasy/fuedal japan, it takes Ninja to a new level with a well told tale of treachery and blah blah blah. Suffice to say it's good, the second one is cool and I'm hanging out for the third to be released.

Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space. This was interesting. I don't know if I like it or not but it has some really interesting things in it. Sci fi set in deep space... I think it could be written better and that's why I was disappointed, I saw a lot of ways it could go and it didn't, which isn't to say it's a bad story.

[Hired Goon]

Not sure if he's been mentioned already - but George RR Martin has written the best fantasy series I have read so far: A Song of Ice and Fire.

If you haven't read the first three books - I suggest you do... as the fourth book of the series is due for release soon:

Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553801503/qid=1076209617/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-5625963-5021415) have the release date as April 27th in the US. Not sure if that's very accurate.

Let's just hope he doesn't lose the plot ala Robert Jordan and can finish the series within 5 books!:)

[beowulf437]

OK, I guess I'm real old fashion.

Isaac Asimov
Arthur C. Clark
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Ray Bradbury
H. G. Wells
Jules Verne
Andre Norton
A. E. VanVought

But you go to admit these guys are masters.

[Moga2]

Along with Foxfire, I also read read Magician when i was in year eight, i now have 2 copies of the book, and i think im gong to have to buy a 3rd, as the other 2 have fallen apart cause of being read and reread.

I was surprised it took so long for someone to mention Raymond Feist.

[Hired Goon]

Originally posted by Moga2
Along with Foxfire, I also read read Magician when i was in year eight, i now have 2 copies of the book, and i think im gong to have to buy a 3rd, as the other 2 have fallen apart cause of being read and reread.

I was surprised it took so long for someone to mention Raymond Feist.

Feist is very readable and enjoyable - but I have to say after a while the stories become very predictable - particularly the ending. It's what I call the "George Lucas" ending - where good triumphs over evil and everybody lives happily ever after.

That said - his magician series was pretty good, and I admit to reading it at least twice. ;)

[annie]

I cannot believe i havn't posted in this thread yet... (or maybe i have, and i just didnt look hard enough)
ANYWAY...

well.. all my favourite authors have already been mentioned...
raymond E feist
terry goodkind
Cecelia Dart-Thornton
Tad Williams
Tolkien
Ian Irvine
Stephen Donaldson
Terry Brooks
Douglas Adams
the author of the earthsea quartet.... ursula (sp??) something?

yeah, thats all that comes to mind at the moment

[spaceFAG]

preface: i hate trilogies. it's such a cuntblister marketing scam, and it angers me no end.

ok, i've noticed a bunch of you have fawned all over the popular authors. it's to be expected. let's begin on the smart person's guide to reading shit.

vernon vinge - yay yay yay!

bruce sterling - he's smarter than you are. read his work. his science-for-normals articles are better than his books.

greg egan - perth author, and he's possibly the best sci fi writer i've ever read. for once, someone who understands deep science and isn't afraid to fuck with it. i just wish he'd learn better characterisation skills.

david gemmell - mind numbing idiocy.

raymond e feist - anally retentive and dull. reasonable if you want to switch your brain off. i enjoyed the series where set in psuedo-japan, that was fun. couldn't read it again though.

larry niven - sparky. fun. writes well.

jerry pournelle - knows his technology. entertaining.

eddings - i want to fuck his skull with a pitchfork.

alastair reynolds - i don't get it. why do people think he's so fantastic? this seemed like cookie cutter sci fi to me.

terry pratchett - profligate writing makes not for a fantastic author - although it's SUPER fun to waste a few hours on every now and then.

peter hamilton - terrific fun, cheesy as hell but all class.

terry goodkind - writes like a retarded person with a fantastic grasp of english. it's really awful. prime candidate for "most popular author with asperger's syndrome"

robert jordan - i wouldn't wipe my arse with his writing. i wish he'd die. anyone who likes his books also needs to die.

iain m banks - culture novels are great. non sci fi stuff is nice too.

robin hobb - fantastic example of why women shouldn't be taught how to read and write.

kim stanley robinson - first mars book was great, then he ran out of ideas.

orson scott card - he's a mormon. makes you feel dirty reading it. maybe it's fun in the same way as reading the book of mormons is fun, but i just wanted to shower.

stephen baxter - nice ideas, dull execution.

jeff noon - everything this man has penned has been pure shit. sci fi for idiots.

[tikdoph]

Originally posted by annie
the author of the earthsea quartet.... ursula (sp??) something?

Ursula LeGuin. I remember reading the Earthsea books in Year 7 in highschool. Probably the first fantasy stuff I ever read (and a good introduction to the genre). :)

[Scythe]

Does spaceFag remind anyone else of one of those really annoying restraunt reviewers that never says anything nice and writes like they've just sucked on a lemon?

[Glompbot]

Originally posted by spaceFAG
preface: i hate trilogies. it's such a cuntblister marketing scam, and it angers me no end.

ok, i've noticed a bunch of you have fawned all over the popular authors. it's to be expected. let's begin on the smart person's guide to reading shit.


Oh go on!
abuse my favourite authors too!

Sheri S Tepper and Michael Marshall Smith

Go on! Oh man, I feel so left out. *has a cry*

[spaceFAG]

Originally posted by Scythe
Does spaceFag remind anyone else of one of those really annoying restraunt reviewers that never says anything nice and writes like they've just sucked on a lemon?

what, so people who are served lemons are supposed to pretend it's mushroom stuffed quail in a white wine jus in order to be "nice"?

besides, butterball, i said plenty of nice things. didn't you even pay attention?

[tikdoph]

Originally posted by Scythe
Does spaceFag remind anyone else of one of those really annoying restraunt reviewers that never says anything nice and writes like they've just sucked on a lemon?
I concur. spaceFAG is such a wanker, he makes edeity look like a yobbo.

[Scythe]

Originally posted by spaceFAG
besides, butterball, i said plenty of nice things. didn't you even pay attention?

Sorry, I guess the stream of vitriol coming from your keyboard must have temporarily blinded me.

By the way, statements like :
"robin hobb - fantastic example of why women shouldn't be taught how to read and write. "

- really not a good way to appeal to the feminine gender. For future reference, normal people would say things like "didn't like her writing, thought it was terrible."

(and yes, I know you were trying to be ironic and cool, but you didn't pull it off.)

[Megabyte]

Originally posted by spaceFAG
robert jordan - i wouldn't wipe my arse with his writing. i wish he'd die. anyone who likes his books also needs to die.


Oh..ouch. Welp, pass me the guillotine because I love his book/s. I've only read the one so far but I'm working my way through the chronicles.

[Freuds_Cat]

OK now Ive had a quick scan through this thread and I agree with the ppl who have mentioned CLarke, Heinlen,Asimov, Iain M Banks, Philip K Dick and Pratchett, Robert Rankin and William Gibson (If you like cyber punk like Gibson try Kim Newman) but no one has mentioned Robert Sheckley!! If you like Philip K Dick and you dont know Sheckley go and get some. It kind of like Philip K Dick but with an ironic twist to things, well thats using a broad brush really...he is great!

[spaceFAG]

Originally posted by Scythe
Sorry, I guess the stream of vitriol coming from your keyboard must have temporarily blinded me.

By the way, statements like :
"robin hobb - fantastic example of why women shouldn't be taught how to read and write. "

- really not a good way to appeal to the feminine gender. For future reference, normal people would say things like "didn't like her writing, thought it was terrible."

(and yes, I know you were trying to be ironic and cool, but you didn't pull it off.)

two points: (1) i don't especially wish to appeal to ANYONE on here, let alone women. (2) you clearly don't know what irony is.