Your most favoirite SF writer and STILL alive !

**cegorach** · June 11, 2007, 11:25 AM

I am interested in websides of your favs too so please post links.

I am hard to convinc to read someone I have no idea about, but Jacek Dukaj is one of those few modern writers who really make me impatient for their new books.

Incredible imagination and ability to create very realistic worlds without writing 20 volumes of heroes' family history is a good start, but add impressive knowledge of subjects he deals with, perfectionism and unexpected endings which seem so fresh...

His webside

http://dukaj.fantastyka.art.pl/index_english.html

Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacek_Dukaj

Your choices ?

**mightyfenrir** · June 11, 2007, 03:19 PM

Only alive? ehhhh... I really like Philip K. Dick, but he's dead... Robert Bakker's alive and technically his Raptor Red is science fiction... it's about dinosaurs, but it can't be historical fiction... or can it?

**~~Childe Roland~~** · June 11, 2007, 03:29 PM

I like hard SF and Fantasy so all of my suggestions are for adult readers.

Sci-Fi Space Opera / Planet Stories
Neal Asher is very good - Cowl and the Skinner
Alastair Reynolds for those who really appreciate a guy who knows his science - Chasm City is a favorite
Ken Macleod - Star Fraction for those who like some politics in their SF

Cyberpunk or the god knowledge
Bruce Sterling's Schisamatrix Plus is required reading
as is anything by Neal Stephenson (including his historical fictions), China Mieville, and William Gibson.

Fantasy
The Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker is life altering philosopy -
Better than the Dune Series and almost better than the Dosadi Experiment but more Fantasy than SF.

**Lt.Bradford** · June 11, 2007, 03:56 PM

Dan Abnett, does the best stuff for the Black Library- Like the Eisenhorn or Gaunt's Ghost series.

**Muizer** · June 11, 2007, 04:13 PM

My favourite would be Iain Banks (Use of Weapons, Feersum Endjinn, Look to windward). Other writers I tend to keep an eye on are Alastair Reynolds (revelation space, absolution gap), Vernor Vinge (Peace War, Marooned in realtime, A Fire upon the Deep) and Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Speaker for the dead).

Edit: apparently Jack Vance is still amongst the living, so I'll add him.

**Drexxus Maximus** · June 11, 2007, 04:35 PM

Harlan Ellison. http://harlanellison.com/home.htm Great stuff.

**Roy Batty** · June 11, 2007, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Lt.Bradford

Dan Abnett, does the best stuff for the Black Library- Like the Eisenhorn or Gaunt's Ghost series.

I'll acknowledge that Abnett has a few moments of inspirational writing here and there but... you're really missing out on good Sci-Fi. Even Ben Bova is on a level above Abnett.

**conon394** · June 11, 2007, 07:17 PM

Alexis A Gilliland

Although I admit that is on the strength of still enjoying 'The End of the Empire' now as much as I did 20 years ago - and being too lazy to track down the rest of his books (maybe I would hate him I ever collect the rest of his SF).

**angry_hussar** · June 11, 2007, 07:20 PM

Troy Denning and Orson Scott Card

**redirflow** · June 11, 2007, 10:56 PM

I dont read the story books but I like to play the story game.
My favorite SF writer now is Ragnar Tørnquist. I m waiting for his Dreamfall Chapters.

**VoodooTengo** · June 12, 2007, 12:09 AM

El Ron, the only real choice for best SF writer, and he transcends the categories of Writer, Prophet, and Douchebag, truely a man for all seasons.

**danzig** · June 12, 2007, 07:59 AM

Orson Scott Card and Harlan Ellson also like Dan Simmons alot even though not 100% scifi but loved the Hyperion novels.

**ThiudareiksGunthigg** · June 13, 2007, 12:43 AM

Iain M. Banks. Favourite novel: The Use of Weapons. Favourite characters: Diziet Sma and Cheradenine Zakalwe.

Neal Stephenson. Favourite novel: The Diamond Age(I'm just starting The System of the World, though that isn't really sci-fi). Favourite character: Raven.

Dan Simmons. Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion (they're really one novel in two volumes). Favourite characters: Colonel Fedmahn Kassad and the Shrike (of course).

All of them are smart writers who can actually write (most sci-fi writers couldn't write their way out of a wet paper bag) and who produce novels of ideas rather than space operas or technogeek fantasies. Good science fiction explores real ideas and issues using a futuristic/comological canvas. Most sci-fi is just robot-and-space-ship fantasy for tedious Trekkies and Star Wars nerds.

**Evariste** · June 13, 2007, 12:46 AM

Would I be lynched if I admit that Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy holds a dear place in my heart?

**Roshak** · June 13, 2007, 05:23 PM

Well dead H.G. Wells but since he's...dead I'll have to go with someone else.

Don't really have a favorite but probably Orson Scott Card.

**Roy Batty** · June 14, 2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Evariste

Would I be lynched if I admit that Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy holds a dear place in my heart?

Not at all. I thought they were enjoyable; on par with (if not far better than) anything Lucas could have written to be sure.

**Lysander13** · June 14, 2007, 10:04 PM

Dan Simmons would probably qualify as my favorite SF writer and still alive.
http://www.dansimmons.com/

Though not strictly sci-fi; his sci-fi novels nevertheless are very good.
As was mentioned in an earlier post The Hyperion series is outstanding.
However perhaps my favorites from Simmons were Ilium and Olympos.

**danzig** · June 16, 2007, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Lysander13

Dan Simmons would probably qualify as my favorite SF writer and still alive.
http://www.dansimmons.com/

Though not strictly sci-fi; his sci-fi novels nevertheless are very good.
As was mentioned in an earlier post The Hyperion series is outstanding.
However perhaps my favorites from Simmons were Ilium and Olympos.

Three Simmons fans in the thread...not bad

And yep the Ilium/Olympos books are really good too. While not scifi The Terror is also excellent. Gotta love scifi that doesn't attempt to dumb it down and avoid as ThiudareiksGunthigg pointed out Trek like space soap operas.

**Muizer** · June 16, 2007, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by danzig

Three Simmons fans in the thread...not bad

And yep the Ilium/Olympos books are really good too. While not scifi The Terror is also excellent. Gotta love scifi that doesn't attempt to dumb it down and avoid as ThiudareiksGunthigg pointed out Trek like space soap operas.

I've only read "Hyperion" by Simmons. I wasn't exactly tempted to read the sequel.