Science Fiction Authors

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Fave sci-fi author

Philip K Dick
2
8%
Clifford D Simak
0
No votes
Isaac Asimov
0
No votes
Arthur C Clarke
1
4%
Ray Bradbury
0
No votes
Iain M Banks
1
4%
William Gibson
1
4%
John Wyndham
2
8%
H G Wells
2
8%
Harry Harrison
0
No votes
Douglas Adams
8
33%
A N Other
7
29%
 
Total votes: 24
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Pet Lamb
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Postby Pet Lamb » Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:52

Ally Craig wrote:Maybe I just find it hard to connect with someone that drug-addled and paranoid.


But Ally...you get on so well with the forum members... :wink:
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schlep
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Postby schlep » Fri Jul 20, 2007 13:40

Looking forward to Abnego's essay - however I find I don't really have a horse in this race.
Some of the more imaginative, innovative writers mentioned here - PK Dick, JG Ballard - I find difficult to read, their prose clunky and characters wooden variations of the author's own voice.

I'm ashamed to say I've never read any HG Wells! Edgar Allen Poe wrote some science fiction too, if we're going to go way-old school.

I remember liking Arthur C Clarke's cold intelligent perspective of a vast universe of which human beings are only dimly aware . It's been so long since I've read his books, I can't really say if I like them anymore.

John Wyndham's 'Triffids' is a great book. I recently downloaded from some blog, the six part BBC radio adaptation (from the early 60's?).
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Postby Batesy » Fri Jul 20, 2007 14:47

HG Wells again for me. I read War of the Worlds again fairly recently and it still seems so fresh. With so many adaptations (films, TV seiries, radio broadcasts, musicals, etc) it's easy to forget how damn good the original story actually is.

One bit that always makes me smile is the sentence about a bloke running down the street 'ejaculating'. I really shouldn't find that funny at my age.

The Tom Cruise film was bloody awful - couldn't get much further from the book if they tried.

Never read any of Iain Banks' sci-fi stuff but I like his other books. Not sure where to start though.
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The Bronx
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Postby The Bronx » Fri Jul 20, 2007 14:59

abnego wrote:
The Bronx wrote:If you haven't read Day of the Triffids don't be put off by the ropey old film they made of it with Howard Keel.


...agreed, that film is a travesty...... the BBC tv adaption is pretty good though...


Yes I've got that BBC one. I did hear that someone was going to do a new version too.
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Postby The Bronx » Fri Jul 20, 2007 15:10

Stoneage Dinosaurs wrote:
The Bronx wrote:John Wyndham. Day of the Triffids is excellent, as are many of his other books. If you haven't read Day of the Triffids don't be put off by the ropey old film they made of it with Howard Keel. There's much more to this superb book than most people who haven’t read it imagine.


Agreed, the first Wyndham book I read years and years ago was The Kraken Wakes, excellent stuff. Then I read Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter which were really good spooky humour stories. Then I read The Day of the Triffids. And I keep promising myself that soon I'll read The Chrysalids as well, it's been sitting in my "waiting to read pile" for years


The Crysalids is a great book, and so is The Midwhich Cuckoos (fifties film version Village of the Damned is good). Bring it to the top of the pile. :)
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Stoneage Dinosaurs
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Postby Stoneage Dinosaurs » Fri Jul 20, 2007 15:58

The Bronx wrote:The Crysalids is a great book, and so is The Midwhich Cuckoos (fifties film version Village of the Damned is good). Bring it to the top of the pile. :)


Ok, I will now, and make it a summer read! :D

And should mention I've got it in a lovely old 70s penguin paperback.
Last edited by Stoneage Dinosaurs on Fri Jul 20, 2007 16:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Ady
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Postby Ady » Fri Jul 20, 2007 16:05

i cant believe no one's picked up on Dune- c'mon thats got to be one of the best sci fi book s ever..let alone the others....soz just me opinion!
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Postby frostbyte » Fri Jul 20, 2007 19:50

Fu Manchu wrote:
frostbyte wrote:i think whoever wrote the bible is the best science fiction writer!
i mean, all the celestial beings and stuff, blood from stones, wine from water, bread from the skies and stuff! brilliant! what an imagination!!!! people die, come to life again etc, classic!!!!


Interesting choice Frosty...none other than Philip K Dick referred to the bible as the greatest sci-fi novel ever... :)


really? maybe i should read some of his stuff then.
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Postby Michnic57 » Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:41

I voted an other : Frank Herbert (not only for Dune, but also for Dosadi), Silverberg, PJ Farmer (Ahh, the River...), Dan Simmons (Hyperion),...
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Postby Bispy » Sun Jul 22, 2007 19:17

Philip K Dick. I collect his work and have done since I read A Scanner Darkly many years ago.

I am a Dickhead.
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Pet Lamb
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Postby Pet Lamb » Mon Jul 23, 2007 03:04

Bispy wrote:Philip K Dick. I collect his work and have done since I read A Scanner Darkly many years ago.

I am a Dickhead.


So is my hubby...I haven't read anything at all by him...I will let him be a icon for Fu without my comments... :wink:
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Postby Meenie » Mon Jul 23, 2007 09:54

Its Mr Adams for me,cut off in his prime so he was.
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Ady
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Postby Ady » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:23

also i used to like stuff by Brian W Aldiss, hothouse being a fave.
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dane bramage
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Postby dane bramage » Fri Jul 27, 2007 22:35

Whaaaaat -- no votes for William Gibson?!?!

I'll put one in. Can't say he's my one favorite, but must admit that "Neuromancer" absolutely rocked my world when it came out. His latest works have been sketchy, though.

I read every Ray Bradbury I could get my hands on when I was a wee lad o' eight or nine. "The Veldt" scarred me for life.
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Alternate BC
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Postby Alternate BC » Sat Jul 28, 2007 08:28

dane bramage wrote:Whaaaaat -- no votes for William Gibson?!?!

I'll put one in. Can't say he's my one favorite, but must admit that "Neuromancer" absolutely rocked my world when it came out. His latest works have been sketchy, though.


Didn't he write Johnny Mnemonic ? I've never read any of his books, will do one of these days.
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