Classic Science Fiction/Fantasy Authors [ Edited ]

[Nelsmom]

I am curious to know who you feel is a classic author of this genre and why?

My list would go like this

Science Fiction

Issac Asimov

Arthur C. Clarke

Robert E. Heinlein

Larry Niven

Poul Anderson

Fantasy

David Eddings

Andre Norton

Anne McCaffrey

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ursula Le Quin

H.G. Wells

 Fritz Leiber

These seem to be the ones that have stories that last through the years and are ones that people I know as well as myself read and reread.

Toni

Message Edited by Nelsmom on 09-04-2008 11:56 PM

[Capuchin]

Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein were always the Big 3. I can't imagine anyone interested in science fiction not reading them.

Erik Frank Russell has always been one of my favorites -- he wasn't prolific, but his stories are wonderful.

Jack Williamson, Fred Pohl, Avram Davidson, John Brunner, Harlan Ellison, Delaney, and Ballard are all classic authors. Each defined a new sub-genre of sf.

[Nadine]

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Nelsmom wrote:

I am curious to know who you feel is a classic author of this genre and why?

My list would go like this

Science Fiction

Issac Asimov

Arthur C. Clarke

Robert E. Heinlein

Larry Niven

Poul Anderson

Fantasy

David Eddings

Andre Norton

Anne McCaffrey

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ursula Le Quin

H.G. Wells

Fritz Leiber

These seem to be the ones that have stories that last through the years and are ones that people I know as well as myself read and reread.

Toni

Message Edited by Nelsmom on 09-04-2008 11:56 PM

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What no Tolkien under Fantasy! And Toni you were the one who originally started the Tolkien group! First Post of the Group.

[Nelsmom]

Nadine,

You are right I did forget to list Tolkien and he is a giant in fantasy but who else do you consider a classic author?  Anyone else know of authors that started the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre that may now be being republished?  Another facet of this question is who of the current authors do you think will stand the test of time and become classics?

Toni

[Jon_B]

I would say that Philip K. Dick should definitely be considered a classic SciFi author at this point.  Many of his books and short stories have been very influential and some of them have even become successful films (Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly). 

 As for Fantasy - Nadine already mentioned Tolkien - I'd say his friend C.S. Lewis belongs on the list as well.

And as for current authors, I think Steven Erikson and George R. R. Martin both show some potential to be considered classic Fantasy authors in the future (as did Robert Jordon at one point) but its too soon to say.  I think Dan Simmons' Hyperion series will also be considered classics in the future, but Simmons himself writes in a number of genres, he's not strictly a "sci-fi writer".   I think Orson Scott Card might be considered a classic scifi writer in the future as well... Ender's Game is already called a classic by a lot of people.

Message Edited by Jon_B on 09-05-2008 12:19 PM

[Nelsmom]

Jon,

I will definitly try some of Steven Erickson's books.  I haven't yet but will.  What do SciFi fans think of Robert Silverberg's Marjpoor books?  As I have been thinking about this today he is another author that has come to mind and I know his books have been around a long time as well as Gordon R. Dickerson.  I know that I haven't heard about a lot of classic authors and I would like to try some of them.

Toni

[Bradinator1]

This list seems to be missing:

Robert E. Howard- Conan and Soloman Kane (Without this guy Gov. Arnold never gets a break in Hollywood!)

MIchael Moorcock- Champion Eternal Cycle (Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum, etc) he should qualify here, I think. Been around long enough.

Jules Verne- 20,000 Leagues, etc- The man had a serious imagination for the time he was writing.

Roger Zelazny- Chronicles of Amber is one of the best series ever.

Brad

[Nelsmom]

Thanks Brad,

That is the reason I asked the question.  Some I have read; others I haven't so I'm asking around to learn more.  Everyone has their own idea of a classic and I find it interesting to hear them and try some ones  that I haven't.  Also so many authors from the past just don't get the recognition that they should.  Maybe if more answer I will be able to put together a list to share.  Not only here on this sight but with people I meet.

Toni

[Nadine]

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Nelsmom wrote:

I am curious to know who you feel is a classic author of this genre and why?

My list would go like this

Science Fiction

Issac Asimov

Arthur C. Clarke

Robert E. Heinlein

Larry Niven

Poul Anderson

Fantasy

David Eddings

Andre Norton

Anne McCaffrey

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ursula Le Quin

H.G. Wells

 Fritz Leiber

These seem to be the ones that have stories that last through the years and are ones that people I know as well as myself read and reread.

Toni

Message Edited by Nelsmom on 09-04-2008 11:56 PM

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What would everyone consider the classic SF/Fantasy books or series rather than generally an author? Not recent stuff but books that have stood the test of time and are still favorites. Maybe we could even find something people would like to talk about. Limit it to your top ten.

[Nelsmom]

If we are going with books or series my top ten would look like this:

The Robot series by Issac Asimov

The Marjpoor Chronicles by Robert Silverberg

Darkover series by Marian Zimmer Bradley

War Of The World by H.G. Wells

Belgariad and Mallorian series by David Eddings

Dragonriders Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Witch World series by Andre Norton

Space Odyssey books by Arthur C. Clarke

The Cat Who Walked Through Walls by Robert E. Heinlein

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne

I know that I could add a lot more but those would definitly be my top 10

Toni

[Chomp]

Aside from the authors/works already listed I would have to add:

Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, especially)

Just about anything by Phillip K. Dick 

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller 

The Baron in the Trees and If On a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino 

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman  

The Left Hand of Darkness by LeGuin 

1984 by Orwell 

Brave New World by Huxley 

Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler 

Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein (I know he's been mentioned, but I love this book in particular)

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester 

A Clockwork Orange by Burgess

Children of Men by P.D. James 

My tastes (aside from Tolkien, that is) tend to be more toward the futuristic and apocalyptic rather than epic fantasy (though I love to watch the latter).

Carol 

[Nadine]

Very good list, Carol. I'm a newcommer to this gendre so I haven't read any of these but I just did a bit of research and they all look like good books that we could get our "teeth" into and have a decent discussion. 

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Chomp wrote:

Aside from the authors/works already listed I would have to add:

Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, especially)

Just about anything by Phillip K. Dick 

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller 

The Baron in the Trees and If On a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino 

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman  

The Left Hand of Darkness by LeGuin 

1984 by Orwell 

Brave New World by Huxley 

Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler 

Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein (I know he's been mentioned, but I love this book in particular)

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester 

A Clockwork Orange by Burgess

Children of Men by P.D. James 

My tastes (aside from Tolkien, that is) tend to be more toward the futuristic and apocalyptic rather than epic fantasy (though I love to watch the latter).

Carol 

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[paulgoatallen]

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Nelsmom wrote:

I am curious to know who you feel is a classic author of this genre and why?

My list would go like this

Science Fiction

Issac Asimov

Arthur C. Clarke

Robert E. Heinlein

Larry Niven

Poul Anderson

Fantasy

David Eddings

Andre Norton

Anne McCaffrey

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ursula Le Quin

H.G. Wells

Fritz Leiber

These seem to be the ones that have stories that last through the years and are ones that people I know as well as myself read and reread.

Toni

Message Edited by Nelsmom on 09-04-2008 11:56 PM

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Toni:

Geez, the list is potentially endless. I have trouble calling authors "classic" for some reason. Sure, if they write a wonderfully timeless novel, I'll call that a classic but I like the terms "icon" or "legend" better when referring to writers like Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, etc.

And I think this question is more of a personal one because I think the books you read at your most influential time – usually around adolescence – are the ones that you're apt to remember fondly. Authors that I consider "classics" are the ones I devoured while growing up: Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, Anderson, Varley, Niven, Bova, etc. but now that I'm older, I enjoy reading the real classics – the ones that go back to the 1930s, 1940s, etc.

Also, there's been a terrific trend in SF in the last decade or so to reissue forgotten or obscure masterworks from the past to a new generation of readers. Hopefully in upcoming months, we can discover (or rediscover) some of these classics together – like, for example, War of the Worlds...

Paul

Message Edited by paulgoatallen on 09-07-2008 06:44 PM

[Nelsmom]

You are right Paul,  I lot of it is personel choice but I also thought that maybe with enough people letting us know what they like it would help get a discussion going and maybe I would find some authors and books that I hadn't heard of to try.  Maybe I should have said Giants of Early Science Fiction.  Anyway I hope that maybe something other than what new can I read coming to this board.  Or at least they try to read the books before asking.

Toni

[Bradinator1]

Gotta add:

Robert Heinlein-Starship Troopers, the socio-political commentary is phenomenal! As a Vet the boot camp sequences ring true. Please forget that god awful movie, it ain't even close. At the time of it's release it was fairly controversal as the Vietnam peace movement was in full swing.

Jerry Pournelle & Larry Niven- The Mote in God's Eye is a fascinating look at a "First Contact" with alien life and man's reaction to it (as well as the aliens reaction to us).

Brad

[marla4]

I've did read half of the books from  Asimov, Clarke,  Heinlein, Eddings,  Bradley, McCaffrey and Wells. It doesn't mean that I don't like them, they do make very good book and I enjoy what I've read. I know of the other but not read any of there books.

[paulgoatallen]

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Bradinator wrote:

Gotta add:

Robert Heinlein-Starship Troopers, the socio-political commentary is phenomenal! As a Vet the boot camp sequences ring true. Please forget that god awful movie, it ain't even close. At the time of it's release it was fairly controversal as the Vietnam peace movement was in full swing.

Jerry Pournelle & Larry Niven- The Mote in God's Eye is a fascinating look at a "First Contact" with alien life and man's reaction to it (as well as the aliens reaction to us).

Brad

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Brad:

Speaking of Niven and Pournelle, how awesome was Lucifer's Hammer? You want a post-apocalyptic classic? That book scared the bejezus out of me. (Is bejezus even a word?)

Paul 

[karinlib]

George McDonald is a classic Fanatasy author, in fact he influenced C.S.Lewis  and Tolkien, which we all know brought the genre into the forefront. 

MacDonald wrote Lilith and The Light Princess.

[Bradinator1]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

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Bradinator wrote:

Gotta add:

Robert Heinlein-Starship Troopers, the socio-political commentary is phenomenal! As a Vet the boot camp sequences ring true. Please forget that god awful movie, it ain't even close. At the time of it's release it was fairly controversal as the Vietnam peace movement was in full swing.

Jerry Pournelle & Larry Niven- The Mote in God's Eye is a fascinating look at a "First Contact" with alien life and man's reaction to it (as well as the aliens reaction to us).

Brad

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Brad:

Speaking of Niven and Pournelle, how awesome was Lucifer's Hammer? You want a post-apocalyptic classic? That book scared the bejezus out of me. (Is bejezus even a word?)

Paul 

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Paul,

Yer right, Lucifer's Hammer is a great post apocalypse read. I started reading Niven and Pournelle with "West of Honor", an awesome military sci/fi series. I believe they have dropped most of that series out in one of those big, fat, compendium type editions.

Brad

[osha341]

Paul:  You've made my head spin back to the past, ouch!!!  Now I remember reading Anne McCaffrey's The Ship series as well as her dragons and loved them all.  Ray Bradbury was also a favorite as well as Terry Brooks and Piers Anthony.  Please made a permanent post for What Are You Reading Now so we can all get back into those oldies, I won't call them classics cause like someone said previously, I can't go back to he-man _hit, I'm an oldie but I remember my mom working all day, coming home, doing all the housework, cooking and her husband, my father, just sitting there drinking and not doing a damn thing.  Give me books where men and women are equal, kick butt, etc.  Ok, one more request - since we now have paranormal, what is the difference between fantasy and paranormal?  Do I need to take these authors mentioned above to paranormal or stay here?  I didn't like the previous thread and the way it ran and know wonder a question was made on another board about whether or not a complaint should be filed against a certain person who thought he knew it all.

Take Care and here's hoping that your aren't wearing trifocals yet like I am and thanks for your time.