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Who's your favourite science fiction author (if you like sci-fi)?

I've always enjoyed asimov

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Your girl Friday on July 16, 2008 at 11:33pm

I make a conscious effort to avoid all superstition-related phrases. It takes a lot of practice and an ironclad control over what comes out of your mouth, but you can reform it if you try.

Heck, I even say "gesundheit" when people sneeze, and not the other. I don't use swearwords that are even vaguely related to Xian mythology, although sometimes I'll switch out "god" with Athena or Zeus (if I feel like someone deserves a thunderbolt thrown at their head).

Permalink Reply by Steve Johnson on July 14, 2008 at 9:49am

Robert Heinlein is my god. His books were the first I had ever read that actually made me do some thinking instead of just absorbing whatever he said.

Permalink Reply by Rosa on July 14, 2008 at 2:37pm

woah! I totally adored reading Stranger in a Strange Land. It had such an interesting view-point on religion, and it made a hell lot more sense than the bible.

Permalink Reply by Michaela on July 14, 2008 at 2:41pm

*grin* very true Rosa - Heinlein was one of the Masters.

Permalink Reply by Jake on July 14, 2008 at 9:59am

Harlan Ellison

Permalink Reply by Michaela on July 14, 2008 at 10:29am

Women write science fiction to - my favourite is C. J. Cherryh who has had over 60 books published since the mid 1970's and won two Hugo Awards.

If interest continues in this thread I'll list others :)

Permalink Reply by Vyktor Alzirr on July 14, 2008 at 10:37am

Please do!

Permalink Reply by Your girl Friday on July 16, 2008 at 11:35pm

Joan Vinge is also very good.

Permalink Reply by Michaela on July 22, 2008 at 3:28am

That shes is :) The Snow Queen, World's End, The Summer Queen, Psion were all great books - as were the others she wrote :)

Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 14, 2008 at 10:41am

Don't know if I could pick a favourite, there's so much good stuff out there, but recently I've been rather keen on Richard Morgan.

Permalink Reply by Eli on July 14, 2008 at 10:47am

My guilty pleasure is the Stainless Steel Rat books by Harry Harrison... just pure entertainment.

Permalink Reply by Valis on July 16, 2008 at 4:54am

Mmm, there are so many of them. Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein the big three of course ;-) But also people like Ian M Banks, Philip Jose Farmer, Stephen Baxter, Harry Harrison, Theodore Sturgeon etc. But my all-time favourite has to be Philip K Dick. His insight into philosophical and metaphysical questions are just mind-boggling. He had a uniquely paranoid view of the world. Although I don't necessarily agree with him, his views on religion were also very interesting, even bizarre. His novel "Valis" is one of my favourite books! (hehe) Also books like "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer", "The Divine Invasion" and especially "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" are particulary freaked out. Oh, and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" also had some interesting takes on religion.