Author Discussion

Description

Discuss your favorite or least favorite authors.

Ian Banks

Submitted by EmptyKube on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 12:28am

Well, since no one's posted anything new in a while I thought I'd try:)

Ian Banks is my new fav. He's British, and I've always loved British SF writers. His books tend to be character driven, but high tech stories. Not exactly Hard SF, but definately gadget oriented. He has a future in which humans and AI's as well as aliens play important characters, and his themes tend to be love, hate, revenge, hope, et. Look him up. He's worth it.

 

Article: Harlan's Week At Odyssey

Submitted by scifiwriterb on Sun, 04/16/2006 - 7:49pm

An account of the havoc--er whirlwind--er inspiration Harlan Ellison wrought at Odyssey 1998. I believe this was the last and most recent time Harlan terrified--taught--beginning writers in a workshop environment.

I almost went that year. My luck that I didn't go. :-(

You can read the autopsy report at http://harlanellison.com/heboard/odyssey.htm#article

Asimov

Submitted by camidon on Thu, 04/15/2004 - 9:49pm

For a bunch of writers, we're pretty quiet about authors. There are some big names we haven't touched on.

What do people think of Asimov? The good and the bad? He IS considered a: "Grandmaster of Science Fiction" Does everyone in the group revere him, or do others find the occasional fault?

Roger Zelazny

Submitted by camidon on Mon, 04/05/2004 - 9:35pm

So we've mentioned Zelazny a few times before, but I thought he warranted a category of his own.

I've read The Chronicles of Amber (all 10 of them) A new BIG edition with all of them came out not too long ago. One of the most creative worlds imagined. Zelazny is an action-adventure writer with a truly immense imagination. He's the proof a writer can dream up anything and make it work.

I've read his short story collection: The Last Defender of Camelot. A vampiric robot--brilliant.

What else would people recommend?

Vernor Vinge

Submitted by camidon on Sat, 09/06/2003 - 9:24pm

Let's add a new author to the list: Vernor Vinge

Here's another one every current science fiction author should read. This guy is a Prof at San Diego St. in Comp Science so he's not prolific, but the stuff he's got out is good. He's got some very original ideas/theories about the universe. It's the most original universe I've ever read. He verges on hard scifi, and some would probably classify him thus, but he's nothing like Kim Stanley Robinson. Somtimes he's a little slow, somtimes the books got you buy the balls and won't let go. So, if you need another good book, pick up one of his.

The two I've read and recommend:
"A Deepness in the Sky"
"A Fire upon the Deep"

Jeff Noon

Submitted by camidon on Sat, 08/23/2003 - 2:18pm

Here I am again, rambling along about Jeff Noon, and I will continue to do so until someone in this group actually reads his work. He's the most visionary new scifi/fantasty writer I've ever read. His style is all his own, and his stories never have a dull moment. Even people that have read his stuff that I've talked to and hated it, haven't been able to put the books down.

Vurt is a mix of drugs, dreams, and video games, and I'll be darned if anyone can really find a classification for his writing. It's a story about the search for a lost love that takes him deep in the doodoo of his own mind as well as the strange and fully frightening world in which the tale is set. This book has it all, shadowcops, dog people, sexual anarchy, the Game Cat, and not to mention lots and lots of Vaz.

So read his books already! I need some more opinions about Noon, or else, maybe I'm just barking up the wrong author, and if other scifi writers thinks he sucks, maybe I need to rethink my awe.
His books:
1) Vurt
2) Pollen (out of print, sadly)
3) Nymhpmation
And a few other I've not read:
4) Pixel Juice,
5) Automated Alice

Stephen King

Submitted by eddycurrents on Fri, 08/08/2003 - 1:16am

I ran out of Hardy Boy mysteries in our local library, and somehow I started reading The Stand. I was about 10, or maybe 11. It was ten times longer than anything else I had read before then, and I was hooked.

I read everything he wrote after that. My writing style through school was unconsciously modeled on his. I would have to credit him for my high grades in writing.

Oddly, even though I enjoy reading King, and I write a little like him, I can't write in his genre. Oh well. At least I play guitar.

His style is concise, and his prose is direct (not as much as Hemingway though). His ideas are terrific, his plots are usually not that complicated, but his characters are positively alive.

He says he creates his characters and lets them do whatever they do, and they create the story. He doesn't plan anything. I like that approach.

Alas, his best stories seem to be behind him. There have been a few good tales lately, but my favorites are still his early ones. I particularly liked Night Shift, Firestarter, Needful Things, and Bag of Bones.

His non-fiction book On Writing is excellent.