Author Topic: Sci-Fi key authors  (Read 6388 times)

Renoard

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #30 on: June 04, 2009, 09:54:55 PM »
No of course not.  But there are so many books out there in the "slush pile" that you have to have some admittedly arbitrary rules of thumb to categorize and avoid the bad ones.  If libraries carried EVERY book published in a particular genre you still wouldn't have time to give every book in the genre you like a fair chance.  And buying a book or even taking the time to finish one you borrow is an investment of sorts.
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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #31 on: June 04, 2009, 10:24:26 PM »
@Books
I meant to reply earlier.  I wasn't talking about the artists or illustrations, I meant the layout and design work that was done after the illustration had been completed.
I was referring to that too when I said I liked it.

Elantris has gold embossed foil and nicely designed title text. Mistborn uses two-tone title text and I quite like the font and the rest of the design. The top/bottom lines look a bit odd in digital form but have a nice effect on the physical book.
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mtlhddoc2

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #32 on: June 22, 2009, 06:24:41 PM »
Surprised noone has mentioned Asimov, Chalker or Herbert when talking sci-fi. Really, does sci-fi get any better than Dune, or I, Robot, or Well of souls? Or how about Pohl? space Merchants was great fun.

I am in line with most others on the fantasy side, but would not put Erikson as a "key" author, nor Sanderson. they have really yet to make their mark the way Jordan, Feist, Eddings, tolkien, Donladson, and yes, McCafferty have all done. (I cannot stand McCafferty, but she is influential, and would be considered a "key" author). Throw in CS Lewis and Ursula LeGuin and I think we come close to a complete set.

some people would argue that Terry Brooks should be in there too, but I dont believe so, his books are not considered "must read" books.

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #33 on: June 22, 2009, 11:51:02 PM »
read the opening post there is a list and herbert asimov and all the classics are there...
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mtlhddoc2

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #34 on: June 23, 2009, 02:47:30 AM »
Kaz: you are right... oops.... would you consider Zelazny a key author? I thought the Amber series was rather pedantic.

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #35 on: June 23, 2009, 02:54:02 AM »
I actually didn't enjoy I, Robot. I found it rather slow. Then again, I was like nine at the time, so maybe I just didn't have the attention span for it.  :-\ Not that I do now.  :P
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #36 on: June 23, 2009, 04:18:48 AM »
Zelazny has won more hugos than anyone i have yet to see...6
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Renoard

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #37 on: June 23, 2009, 05:14:54 AM »
Well awards are only a guideline.  Often the best work is not appreciated adequately until long after the artist's death has brought a degree of objectivity.  However, Zelazny was certainly not pedantic.  If anything he moved too quickly, taking far too little time with description and setting.  Partly that's due to the fact he has his characters making shadow runs for major portions of the books and that is necessarily vague.  But the books are painfully crisp and fast moving, even cryptic in places.
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mtlhddoc2

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #38 on: June 23, 2009, 12:17:10 PM »
hmm, just goes to show how differently people view different books or author styles, even people who like the same genre. I found myself unable to finish the Amber series because I thought he moved painfully slow in story setup and never quite got to teh point.

Bookstore Guy

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #39 on: June 23, 2009, 05:12:26 PM »
Surprised noone has mentioned Asimov, Chalker or Herbert when talking sci-fi. Really, does sci-fi get any better than Dune, or I, Robot, or Well of souls? Or how about Pohl? space Merchants was great fun.

I am in line with most others on the fantasy side, but would not put Erikson as a "key" author, nor Sanderson. they have really yet to make their mark the way Jordan, Feist, Eddings, tolkien, Donladson, and yes, McCafferty have all done. (I cannot stand McCafferty, but she is influential, and would be considered a "key" author). Throw in CS Lewis and Ursula LeGuin and I think we come close to a complete set.

some people would argue that Terry Brooks should be in there too, but I dont believe so, his books are not considered "must read" books.

McCaffrey.

I think you need to keep in mind that who was influential before may not be influential now. Fantasy now is very different than it was before. Guys like Eddings and Brooks were influential years ago, and they helped shape the direction fantasy took. Jordan was the same, though personally I feel he was more influential than the others through the 90's. Just like they were influential then (and like Tolkien was before them), authors like Erikson, Sanderson, Lynch, Mieville, Abercrombie, etc. are influential now. They are part of the new group of authors who are paving the new road in fantasy. Just because they have not been around for very long doesnt mean they haven't made their "mark" on the genre. I think you have to include those authors as "key" authors.

Also, personally I dont put much stock in Hugo awards. Those are popularity awards for the most visible authors. I read the last batch of Hugo nominated novels, and they were pretty bleh. It's more of a Fan's Choice award where the voters are fanboys of particular authors who pay to go to Worldcon. They are neat awards, but after attending 2 of the ceremonies, I realized it isnt really about the best novel of the year.
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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #40 on: June 23, 2009, 10:32:44 PM »
Zelazny has also won 3 nebulas and a bunch of other stuff... and if you don't put stock in awards and i understand why i don't like card even though he is decorated out the wazoo... well pick up a book and decide for yourself...
Tolkein and Jordan are still influential authors!!!! if you have a fan base as large as theirs its hard not to be so, what you read as a kid will influence how you write as an adult!
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Bookstore Guy

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Re: Sci-Fi key authors
« Reply #41 on: June 24, 2009, 04:12:39 PM »
and if you don't put stock in awards ... well pick up a book and decide for yourself...

exactly. i really wish more people would do this. well said, my friend.
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