Great SCIENCE FICTION Authors who are still alive?

[Dave Vicks]

All my Favorite SF authors are Dead.

Who do you really like that are alive?

 

[Dave Vicks]

Paolo B.
Robert Silverberg.

 

[Rodders]

There are a few.

Neal Asher is probably my go to guy for Space Opera.
Alistair Reynolds
Peter F. Hamilton
Dan Abnett
T.C. McCarthy
F. Paul Wilson (Okay, not really sci fi that one.)

 

[Vince W]

William Gibson
Bruce Sterling
Walter Jon Williams
Pat Cadigan
Larry Niven
Samuel Delany
Kim Stanley Robinson
C. J. Cherryh
Lois McMaster Bujold
David Weber
...

 

[hitmouse]

Michael Moorcock

 

[Bick]

I'm not sure a lot of those quoted are genuinely among the greats (yet) - I take the meaning here to be who from the old guard haven't shuffled off yet. By old guard, I mean those classic authors who broke though in the 50's and 60's. The list is quite short:

Silverberg, Delany, Moorcock, Niven (and possibly Martin, Haldeman and Cherryh)

If the question is simply who do you like who's still alive then it can include younger authors, and I'm not sure that's a very meaningful question, as there are hundreds of popular, younger SFF authors.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Adrian Tchaikovsky, Chris Beckett, Lois McMaster Bujold

im confused why younger authors, popular or not, can’t be included....?

 

[Bick]

Adrian Tchaikovsky, Chris Beckett, Lois McMaster Bujold

im confused why younger authors, popular or not, can’t be included....?

Well, I guess anyone can answer however they like, but the title of the thread is "great SF authors who are still alive", suggesting its asking about old folk who haven't passed on yet. If its just what SF authors do you happen to like regardless of seniority, its a rather bland generic question we've answered directly or indirectly in a hundred threads already.

 

[Bick]

F. Paul Wilson (Okay, not really sci fi that one.)

He absolutely is, Rodders - Healer, and Wheels Within Wheels?

 

[BAYLOR]

Ben Bova
Barry Malzberg
David Drake

 

[Bick]

Ben Bova

Good call.

 

[BAYLOR]

Good call.

Bova is a great writer , one of the very best.

 

[Don]

He absolutely is, Rodders - Healer, and Wheels Within Wheels?

An Enemy of the State

 

[AnyaKimlin]

All the old guard I enjoyed have shuffled off the mortal coil at least eight years ago. The following have reawakened the sci fi bug in me over the last few years and I think given Barry Hutchinson is a well known full time author in Scotland (admittedly also due to writing Ben 10 books, children's fantasy and crime under JD Kirk) he can be included.

Most of these are a bit different or break the mold of sci fi enough to be exciting and they're mostly prize winners or doing well in their genre:

I think Nnedi Okorafor's books are the best sci-fi I have ever read.

Mishell Baker, her portrayal of a character with borderline personality disorder gets her a place on this list.

Ursula Le Guinn

Barry J Hutchinson

Jo Zebedee, particularly for Inish Carraig. As a regional writer who is trying to set books in a place that agents and publishers often have prejudices about she's an inspiration. When I asked Scotland's best known agent a few months a question about setting books in the North of Scotland she automatically assumed I was talking about historical works!

 

[Ogma]

Connie Willis

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Ursula LeGuin

Deceased, sad to say.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Deceased, sad to say.

Oops - I am pretty sure the rest of the list is still alive. However, make that at least two years ago they shuffled off...

 

[Dave Vicks]

There is a documentary about Ben Bova and the writing of a book.

 

[Dave Vicks]

Ted Chiang

 

[Dave Vicks]

Didn't Jack Williamson live to 98?