Modern Sci fi Authors (Recommendations)

[rezman333]

Who are the greats now? I am not impressed personally with modern sci fi authors. I would say i am a big fan of Clifford Simak and other older writers but for me to many new authors just write books that peter out at the end or the stories are not very engaging. Is there a new author comparable to a Simak?

 

[BAYLOR]

The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
The Killing Star by Charles Pelligrino and George Zebroski
Hyperon by Dan Simmons
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

 

[Venusian Broon]

Hyperon by Dan Simmons
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

eh? 1989 and 1992 respectively for the release dates of those books. You do realise that's approximately 30 years ago?
Plus I'm not sure they're really making any waves today.

Alastair Reynolds is starting to hit a purple patch currently for me, at least he's learnt how to actually write a satisfying plot arc on top of his SF shenanighans. However, I can't tell you if there are any authors like Clifford Simak, as I've never read any of his work!

 

[BAYLOR]

eh? 1989 and 1992 respectively for the release dates of those books. You do realise that's approximately 30 years ago?
Plus I'm not sure they're really making any waves today.

Alastair Reynolds is starting to hit a purple patch currently for me, at least he's learnt how to actually write a satisfying plot arc on top of his SF shenanighans. However, I can't tell you if there are any authors like Clifford Simak, as I've never read any of his work!

Good point.

 

[hitmouse]

Who are the greats now? I am not impressed personally with modern sci fi authors. I would say i am a big fan of Clifford Simak and other older writers but for me to many new authors just write books that peter out at the end or the stories are not very engaging. Is there a new author comparable to a Simak?

Hi rez,

Please can you give us a list of the modern sf authors who do not impress you? There may be some that you have not read yet.

That will help inform the ensuing conversation and make the inevitable suggestions much more efficient.

ta muchly

 

[Rodders]

I’ve not read any of Simak’s work, but I am very happy with modern authors. Good point of Hitmouse’s. Without knowing what authors you didn’t like, recommending something for you would be difficult and repetitive at best.

 

[tobl]

i guess that depends on your taste but for me
jack campbel lost fleet
christopher g nuttall
raymond l weil
mike shepherd
h paul honsinger
john ringo
evan currie
craig alanson
tom kratman
timothy ellis
joel shepherd
dietmar wehr
dale musser
joshua dalzelle

 

[tobl]

and of course david weber but you did asked for modern

 

[Rodders]

As with most suggestions, these are entirely subjective.

Iain M. Banks. Although he may be considered "Classic" by some after his passing. He remains my favourite Author.

Alistair Reynolds can be a bit hit and miss, but i adored his Revelation Space series and am looking forward to Inhibitor Phase this year.

Adrian Tchaikovsky. To be fair, i have only read Dogs of War, but it was brilliant and i am looking forward to reading his Children of Time/Ruin books.

Neal Asher. (Superb Space Opera.)

Timothy Zahn (I've only red his early Thrawn books, but i'm led to believe that his non Star Wars books are very good.)

Peter F. Hamilton

Dan Abnett (Specifically his Gaunt's Ghosts series.

 

[tobl]

As with most suggestions, these are entirely subjective.

Iain M. Banks. Although he may be considered "Classic" by some after his passing. He remains my favourite Author.

Alistair Reynolds can be a bit hit and miss, but i adored his Revelation Space series and am looking forward to Inhibitor Phase this year.

Adrian Tchaikovsky. To be fair, i have only read Dogs of War, but it was brilliant and i am looking forward to reading his Children of Time/Ruin books.

Neal Asher. (Superb Space Opera.)

Timothy Zahn (I've only red his early Thrawn books, but i'm led to believe that his non Star Wars books are very good.)

Peter F. Hamilton

Dan Abnett (Specifically his Gaunt's Ghosts series.

yep, entirely subjective. i can honestly say i don't like any of those writers

 

[rezman333]

The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
The Killing Star by Charles Pelligrino and George Zebroski
Hyperon by Dan Simmons
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

read half of those, good picks

 

[rezman333]

eh? 1989 and 1992 respectively for the release dates of those books. You do realise that's approximately 30 years ago?
Plus I'm not sure they're really making any waves today.

Alastair Reynolds is starting to hit a purple patch currently for me, at least he's learnt how to actually write a satisfying plot arc on top of his SF shenanighans. However, I can't tell you if there are any authors like Clifford Simak, as I've never read any of his work!

I just finished Pushing Ice and I was so into it and then for me it just peters out

 

[rezman333]

Hi rez,

Please can you give us a list of the modern sf authors who do not impress you? There may be some that you have not read yet.

That will help inform the ensuing conversation and make the inevitable suggestions much more efficient.

ta muchly

Three body problem, was crap in my opionion. I did really enjoy Children of Time and thought man Adrian Tchaikovsky is the making of a true master.

 

[rezman333]

thanks for the names I will be looking into them. My bookstore in my town has like a corner for sci fi and thats it. Maybe I am old but i like to peruse covers and skim through before i buy a book. I can say I read Old Mans War too but that just had to much swearing for my taste. Adrian Tchaikovsky is the best new writer I have read

 

[Venusian Broon]

I just finished Pushing Ice and I was so into it and then for me it just peters out

Yeah, definitely a lot of his stuff from that time, before and a bit after does exactly that. Starts with a bang, your on for white knuckle ride, then a dissappointing descent into the end. It makes me think he's very much a pantser in the way he writes. I was pleasantly surprised by his 2016's Revenger which actually had a decent ending, so it made me think he is perhaps improving now!

 

[rezman333]

Maybe I will give that one a chance

 

[rezman333]

It is funny how many of the writers in this thread are older, which seems to strengthen my point, that newer writers are not as good as older ones. hahah

 

[rezman333]

i guess that depends on your taste but for me
jack campbel lost fleet
christopher g nuttall
raymond l weil
mike shepherd
h paul honsinger
john ringo
evan currie
craig alanson
tom kratman
timothy ellis
joel shepherd
dietmar wehr
dale musser
joshua dalzelle

Is it irony that the Lost Fleet series is about a man from the past being better than those from the present time, ala this thread. hahah

 

[hitmouse]

Three body problem, was crap in my opionion. I did really enjoy Children of Time and thought man Adrian Tchaikovsky is the making of a true master.

So, in your sample (n=2), 50% of modern SF writers are rubbish.

 

[rezman333]

So, in your sample (n=2), 50% of modern SF writers are rubbish.

I dont have time to list. I was more like asking for people to throw names out that they read and I will check them out. I guess I am just old. Military sci fi is not really my thing, but if it is good I will read it. Honestly I am burned out from every author writing a series all the time. I just pine for the days when someone wrote a novel and finished it in one book. I bet I would like for instance Three Body Problem if it was a single novel instead of three. Most of the time people are just padding these novels with nonsense I dont care about. Back in the day we said, oh so and so writes like i am reading a movie, it was not a compliment. Now days everyone writes like they are writing whole seasons of shows, i am just burned out on that.