Current Hard Science Fiction writers

spacester · Dec 14, 2004

Who are your favorite currently working authors of good old fashioned Hard Science Fiction stories and novels? Not the swords and sorcery stuff found in the science fiction section, but space travel and future Earths and alien invasions and time travel and all that good stuff. Greg Bear and who else? Is Gibson still putting out stuff? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

JonClarke · Dec 14, 2004

I would have thought Gibson was more cyberpunk, but there is more than one Gibson. There are the B's - Bear, Brin, Baxter, Bova. Ian Hamilton. Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

tom_hobbes · Dec 14, 2004

Greg Benford is still writing as well, I think. The five B's. (Isn't Bova dead now?) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

lunatic133 · Dec 15, 2004

Bova's not dead I don't think ... I heard he was working on another moon book for the grand tour series, and The Silent War was just published this year. If he died it was very recently and I would have thought I would have heard about it. Moonrise and Moonwar are some of my all time favorite sci-fi, but I also read Mars and it was pretty good. I keep getting it confused with other books I've read about Mars though. Mars, First Landing, and The Mars Transmission all kind of run together because I read them all around the same time (senior year of high school). I should probably read them again to remember what happened where

mattblack · Dec 15, 2004

http://www.benbova.net/ Ben is very much alive and still churning out books that are unique in this era of fantasy-glut. My favourite is Stephen Baxter, though personally I'm not much into his Xeelee stuff. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America CAN Afford it!! LEO is a Prison -- It's time for a JAILBREAK!! </div>

jmilsom · Dec 15, 2004

I was about to respond to this with good old Isaac Asimov – then I though what is “Hard Sci Fi”? Based on the various threads in this forum, I believe there are mixed views as to its definition. Is it works that are more convincing with rigorous scientific or pseudo-scientific explanation? Does it relate to realism? How do you define it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

toymaker · Dec 16, 2004

Here is a list of Hard SF authors made by Alastair Reynolds http://www.alastairreynolds.com/sf_hard_authors.html Recently I also discovered Charles Stross http://www.antipope.org/charlie/ Not everything he writes is Hard SF, but he has a good series starting from the Lobsters piece(which desribes the rapid change of human culture in the Solar System through technological development, and yes even contact with ancient and quite strange alien creatures, by explorers in a interstellar ship that contains only their minds-very transhuman in character)

larper · Dec 16, 2004

I really like Jack McDevitt's stuff. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

JonClarke · Dec 16, 2004

I could I forget benford? The shame! Especially as I met him earlier this year! Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

tom_hobbes · Dec 16, 2004

The shame indeed! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> Did you meet him at a Convention? I have to admit to a considerable soft spot for his books. The most recent were The Martian Race and Eater which didn't disappoint. I remember Against Infinity and If The Stars Are Gods with great affection as well. Just now looking through an online bibliography, it's surprising how many excellant books I'd read which I'd completely forgotten about! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

JonClarke · Dec 18, 2004

Hi Tom He was in town for a SF convention, I arranged a dinner with him for the local areophiles (Greg is on the steering committee of the Mars Society). Interesting evening! He is working on a sequel to the Martian Race, which is my personal favourite of his books. Cheers Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

tom_hobbes · Dec 18, 2004

Hi Jon, Great news, I can't wait to read it! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

qzzq · Dec 18, 2004

Toymaker, Thanks for those links. I've bookmarked the first. I must say I have been looking for some decent hard sci-fi. This will be a help. So, Stephen Baxter is the top author of the moment? I wanted to pick up a copy of Evolution, but if you've got a better suggestion for a Baxter first, than by all means, please enlighten me!!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> *** </div>

tom_hobbes · Dec 18, 2004

I'm nearly finished on Titan by Baxter, I read Raft and a number of his short stories in Interzone while he was learning his craft. (I think I illustrated one as well, I've done a number of covers and interior illustrations for Interzone over the years.) He's definitely getting better all the time. Also published through the same period in Interzone (throughout the late eighties/nineties) was Charles Stross, where I first encountered his work. I agree with Toymaker, he's a cracking author and deserves much wider recognition. I'm looking forward to reading Atrocity Exhibition and Singularity Sky shortly, both of which I've recently purchased. I recommend you visit his website, it's quite entertaining and provides links to online stories. http://www.antipope.org/charlie/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

kelle · Dec 18, 2004

I really like Baxter. His books are great. My fav. of his books are The Light of Other Days, though that's written together with A. C. Clarke. I liked Titan quite good too, though it was quite slow paced at times. I also must agree on that the other B's are great, Bova, Brin and Bear. And not to forget James Blish!

douglas_clark · Dec 18, 2004

Hi, Can I suggest that A C Clarkes stuff is still worth reading? Fountains of Paradise seems more relevant now than when it was written. Or maybe I've just invested too much hope in CNT? Douglas

JonClarke · Dec 19, 2004

Sadly Blish does not fall into the category of current writers, and I suspect ACC will not be for much longer. Both wonderful writers though! Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

qzzq · Dec 19, 2004

Hobbes, Hey, like that website. Stross is an interesting character. Anyway, Titan seems a good Baxter novel to read first, especially with Cassini and Huygens making the news right now. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> *** </div>

kelle · Dec 19, 2004

Oh yeah, I didn't notice the "current" in the thread title <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> And is A.C.Clarke writing anything anymore? Anyone know if he does?

douglas_clark · Dec 22, 2004

Kelle, Hmm.. Perhaps not. Apparently his latest novel was 3001 A Space Oddessy and it was published in 1997! I'll get my coat. Douglas

hracctsold · Dec 28, 2004

I think I would have to agree with you, jmilsom, (12-15), what is the true definition of "Hard Core Sci Fi"? It seems to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. My taste run to Asimov as well, but I also like to include others in there . I think the movie, "I, Robot," was a good adaption to the robot concept series. One of the best page turners I've found in the past several years is Michael Crichton, and "Sphere." He includes a time twist, action, mystery and other things in this book. It is well worth the time to read, but really AVOID that sad excuse of a movie by the same name. The cast and story had great potiential, but was so butchered up, it was almost unidentifiable. The book on the other hand kept me going until after the end, and I could see how other storylines could come out of that ending. Another set of books that may not be included in "hard core" SF is labeled as kid material, Andre Norton. If a book can transport me to that world, and be involved in the story, then that is interesting to me, Beastmaster series for one. The only relationship to the movie is the animals of the beastmaster. I know it is true "fluff", but that is the purpose of most fiction, to kill time in an enjoyable way. Timeline was another good book, but I personally wished the cussing could have been toned down greatly. NOW don't start all that hate mail, that is MY opinion, not your's. Thank you for exploring my thoughts with me.

owenjm · Dec 30, 2004

I'm really into Ken McLeod at the moment. Has anyone else read his work? Worth checking out if you like hard science tales! Also the other two great Scottish writers at the moment Charles Stross (already mentioned in this thread) and Iain M. Banks

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