favorite science fiction/fantasy authors - what are yours?

[dumbledore11214]

> Geoff:
> I think like another contributor, I will not put them in rank order 
> but, in some cases, will give a specific book which has been of 
> particular enjoyment for me.
> 
> J R R Tolkien - LOTR has been a favourite read for over 50 years. 
>   Silmarillion harder work.
> J K Rowling - say no more  :-))
> C S Lewis - The Narnia books (except The Horse and His Boy) 
>   and the first of the Perelandra books (Out of the Silent Planet)
> Alan Garner - Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Moon of Gomrath
> John Wyndham - The Kraken wakes
> Arthur C Clarke - The city and the stars
> James  Blish - Cities in flight
> 
> There are others but those are the ones which spring immediately 
> to mind.
>


Alla:

So it appears that Yahoo indeed had a yummy dinner with my post. Oh well, let me try to list the books/or authors that I already did.

Since the question asked for favorites and not necessarily for most recognised and skilled ones, I would put as one of my favorites the book by Alfred Bester "The demolished man". I think this author's play with words is amazing if nothing else attracts you in his works, but this one had been one of my favorites for years.

I love many already named, but I am definitely limiting myself to Mercedes Lackey's earlier books, as I vented here before I think her latest works declined in quality significantly.

"Herald Mage"? LOVE. Her early retelling of Firebird - absolutely love.

I actually love vast majority of earlier Valdemar books of hers.

I do love Tolkien, I do, although as I am sure I also mentioned I love his book as a whole package, but do not find his characters except for Boromir to be particularly interesting or attractive to me. But book is musical.

Miles mentioned Lem, funnily I used to read him, Bradbery, Heinlaine much more when I was younger and I read them all in russian translation. I suppose that means that in my younger years science fiction attracted me much more than fantasy, then when I came here I read more of fantasy and now, I think I am going back to real fiction, heh, not that I am abandoning this genre.

I do not care for Lewis at all, although I acknowledge his talent. I usually prefer my books less, well, direct.

Jim Butcher will be on the very top definitely with Dresden files. I surely would not put his skill level with Tolkien or Lewis LOL, but I think he writes smart books, with great characters and it feels as if every book only adds layers of depth to his world and characters.

Alla