favorite science fiction/fantasy authors - what are yours?

[Miles]

Geoff Bannister wrote:
> You may be patronising about (Tolkien's) myths and languages but
> he meets your criterion of having internal logic and he
> went to great lengths to ensure that that aim was met.

Miles:
I'm far from patronising, I'm impressed. The only problem is, he set a 
standard no other author can ever meet, but that's not a problem for 
Tolkien's work.

Geoff:
> With regard to your non-authentic version of 21st century
> London I think but this can be your reality if the time
> scale of what is written is set in a later time frame than
> our own real position.

Miles:
Sure, but I wrote (or meant to write) of fiction taking place "today", not 
in 20 years.

Geoff
> Curiously, your grumble about internal logic follows your
> comment about liking JKR's universe - flaws and all.
>
> Perhaps my suspension of belief leads me to be naive. I
> have to admit that I like to take what I read at face
> value and I also enjoy a lot of young people's fiction.

Miles:
Same here. But I'm sure you have your own limits of naivety. For example, if 
in a book playing in London, Clapham Junction would be described as near Big 
Ben, you wouldn't like it. I had to read a bit in wikipedia to find this 
example, so you can be sure I would never recognise such a mistake.
I usually do not analyse the books I read, but my personal limits of naivety 
are - well, individual, as yours are. As a social scientist with some 
knowledge of statistics, I recognise inconsistencies in numbers. So I 
grumble about Rowling's mistakes in that area.

Geoff:
> PS If you're talking Star Trek, don't you mean 23rd century?

Miles:
Sure, typo. By the way, if you (or anyone reading this) like Star Trek - 
Diane Duane: Spock's World - provides a deep historical, ethnological and 
cultural background for the Vulcans in the Star Trek universe.

And I forgot one author: Tad Williams, one of the best fantasy authors I 
know.

Miles