SFX's Top 100 SF&F Authors

[Peadar]

99. Gwyneth Jones
89. Jonathan Carroll
87. David Weber
85. Jacqueline Carey
76. Charles de Lint
74. Edgar Rice Burroughs
62. Elizabeth Haydon
58. Jennifer Fallon
54. Jasper Fforde
43. Jim Butcher
40. Trudi Canavan
24. Diana Wynne Jones

These are the ones on the list I haven't read. Every now and again, I try to find a Jonathan Carroll book and fail.

As for David Eddings -- I was young at the time and I swear, I didn't inhale.

[MinDonner]

Wert, how can you not have read any Wyndham??? I think you should rectify this, pronto.

As for Rankin, he has a very dedicated fanbase, and with only 180 people participating I wouldn't be surprised if they'd got wind of it and all jumped in to vote. I probably wouldn't put him in the top 10, but top 20's not out of the question.


FWIW, these are the ones I've read:

[b]100. James Herbert[/b]
99. Gwyneth Jones
98. Sara Douglass
97. Charles Stross
[b]96. Terry Goodkind
95. Brian W. Aldiss
94. Ken MacLeod[/b]
93. Olaf Stapledon
[b]92. Michael Marshall Smith
91. Jon Courtney Grimwood
90. Christopher Priest[/b]
89. Jonathan Carroll
[b]88. Scott Lynch[/b]
87. David Weber
[b]86. M. John Harrison[/b]
85. Jacqueline Carey
[b]84. Kim Stanley Robinson[/b]
83. Theodore Sturgeon
82. J.V. Jones
[b]81. Joe Abercrombie[/b]
80. Joe Haldeman
79. Simon Clark
[b]78. George Orwell[/b]
77. Samuel R. Delaney
76. Charles de Lint
[b]75. Julian May[/b]
74. Edgar Rice Burroughs
[b]73. Robert Silverberg
72. Susanna Clarke
71. Stanislaw Lem
70. Larry Niven[/b]
69. Alfred Bester
[b]68. Katherine Kerr
67. Jack Vance
66. Harry Harrison[/b]
65. Marion Zimmer Bradley
[b]64. Richard Matheson
63. Dan Simmons[/b]
62. Elizabeth Haydon
[b]61. Terry Brooks
60. Richard Morgan
59. Stephen Baxter[/b]
58. Jennifer Fallon
57. Mercedes Lackey
[b]56. CJ Cherryh
55. Harlan Ellison
54. Jasper Fforde[/b]
53. Octavia Butler
[b]52. J.G. Ballard[/b]
51. Robert E. Howard
[b]50. Sherri S. Tepper
49. H.P. Lovecraft
48. Mervyn Peake[/b]
47. Jules Verne
[b]46. Alastair Reynolds[/b]
45. Neal Stephenson
[b]44. Clive Barker[/b]
43. Jim Butcher
[b]42. Tad Williams
41. Kurt Vonnegut
40. Trudi Canavan
39. Michael Moorcock[/b]
38. David Eddings
[b]37. Alan Moore[/b]
36. Orson Scott Card
[b]35. Stephen Donaldson
34. Gene Wolfe
33. China Mieville[/b]
32. Raymond E. Feist
31. Lois McMaster Bujold
30. Roger Zelazny
[b]29. Anne McCaffrey
28. Steven Erikson
27. William Gibson[/b]
26. Guy Gavriel Kay
[b]25. CS Lewis
24. Diana Wynne Jones
23. John Wyndham
22. Philip Pullman
21. Robin Hobb
20. Stephen King
19. Ray Bradbury
18. Arthur C. Clarke[/b]
17. Robert Jordan
[b]16. JK Rowling
15. Robert Heinlein
14. Frank Herbert[/b]
13. Peter F. Hamilton
[b]12. David Gemmell
11. Ursula K. LeGuin
10. Robert Rankin
9. HG Wells[/b]
8. Philip K. Dick
[b]7. Iain M. Banks
6. Isaac Asimov
5. George RR Martin
4. Douglas Adams
3. Neil Gaiman
2. JRR Tolkien
1. Terry Pratchett[/b]

[Isis]

[quote name='Gigei' post='1405323' date='Jun 19 2008, 04.25']It's only on these forums that Moorcock isn't liked, on every other forum he does fine.[/quote]A blanket statement which can never be definitively proven, which I know from personal experience to be false. Also, what mormie said.

[quote]Pratchett is that high because his books appeal even to those who don't read fantasy. The type of person who would never read Tad Williams or Ursula Le Guin would read Pratchet because he is just fun. :)[/quote]You can't really put Tad Williams and Le Guin in the same sentence like that, because even leaving quality out of it they are not the same kind of writer at all. But essentially, yes, some people who prefer lightweight stuff would read Pratchett but not something like LOTR.

I don't have any issues with Pratchett being so high anyway. He's sold plenty of books and has LOTS of fans. It may be a tiny bit of a sympathy vote though.

[Werthead]

I don't have any problem with Pratchett being at the top, although I wouldn't have put him there. I'm pretty certain a century from now people will still be reading and studying Tolkien and Pratchett, maybe King as well, but I wouldn't be too sure about any others on the list.

[Paddy]

[quote name='Jaerv' post='1404438' date='Jun 18 2008, 19.32']Rank four for Douglas Adams?

:huh:

I surmise this is the same kind of humour I can't find humorous when I read his books...[/quote]
Or maybe it's more likely that it's not humour, but that a lot of people find that kind of humour humorous :P

[quote name='Willie McBride' post='1405602' date='Jun 19 2008, 10.43']Too bad this board doesn't allow the usage of the 'img' tag... :([/quote]
By "Too bad", you mean "Thank fuck", right?
I mean, the pros far outweight the cons. Trying to read boards with images is an exercise in pain.

[Xray the Enforcer]

[quote name='Werthead' post='1405765' date='Jun 19 2008, 09.11']I don't have any problem with Pratchett being at the top, although I wouldn't have put him there. I'm pretty certain a century from now people will still be reading and studying Tolkien and Pratchett, maybe King as well, but I wouldn't be too sure about any others on the list.[/quote]

I am pretty certain that Pratchett will [i]not[/i] be studied a century from now.

[Jaerv]

That's an interesting question. What is it that determines an artist's posthumous fame? Uniqueness and originality may be important variables here, and of [i]that[/i] Pratchett has plenty IMO.

[Lord of Oop North]

[quote name='Gazprom United' post='1405864' date='Jun 19 2008, 10.04']I am pretty certain that Pratchett will [i]not[/i] be studied a century from now.[/quote]

Elitist scum :P

You only say that because you're down with the Poe, you traitor.

[Filippa Eilhart]

I read 48.

Peadar, if you learn Polish I have plenty Caroll books I could lend you :P

[Serious Callers Only]

Copy paster am I :
These are the ones I've read:

100. James Herbert
99. Gwyneth Jones
[b]98. Sara Douglass[/b]
[b]97. Charles Stross[/b]
[b]96. Terry Goodkind[/b] [i]put your fire speech up your ass[/i]
[b]95. Brian W. Aldiss[/b]
[b]94. Ken MacLeod[/b]
93. Olaf Stapledon
92. Michael Marshall Smith
[b]91. Jon Courtney Grimwood[/b]
[b]90. Christopher Priest[/b]
89. Jonathan Carroll
[b]88. Scott Lynch[/b]
[b]87. David Weber[/b]
[b]86. M. John Harrison[/b]
[b]85. Jacqueline Carey[/b]
[b]84. Kim Stanley Robinson[/b]
[b]83. Theodore Sturgeon[/b]
[b]82. J.V. Jones[/b]
[b]81. Joe Abercrombie[/b]
[b]80. Joe Haldeman[/b]
79. Simon Clark
[b]78. George Orwell[/b]
[b]77. Samuel R. Delaney[/b]
76. Charles de Lint
[b]75. Julian May[/b]
74. Edgar Rice Burroughs
[b]73. Robert Silverberg[/b]
[b]72. Susanna Clarke[/b]
[b]71. Stanislaw Lem[/b]
[b]70. Larry Niven[/b]
[b]69. Alfred Bester[/b]
[b]68. Katherine Kerr[/b]
[b]67. Jack Vance[/b]
[b]66. Harry Harrison[/b]
[b]65. Marion Zimmer Bradley[/b]
[b]64. Richard Matheson[/b]
[b]63. Dan Simmons[/b]
[b]62. Elizabeth Haydon[/b] [i]I did read one - even i liked if i hadn't[/i]
[b]61. Terry Brooks[/b]
[b]60. Richard Morgan[/b]
[b]59. Stephen Baxter[/b]
[b]58. Jennifer Fallon[/b]
[b]57. Mercedes Lackey[/b]
[b]56. CJ Cherryh[/b]
[b]55. Harlan Ellison[/b]
[b]54. Jasper Fforde[/b]
53. Octavia Butler
[b]52. J.G. Ballard[/b] [i]Only the short cloud sculptors of Coral D[/i]
[b]51. Robert E. Howard[/b]
[b]50. Sherri S. Tepper[/b]
[b]49. H.P. Lovecraft[/b]
[b]48. Mervyn Peake[/b]
47. Jules Verne
[b]46. Alastair Reynolds[/b]
[b]45. Neal Stephenson[/b]
44. Clive Barker
[b]43. Jim Butcher[/b]
[b]42. Tad Williams[/b]
[b]41. Kurt Vonnegut[/b]
[b]40. Trudi Canavan[/b]
[b]39. Michael Moorcock[/b]
38. David Eddings
37. Alan Moore
[b]36. Orson Scott Card[/b]
[b]35. Stephen Donaldson[/b]
[b]34. Gene Wolfe[/b]
[b]33. China Mieville[/b]
[b]32. Raymond E. Feist[/b]
[b]31. Lois McMaster Bujold[/b]
[b]30. Roger Zelazny[/b]
[b]29. Anne McCaffrey[/b]
[b]28. Steven Erikson[/b]
27. William Gibson
[b]26. Guy Gavriel Kay[/b]
25. CS Lewis
24. Diana Wynne Jones
23. John Wyndham
22. Philip Pullman
[b]21. Robin Hobb[/b]
20. Stephen King
[b]19. Ray Bradbury[/b]
[b]18. Arthur C. Clarke[/b]
[b]17. Robert Jordan[/b]
16. JK Rowling
[b]15. Robert Heinlein[/b]
[b]14. Frank Herbert[/b]
[b]13. Peter F. Hamilton[/b]
[b]12. David Gemmell[/b]
[b]11. Ursula K. LeGuin[/b]
10. Robert Rankin
9. HG Wells
[b]8. Philip K. Dick[/b]
[b]7. Iain M. Banks[/b]
[b]6. Isaac Asimov[/b]
[b]5. George RR Martin[/b]
4. Douglas Adams
[b]3. Neil Gaiman[/b]
[b]2. JRR Tolkien[/b]
[b]1. Terry Pratchett[/b]

[Ran]

I've got 64 by my account. Some definite gaps in my reading at the lower end of the list, though mostly newer writers.

[Peadar]

[quote name='Filippa deSuisse' post='1406208' date='Jun 19 2008, 17.50']I read 48.

Peadar, if you learn Polish I have plenty Caroll books I could lend you :P[/quote]

Dobro! :hat:

[Xray the Enforcer]

[quote name='Lord of Oop North' post='1406170' date='Jun 19 2008, 12.35']Elitist scum :P

You only say that because you're down with the Poe, you traitor.[/quote]

:lol:

[Crazydog7]

Terry P. was only as high as he is because of the Sympathy vote factor.

Nice to see Vern on the list i would have expected a little higher.

The part where Arthur C. Clarke is lower on the list then Robert Jordon turns my stomach.

[Bellis]

Let's see:

100. James Herbert
99. Gwyneth Jones
98. Sara Douglass
[b]97. Charles Stross[/b]
96. Terry Goodkind
95. Brian W. Aldiss
94. Ken MacLeod
93. Olaf Stapledon
92. Michael Marshall Smith
91. Jon Courtney Grimwood
[b]90. Christopher Priest[/b]
[b]89. Jonathan Carroll[/b]
[b]88. Scott Lynch[/b]
87. David Weber
[b]86. M. John Harrison
85. Jacqueline Carey
84. Kim Stanley Robinson[/b]
83. Theodore Sturgeon
82. J.V. Jones
[b]81. Joe Abercrombie
80. Joe Haldeman[/b]
79. Simon Clark
[b]78. George Orwell
77. Samuel R. Delaney
76. Charles de Lint[/b]
75. Julian May
74. Edgar Rice Burroughs
73. Robert Silverberg
[b]72. Susanna Clarke[/b]
71. Stanislaw Lem
70. Larry Niven
69. Alfred Bester
68. Katherine Kerr
[b]67. Jack Vance[/b]
66. Harry Harrison
[b]65. Marion Zimmer Bradley[/b]
[b]64. Richard Matheson
63. Dan Simmons[/b]
[b]62. Elizabeth Haydon
61. Terry Brooks[/b]
[b]60. Richard Morgan[/b]
59. Stephen Baxter
58. Jennifer Fallon
[b]57. Mercedes Lackey
56. CJ Cherryh[/b]
55. Harlan Ellison
[b]54. Jasper Fforde
53. Octavia Butler[/b]
52. J.G. Ballard
51. Robert E. Howard
50. Sherri S. Tepper
[b]49. H.P. Lovecraft
48. Mervyn Peake
47. Jules Verne[/b]
46. Alastair Reynolds
[b]45. Neal Stephenson
44. Clive Barker[/b]
43. Jim Butcher
[b]42. Tad Williams
41. Kurt Vonnegut[/b]
40. Trudi Canavan
[b]39. Michael Moorcock[/b]
38. David Eddings
[b]37. Alan Moore
36. Orson Scott Card
[b]35. Stephen Donaldson[/b]
34. Gene Wolfe
33. China Mieville[/b]
32. Raymond E. Feist
31. Lois McMaster Bujold
[b]30. Roger Zelazny[/b]
29. Anne McCaffrey
28. Steven Erikson
[b]27. William Gibson
26. Guy Gavriel Kay
25. CS Lewis[/b]
24. Diana Wynne Jones
23. John Wyndham
[b]22. Philip Pullman
21. Robin Hobb
20. Stephen King
19. Ray Bradbury[/b]
[b]18. Arthur C. Clarke[/b]
17. Robert Jordan
[b]16. JK Rowling
15. Robert Heinlein
14. Frank Herbert[/b]
13. Peter F. Hamilton
12. David Gemmell
[b]11. Ursula K. LeGuin[/b]
10. Robert Rankin
[b]9. HG Wells
8. Philip K. Dick
7. Iain M. Banks[/b]
6. Isaac Asimov
[b]5. George RR Martin
4. Douglas Adams
3. Neil Gaiman
2. JRR Tolkien
1. Terry Pratchett[/b]

58. This list would be a lot shorter if I limited it to those authors I'd read again, because I'm elitist like that :)

[Patrick Mallister]

i just feel bad for


100. James Herbert
99. Gwyneth Jones
98. Sara Douglass
97. Charles Stross

since #96 doesnt write fantasy


surprised Canavan made it to 40. I read her Black Magician trilogy which was very good, but I figured she was still a relative unkown

[john]

[quote name='Peadar' post='1405604' date='Jun 19 2008, 10.52']These are the ones on the list I haven't read. Every now and again, I try to find a Jonathan Carroll book and fail.[/quote]

Voice of Our Shadow is in the Gollancz Masterworks range. One of the most disturbing fantasy novels i've ever read.

SPOILER: only look if you've read Voice of Our Shadow

Featuring an ending where the protagonist finds out the vibrant, enigmatic young girl he's been pursuing sexually and emotionally throughout the novel is in fact his dead brother seeking revenge after the protagonist accidentally killed him when they were kids.

[Patrick Mallister]

[quote name='Joe Abercrombie' post='1403905' date='Jun 18 2008, 09.35']Too much honour to the list or to your ass?


This is news?

And may I just say...

81 muthafukas!

Take THAT Brian W. Aldiss! In your FACE Chris Priest! Read 'em and WEEP Scott Lynch! Have at you now...

Hold on.

GEORGE 1984ing ORWELL is supposed to be a better writer than ME????????

MMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE???????????

Hello? Complaints department?[/quote]




WORD.

[All-for-Joffrey]

Why the hell isn't Kevin J. Anderson on there?

[Larry.]

I read parts of 64, many of them in novella or short story form, though. I posted my reactions [url="http://ofblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/sfx-magazine-has-readers-pick-for-top.html"]elsewhere[/url], though ;)