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SFX's Top 100 SF&F Authors


Werthead

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I might as well add my own list.

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

I've read books by 48 of them and haven't necessarily liked all of them. I should add that there are books by some of the authors who are missing from my list that are part of dalThor's book collection and I'll get to them eventually. All in all I'm fairly pleased with myself even though I think there are a few authors that I have overlooked. Most of them were already on my to-read list.
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Surprisingly, I've read almost half of the list and I have the books for about half of the rest.

[quote name='sckma' post='1410096' date='Jun 21 2008, 21.12']wow... nobody has read Jennifer Fallon... and no comment either. its as if nobdy really cares, although i have heard good stuff about her.[/quote]
I've only read her Second Sons trilogy, but she's pretty much average. Not bad, but not great either. Second Sons had a fair amount of political intrigue and while she has strong female characters they tend to lack complexity.
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96. Terry Goodkind
92. Michael Marshall Smith
90. Christopher Priest
88. Scott Lynch
86. M. John Harrison
85. Jacqueline Carey
84. Kim Stanley Robinson
82. J.V. Jones
81. Joe Abercrombie
80. Joe Haldeman
78. George Orwell
73. Robert Silverberg
72. Susanna Clarke
70. Larry Niven
68. Katherine Kerr
67. Jack Vance
63. Dan Simmons
61. Terry Brooks
60. Richard Morgan
58. Jennifer Fallon
57. Mercedes Lackey
54. Jasper Fforde
52. J.G. Ballard
51. Robert E. Howard
47. Jules Verne
46. Alastair Reynolds
45. Neal Stephenson
43. Jim Butcher
42. Tad Williams
41. Kurt Vonnegut
40. Trudi Canavan
39. Michael Moorcock
38. David Eddings
36. Orson Scott Card
35. Stephen Donaldson
34. Gene Wolfe
33. China Mieville
32. Raymond E. Feist
31. Lois McMaster Bujold
30. Roger Zelazny
29. Anne McCaffrey
28. Steven Erikson
27. William Gibson
26. Guy Gavriel Kay
25. CS Lewis
24. Diana Wynne Jones
22. Philip Pullman
21. Robin Hobb
20. Stephen King
18. Arthur C. Clarke
17. Robert Jordan
16. JK Rowling
15. Robert Heinlein
14. Frank Herbert
13. Peter F. Hamilton
12. David Gemmell
11. Ursula K. LeGuin
10. Robert Rankin
8. Philip K. Dick
7. Iain M. Banks
6. Isaac Asimov
5. George RR Martin
4. Douglas Adams
3. Neil Gaiman
2. JRR Tolkien
1. Terry Pratchett


66 read. Wow, and I wouldn't consider myself particularly well read in the genre.

A couple more are definitely on my to be read list though.
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I've only written books by one of these authors:

100. James Herbert
99. Gwyneth Jones
98. Sara Douglass
97. Charles Stross
96. Terry Goodkind
95. Brian W. Aldiss
94. Ken MacLeod
93. Olaf Stapledon
92. Michael Marshall Smith
91. Jon Courtney Grimwood
90. Christopher Priest
89. Jonathan Carroll
88. Scott Lynch
87. David Weber
86. M. John Harrison
85. Jacqueline Carey
84. Kim Stanley Robinson
83. Theodore Sturgeon
82. J.V. Jones
[b]81. Joe Abercrombie[/b]
80. Joe Haldeman
79. Simon Clark
78. George Orwell
77. Samuel R. Delaney
76. Charles de Lint
75. Julian May
74. Edgar Rice Burroughs
73. Robert Silverberg
72. Susanna Clarke
71. Stanislaw Lem
70. Larry Niven
69. Alfred Bester
68. Katherine Kerr
67. Jack Vance
66. Harry Harrison
65. Marion Zimmer Bradley
64. Richard Matheson
63. Dan Simmons
62. Elizabeth Haydon
61. Terry Brooks
60. Richard Morgan
59. Stephen Baxter
58. Jennifer Fallon
57. Mercedes Lackey
56. CJ Cherryh
55. Harlan Ellison
54. Jasper Fforde
53. Octavia Butler
52. J.G. Ballard
51. Robert E. Howard
50. Sherri S. Tepper
49. H.P. Lovecraft
48. Mervyn Peake
47. Jules Verne
46. Alastair Reynolds
45. Neal Stephenson
44. Clive Barker
43. Jim Butcher
42. Tad Williams
41. Kurt Vonnegut
40. Trudi Canavan
39. Michael Moorcock
38. David Eddings
37. Alan Moore
36. Orson Scott Card
35. Stephen Donaldson
34. Gene Wolfe
33. China Mieville
32. Raymond E. Feist
31. Lois McMaster Bujold
30. Roger Zelazny
29. Anne McCaffrey
28. Steven Erikson
27. William Gibson
26. Guy Gavriel Kay
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
17. Robert Jordan
16. JK Rowling
15. Robert Heinlein
14. Frank Herbert
13. Peter F. Hamilton
12. David Gemmell
11. Ursula K. LeGuin
10. Robert Rankin
9. HG Wells
8. Philip K. Dick
7. Iain M. Banks
6. Isaac Asimov
5. George RR Martin
4. Douglas Adams
3. Neil Gaiman
2. JRR Tolkien
1. Terry Pratchett
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[quote name='Joe Abercrombie' post='1410845' date='Jun 22 2008, 16.04']I've only written books by one of these authors:[/quote]

This post makes me certain I'll be reading Joe's work soon.

ETA: posting the entire list is bad enough. Quoting it in order to reply to a post is even worse. - m
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Here's a few I would add...

Peter S Beagle - Maybe not enough work to qualify?
Michelle Sagara West -
Tim Powers -
Graeme Joyce -
Jonathan Lethem - He is moving more into the 'literary' category but still...
William Browning Spencer - Browning Spencer and Lethem are my favorite authors so I have to include them, but as I'm pretty much Browning Spencer's only fan I understand his being excluded.
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Michelle West has [i]never[/i] been published in the UK (despite constant rumours that Orbit are going to take her up). Her absence from the list is undertandable. On a similar note, Celia Friedman was only published last year, so her work has neither had time to percolate into the reading conciousness, and in 2007/08 her series simply doesn't have the impact it did in 1991.

[quote]No Bakker?

Your subtitle lies Wert!!![/quote]

Ha. I was expecting Bakker on there, as [b]Prince of Nothing[/b] has done quite well for Orbit. Not up there with Canavan or Jordan or Jones, but it's certainly sold well enough for them. However, his author awareness on UK sites seems quite low compared to US and Canadian-based ones.

However, to make up for this they do have a full-page interview with Bakker later on in the special. We already knew that Bakker was crazy, I just didn't realise [i]how[/i] crazy until I read that interview.
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[quote name='Werthead' post='1411286' date='Jun 23 2008, 15.30']However, to make up for this they do have a full-page interview with Bakker later on in the special. We already knew that Bakker was crazy, I just didn't realise [i]how[/i] crazy until I read that interview.[/quote]
How so?
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[quote name='Etrangere' post='1411324' date='Jun 23 2008, 15.02']How so?[/quote]

He talks about how he spend a day suspending his own free will so he became just a passenger inside his own head, as part of his investigation of the arguments in [i]Neuropath[/i]. It was extraordinarily bizarre.

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

Looks like I've read all in top 20 except Robert Rankin (who the fuck is this guy?).

[quote name='Astra' post='1408429' date='Jun 20 2008, 16.01']Writers I have never heard about before this list:
................................................................................
..................[/quote]

Ok I can understand most of them, but you never [b]heard[/b] about Niven, Cherryh or Silverberg?
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[quote name='Datepalm' post='1404724' date='Jun 18 2008, 16.40']Really? I've seen Bakker plenty (most non-peripheria Stiematzky, some Tzomet) , never seen Abercrombie [i]anywhere[/i]. (I have The Darkness that Comes Before and I hate it. In case you haven't read it, it's yours if you want it (and are anywhere in my vicinity.)[/quote]
I went to Stiematzky, and they didn't have it. I ordered it, and they said they'll get it. Four weeks later, they said there was absolutely no way they could get it, and they were canceling. There is no Tzomet near where I live, and my parents don't drive much.
I live in the western Galilee.
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[quote name='Werthead' post='1411404' date='Jun 23 2008, 16.53']He talks about how he spend a day suspending his own free will so he became just a passenger inside his own head, as part of his investigation of the arguments in [i]Neuropath[/i]. It was extraordinarily bizarre.[/quote]

Huh. Yeah, that's bizarre. How do you even go about that? Either you have free will or you don't, but the whole point is that even if you don't you're not aware of that fact, which makes suspending it, errr, impossible?

Maybe I need to read Neuropath.
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[quote name='Etrangere' post='1411814' date='Jun 23 2008, 19.22']Huh. Yeah, that's bizarre. How do you even go about that? Either you have free will or you don't, but the whole point is that even if you don't you're not aware of that fact, which makes suspending it, errr, impossible?

Maybe I need to read Neuropath.[/quote]

I cracked the cover but the book really didn't grab me at all, and I loved [b]Prince of Nothing[/b]. Maybe I'm not in the right headspace for reading it right now :(
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[quote name='Un-Yearded Pita' post='1411680' date='Jun 23 2008, 18.17']I went to Stiematzky, and they didn't have it. I ordered it, and they said they'll get it. Four weeks later, they said there was absolutely no way they could get it, and they were canceling. There is no Tzomet near where I live, and my parents don't drive much.
I live in the western Galilee.[/quote]

Guys, you have to use Amazon.com
It is the best way of getting books in English.
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[quote name='Werthead' post='1412395' date='Jun 24 2008, 03.52']I cracked the cover but the book really didn't grab me at all, and I loved [b]Prince of Nothing[/b]. Maybe I'm not in the right headspace for reading it right now :([/quote]

Yeah, I loved Prince of Nothing, but nothing I heard about Neuropath made me want to read it... :(
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[quote name='Astra' post='1412708' date='Jun 24 2008, 10.13']Guys, you have to use Amazon.com
It is the best way of getting books in English.[/quote]

Theres apparently some sort of customs ban on amazon in Israel, so not really. While we're at it though, Bookfinder.com usually finds some (generally much cheaper) solution though.

Pita, I'll Message you with my number. I'm heading north this weekend.
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