Out of Curiosity....

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Here is probably the hardest question I have ever been asked... Who do you think are the top 3 authors of sci-fi/fantasy? Since this was asked by a 12-year old (and trying to be age-appropriate), I replied Robin Hobb, R A Salvatore, and Terry Brooks. Now, before I get flamed, let me explain. I had to keep in mind a few things. Ease of reading, content, and not too much science. Remember, I was talking to a bunch of 6th graders.

But that question haunted me. There were so many answers I could have given. Heinlein is always a fun read. Asimov is good, if a bit long-winded. M.B.Zimmerman is good reading. The list goes on. We all have our favorite authors. The ones that no matter what drivel they publish, we'll read.

So here's my question (to a completely adult audience)... Who are your picks for the top 3?

 

Steven Erikson
J. R. R. Tolkien
Robin Hobb

Plus George R R Martin if he ever gets around to writing any of more of the Song of Ice and Fire. Waiting waiting waiting.

 

J.R.R. Tolkien
R.A. Salvatore
---don't know---

 

Old as it is, I have to say Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time is one of the best sci-fi books I read as a child. Got me started on sci-fi, actually. There were a couple of sequels but I don't remember them being as good, so I can't say that she qualifies as among the all-time best authors.

I'd have to put Heinlein in there, and despite his sometimes wooly ramblings Asimov as well.

EDIT: now that I've re-read the original question, I have to add I read almost no fantasy as a child (except the Narnia books, which I enjoyed but may have more religious content than you would want) - I got hooked on science fiction and read as much of that as I could.

[ April 02, 2007, 16:36: Message edited by: revmaf ]

 

Frank Herbert
Raymond E. Feist
J. R. R. Tolkien

 

Roger Zelazny
Robin Hobb
Gene Wolfe

 

For a kid when it comes to fantasy I would say get em hooked on Rowling and Eddings and then they will go explore themselves. From an adult perspective what Rowling and especially Eddings write might seem like tripe but for a kid it is absolutely fantastic. Hobb, Martin and Erikson is nothing for sixth graders if they manage to get through it they wouldnt understand a tenth of it nor would I say they are mature enough to handle much of the content.

 

J. R. R. Tolkien
Raymond E. Feist
R.A. Salvatore

Yeah I haven't really read a wide variety haha..no time these days..

 

For fantasy, I agree with joacqin. Rowling or Eddings will get them started nicely. They are easy to read and enjoyable, but not particularly challenging or original. If you want a higher quality and similar accessibility, Ursula K. Leguins Earthsea books are great for a young audience, as well as the Hobbit, of course.

For sci-fi, I would go with Robert Silverberg or Ray Bradbury.

 

Science fiction & Fantasy??

Isaac Asimov
Arthur C Clarke
George RR Martin

 

My top three for Sci-Fi and Fantasy would be J.R.R. Tolkien, George R R Martin, and David Weber. Martin and Weber are probably a bit much for 12 year olds though.

Honourable mention would go to Erikson, Hobb, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Elizabeth Moon but again none of those are particularly 12 year old friendly.

For 12 year olds I would recommend Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, David Eddings or Mercedes Lackey. Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books would be another possibility. The Weis and Hickman original Dragonlance trilogy would be another good choice for younger readers.

 

For 6th graders:

JRR Tolkien - The Hobbit
TH White - The Once and Future King

There are really two streams of literature that inform most fantasy adventure: The mythic Norse/Anglo legends, which informed most of Tolkien's work and the Arthurian literature derived from the old Breton tales, but saw its fruiation in the courts of the High Middle Ages (Marie de France and Chretian de Troyes), and of course, Malory. These would be good starting points. TH White would be a good contemporary rendering of the Arthurian stuff, without having to take-on Malory. And of course, Tolkien is basic for everything else.

For adults, the more recent works of Glen Cook or Steven Erikson are interesting, since they are really not informed much by traditional fantasy. They are more militaristic, morality plays, but the moral lines tend to be more blurred than in traditional fantasy (Cook), but Erikson draws on so many influences that its not easy to define, especially by "traditional" fantasy standards.

 

Robert Heinlein
Joe Haldeman
David Brin

That's me trying to be age-appropriate.

I'm not sure Salvatore and the like are appropriate for kids. Sure, it avoids sex, but damn, is there ever a lot of violence. If you don't mind your kid getting notions of consequence-free carnage, I suppose it's alright. I'm just not sure I'd like my (hypothetical) kid to have such notions. For the same reason, I'm leery of giving something like Starship Troopers to kids.

 

T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar series involving Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and a couple of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series[Elric, Corum, and Hawkmoon in particular] are all brilliant and can easily be enjoyed by juveniles (not to mention adults). James H. Schmitz's The Witches of Karres and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit also deserve mention in this category.

 

The Fantasy books I liked best when I was 12 years old were Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series. They still belong to my all-time-favorites 30 years later.

To complete this list for 6th graders I'd add Jack Vance and Poul Anderson.

For adults I couldn't and wouldn't give such a short list at all. There are so many good authors available today. I'd subscribe to most of the authors mentioned above and would add Guy Gavriel Kay, Dan Simmons and Peter F. Hamilton (minimum)