Like Asimov

[peterbbb]

Let's assume you like Asimov. Who does not?

Which author has replaced Asimov for you?

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by peterbbb

Let's assume you like Asimov. Who does not?

(Sheepishly raises hand ) Just recently tried giving him another go - 'Stars Like Dust' - but gave up after 50 pages.

One of those authors I just don't get.

[HarryT]

I used to like Asimov when I was a teenager, but reading him as an adult I have to admit that I find his books rather shallow. His characters are all rather two-dimensional and don't really come across as real people.

[peterbbb]

Agree about the characters but I like the ideas he explores. Especially Foundation stuff and his short stories.

So which SF authors do you read now?

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by peterbbb

Let's assume you like Asimov. Who does not?

Which author has replaced Asimov for you?

Love Asimov, especially the Foundation Trilogy. And no one has "replaced" Asimov for me. Other authors have merely risen to the same level of enjoyment for me.

[bbusybookworm]

Loved Asimov as a Teenager, in fact he was probably the first SF writer i really got into.

but after a while, i.e. reading the Later Foundation books, I begin to lose interest.

So while I do like his Ideas, his characterisation does look quiet chunky and 2D in hindsight.

However He did get me into SF and lead me to writers such Heinlein, E.E. Smith, Mccaffrey, etc. So While no one author has replaced him on my reading list, there are plenty more that I do like more.

[Nate the great]

I have a book to suggest:

Birthright: The Book of Man by Mike Resnick
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthri...he_Book_of_Man

[bbusybookworm]

Would Suggest you have a look at this Thread if you haven't already

[ Your Favourite SF & Fantasy Series

Everyone has give some great suggestions for books and why they like them .

[BlackVoid]

Alastair Reynolds

[acidzebra]

Strictly speaking SF, I started out with Asimov, Clarke, van Vogt, Heinlein, Lem, Vance, Niven, Dick, eventually drifted into Rucker, Cadigan, Gibson, Sterling, and then fell into into Noon, Vinge, Stross, Doctorow, and beyond.

I don't know about replaced. Branching trees, not straight lines. But of the "classics", only Phil K. Dick gets re-read sometimes. Because he rocked so hard.

[peterbbb]

Interesting ways we change our views of what we like/engages us as we grow older/mature...

Thanks for the ideas. I have taken some of them up and bought yet more stuff from Fictionwise to read.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by peterbbb

Let's assume you like Asimov. Who does not?

Which author has replaced Asimov for you?

No one. I'm not sure that's possible. Remember, Isaac wrote a great deal more non-fiction, on a wide variety of topics, than he did SF.

There are other authors who have tackled the fall and rise of a galactic empire, like Piper's Federation stories, or the David Drake/Steve Stirling "Raj Whitehall" books, and others who have tackled robotics, though it's impossible to not acknowledges Asimov's Three Laws in doing so.

I like Asimov for the cleverness of his construction. His characterization was weak, and few of his people came across as real, but that was the norm rather than the exception during his earlier days of writing SF.

If you are asking "What SF authors do I read these days", that's a rather long list...
______
Dennis

[astrodad]

Thanks for the tip on Birthright, will need to add it to my list.

[Gibbo]

Originally Posted by jplumey

Thanks for the tip on Birthright, will need to add it to my list.

I'm reading it atm and it's great

[beppe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I used to like Asimov when I was a teenager, but reading him as an adult I have to admit that I find his books rather shallow. His characters are all rather two-dimensional and don't really come across as real people.

For dimensionality (!?) one might try The Gods Themselves
For real people The caves of steel

I also read them when I was young. I re-read them not long time ago (when I was barely 65) and I found them quite charming.