01-31-2020, 05:09 AM | #46 |
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Quite a lot of those who were huge in the earlies survive today on the strength of one or two great stories.
Some of my favourite short sf stories: Jerome Bixby: The Holes around Mars (scientifically very unsound, but fun, with a pun as a punchline) Eric Frank Russell: Men Martians and Machines (1955: a short story collection) Asimov: the Dead Past (if that doesn't make you pause to think nothing will) Asimov: The Billiard Ball (who else could make a short story out of Relativity?) Heinlein: And he Built a Crooked House C M Kornbluth: The Little Black Bag Pohl: The Tunnel Under the World (you don't want to find the answer to your question) Asimov: Lenny A Bertram Chandler: Giant Killer (unfortunately the illustration in the magazine gave away the punchline) James Blish: Beep! Mildred Clingerman: Letters from Laura (about as risque as you get get in an sf in 1954) John W Campbell: Who goes There? Arthur C Clarke: A Walk in the Dark (wonderfully scary) John W Campbell, Forgetfulness Van Vogt: Black Destroyer Henry Hasse: He Who Shrank Frederick Pohl: Day Million Jeerome Bixby: It's a good life Lots of others |
01-31-2020, 05:24 AM | #47 |
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Clifford D. Simak must count as one of the Old Masters. Published from 1931 to 1986, with three Hugos and a Nebula to his credit, and the third SFWA Grand Master.
I'm particularly fond of Way Station, which won the 1964 Hugo for best novel. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to be available as an ebook in the UK at the moment. |
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01-31-2020, 05:49 AM | #48 |
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Yes, I liked Way Station, too. I have a paperback somewhere in my bookshelves.
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01-31-2020, 06:40 AM | #49 | |
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01-31-2020, 07:40 AM | #50 | |
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Pulp fiction overall had a style that transcended genre. Both the Lensman series and the Doc Savage books had a very similar feel to them. |
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01-31-2020, 09:17 AM | #51 | |
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01-31-2020, 09:30 AM | #52 | ||
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01-31-2020, 01:31 PM | #53 |
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01-31-2020, 01:44 PM | #54 |
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I'm a fan of John Wyndham, I consider The Day of the Triffids his best novel and Dumb Martian and Pillar to Post his best short stories.
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01-31-2020, 02:50 PM | #55 |
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I haven't seen mentioned one of my favorites, Damon Knight.
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01-31-2020, 05:34 PM | #56 | |
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Cordwainer Smith - The Ballad Of Lost C'Mell Cordwainer Smith - On The Sand Planet Theodore Sturgeon - The Man Who Lost The Sea Theodore Sturgeon - A Saucer Full Of Loneliness Fritz Leiber - Try And Change The Past James Blish - Surface Tension Issac Asimov - It's A Beautiful Day Robert Heinlein - Elsewhen A. E. Van Vogt - Dear Pen Pal C.L. Moore - No Woman Born Henry Kuttner - The Two Handed Engine Jack Vance - Rumfuddle Eric Frank Russel - Legwork Poul Anderson - The Sharing Of The Flesh L.Sprague De Camp - A Gun For Dinosaur Alfred Bester - Fondly Fahrenheit Arthur C. Clarke - The Wall Of Darkness |
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01-31-2020, 06:50 PM | #57 |
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02-02-2020, 09:21 AM | #58 |
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I too liked Waystation. But I found Simak's other works just didn't grab me, though I liked his kind of sad writing tone.
James Blish Cities in Fight was a classic. A real blast. I though Philip Jose Farmer was very good. I appreciate we're moving beyond "classic", but I'd consider him classic. Obviously the Riverworld was popular and good. He kind of kicked off that whole using historical figures as characters. But I think his World of Tiers was better. Very inventive, and a rollicking good ride. And Jackl L Chalker Well World sage. That was awesome. I read all these books as a kid. I think one measure of a really good book is if you still enjoy as much as you did when you read it as a kid. Last edited by Pajamaman; 02-02-2020 at 09:24 AM. |
02-02-2020, 09:25 AM | #59 |
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And when one is discussing classics, one should never forget Hodgson. The Nightland still really kicks the hell out of pretty much anything else, except The Rings (which is not sci-fi). It still blows my socks off in terms of scope and story line, and the character is all by himself for 75% of the book. Remarkable.
In fact, I would nominate the The Nightland for THE GREATEST SCI-FI WORK OF ALL TIME award (so far). |
02-02-2020, 11:56 AM | #60 | |
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A lot of the early SF masters are very dry, relying on the ideas to carry them, but Simak's book have a peculiar atmosphere that I like, and that makes them work even when the ideas are thin. |
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