Science Fiction One Hit Wonders

DoctorOhh · 11-19-2009, 11:19 PM

The music world is full of one hit wonders. Can you think of any authors that had that sci-fi one hit wonder novel?

My entry is Contact by Carl Sagan

ficbot · 11-19-2009, 11:34 PM

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell I hated the sequel, and her work since then has been more literary fiction than sci-fi, and imho not as compelling.

wayrad · 11-20-2009, 07:27 AM

David Palmer, Emergence. He's written a couple of other books, but they were mediocre.

John Myers Myers, Silverlock. I actually have a copy of The Moon's Fire-Eating Daughter. I have never been able to read more than a few pages. (Edited to add: Oops, that's fantasy, sorry)

Sparrow · 11-20-2009, 08:50 AM

Pierre Boulle 'Planet of the Apes'
Paul Theroux 'O-Zone'
Aldous Huxley 'Brave New World'
George Orwell '1984'

Slite · 11-20-2009, 08:53 AM

Ok, I'm gonna go out on a limb here...

Frank Herbert - Dune

The rest he did is crap IMHO.

(Time to go put on my asbestos-undies I asume)

polyfragmentiert · 11-20-2009, 10:00 AM

Richard Kadrey, "Metrophage"

mazzeltjes · 11-20-2009, 12:01 PM

wrong post

ardeegee · 11-20-2009, 12:05 PM

Flowers For Algernon. Daniel Keyes.

pdurrant · 11-20-2009, 01:12 PM

[QUOTE=dwanthny;662881]Can you think of any authors that had that sci-fi one hit wonder novel?

How about a one-hit wonder SF short story?

The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin

He wrote some SF novels and quite a few short stories, but nothing to match this.

BenG · 11-20-2009, 01:22 PM

The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Of course several of these writers mentioned aren't one-hit wonders as authors but only as sci-fi writers.

If the definition of "hit" is "bestseller", which is the common usage, then the Dune books after the original novel were hits.

Lemurion · 11-20-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayrad

David Palmer, Emergence. He's written a couple of other books, but they were mediocre.

John Myers Myers, Silverlock. I actually have a copy of The Moon's Fire-Eating Daughter. I have never been able to read more than a few pages. (Edited to add: Oops, that's fantasy, sorry)

I read the sequel to Emergence, called Tracking, just recently, and while it was pretty good, it couldn't compete. However I wonder how much of that was the result of two decades worth of anticipation?

Sparrow · 11-20-2009, 02:51 PM

Stella Gibbons 'Cold Comfort Farm'

(Yep, it's SF.

)

pdurrant · 11-20-2009, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Stella Gibbons 'Cold Comfort Farm'

(Yep, it's SF.

)

OK, how is it SF?

I mean, all fiction is SF if you consider it as alternate history, but apart from that?

Sparrow · 11-20-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

OK, how is it SF?

I mean, all fiction is SF if you consider it as alternate history, but apart from that?

It's set in the future and envisages new technologies:
http://www.ansible.co.uk/sfx/sfx144.html
"But in a quiet way, Cold Comfort Farm is SF. It's set after the grim "Anglo-Nicaraguan Wars of '46". There's internal air mail in Britain, with the air-postman dropping packets of letters into your back garden. And there are videophones, with the oddity that public call-boxes are fitted with cameras but not displays. When the heroine calls her boy-friend from a box, he can study her face but she can't see his."

Lemurion · 11-20-2009, 03:29 PM

Pat Frank for Alas, Babylon.

I know it's not his only book, but it's really his only SF hit.

11-19-2009, 11:19 PM	#1
DoctorOhh US Navy, Retired Posts: 9,889 Karma: 13806776 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: North Carolina Device: Icarus Illumina XL HD, Kindle PaperWhite SE 11th Gen	Science Fiction One Hit Wonders The music world is full of one hit wonders. Can you think of any authors that had that sci-fi one hit wonder novel? My entry is Contact by Carl Sagan

11-20-2009, 07:27 AM	#3
wayrad Fanatic Posts: 551 Karma: 1121392 Join Date: May 2008 Location: USA Device: HTC One M8	David Palmer, Emergence. He's written a couple of other books, but they were mediocre. John Myers Myers, Silverlock. I actually have a copy of The Moon's Fire-Eating Daughter. I have never been able to read more than a few pages. (Edited to add: Oops, that's fantasy, sorry) Last edited by wayrad; 11-20-2009 at 07:30 AM.

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11-19-2009, 11:34 PM	#2
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell I hated the sequel, and her work since then has been more literary fiction than sci-fi, and imho not as compelling.

11-20-2009, 08:50 AM	#4
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Pierre Boulle 'Planet of the Apes' Paul Theroux 'O-Zone' Aldous Huxley 'Brave New World' George Orwell '1984'

11-20-2009, 08:53 AM	#5
Slite Icanhasdonuts? Posts: 2,837 Karma: 532407 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mölnbo, Sweden Device: Kobo Aura 2nd edition, Kobo Clara HD	Ok, I'm gonna go out on a limb here... Frank Herbert - Dune The rest he did is crap IMHO. (Time to go put on my asbestos-undies I asume)

11-20-2009, 10:00 AM	#6
polyfragmentiert Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 14258 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kiel, Germany Device: SONY PRS-T1, bald tolino vision 3 HD	Richard Kadrey, "Metrophage"

11-20-2009, 12:01 PM	#7
mazzeltjes Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 177 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Amsterdam Device: sony 505	wrong post

11-20-2009, 12:05 PM	#8
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	Flowers For Algernon. Daniel Keyes.

11-20-2009, 01:12 PM	#9
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 73,596 Karma: 315126578 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	[QUOTE=dwanthny;662881]Can you think of any authors that had that sci-fi one hit wonder novel? How about a one-hit wonder SF short story? The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin He wrote some SF novels and quite a few short stories, but nothing to match this.

11-20-2009, 01:22 PM	#10
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Of course several of these writers mentioned aren't one-hit wonders as authors but only as sci-fi writers. If the definition of "hit" is "bestseller", which is the common usage, then the Dune books after the original novel were hits.

11-20-2009, 02:51 PM	#12
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Stella Gibbons 'Cold Comfort Farm' (Yep, it's SF. )

11-20-2009, 03:29 PM	#15
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Pat Frank for Alas, Babylon. I know it's not his only book, but it's really his only SF hit.

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