Larry Niven
Ringworld was the 1st "adult" book I ever read. Prior to that, I was on a steady diet
of short stories. This book opened up the world of novels to me. Thanks Larry.
Below, a link to a great Known Space set of pages.
Nicely done, and full of excellent graphics.
Phillip K. Dick
Phillip K. Dick & his son Christopher
A truly amazing author, unappreiciated in the States, acclaimed around the rest of the world. His writing spans
from the 1950's to the early 1980's, cut short by his untimely death. Dick's writings tend to concentrate upon the internal lives of his characters,
rather than the science-fictional mileu of their surroundings. His most famous work doesn't even have the title he gave it. The movie "Blade Runner" is taken
from Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", and we all know what an impact that had on the public's
idea of the future (LA dark & raining constantly, weird bioformed animals in the bazzars,
building-sized wallscreens pumping commercials 24/7).
The sad part about Dick's career was that he never was able to break through into the "mainstream" world. He was always stuck in the ghetto of SF.
Lucky us!
Phillip K. Dick is dead, alas,
Let's all line up to kick God's ass
I think that about sums it up quite nicely
Arthur C. Clarke (OBE, Hugo & Nebula, etc.)
One of my 2 favorite authors before I read Ringworld. Still read his more "science-fictiony" issues.
Clarke has had a bad time lately, foul accusations in the press, politically
motivated by Sri Lanka's seemingly endless civil war (most un-civil).
This is the man who "invented" the geostationary orbit, and could have been the first
billionare from space, if he'd been greedy. He wasn't. The good name of
Clarke will be remembered fondly, while Bill Gates could learn a thing or two.
Ray Bradbury
My other favorite author before Ringworld, and a really nice guy. One of the true gems
of the science fiction world. I met him once in someone's hotel room at the Atlanta Worldcon.
He was reassuring a fan-volunteer that it was ok she didn't let him into the Hucksters' Room
without his convention badge, even if he was the Guest of Honor that year. I loved the Martian Chronicles,
even though the TV miniseries was crap. Oh well, that's showbiz! (Ray knows that. He is from Los Angeles.)
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