All that science fiction authors remind me of Carl Sagan, im just familiar with a few of those you mentioned but not too big on science fiction as such. Carl Sagan did a wonderful documentary called Cosmos, well worth a check and his book contact.
Yeah, it's weird. I don't really consider myself a science fiction fan. The genre is a little hit and miss to me. I'm just not interested in 90% of the stuff that fills the science fiction section. I'm not much of a fan of stuff like Star Treck or science and jargon-heavy things like that. Things that require an instruction manual or appendix to fully enjoy. I'm not interested in star fleets and phasers and lasers and warp drives. I dunno, I don't wanna say it's too nerdy because some of it is a lot of fun. It makes for great movies. But it's not something I really wanna sit down and read.
Frank Herbert's
Dune is not a generic sci-fi. It's a swashbuckler, if anything, almost bordering on a mythical saga. Heroes, villains, interesting characters and colourful locales, swordplay, religious zealotry, deep and meandering philosophy, political intrigue. While set in a technologically advanced fictional future, employing all the trappings of science fiction, it's told more like an adventure, like the Lord of the Rings, an epic, winding story that sweeps you away. It transports you to a different universe entirely rather than speculates about a possible future for this one. This kind of thing satisfies the fantacist in me. The escapist.
I read Asimov because I'm fascinated by A.I. Not because I'm interested in robotics or the technology per se, but because I'm interested in the mysteries of consciousness and the brain, or the philosophy and ethics of where the line would be between life and non-life, man and machine. That kinda shit really lights me up.
P.K.D's
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? Is basically a cat and mouse thriller, which ends up being a meditation on empathy and the human condition. We learn about ourselves as humans by looking in the mirror that the cyborgs present to us. The science fiction is just a backdrop. Aesthetics. A fascinating, clever, sometimes prophetic backdrop, but not really the meat and bones of the story. While he has some brilliant ideas that alone are sufficient to put him squarely within the science fiction greats, that's not really what it's about for me. It's nice to imagine the future, but what I really love is getting something I can appreciate now. Wisdom that has value now. Questions that are relevant now. Dare I say, spiritual questions. Matters of the heart and mind and soul.
And Heinlein is one of the brightest people ever as far as I'm concerned. He may well be a science fiction writer, but in amongst all that is some of the most brilliant and insightful social commentary you're likely to read. He's so damn quotable. Words that transcend any fictional context he puts them in. He's like fucking Confucius or something.
Topic: Whats your favourite author or book?