So many fantastic books have already been written that it is impossible to read all of them in one human life. Even if you devote all your time to this, a person still lives too little to master the entire aggregate volume of such works.
Due to the large selection, avid readers often delve into the literary ârubbishâ and cannot choose a worthy thing to read. Meanwhile, at the moment, not just many fantastic books have been written, but many good, just great, fantastic books. Some of them became not only recognized masterpieces in their genre, but also influenced the development of literature as a whole.
American science fiction writers of the 20th century stood at the origins of the genre. Along with their British colleagues, they practically created science fiction, made it mass and super-popular. Some of them were included in the list of "masters of fiction." And if you consider yourself among the fans of reading in general and the genre we are considering in particular, then be sure to get acquainted with these writers and their best works.
Dan simmons
Dan Simmons (date of birth - 04.04.1948) is a modern American science fiction writer who does not give preference to any one literary direction. From his pen came books in the genre of fantasy, classic science fiction, horror, thriller, historical novel and action-packed detective story. But first of all, Dan Simmons is known as the author of one of the best cosmo-operas - the tetralogy âSongs of Hyperionâ.
Here are his most significant works:
"Songs of Hyperion":
- Hyperion (1989).
- The Fall of Hyperion (1990).
- Endymion (1996).
- The Rise of Endymion (1997).
Also included in this series is the novel "Orphans of the Spiral", published in 1990.
âDarwin's Razorâ (2000) is an action-packed detective, flavored with a fair amount of black humor. A book about the confrontation of a well-known expert in car accidents and the Russian mafia.
"Terror" (2007) - in this work two genres are organically intertwined - a historical novel and a mystical thriller with elements of horror. The plot was based on a true story about the tragic expedition of the Terror and Erebos ships, but the author added to the plot, in addition to the believable struggle of the crew with the Arctic cold and lack of food, also an attack on the people of a huge monster. In March 2018, the start of the show, based on the novel "Terror", began.
The trilogy "Night":
- âSummer of the Nightâ (1991).
- âChildren of the Nightâ (1992).
- âWinter Ghostsâ (2002).
The first and third books are connected by plot and common heroes. All works belong to the genre of horrors.
Octavia Butler
This writer has become an iconic figure in African American culture. Her work is an amazing mixture of science fiction, historical prose, African American literature, and feminist ideas. She is one of the few science fiction women to have received worldwide recognition. Octavia Butler (06.22.1947-24.02.2006) is a laureate of many awards, including twice the Hugo and twice the Nebula. Her debut novel became the most famous and recognized of all works - this is âRelativesâ (1979). It is about a black woman who, saving a white man, falls into the past, and she has to learn from experience how it feels to be a slave. Interestingly, the book was rejected several times due to the fact that it raised a topic that was usually hushed up. But today, this work is included in the compulsory reading program in almost all US colleges.
Here are some more of Octavia Butlerâs best works:
1. âFledgling youthâ (2005).
2. The cycle "Xenogenesis":
- "Dawn" (1987).
- âRituals of adulthood (1988).
- Imago (1989).
3. The cycle of âProverbsâ:
- The Parable of the Sower (1993).
- The Parable of Talent (1998).
Octavia Butler also wrote five works, united under the name Patternist.
Kurt Vonnegut
If you recall all the masters of science fiction, you can not help but mention Kurt Vonnegut. âCradle for the Catâ is the authorâs most famous novel, which brought him worldwide popularity. The plot of the work is based on the fact that scientists managed to invent a new, previously unknown substance - ice 9. Only one crystal of modified water turns a whole pond into a block of ice, and any leak threatens to turn into a global catastrophe.
In the writer's work, science fiction is organically combined with elements of the grotesque and parable. Vonnegut considered himself a humanist and therefore in many of his works touched on the themes of responsibility of the world of science for recent discoveries and their impact on the planet.
In addition to âCradle for the Catâ Kurt Vonnegut (11/11/1922-11.04.2007) wrote many novels and short stories, among which the following can be highlighted:
- The Sirens of the Titan (1959).
- "Mechanical Piano" (1952) - in the Russian translation of "Utopia".
- âSlaughterhouse No. 5â (1969) is the authorâs second most important novel, in which his military past was reflected.
- "Timing" (1997) - a work that left a noticeable mark in American literature.
Kurt Vonnegut is also the author of comics based on which the series "Crypt from the Crypt" was shot.
Isaac Asimov
The books of Isaac Asimov occupy an honorable place in the golden fund of world literature. âI, Robotâ (1950), âBicentennial Man (1957),â Morning Dawn Robots â- these are not just stories and novels, these are the best examples of social-fiction prose. They have long been considered a cult, and hundreds of other writers use concepts such as the "laws of robotics" and "Azimov robots."
The books of Isaac Asimov (02/01/1920-06.04.1992) are not immediately dragging out - the narrative is leisurely, detailed, and the reader is completely immersed in the book gradually. But after the "buildup" there is a complete merger.
In addition to the mentioned novels, Isaac Asimov should definitely read:
- The Foundation (1951) or The Academy is an unfinished series of novels that other science fiction authors have continued to write.
- A series of fantastic detective novels and stories about police officer Elijah Bailey and the humanoid robot Daniel Olivo (this also includes Morning Dawn Robots).
- "Gods themselves" (1972).
Azimovâs most notable contribution to world literature is his understanding of the problem of confronting artificial reason and man. Some of the scientists predict that the conclusions made by the author will help to avoid many mistakes in the future.
Stephen king
Itâs hard to find a more eminent, popular, readable, and filmable American science fiction writer than Stephen King. Some critics rate his literary talent rather low, considering him the author of second-rate horror novels. Good, but not relevant to the literature as a whole.
However, one cannot deny that Stephen King is number one on the list of American science fiction writers today. He became a phenomenon in the writing world. Stephen King is overpopular and very prolific, so annually pleases fans with new products. And his novels are distinguished by a detailed study of the characters, so that the reader perceives them as living people. And although there are a lot of unpleasant "physiological" details in the books, they are quite excusable.
Stephen King is a laureate of numerous literary awards (âBrema Stokerâ, âWorld Fantasy Awardâ, âFor Contribution to World Fictionâ, etc.). Among his works are considered the best:
- The cycle "Dark Tower" (1982-2012) - eight novels connected by a single plot. A cult thing, the subject of worship of many fans around the world. References to this work are found in many novels of the author. Filmed, but extremely unsuccessful.
- The Shining (1977). The novel is about an old hotel with bloodthirsty ghosts in which the caretaker's family, cut off from the whole world, winters. The work was repeatedly filmed.
- âItâ (1985) is a two-volume book about a terrible clown monster killing children. Twice filmed.
- Dream Catcher (2001) is a science fiction novel about an alien invasion.
- The Green Mile (1996).
- âUnder the Domeâ (2009).
- âConfrontationâ (1978) - the super influenza virus almost destroyed the human race, and a handful of survivors should repel the forces of evil.
In addition to novels, the writer wrote many short stories and published several collections of authors.
Clifford simak
Clifford Saymak - the largest American science fiction. A distinctive feature of his works is a belief in reason, a good beginning in people or nonhumans, a call for the unification of mankind and cooperation between all intelligent beings. His best works are:
- "City" (1953) - intelligent dogs and robots live on the land of the future. About people there were only ancient legends. The writer received the International Science Fiction Award for this novel.
- âPhoto of the Battle of the Marathonâ is an authorâs storybook.
- âLive with the highest mercyâ - the novel describes the games of the superintelligence to create a better civilization by selecting candidates from different times and worlds.
- The Goblin Sanctuary is an amazing mix of fantasy and science fiction, in which there was a place for ghosts, Neanderthals, space travel and a mysterious artifact.
- âWhat could be simpler than timeâ (1961) - in the future, a person can send only his mind to other planets. But one of the travelers returned to the other.
Robert Heinlein
Robert Heinlein is one of the most famous American science fiction writers who has largely defined the âfaceâ of modern science fiction. He was repeatedly awarded the prestigious Hugo and Nebula Prizes. And he is the only author who received the Hugo Prize 5 times for novels and twice more for other literary works.
The best books of Robert Hanline:
- The cycle âWorld as a mythâ is a tetralogy about the multiverse.
- Star Troopers (1959) is a parody of a militarized society. Moreover, the parody is so subtle that it was not recognized right away, and for quite some time the author was accused of promoting ideas about a âpolice stateâ.
- "Stepsons of the Universe" (1963).
- Tunnel in the Sky (1955) is a work about cadets stuck on an alien planet without the possibility of returning home.
- The Double Star (1956).
- âEnough time for love (1973).
Robert Sheckley
Robert Sheckley is a small form maestro in science fiction. Several hundred original stories came out from under his pen, which surprise not only with unexpected plot twists, but also with an abyss of black humor and satire. Reading at least a few of them is the first priority of any science fiction fan. They can be found in one of 13 copyright collections.
But besides short stories, Robert Sheckley also wrote several novels. The most famous among them are: âCorporation Immortalityâ (1958) and âExchange of Mindsâ (1965).
Philip C. Dick
Philip Dick (12.16.1928-02.03.1982) is an American science fiction writer whose books gained much greater popularity only after the death of the writer. This was largely due to the cult film Blade Runner (the sequel has already been released). The tape was shot based on the authorâs novel âDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheepâ (1968). In addition to him, Philip Dick must read:
- Transmigration (1981).
- "Turbidity" (1977).
- âShed Tearsâ (1970).
- "Doctor Death, or How We Lived After the Bomb" (1963).
Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert (11/08/1920/11/02/1986) wrote a lot of books. But they know and love him first of all for âThe Chronicles of the Duneâ - a collection of six original books that combine a science-fiction plot and many philosophical ideas.
Frank Herbert died before he finished his story. But his son, Brian Herbert, in collaboration with Kevin Anderson, completed the cycle by writing two more novels. Drafts of the writer formed the basis.
In addition, "The Chronicles of Dune" generated about two dozen sequels from different authors.
William Gibson
William Gibson (Born March 17, 1948) is a famous American science fiction writer. The book âNeuromancerâ (1984) brought him popularity, which at that time was a revelation in the world of literature and opened to readers such a genre as cyberpunk. Many works of the author describe the influence of computers on human life. Despite the fact that the era of computerization was just in its infancy, William Gibson already operated on concepts such as âcyberspace,â âvirtual reality,â and âhackers.â The best novels of the author:
- Cyberspace is a trilogy that includes Neuromancer.
- The Trilogy of the Bridge (1993-1999).
- The Bigend Trilogy (2003-2010).
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is a science fiction writer who is especially loved in our country. It is customary to associate it with science fiction, although the writer wrote many poems, plays and fairy tales. The authorâs most famous work is the novel â451 Fahrenheitâ. This is an anti-utopia in which the author showed the world without books, without spirituality, without individuality - and therefore the reader is not at all surprised at the natural outcome.
Also, Ray Bradbury (02.22.1920-05.06.2012) must read:
- âMartian Chroniclesâ (1950) - a series of stories about the colonization of the red planet.
- âDandelion Wineâ (1957) - a story with autobiographical elements.
- âThe Man in Picturesâ (1951) is an authorial collection of 18 stories.
- âThe trouble is comingâ (1962). You can also find the name "Something terrible is coming."
- âAnd the thunder struckâ (1952) - a work about a hunter who, having gone on a safari to the past, accidentally kills a butterfly, thereby changing the present.
Harry harrison
Harry Harrison (03/12/1925-15.08.2012) ranked among the great American science fiction writers on the basis of merit. He is not so famous, although his works are popular all over the world. Not as famous as Stephen King or Ray Bradbury. But at the same time, Harry Harrison wrote what can be called classic science fiction. Moreover, all the works are written with a fair amount of humor.
The writer wrote about two hundred stories and 35 novels, the best of which are:
- The Steel Rat series (1985-2010) - 11 novels about the adventures of the best thief and con man in the Galaxy.
- The series âBill - Hero of the Galaxyâ (1965-1992) - eight satirical novels and a story about how to become an excellent soldier.
- The series "World of Death" (1960-2001) - 9 works, some of them were written in collaboration with other writers.
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster is that rare science fiction writer who writes in different genres, and at the same time he can read absolutely all the works. There are no weak things, but if you choose the best of the best, then you should read:
- Series "The Adventures of Flinks" (1983 -2017). In Russia, there are only the first six books, the remaining nine have not been translated or published.
- âThe Wizard with a Guitarâ (1983-2004) - nine novels that are one of the best fantasy sagas. All books in this series are read in one go.
- The Chelankee Federation series - 15 works, half of them have been translated into Russian.
Books of American science fiction writers from this list are known and loved around the world. And although many of the authors mentioned have already written their latest books, they are remembered for their works.