[knivesout]

While the debates in the fantasy section seem inherently incapable of any real resolution, they have thrown out a lot of interesting recommendations for work in the genre that is unusual and worthy of notice. I thought it might be a good idea to do the same for SF.

Personally, I am afraid I am rather behind the times when it comes to SF - I am still obsessively catching up with everything ever written in the field since the Golden Age, and have only recently broken through to reading some of the major writers of the 80s!

However, I can cite two writers who are at least doing interesting things within the genre, although I doubt they are in any way as much iconoclasts as some of the off-centre fantasists. Then again SF has always been a rather broad bag of tales.

Adam Roberts: He aspires to a high level of wordcraft, and usually achieves it. His novels are packed with philsophical ideas and some interestng tech-sepc at times, but one real problem is that he can get too abstruse at times, as with the ending of On which seems to have left many readers baffled and even infuriated. He seems to have sidelines into writing spoof-fiction right now, but hopefully will soon pick up the reins on his SF career.

Ken MacLeod: Wayard, witty and rather left-wing. You don't have to agree with any of his politics to admire his deft technological extrapolation, wry, intelligent wit and engaging plots, peopled with fairly intersting characters (although there is a certain MacLeod 'type of hero emerging!).

OK, these are two writers I have managed to notice who seem to be in a position to do interesting things. But I know there are many more - names such as Charles Stross and Paul McAuley have been mentioned elsewhere, for instance.

So tell me more! Who are the young Turks of sf today, the ones pushing this genre we love so well into new spaces?

[Archren]

Intersting topic knives; may you get good responses!

My contribution:

Probably mentioned in many other places, but Alastair Reynolds' books are darn impressive. I've only read "Revelation Space" and "Chasm City," but I was hugely impressed with the latter one. Great examinations of self and perspective set in an almost noir thriller. Amazing!

Charlie Stross, of course, although all I've read was "Singularity Sky." Both some of the funniest and most heartbreaking prose I read that year. Huge range.

I'll also put in a nod for John C. Wright, for his "Golden Age" trilogy. Epic, innovative, funny and complex. Great look at post-human possibilities. I loved the whole thing (although the middle book was a little slow, I'll admit).

These might be too run-of-the-mill, though. I get a lot of my reading list from Locus magazine reviews. I'm looking forward to what else everyone comes up with!

[knivesout]

I've read short stories by both Stross and Reynolds, and mean to get their novels soon. Reynolds seems the more generic, but also the more solid storyteller to me, while the short story I read by Stross, Lobsters I think it was called, was very hip and up-to-the-second, but perhaps a little too overtly so?

I've only read the first two parts of Wright's trilogy - the second part was a bit of a let-down but I'll get around to the third one in paperback soon.


More? :D

[Archren]

Just thought of another one: Cory Doctorow. I loved "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." Talk about hip & up to the minute. I'm really looking forward to "Eastern Standard Tribe." He's another one with great speculation, and different generational outlook and a lot of humor in his books.

[Clarkesworld]

Ah, you just beat me on recommending Cory Doctorow.

How about Richard Morgan? Neal Asher? I always used the PKD Award nominees to find interesting new writers.

-Neil