Authors you can’t go wrong with, part 3
This list continues from part 2.
James Alan Gardner
All of Gardner’s science fiction books are set in his League of Peoples universe. Sadly he hasn’t published a book in the last 10 years.
- Masterpieces
- Radiant
- Gravity Wells (collection)
- Great books
- Expendable
- Commitment Hour
- Vigilant
- Hunted
- Ascending
- Trapped
Frank Herbert
Herbert is best known for Dune and its sequels. Even if it doesn’t become one of your favourite books, it’s still well worth reading.
- Masterpieces
- Dune series
- Dune
- Children of Dune
- Dune series
- Great books
- Dune series
- Dune Messiah
- God Emperor of Dune
- Heretics of Dune
- Chapterhouse: Dune
- Eye (collection)
- Dune series
Karin Lowachee
Lowachee burst on the scene with a trio of brilliant science fiction books in her Warchild universe — she’s since branched out into fantasy.
- Great books
- Warchild
- Burndive
- Good book
- Cagebird
Scott Mackay
Mackay hasn’t published any science fiction lately, but his books always have intriguing ideas.
- Great books
- Outpost
- The Meek
- Orbis
Will McIntosh
McIntosh’s first book is a scary one, imagining that the world goes downhill gradually — with people ending up struggling to survive.
- Masterpiece
- Soft Apocalypse
- Great books
- Hitchers
- Love Minus Eighty
Kim Stanley Robinson
The vast majority of Robinson’s books are science fiction, but his recent book Shaman takes place thousands of years ago.
- Masterpieces
- Three Californias
- The Wild Shore
- The Gold Coast
- Pacfic Edge
- 2312
- Three Californias
- Great book
- Shaman
- Good book
- Red Mars
John Scalzi
Scalzi always has fascinating ideas and a terrific sense of humour.
- Great books
- Old Man’s War
- The Android’s Dream
- Redshirts
Clifford D. Simak
Simak’s masterpiece takes place far in the future when the world is populated by dogs and humans are a myth.
- Masterpiece
- City
- Great books
- Over the River and Through the Woods (collection)
- Project Pope
- Way Station
- Good book
- Highway of Eternity
Joan Slonczewski
When asked to name my favourite book I will say Slonczewski’s A Door Into Ocean. Slonczewksi, a biology professor, is also co-author of a textbook.
- Masterpieces
- A Door Into Ocean
- Brain Plague
- Great books
- Still Forms on Foxfield
- The Wall Around Eden
- Daughter of Elysium
- The Highest Frontier
- Good book
- The Children Star
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Vonnegut’s experiences in World War II led directly to the book Slaughterhouse-Five, which is the one that put him on the map.
- Great books
- Cat’s Cradle
- The Sirens of Titan
- Slaughterhouse-Five