SF Great Poul Anderson, 1926-2001 108
"Friends,
Poul Anderson passed away last night, July 31-August 1, around midnight. During the afternoon, he received hundreds of emails and messages from friends and readers and fellow writers, which Astrid and Karen printed out and read to him. He died knowing (and how!) that he was loved and valued, and hearing how much his work had entertained and moved so many. Though he was weak at the end, there was no loss of mental capacity, and my last conversation with him was slow but sparkling with the curiosity and deep-seated gentlemanliness that Poul always had, and which was, I think, built into his whole body and being.
He is survived by his wife and writing partner, Karen, his daughter Astrid, brother John, grandchildren Erik and Alexandra, nieces Janet and Cathy, and by millions of readers.'
Poul Anderson was an extraordinarily rare kind of man, a brilliant writer with an impressive intellect who was yet always open, friendly, approachable, and a downright decent human being. I had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife Karen on several occasions over the years at BayCon, and I will always treasure the experience. I extend my sympathies to Karen and condolences to his family.
You can look up Poul's impressive bibliography or read an interview he did for Locus a few years ago. You can also read an obituary at the Locus site, or this notice at SFWA."
OT: Greg Bear (Score:1)
at least Gillian Anderson still lives (Score:1)
to start a web page for Andersons with peculiar first names.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
Re:History and D&D influences (Score:1)
George R.R. Martin == return of GOOD fantasy (Score:1)
No longer is the magic, the faries, or fantastical beings the only focus of fantasy novles - there is an author that focuses on realistic multi-dimensional CHARACTERS. No longer do the good guys wear white tunics, or the bad guys wear black mail! Almost all of the characters by this author are GREY, very, very GREY. They will do good, they will do evil - they are above all, HUMAN, and INTERESTING!
The author - George R. R. Martin - a sci-fi author who decided to write some fantasy - his series - "A Song of Ice and Fire".
So far I have DEVOURED his first two books - "A Game of Thrones" and "A Clash of Kings". The thrid novel (forgot title) is out, but I'm waiting for it to come out in paperback. These books ARE weighy - upwards of 800-900 pages each, but I went through them like NO fantasy book I have ever read before - and that includes my previous fav - Robert Jordan (whose books, for MANY reasons, do not hold the enjoyment they once did).
He writes really dark, gritty fantasy - people (even good ones and major characters) will die, because it MAKES SENSE FOR THEM TO DIE. His characters and plots are complex, but not overwhelmingly so (ahem Mr. Jordan). He keeps the action going when it should. Honestly, never before have I enjoyed good characters getting revenge, or bad characters executing another move in a web of plots and counter-plots. Not that the series is perfect - the setting is good, but not the most original - but is ANYTHING original in fantasy anymore??? The focus is the writing, plot and the characters - and in these elements, Mr. Martin has succeeded (IMHO) in ways no previous fantasy author I have read has.
Do give him a try - I recommended his works to two separate friends and both immediately LOVED his work and greedily read the first two novels.
Sincerely,
Kevin Christie
crispiewm@hotmail.com
Re:A sad year for SF (Score:1)
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:2)
I wonder how many of the authors in the Sci Fi/Fantasy section wish there was only Fiction section.
Re:May He Go Among the Imperishable Stars (Score:1)
ttyl
Re:History and D&D influences (Score:1)
One of my favorite of his works is Orion Shall Rise, which is very interesting in the way it plays with the concept of utopia, and also makes you almost not notice the parallels with norse myth at the same time.
Re:Damn, we keep losing SCA authors (Score:1)
If I remember rightly, Mr. Anderson was one of the founders of the SCA.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:2)
David Weber, especially the Honor Harrington books. The first book in the series, On Basilisk Station, is available free from: http://www.baen.com/library/default.htm
I am also fond of Oath of Swords, a well-written Fantasy with real characters that doesn't quite fit into the normal fantasy sterotypes established by Papa Tolkien
S.M. Stirling and David Drake co-wrote the excellent "The General" series, a 5-book series with a related sequal. The Hammer series by Drake (Mercenaries) is good, but not up to The General, IMHO.
The first 3 Star Wars novelizations by Timothy Zahn are excellent too, with a well-defined plot arc and human (well, alien) characters.
On the well-written fantasy side, I enjoyed The Videssos Cycle by Harry Turtledove. This doesn't seem to have the well-defined plot arc of some of the other series, but the combination of Roman Legions and magic is intriguing.
The disc-world series by Terry Pratchett is generally a fun read, if you have a high tolerance for puns.
_A Company of Stars_ by Christopher Stasheff is well-written with engaging characters, and appropriate subject matter for slashdot; it deals with censorship and politics. Some of the reviews of the sequels are not as promising, but I haven't found any yet, so I can't give a personal opinion. This book is out of print, and the series is incomplete.
Of course, there is always the voluminous Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. There have been many other reviews here and elsewhere, so I will leave this one to others.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:3)
I gave up Card a while back, but have you tried George R.R. Martin, Neal Stephenson, Dan Simmons, Greg Egan, Connie Willis, Tony Daniel, Michael J. Straczynski, Harlan Ellison, Larry Niven, or Ben Bova? Gardner Dozois makes a valid claim that there are good new authors out there. You just have to look for them.
For those who must have a morbid fascination with not dead yet lists see: Oldest Living Authors/Editors/Artists [sfsite.com] Obviously they haven't had time to remove Poul's name from that list. It is from the Internet Science Fiction Database (ISFDB) Derived Information [sfsite.com] page.
The question should be how many "Golden Age" authors are left that are still writing?
Re:Hmm... (Score:2)
"Uncleavish Truethinking". See this Poul Anderson bibliography [sfsite.com].
History and D&D influences (Score:3)
My favorite Poul Anderson work is the Time Patrol story "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth", which brings a tear to my eye every time I read it. It would have to be closely followed by The Boat of a Million Years, which makes being immortal sound like a burden. These show Anderson at his best, either taking the long view of history or making some ancient piece of the past seem alive and exciting. No other author I've read has had that delicate touch for history, and for that he will be missed.
Little known-fact: I read somewhere that Anderson's novel Three Hearts and Three Swords was one of the strong influences on the creation of Dungeons and Dragons.
Re:Greg Bear (Score:3)
Greg Bear (Score:2)
I enjoyed Eon, Eternity and the books that start with the Forge of God, Greg certainly does have some original ideas.
And of course the sadness is felt for the loss of Poul, one who became nearly immortal in his words and worlds he created.
Re:OT: Greg Bear (Score:1)
Re:OT: Greg Bear (Score:2)
Adolescents with no knowledge of, or appreciation for, talents such as Poul Anderson are empowered to anonymously contribute the electronic equivalent of litter and graffiti to an otherwise somber and respectful discussion of the recently deceased and the sense of loss felt by his readers. Is this one of the blessings of the computer age?
The Broken Sword available (Score:2)
So I guess it had a few more print runs.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
Re: The Broken Sword (Score:1)
Quite an amusing read.
Re:Try Cards Shadow books. (Score:1)
I read the Shadow series, but kept feeling that political events within them happened a bit too 'deus ex machina' i.e. some of the events within them did not relate so well. Although Bean himself is extremely well developed, Achilles ability to control several governments is a little overstretched.
I hope the third book in the series has a more realistic development of Peter's rise to power.
Author, stickfighter (Score:2)
One of the few science fiction / fantasy authors who studied history, and a member of the Society for Creative Anacronism. The SCA is a sport combat group (one of several such organizations active in the US) with a somewhat unrealistic medieval-themed stick fighting system (plastic & aluminum armor & shields are both legal in most kingdoms, which is anacronistic if not creative).
Poul wrote a historical fiction about Harald Hardraada, as well as many fantasies and science fiction stories with a medieval theme.
Since most geeks read science fiction, and some geeks frequent slashdot, it's not suprising that many of the denizens of this forum consider your question stupid and trollish.
--Charlie
Re:A well-respected author gone.... :-( (Score:2)
If it's a novel now, I should get that...
Re:Suspended animation? (Score:1)
Randall.
On a visible but distant shore, a new image of man;
Orion Shall Rise (Score:1)
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
Sure the star trek books and the tsr books are easy to catagorize. But what about stuff like the adept series from Piers Anthony (they never could decide where they went) or alot of stuff from Roger Zelazny? Or do you consider only hard stuff from the likes Bob Forward to be sci-fi?
Requiem (Score:3)
Whatever his beliefs about the nature of man, Poul will live on in his work and in the hearts of those he inspired and enchanted both as a writer and as a man.
Northern skies, behold! A noble comes forth to take his place among you.
Re: The Broken Sword (Score:1)
If you can't find a copy of an older book to buy, check with your local library. You can usually do a multi-library search from a web site and then email a request for inter-library loan. For instance there are two copies of The Broken Sword in Minnesota libraries, one is the 1971 Ballentine (w/ intro by Lin Carter) and the other is the 1988 Baen edition.
Re: The Broken Sword (Score:1)
"All that really matters is the story."
Poul Anderson, Hrolf Kraki's Saga
--
"Deep in the ocean are treasures beyond compare,
Re: The Broken Sword (Score:3)
Additionally, if you like Sword, I highly recommend Anderson's Hrolf Kraki's Saga, his retelling of a Danish saga that is related to Beowulf. This story features Hrothgar, and Beowulf is essentially a footnote in Hrolf Kraki's tale. Operation Chaos is also a good fantasy by Anderson, much in the spirit of Heinlein's Magic, Inc.
--
"Deep in the ocean are treasures beyond compare,
He was a great writer and a good man. (Score:1)
His novella "Sam Hill" reprinted in _The Best of Poul Anderson_ is a classic about the abuses of government databases that is as relevant today as when it was written almost 50 years ago.
He cant be dead!!! (Score:2)
He will be missed.
Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (Score:1)
I can tell you the meaning of life,
Re:Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (Score:1)
I can tell you the meaning of life,
Re:Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (Score:2)
New Authors? (Score:2)
Re:Oh. Damn, he was a fine writer. (Score:1)
Keith Laumer too. (Score:1)
None of them can ever be replaced. SF has been a vast wasteland for some time but for the old guard. With just about all of them gone, the SF I knew is dead, and the world is poorer for it.
Re:May He Go Among the Imperishable Stars (Score:2)
I took it from the first page of Poul's own masterpiece, "The Boat of a Million Years." It is translated from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, The Book of Going Forth by Daylight, Theban recension, ca 18th Dynasty. I thought it was a fitting adieu for one of 20th century's giants. I can't think of any other sci-fi author who can match Poul's grasp of history and the human condition. A great loss.
May He Go Among the Imperishable Stars (Score:5)
May he come port in the sunset boat,
May he go among the imperishable stars,
May he journey in the Boat of a Million Years.
-The Book of Going Forth by Daylight
He will be missed
Read one of his books in class ... (Score:3)
Cool thing was, the class a few years later than me actually had a phone interview with him about one of his books.
Not much of a remembrance, just an author who'd take time out of his schedule to talk to a freshman writing class had to be pretty cool :)
Re:A sad year for SF (Score:1)
I also have finally read the entire Heechee series of books (all five) which I purchased this spring. I hope I am not a curse. Nah.
I must say that Half Price Books is a great place to shop. Half (no pun) the books I buy there are in new condition. I try to scout there about every two weeks to see if I can find a classic in top quality to read and add to my collection. I hate creases in the spines of my books!!!
Re:I loved his Hoka books (Score:2)
The Hoka stories were great. Alas, not only did we lose Poul Anderson this year, but his co-author on the Hoka books (Gordon R. Dickson) also died earlier this year. Add in Douglas Adams and it's been a really, really, bad year. Sigh.
I read Anderson and I never went back to Asimov.. (Score:1)
I just couldnt go back to Asimov, save for the Baley detective stories.. Foundation and To the end of eternity were always everafter just so much rice crackers.
Be seeing you..
Re:Its all one quote ... (Score:2)
No, it had italicized the entire page. Both the front page and the comments. It probaby got fixed quickly so no one believes me now. *sigh*
Re:Ironic (Score:2)
Oh damn, damn, damn, DAMN. (Score:3)
Almost twenty years ago, as I hit my teens and began actually taking note of the names that appeared again and again under the titles of the stories and books that I loved (and that were teaching me, despite their often other-wordly subjects, more about the world than I ever suspected), I started noticing at the same time the obituaries, one or two a year, in a bad year three...
One after the other, writers who enriched -- and continue to enrich my life -- with their work.
Each death an icicle of regret in my heart. Yet another writer whom I will never have the chance to thank. And, selfishly I know -- another writer whose work has become, suddenly, finite and bounded, whose stories and books I must now ration (if I have not already read them all over and over), to stretch out my enjoyment as long as possible.
I will take Tau Zero and The Boat of a Million Years on my weekend trip tomorrow, and reread each for the third, or is it fourth, time... Paul Anderson wasn't even one of the authors whom I sought out most eagerly, but his work has rarely disappointed me, and he certainly places well in my personal "top 100" list. I'm sure he is near the top of the list for many. His death is a deeply felt loss to all lovers of SF. Thank you, Poul Anderson, and thank you again to all the other writers, living and no longer living, who have helped to make our lives worth living.
Kiscica (Adam Jacobs)
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
I own and read a lot of Poul Anderson's novels. I will miss him
Re:Damn, we keep losing SCA authors (Score:1)
Kean
Damn, we keep losing SCA authors (Score:2)
Damn.
Kean
Re:Coincidence.... I think NOT! (Score:1)
Other Online Poul Anderson Obituaries (Score:3)
Locus Online [locusmag.com].
No Truce With Kings...
Re:Damn, we keep losing SCA authors (Score:1)
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:2)
There are always new authors ready to step into the limelight. One just needs to look for them.
I get my fix here [analogsf.com].
Goodbye Mr. Anderson, you will be missed - but your works will live on forever.
sigh (Score:1)
Paul Boutin | writer unfit to tie Poul Anderson's sandals and amateur search engine optimization [lycos.com] consultant
Re:The High Crusade. (Score:1)
So true! (Score:2)
I guess the market for fictional speculations on the fascinating, even astounding, implications of real science and technology is just too small compared to the market for superstitious nonsense, which is never-ending.
Polluting science fiction with dwarves with magic rings, dragons and enchanted swords and all that nonsense is like making the astronomy category into astronomy/astrology.
It's just another example of "dumbing down".
man-kzin wars (Score:2)
Condolences and thanks for one of the finest people to ever grace this planet or any other.
Treatment, not tyranny. End the drug war and free our American POWs.
Coincidence.... I think NOT! (Score:3)
The
Which reminds me of what I believe was a Poul Anderson story, titled "Blip" or "Bleep" or "Bzzzt", or something like that.
In essence, they had an FTL communications method which always had a burst of static at the start of every message. At some point, our hero (in law enforcement) starts getting crime tips and information about his organization's activities that are supposed to be secret.
It turns out that the static burst contains ALL messages ever transmitted this way: past, present, and future, merely time-compressed into a brief burst of noise. Our heroine (the previously unknown party) decompressed this burst and began reading them, sending the tips to our hero.
Of some interest was that some of the messages were perfectly legible, but could not be understood for lack of cultural or scientific references. Our hero heard a call for help from the far future, but couldn't understand either the distress or what form help might be.
Kind of like fishing for messages in the digits of Pi.
Try Cards Shadow books. (Score:1)
Re:The High Crusade. (Score:2)
Re:History and D&D influences (Score:4)
Quite agree re: "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth"; my own favourites would include The Broken Sword and the Nick van Rijn/Polesotechnic League/Flandry stories -- whenever I can find them! But then, I grew up with those, and not his own proudest works.
I think D&D got its regenerating rubbery trolls from Three Hearts and Three Lions (not Swords, but we seem to have a large enough population of regenerating rubbery trolls here on
He has a website (Score:1)
BTW, this website is developed by my former co-worker.
A sad year for SF (Score:2)
Where has all the science fiction gone? (Score:1)
Son of a B*tch! (Score:2)
Its really sad realize that there is only a finite number of books from an author. I guess it paves the way for new authors to try to be as successful as their predecesors.
He will be sadly missed, even though I hardly knew him...
--
Fnord is that feeling you get when you reach for a Snickers and come back with a Slurpee.
The stars... (Score:3)
--
A warm night, a rumpled bed, crickets chirping outside, the scents of love's aftermath. She snuggled against him. Her locks spilled over the arm he had brought around her shoulders. "I've thought of what I want on my tombstone," he laughed.
"Each man dies
And ends his day.
Here he lies
Who used to lay."
"I won't get that after all," Guthrie said.
"But I will remember it," the robot said.
"Right. That's enough. Listen," Guthrie hissed. "I want
"Strange," the robot confessed. "A kind of--lightness? I'm an abstraction, I think." He sought for words. "But there is a, a drive yet, and I'm fond of my old friends, my old memories, yours. Not quite the same way as before--as you've been--but--but No, you were not very kind to Sheila today."
"Take care
"I will. She has." This also the robot shared. "Okay, what've you got to tell me about Fireball?"
Guthrie gathered strength.
"They're swarming around you already, aren't they?" he began. "Advice, requests, demands.... And you know
The seizure contorted him.
The robot knelt and held him close, mummy against metal, while it ran its course. "Shall I ring for help?" the robot asked. Anyone else would have done so immediately.
The expected "No" shivered to him. His vibrosensors felt the racking heartbeat, his chemosensors drank the swell of clam-cold sweat. "Hell with that. Never mind."
The spasm ended. The robot lowered the man to the pillow. Guthrie's right hand trembled toward him. "Stars," Guthrie pleaded. "Keep us aimed
"That night at the lake is in me too," the robot assured him.
The air was utterly still and unbelieveable clear, especially since the altitude was not much. Above the woods, stars were beyond counting. Their reflections gleamed everywhere on the lake. Anson and Juliana had the campsite to themselves; in those days, you had to backpack to here. They stripped and went for a swim. The water caressed them, almost warm. At each stroke it ran back down into itself with a clear clinking like laughter. They swam among stars. "Someday we'll do this for real," Juliana said. "Promise?"
"Good," Guthrie whispered. "Grand. That's what counts." He rested until he could speak a bit louder. "I'll drink to theat. The Scotch
"Better not," the robot counseled.
"I'm still in command."
The robot yielded. "You are." He crossed the room, fetched the bottle from a drawer as directed, returned, and poured into a tumbler meant for water. Kneeling again, he lifted the knaggy head and brought rim to lips.
"The stars," Guthrie mumbled.
Curtains rippled evening-lit in a gathering breeze. The grandfather clock reached another hour and boomed it away.
Alakaboo
Re: Dickson dead! (Score:1)
Wow, it really has been a bad couple years, almost no SF authors that I grew up reading are still alive. Only Iain Banks, and he doesn't write Culture book all that much recently.
Lacoste
--
Vidi Vici Veni
Re:Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (Score:1)
Re:Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (Score:1)
The High Crusade. (Score:3)
Don't think anyone mentioned "The High Crusade" which is a very strong and funny book where English knights take over a UFO and take the Crusade back to the aliens. Funny, moving, just like a lot of his books.
Perhaps they'll re-release Three Hearts and Three Lions again. What a great book -- I have two copies. Surprised to read that it's hard to get, it's SUCH a good read.
Goodbye, Pohl, you'll be missed.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
The name of the series was fun, too - "Starship Troupers."
Chris, give us MORE!!!
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:5)
Agreed. Unfortunately, the "Science Fiction/Fantasy" section in the bookstore is about 98% fantasy nowadays (WHY do they throw those two together???) Good, hard science fiction is pretty rare nowadays, although not unheard of. I particularly like the Uplift series of books by Brin, who is a relatively young guy.
I've come to the point where I pretty much hate fantasy. I simply can't read another unicorn/elf/wizard book with the same plot about "geeky guy becomes hero" that basically tried to fill some geeky writer's personality holes. :)
Memo to bookstore owners: Separate the sections!!!
--
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:3)
Sadly, the way the mass culture is developing with visual media, with things like quake and MTV, well these things are not the things of great literature.
In history, during times when many men did not read, nothing much was written in the way of literature. This seems rather obvious to say it that way.
The question is, with the passing of these great authors, are we entering into another age when many men do not read?
We seem to be in an age of shallow men.
Re:OT: Greg Bear (Score:1)
Ironic (Score:1)
What is ironic is that from the death of Pohl Anderson I've gleaned a list from all yours posts of "must have" books to guide me the next time I go to the used book store.
Thanks for the recommendations; the greatest thing an author can hope for is that he is remembered for his work, and Pohl Anderson definitely seems to have left a deep impression with his fans.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:2)
Yes and no. When literacy was rare, literature was also rare. However, great literature was written and even more great stories/poems/plays/... were passed down by oral tradition.
Some great literature has survived for over three thousand years, including the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant to give but two examples from the Near East. There are many others from other cultures.
Paul
A well-respected author gone.... :-( (Score:2)
One novel he wrote early his career, The Broken Sword, drew inspiration from the Norse sagas and eddas and is an excellent book. Too bad it is quite underrated due to the fact it only had one initial print run in the early 1950's and sadly got overshadowed by the work of one John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, IMHO.
Re:This sucks.... (Score:1)
Re:Coincidence.... I think NOT! (Score:1)
A great author! (Score:3)
Hmm... (Score:1)
Maybe now would be a good time to start reading the anthology of his that I have?
I've only read one story so far. 'Unclefish Beholding' is a great piece -- it's atomic science using the English we'd have if there had been no Norman invasion, i.e. no latin/greek-derived words. An 'uncleft' is an atom, 'waterstuff' is hydrogen.
Re:Hmm... (Score:1)
No, I meant what I said. Search the same link [sfsite.com].
The one you mentioned was published in 1960, mine 1989. IIRC, the later one is an extended version of the earlier.
A rant on the "Golden Age", SF/F magazines & stuff (Score:1)
golden agers still writing?
Fred Pohl. [amazon.com] um, Andre Norton [amazon.com] I think.
does Le Guin [amazon.com] count as Golden Age? I still think of her as new wave.
Bob Forward [amazon.com] still publishes, I think. but he's not really golden age. way too hard.
but apart from Pohl, [amazon.com] I don't really like the golden age survivors anyway. I'd rather be reading Cadigan [amazon.com] or Robinson [amazon.com] or Haldeman [amazon.com] or Stephenson [amazon.com] or Goonan [amazon.com] or Niven. [amazon.com] or when it comes to fantasy, or [amazon.com]Brust [amazon.com] or Gaiman [amazon.com] or Dorsey. [amazon.com]
although I admit it. I saw the new Earthsea book [amazon.com] in the bookstore a couple days ago, and I was vaguely tempted. I decided to wait for paperback though.
it's funny that Dozois [amazon.com] of all people claims that there are still good authors out there, they're just hard to find. before he took over IAsfm, it was by far the best magazine on the market. it was edited by a woman named Shawna McCarthy, [amazon.com] and it was amazing.
in 1984 and '85, everybody knew who all the good authors were. Shawna printed their stories. (for example, check the May '84 issue, [sfsite.com] or the June issue. [sfsite.com] all great stories.) now, Dozois edits the year's most pretentious, annoying crap, and Shawna... is editing a little-known magazine called Realms of Fantasy.
interesting. just found some good news, at least Aboriginal SF [aboriginalsf.com] is still afloat. they're subscription-only though really, no newsstand sales to speak of. thus leaving most of the SF-reading public dependent on... Fantasy & Science Fiction. [sfsite.com] oh god.
somebody give Shawna a real job. save SF.
Brain Wave (Score:1)
Poul was a great guy (Score:2)
While not my favorite writer in terms of his written works, he was probably my favorite writer to talk with. And, he helped shape SF (and a little Fantasy even) in many ways.
Skol, Poul
[I know Fran really liked him too - hope she doesn't take this news too badly
Suspended animation? (Score:1)
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
I don't quite mind them throwing SF and Fantasy in the same section. I do mind the enormous amount of crap Fantasy that is being published tday.
Anyhow, If you like a few newer authors, what about:
I'm sure other people will come up with more examples.
And as a last note, I only read 'Starfarers' by Poul Anderson, and it convinced me to start reading more of him. He definitely sounds like a fine author, and I'm saddened to hear of his demise.
MartRe:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
I know of Sturgeon's Law. Unfortunately, it is 95% or more of modern fantasy that is crap. And I happen to like Fantasy, so that is really hurting me.
On the other hand with new writers like Robinson, Hamilton and a few others coming up, my other favourite genre (SF) is doing quite well.
MartAnother... how many are left? (Score:4)
Like (I'm sure) many slashdotters, I grew up reading as much science fiction as I could get my hands on. Poul Anderson was one of those who produced a great deal of the best work which I so eagerly digested, along with the likes of Heinlein, Asimov, Foster, and Bradbury. (antiflame: this list is by no means intended to be complete) Lately, it seems that there are fewer and fewer such bright lights in this trade. If Orson Scott Card quits writing, I don't know what I'll do
Take care, Poul.
Kill Smart Tags:
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
Pssst, Manga (and to a lesser extend, Anime).
Sure, most of its crap (sorry, but its true), but if you know who and where to look for stuff, you find some pretty good sci fi and fantasy tales out there.
A lot of it is nicely understated, and plot takes awhile to develop, a nice change of pace compared to American movies and (most) novels.
Oh well, just my $.02.
Dasunt, who's waiting on the Mermaid's Trilogy by Takahashi.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:1)
I grew up on reading the science fiction of an older time, and while I was well aware that people like Asimov, Heilein, or Clarke (and not to forget Jack Williamson!) were either hella old or dead, it never occured to me that people like Jerry Pournelle, Dean Ing, or Ursula K. LeGuin were in their mid-60's to early 70's.
Jebus, I'm going to slink off and feel really old, yet really young at the same time. :-(
------------
I loved his Hoka books (Score:1)
Re:at least Gillian Anderson still lives (Score:1)
Re:who the f*** (Score:1)
Re:New Authors? (Score:2)
Re: Dickson dead! (Score:2)
Oh. Damn, he was a fine writer. (Score:1)
When I was quite young, I read many stories of his that made a lasting impression. One got me interested in relativity, which led to AP math, which led to engineering... and, well, here I am, doing fun tech stuff.
The story was about a ship (sublight) sent out into space, but with a teleporter on board. The idea was, they could send the ship to another star system, and while it might take a hundred years for the ship to reach the destination, they could rotate the crew every six months. Thus, when it arrived at the destination, they'd have an on-site teleporter, ready to transport men, materiel, etc. through for colonization.
Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and the guys on board have to figure out how to rig up a replacement teleporter.... quite a nailbiter. At least I think it was Poul... hard to get the name wrong, but I might have, it was so long ago...
That ring any bells with anyone?
Good-bye, Mr. Anderson.
Re:Another... how many are left? (Score:2)
I agree with your assessment of the three Timothy Zahn Star Wars books, they are actually quality work unlike the plethora of other money-grubbing trash that has appeared with the Star Wars name on it.
If you want some gritty fantasy with political intrigue and war as the focus rather than Unlikely Young Hero Comes Into Magical Powers (tm), I recommend you check out George R. R. Martin's series that begins with A Game of Thrones and continues with A Clash of Kings. Another series that I really enjoy and is out of the mainstream is Jack Whyte's Camulod series, which is a pseudo historical fiction interpretation of the Authurian legend with just a touch of the mystical rubbed in. I think the first book is called Skystone; I know it's Sky-something.
Cheers,
Goncyn