Category Archives: 5 science fiction/fantasy authors
Must-Read Science Fiction Authors and Some of Their Best Works
I am a writer who is passionate about classic science fiction. There is a list of authors who are considered to be the best. So, if you are looking for incredible science fiction novels, then these five, who happen to be some of my favorites, are included in that list and I would highly recommend them. I’ve given you a short version of their content and what I thought about each one. Whatever you choose to read, I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed. Happy Reading!
Robert Heinlein – Glory Road
This novel was written in first person and talks to the fourth wall on several occasions. The leading character is a down and out, unemployed man in serious need of a job. He answers an ad in the paper for “Hero for Hire” and stumbles his way to success. It was very inciteful and hilariously realistic to today’s social climate.
– The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
A computer becomes sentient in a prison located on the moon and teaches the inmates how to fight back the oppressors on earth by launching large rocks. Heinlein made it sound plausible and added just enough sound technical data to seem real.
John Varley – Titan
One of my favorite characters in this book was the mighty Cirocco Jones and her sidekick, Gaby. On an expedition to Saturn, they discover an unknown satellite orbiting the planet, they crash into it, and attempt to find their missing crew members. The narration was so vivid I could see what they saw as if I was there with them.
– Millennium
Because of a thousand years of war, the Earth has been polluted beyond repair and humanity’s gene pool has become irreparably damaged. Scientists decide on a desperate plan; time travel into the past, collect healthy humans, and transport the populace to an uncontaminated planet to rebuild civilization. The only downside is each person selected can’t have changed the future by disappearing. I found the plot to be interesting, original, and deeply disturbing at the same time.
Piers Anthony – Macroscope
Macroscope is a love story that surrounds the theft of a new kind of telescope that employs an infinite resolution while observing the space time continuum. The machine can look into anywhere at anytime, making it the most dangerous tool in the universe. The two protagonists fall in love while they attempt to keep the macroscope away from those who would misuse it.
– A Spell For Chameleon
The lead character, Bink, must learn his magical talent before he comes of age or suffer the banishment of the country in which he lives. Bink learns he has a talent but there is no way to discover what it could be. He is banished to our world, one without magic, and eventually makes it back to Xanth, his world. Bink ultimately learns his talent is that no other talent will work against him. It is also determined to be the strongest talent in his world. I liked this book primarily because Bink was so naïve and nicer than those around him. It also proved that decency wins out.
Arthur C. Clarke – The Sands of Mars
This book was released in 1951 and shows a much more wholesome view of science and space travel. The leading characters find kangaroo – like creatures on mars and vegetation that will eventually produce air on mars. The protagonist is so taken with the planet that he volunteers to stay and help with the migration of people from earth.
– The City and the Stars
I found the concept of this book fascinating and different from most science fiction of the time. The setting is in the distant future when the earth’s oceans have dried up, and mankind lives in one remaining city on the edge of extinction. The leading character discovers a second group of people that have once again learned how to live off the land, and they teach him the procedures needed to thrive.
Edgar Rice Burroughs – A Princess of Mars
This is my favorite book and was the one that caused me to become a writer. John Carter is whisked off to the red planet, a place the natives call Barsoom. He meets a beautiful princess and has to defend her from a race of people that want her dead. The formula is constant with Burroughs books and involves finding the girl, losing her to kidnapping, and spending a herculean amount of effort finding and saving her.
– The Land that Time Forgot
The main character, Bowen Tyler, is on a ship that sinks during World War 1 and through a series of misadventures finds himself on what he thinks is a deserted island. Exploring the island for food shows Bowen that the island is inhabited by dinosaurs and prehuman people that know nothing of the 20th century. Lys La Rue, a companion from the sunken ship must find a way to survive and ultimately leave the island.
Solitaire
Meet Author Solitaire Parke at Half Price Books, Mesa, Arizona
I would like to invite you to a book signing event on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024, from 11:00 to 4:00 pm, at Half Price Books in Mesa, Arizona. Here is the address:
Superstition Springs Center
6339 East Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85206
I would love to meet you and introduce you to my Science Fiction/Fantasy books – Between Two Worlds (a time travel adventure), The Dragomeir Series (for those who love adventure and dragons), Tinker Smith and the Conspiracy of OZ ( a contemporary twist on the Wizard of OZ), and an action/psychological thriller – Vengeance of the Wolf.
My book, The Atrium – a journey of self-reflection where the protagonist is forced to confront the traumas and decisions that have shaped his existence while inside an atrium that transcends the boundaries of time and space will also be available.
For those who are interested in “out-of-body” – The Larger World Series may be of help in your journey of knowledge. And there is something for all those who love poetry as well – Tapestry – a glimpse inside the mind of a poet, with a slightly medieval tone depicting a world of inspirations, hopes, fears, loves, and successes to ponder in the wee hours of any long and lonely night.
For those writing their first novel or are in need of some information about writing, check out my book called The Triple Threat – How to write a novel and stay sane in the process.
I’ll be at HALF PRICE BOOKS on Saturday, August 3rd, and I am looking forward to meeting you, giving some insight about my books and signing copies for Readers. Come visit me!
Happy Reading!
Solitaire
The Enchanting World of Dragomeir
Prophecy has foretold of a female child who will liberate the citizens of the Provinces. Katherine, is born to the ruthless Dark Lord and with her dragon, Exxa, she is determined to find her place in a dark and evil world, and fulfill her destiny. In order to do this she travels through time to discover her past and future, where she meets Tanis, an ancient warrior.
Tanis is called by Demios, the first emerald dragon to be born in a thousand years and becomes a dragon rider. He lives at Mt. Drago, where he meets unusual and evil creatures from other worlds.
Led by the Dragon Queen, the Ariella, he and the other riders must retrieve a crystal key that was taken by the Dark Lord of the Provinces in order to protect the dragons and Mt. Drago.
The adventure continues with other dragons, the Aguivas and the Amphiteres on fantastic new worlds and faraway mountain homes.
Who guides them, and will they survive and be able to remedy the anomalies of their travel through time? Follow this exciting fantasy adventure as they battle to fulfill their destinies and save the worlds they love.
At the website you’ll find Extras about each world, including characters and maps.
Explore the books at www.solitaireparke.com
Happy reading, dragon lovers!
Solitaire
Your Worst Nightmare!
What causes your worst nightmares? What if someone wants you dead, but you have no idea who or why? If you love horror books or movies, this one will make you think twice about falling asleep – particularly if you are alone.
In my horror/thriller, Vengeance of the Wolf, you are drawn into the world of dreams. It’s the story of a shocking assassin who works through dreams using a technique that seems physically impossible, to end the lives of those deemed responsible for an untimely death. Detectives are completely baffled, and just as they appear to get closer to determining the person’s identity, they are completely thrown off and their efforts seem to take them nowhere. Extremely shaken at the horrific scenes to which they are led, the question remains – why is this happening and where is it leading? Only the assassin has the answers to their questions – answers that may be too unsettling to be revealed.
You can find the answers to these unnerving questions in my book Vengeance of the Wolf available at my website, where you can read the first chapter.
Suspenseful and thrilling, this will have you sleeping with the lights on! Happy Halloween!
Solitaire
The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke
Currently, I’m reading The Sands of Mars which was published in 1951, one year before I was born. Arthur C. Clarke qualifies, at least to me, as one of the founding fathers of present-day science fiction, present day being from the 1950’s through the 21st century.
This science fiction classic is the story of the first science fiction author invited on a trip to Mars. His published books about the red planet were released long before anyone had ever been there and revolve around not only how wrong he was about that world, but how much he came to love it.
The plot is rife with political intrigue, includes a thin line of young romance, and a true testimony of man’s fortitude and determination to succeed no matter how difficult the task may be. The Sands of Mars is a reminder that it’s not a matter of boldly going where nobody’s ever been, so much as learning from previous innovators about what we should do when we get there.
The book was written in a more innocent time and reflects the era’s differences when compared with today. However, his Odyssey books are as timeless today as they were when he wrote them. I would recommend his work to everyone, knowing more people will like it than not. I haven’t yet read all his books, but the man’s catalog is extensive. Oh, and don’t worry about which one to pick, as I haven’t found a bad one yet. I’m willing to bet you won’t either.
Other books by Arthur C. Clarke that I’ve read include:
The Fountains of Paradise
The Nine Billion Names of God
The City and the Stars
The Sentinel
Childhood’s End
Rendezvous with Rama
The Hammer of God
Earthlight
Solitaire
5 Authors to read if you enjoyed the works of Sci-Fi/Fantasy author Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Edgar Rice Burroughs – (1875 to 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific writing in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. He is best-known for creating the character Tarzan, and John Carter from the Barsoom series, but also the Pellucidar series, the Amtor series, and the Caspak trilogy. His book, A Princess of Mars, was the one that started everything for me as a young boy. I have had a love of science fiction/fantasy since the day I read his book. His Tarzan books and movies are quite well known, and all his books can be found on Amazon today. He is known as the master of adventure.
I highly recommend the following authors if you enjoyed Edgar Rice Burroughs. They are some of my favorites as well.
Piers Anthony – an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, best known for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth. Many of his books have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, and he claims one of his greatest achievements has been to publish a book beginning with every letter of the alphabet, from Anthonology to Zombie Lover.
Roger Zelazny – Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy – The fantasy sequence The Amber Chronicles, which started with Nine Princes in Amber, deals with the ruling family of a platonic realm at the metaphysical heart of things, who can slide, trickster-like through realities, and their wars with each other and the related ruling house of Chaos. His works were very loved, and he was a strong influence on such younger writers as George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman. He won the Hugo award six times and the Nebula award three times.
Michael Moorcock – Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published several well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worked as an editor and is also a successful musician. Born in London in 1939, he is a prolific and award-winning writer with more than eighty works of fiction and non-fiction to his name, he is the creator of Elric, Jerry Cornelius and Colonel Pyat, amongst many other memorable characters.
Robert Heinlein – Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the “dean of science fiction writers”, he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. He had a writing career that spanned forty-nine years. He published 32 novels, 59 short stories and 16 collections during his lifetime. Four films, two TV series, several episodes of a radio series, at least two songs (‘Hijack’ by Jefferson Starship and ‘Cool Green Hills of Earth’ on the 1970 album Ready to Ride and as the B-side of a single by Southwind) and a board game were derived directly from his work.
Algis Boudrys – Algirdas Jonas “Algis” Budrys was a Lithuanian American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome, John A. Sentry, William Scarff, and Paul Janvier. He is known for the influential 1960 novel Rogue Moon. He is the author of ten novels, three short story collections, and five non-fiction works. He has taught at Columbia (Chicago), Harvard, Brigham Young University, CalTech, the Charles Dickens House in London, Pepperdine University, the Taos experimental Writers of the Future workshop, and the Library of Congress, to name a few, as well as several annual workshops in Moscow, Idaho. He was the editor and publisher of Tomorrow Speculative Fiction magazine.
If you love science fiction and fantasy, all these authors are certainly worth reading and may become some of your favorites. There is nothing quite like the world of science fiction. It has the ability to instantly transport you to another world, leaving Earth behind. You also get to explore the capabilities of time travel, interact with androids, and consider artificial intelligence all while imagining what the future might be like.
Solitaire
Solitaire Parke - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books 