# Best Science Fiction Author From The 80's On **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504 "2010-12-01T02:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/1 "2010-12-01T02:21:02Z")
In response to complaints that my SF Grand-Master poll contained too many old farts-please submit names to be added to a new SF G-M from the 80’s on poll. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/2 "2010-12-01T02:30:38Z")
Old farts rule! Spider Robinson Chris Bunch Chris Bunch/Alan Cole David R. Palmer ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/3 "2010-12-01T02:52:25Z")
[Andreas Eschbach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Eschbach). His **The Carpet Makers** is the best science fiction novel of the past 20 years. By far. Though she’s been writing since the 60s, [Kit Reed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Reed) truly came into her own in the past ten years, with two great novels, **Thinner than Thou** , and the second best novel of the past 20 years, **Enclave.** ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/4 "2010-12-01T03:39:57Z")
Margaret Atwood (true, she does not see herself as a sci-fi writer, but her spec fic works are masterful). ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/5 "2010-12-01T03:49:28Z")
Off the top of my head: Connie Willis C.J. Cherryh Vernor Vinge Greg Bear Some started in the 1970’s, but I think all made the bulk of their fame after 1980. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/6 "2010-12-01T03:51:18Z")
Peter F. Hamilton. hands down winner, fantastic space opera. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/7 "2010-12-01T03:52:50Z")
Two more: William Gibson ( not a favorite, but should be in the conversation ) Neal Stephenson ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/8 "2010-12-01T03:53:18Z")
David Brin Peter F. Hamilton Vernor Vinge Robert Charles Wilson Not all exclusively since 1980 but all had the major portion of their career since then. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/9 "2010-12-01T04:03:44Z")
Richard K Morgan. Hands down, that is all. Although I’ve had enough male/male rape to last me for a couple of decades. Leave off that please/thx. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/10 "2010-12-01T04:04:04Z")
Richard K. Morgan David Weber ETA: > [@sinjin](#): > > Richard K Morgan. Hands down, that is all. Although I’ve had enough male/male rape to last me for a couple of decades. Leave off that please/thx. That’s really just in his fantasy book(s). I hear the sequel to _The Steel Remains_ will be out next Sept. [cite](http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Commands-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345493060/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1291176346&sr=8-6) And yeah, except for that, it was a pretty damn good book. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/11 "2010-12-01T04:08:22Z")
I’d vote CJ Cherryh if I had to pick one, if only for her contributions to the fiction of “going native”. ---
**Author:** ![Diz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Diz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diz)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/12 "2010-12-01T04:19:14Z")
I’m unsure who I’d vote for, but to the list I would add: Stephen Baxter Greg Egan Alastair Reynolds ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/13 "2010-12-01T04:32:21Z")
James Tiptree Jr., pseudonym of Alice B. Sheldon John Varley ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/14 "2010-12-01T04:34:20Z")
I’ll add Orson Scott Card and Robert J. Sawyer ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/15 "2010-12-01T04:48:51Z")
> [@K364](#): > > James Tiptree Jr., pseudonym of Alice B. Sheldon > John Varley I’d argue against either of those being a post-1980 author. Both really did a lot of their major work in the seventies. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/16 "2010-12-01T05:01:13Z")
Eric Flint ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/17 "2010-12-01T05:28:27Z")
Terry Bisson Cory Doctorow ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/18 "2010-12-01T05:38:22Z")
Iain Banks China Mieville ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/19 "2010-12-01T05:39:50Z")
Charles Stross ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504/20 "2010-12-01T06:01:02Z")
Spider Robinson, Orson Scott Card, and Greg Bear aren’t as bad as some of the others, but why wasn’t Robert L. Forward put on the list already? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-science-fiction-author-from-the-80s-on/562504.md?page=2)