# Grand-Master of Science Fiction: Runoff **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908 **Category:** Cafe Society **Created:** [November 25, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908 "2010-11-25T18:49:57Z") **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: [November 25, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/1 "2010-11-25T18:49:57Z")
The top five vote-getters will advance. ---
### 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: [November 25, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/2 "2010-11-25T19:03:15Z")
And it’s Isaac Asimov with 100% of the vote! I win! ---
### Author: ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/3 "2010-11-25T19:08:42Z")
Not this time bucko! ---
### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/4 "2010-11-25T19:30:40Z")
Welles. ---
### 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: [November 25, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/5 "2010-11-25T19:32:56Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Welles. Orson or Tori? ---
### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/6 "2010-11-25T19:38:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Orson or Tori? Ha-frikkin-Ha.:dubious: ---
### 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: [November 25, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/7 "2010-11-25T19:40:07Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Ha-frikkin-Ha.:dubious: Hey, who am _I_ to judge your private life? 😃 ---
### Author: ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/8 "2010-11-25T19:58:27Z")
Clarke, because his imagination [actually changed the world.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_orbit) ---
### Author: ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/9 "2010-11-25T20:08:49Z")
Hard to choose between Heinlein, Clarke and Asimov but Heinlein wins if only because of _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. Yes, I know that Sir Arthur created the concept of geosynch orbits. Nevertheless, I still like Robert’s writing better. ---
### Author: ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/10 "2010-11-25T21:13:42Z")
Dick. ---
### Author: ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance) #### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/11 "2010-11-25T21:19:07Z")
Don’t be mean. Heinlein, of course. ---
### 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: [November 25, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/12 "2010-11-25T22:26:27Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Dick. That’s Phillip K. _Richard_ to you, bucky. ---
### Author: ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/13 "2010-11-26T01:41:21Z")
Tough choice, but I had to go with Heinlein. Why can their be only one? ---
### Author: ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/14 "2010-11-26T02:23:41Z")
As it stands right now, my man, Jack Vance, would actually make the top five. Which somewhat surprises me. ---
### Author: ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/15 "2010-11-26T02:25:41Z")
> [@Satchmo](#): > > Why can their be only one? Because _greatest_ is the superlative form of the adjective. Personally, I don’t feel that the issue is resolvable. Heinlein, Clarke and Asimov are the three greatest; all others pale by comparison. However, to choose any one of them above the other two as being the greatest of the three is an impossible distinction to qualify. ---
### Author: ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/16 "2010-11-26T02:27:23Z")
While I didn’t vote for him, and he is my favorite author, I’m glad to see that so far, Roger Zelazny is in the top 5. ---
### Author: ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/17 "2010-11-26T02:44:59Z")
> [@Satchmo](#): > > Tough choice, but I had to go with Heinlein. > > Why can their be only one? It’s not that so much as all the beheadings that bothers me. ---
### 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: [November 26, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/18 "2010-11-26T04:10:42Z")
Asimov has pulled ahead of Heinlein-I no longer sense a disturbance in the Force. ---
### Author: ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/19 "2010-11-26T04:16:57Z")
I really wanted to vote for Bester . . . but I went with Heinlein simply because he was more prolific. And that criterion almost made me pick Asimov, but quality-over-quantity kicked the ball back at Heinlein. ---
### Author: ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke) #### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/20 "2010-11-26T04:28:10Z")
Oh c’mon! _War of the Worlds_? _The Time Machine_? _The Island of Dr. Moreau_? _The First Men in the Moon_? _The Invisible Man_? How could it **not** be H.G. Wells? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908.md?page=2)