# Grand-Master of Science Fiction: Runoff **URL:** \ **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:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/21 "2010-11-26T05:01:44Z")
This whole contest is in violation of the Clarke/Asimov Non-Aggresion Pact in which each agreed to cite the other as the Greatest Science Fiction Writer. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/22 "2010-11-26T05:25:18Z")
I went with Frank Herbert, knowing he doesn’t have a shot in hell. I can see Asimov/Clarke/Welles/Verne being argued as the greatest over Herbert, but _Dune_ is such an awesome novel it deserves some love. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/23 "2010-11-26T05:59:00Z")
Since Asimov and Heinlein are in no danger whatsoever, I’m going to go ahead and vote for Niven. In my opinion, “Inconstant Moon” is the greatest science fiction short story ever, and that’s got to count for something. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2010, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/24 "2010-11-26T06:50:20Z")
LeGuin. Because if someone came up to me and said they’d discovered an unpublished manuscript by a well-known SF author, that’s who I’d be hoping for. Yes, it’s entirely subjective. Sue 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, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/25 "2010-11-26T07:13:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In my opinion, “Inconstant Moon” is the greatest science fiction short story ever, and that’s got to count for something. I wasn’t aware that Niven wrote that. Did the 1996 _Outer Limits_ episode do justice to the original short story? ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/26 "2010-11-26T09:18:35Z")
I voted for Asimov, though I bit my lip and stared at Clarke’s name for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Electric\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/27 "2010-11-26T10:03:02Z")
I was torn initially between Asimov and Clarke, but nostalgia won over and I voted Asimov. First SF I ever read. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/28 "2010-11-26T10:22:39Z")
I voted for Andre Norton. Many of the others deserve the title, as well, but Norton got me through some very bad times when I was a preteen and teen. Plus, when I was a young kid, I read one book by Norton, and then I found another book by her, and realized that I should be asking for more books by a particular author I liked. Until then, I hadn’t paid much attention to authors, just to the little symbols which indicated genre on library books…and this was a revelation to me (sue me, I was like 8 or 9 at the time). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/29 "2010-11-26T11:28:51Z")
I know Heinlein will win, but as far as re-readings and constant enjoyment go, I voted for Niven. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/30 "2010-11-26T12:21:13Z")
100 votes at this point: a tie, with 2 at 24% ie 24 votes each. ---
**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 26, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/31 "2010-11-26T12:50:17Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > I know Heinlein will win, but as far as re-readings and constant enjoyment go, I voted for Niven. Wells is better for re-reading. ---
**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, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/32 "2010-11-26T12:51:38Z")
Several nominations for the Arachnid Kid, but no votes yet. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/33 "2010-11-26T13:22:58Z")
Not on there, but multiple [one of the current top winners in many categories] hugo winner Lois McMaster Bujold. ---
**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, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/34 "2010-11-26T13:30:43Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Not on there, but multiple [one of the current top winners in many categories] Hugo winner Lois McMaster Bujold. I am truly sorry about that, but the nominations had to stop _sometime_. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/35 "2010-11-26T13:37:52Z")
Margaret Atwood. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/36 "2010-11-26T13:55:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Several nominations for the Arachnid Kid, but no votes yet. I’m spending a lot of time thinking about this one - I only get one vote. And I have to say I’m very surprised that Arthur C. Clarke is so far behind Asimov and Heinlein - in my opinion, Clarke is far and away the better writer and science fiction writer of the three. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/37 "2010-11-26T14:17:00Z")
Glad to see I’m not the only fan of Zelazny here. ---
**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, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/38 "2010-11-26T15:31:51Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > It’s not that so much as all the beheadings that bothers me. So, all these people are from another planet? I guess that explains why I can’t write for crap. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/39 "2010-11-26T15:42:20Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > And I have to say I’m very surprised that Arthur C. Clarke is so far behind Asimov and Heinlein - in my opinion, Clarke is far and away the better writer and science fiction writer of the three. I agree. My vote gets ACC into double digits. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908/40 "2010-11-26T16:26:38Z")
Cherryh. I don’t understand why only two of us have voted for her. The Alliance-Union Universe stories should be enough to place her firmly in the running. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-master-of-science-fiction-runoff/561908.md?page=3)