You know, I think you’re exactly right. Now that that’s out of the way…
Go Isaac, go!
At least Clarke pulled ahead of Zelazny.
With 161 votes in, it looks like Heinlein is the projected winner.
I’ll get the press releases drafted.
To tell you the truth, I am amazed how close Isaac is. I would have expected more votes for Clark at Isaac’s expense.
I’m with Left Hand of Dorkness on this one. I read, and loved, a lot of Asimov’s stuff, but he’s really not a great writer. His stories are carried by his ideas, and they’re fantastic, but the fiction part of science fiction? Not so much.
Clarke’s my pick - he suffers from some of the same, but less so, and I think he does the Science part much better than Heinlein. If anything, I would say Heinlein was the best writer (albeit a very biased one), and Asimov the best scientist, with Clarke having the best balance.
Also, I think there are a lot of better modern Science Fiction writers; the earlies get props for starting the genre, and are more memorable for their lack of competition, but they aren’t the be-all, end-all.
I voted for Heinlein, who has always given me reading pleasure. Asimov and Clarke, in that order, would closely follow, but Wells is even more dated now. I confess I haven’t read any Zelazny.
For shame!
Start with “A Rose For Ecclesiastes”. Then read Doorways in the Sand and Lord of Light. Then you can start plowing through the Amberverse.
Y’know, I did read “A Rose for Ecclesiastes” a long time ago, I think. Maybe. Guess it didn’t leave me hungry for more.
I voted for Clarke as my sentimental favorite, but really should have voted for Wells. So, consider one of Clarke’s votes to be of the “hanging chad on a butterfly ballot” variety. 
Just thought you might like to know, Left Hand, that **The Stars Like Dust **was Asmiov’s least favorite novel, and he hated it for the same reason you do - he hated the whole idea of the McGuffin, which was added at the insistence of an editor.
Give Doorways a shot. It’s demented.
I SERIOUSLY question the validity of a poll taken on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
I know it’s Sci Fi, but you guys got to Unplug.
OSC didn’t even get one vote? REALLY?!
He couldn’t get a vote – he’s not one of the choices. (I presume you’re referring to Orson Scott Card?)
I was speaking to the first round of voting, where indeed he was a candidate.
OSC as a Grand Master? In what universe? He’s a hack at best.
Ah, so your comment was meant for the other thread. Sorry, I misunderstood.
I wouldn’t call Card a hack-- He’s won a few Hugos, and they were well-deserved. He’s still not in the same league as Heinlein or Asimov, though.
Card’s best fiction was his fantasies anyway. The Alvin Maker series was better than Ender’s Game and the others. He is fine but in no way a Grand Master. He is not the best of his generation. He did not spearhead the exploration of a new area of science fiction. He did not establish any common tropes. His work simply built on the work of the Masters that came before him. This is not a slight, this is just to say he is not a serious Grand Master candidate.