# New Science Fiction Grand Master : William Gibson **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415 "2019-01-08T17:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/21 "2019-01-09T18:20:05Z")
Looking at people a little bit younger, Robert Reed and Robert Charles Wilson are potential Grand Masters. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/22 "2019-01-09T19:02:50Z")
Another worthy author who hasn’t been mentioned would be John Varley. He’s 71 and his first publication was in 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/23 "2019-01-09T19:08:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Another worthy author who hasn’t been mentioned would be John Varley. He’s 71 and his first publication was in 1974. Excellent suggestion! ---
**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:** [January 9, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/24 "2019-01-09T19:46:18Z")
Varley would be a great choice. He inspired me to start writing myself. As for Robert Reed, I’m mystified by his appeal. Considering the fact he has a short story out every couple of months, there have been very few that ever impressed me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/25 "2019-01-09T23:24:18Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This totally fucking rocks! While I haven’t liked everything he’s written, his influence on not just SF lit but movies and even real life tech is undeniable and enormous. > > Congratulations, Mr. Gibson! Also gaming. About half of the ideas for Shadow Run comes from his work. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/26 "2019-01-10T01:51:36Z")
An interesting choice (although it’s somewhat unlikely that he will become a Grand Master anytime soon) would be Ted Chiang. He first published a piece of short science fiction in 1991. He’s now published a total of 17 short science fiction pieces. Ten of them have been nominated for awards. Six have won awards. (Two of them were just published, so they haven’t even had a chance to be nominated yet.) He’s the most consistent writer of science fiction, I think. That’s only a little more than one piece of short science fiction every two years. (Incidentally, the movie _Arrival_ was made from one of those stories.) ---
**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:** [January 10, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/27 "2019-01-10T02:06:17Z")
I do think that Chaing is one of the best writers of short fiction in the field, but his body of work is too small. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415/28 "2019-01-10T04:32:29Z")
For the past several decades, science fiction has centered on the novel. Harlan Ellison was the only short-story writer to be named a Grand Master, and I think everybody considers Harlan a special case. There aren’t too many writers today whose reputation is almost entirely based on short stories. Chiang, certainly, but he’s way too young. Kelly Link hasn’t written a novel yet, but she’s a Pulitzer finalist and brilliant short story writer. Also way too young, though. Jim Kelly has a huge body of short fiction and only a couple of novels that didn’t make much of a dent. Robert Reed and John Kessel are also much better known for their short work but both have more novels than Kelly. Kelly would make a fine winner. He’s vastly underappreciated. But I’m certain that the novelists will all get the nod before he does. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-science-fiction-grand-master-william-gibson/827415.md?page=1)