# Who is the greatest science fiction writer of all time?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-science-fiction-writer-of-all-time/561586>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 22, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-science-fiction-writer-of-all-time/561586 "2010-11-22T21:50:55Z")\
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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-science-fiction-writer-of-all-time/561586/81 "2010-11-23T10:17:01Z")

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Vance, Zelazny and Wolfe have been listed, so I’ll offer Dan Simmons. He’s relatively new, but his best science fiction is perhaps the best science fiction ever written.

> [@Argent\_Towers](#):
>
> ETA - I haven’t read anything by Zelzany, but Delany likes him a great deal, for what it’s worth.

_Lord of Light_ is his best, _Creatures of Light and Darkness_ is the one you’ll enjoy the most, but like many listed here, his best stuff was his short stories. Look for any of the anthologies.

Oh, and avoid the \*Amber \*series. It’s highly overrated.

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