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List of science-fiction authors
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Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative, futuristic and scientific concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. The genre often explores human responses to the consequences of projected or imagined scientific advances.
Science fiction is related to fantasy, horror, and superhero fiction, and it contains many subgenres. The genre's precise definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers. Major subgenres include hard science fiction, which emphasizes scientific accuracy, and soft science fiction, which focuses on social sciences. Other notable subgenres are cyberpunk, which explores the interface between technology and society, climate fiction, which addresses environmental issues, and space opera, which emphasizes pure adventure in a universe in which space travel is common.
A
[edit]


- Dafydd ab Hugh (born 1960)
- Alexander Abasheli (1884–1954)
- Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838–1926)
- Kōbō Abe (1924–1993)
- Robert Abernathy (1924–1990)
- Dan Abnett (born 1965)
- Daniel Abraham (born 1969)
- Forrest J Ackerman (1916–2008)
- Douglas Adams (1952–2001)
- Robert Adams (1932–1990)
- Ann Aguirre (born 1970)
- Jerry Ahern (1946–2012)
- Jim Aikin (born 1948)
- Alan Burt Akers (1921–2005) (pseudonym of Kenneth Bulmer)
- Tim Akers (born 1972)
- Brian Aldiss (1925–2017)
- David M. Alexander (born 1945)
- Grant Allen (1848–1899)
- Roger MacBride Allen (born 1957)
- Hans Joachim Alpers (1943–2011)
- Steve Alten (born 1959)
- Genrich Altshuller (1926–1998)
- Kingsley Amis (1922–1995)
- Paul Rafaelovich Amnuél (born 1944)
- Charlie Jane Anders (born 1969)
- Chester Anderson (1932–1991)
- Kevin J. Anderson (born 1962)
- Poul Anderson (1926–2001)
- Jean-Pierre Andrevon (born 1937)
- Arlan Andrews (born 1940)
- Patricia Anthony (1947–2013)
- Piers Anthony (born 1934)
- Christopher Anvil (1925–2009) (pseudonym of Harry C. Crosby)
- K. A. Applegate (born 1956)
- E.L. Arch (1922–1988) (pseudonym of Rachel Cosgrove Payes)
- Eleanor Arnason (born 1942)
- Robert Arthur (1909–1969)
- Catherine Asaro (born 1955)
- Neal Asher (born 1961)
- Francis Leslie Ashton (1904–1994)
- Pauline Ashwell (1928–2015)
- Isaac Asimov (1920–1992)
- Janet Asimov (1926–2019)
- Nancy Asire (1945–2021)
- Robert Asprin (1946–2008)
- Francis Henry Atkins (1847–1927)
- A. A. Attanasio (born 1951)
- Margaret Atwood (born 1939)
- Ayerdhal (1959–2015)
B
[edit]






- Richard Bachman (pseudonym of Stephen King)
- Paolo Bacigalupi (born 1972)
- Hilary Bailey (1936–2017)
- Robin Wayne Bailey (born 1952)
- Kage Baker (1952–2010)
- Scott Baker (born 1947)
- J. G. Ballard (1930–2009)
- Edwin Balmer (1883–1959)
- Iain M. Banks (1954–2013)
- Michael A. Banks (1951–2023)
- Raymond E. Banks (1918–1996) (also known as Ray Banks, Ray E. Banks, R.E. Banks, and Fred Freair)
- Marek Baraniecki (born 1954)
- Miquel Barceló (1948–2021)
- René Barjavel (1911–1985)
- Wayne Barlowe (born 1958)
- Arthur K. Barnes (1911–1969)
- John Barnes (born 1957)
- Steven Barnes (born 1952)
- William Barnwell (born 1943)
- Donald Barr (1921–2004)
- João Barreiros (born 1952)
- Max Barry (born 1973)
- William Barton (born 1950)
- T. J. Bass (1932–2011) (pseudonym of Thomas J. Bassler)
- Harry Bates (1900–1981)
- L. Frank Baum (1856–1919)
- John Baxter (born 1939)
- Stephen Baxter (born 1957)
- Georgy Baydukov (1907–1994)
- Barrington J. Bayley (1937–2008)
- Elizabeth Bear (born 1971)
- Greg Bear (1951–2022)
- Jerome Beatty Jr (1918–2002)
- Charles Beaumont (1929–1967)
- Vladimir Beekman (1929–2009)
- Ugo Bellagamba (born 1972)
- Edward Bellamy (1850–1898)
- Alexander Belyaev (1884–1942)
- Andrei Belyanin (born 1967)
- Don Bendell (born 1947) (pseudonym of Ron Stillman)
- Gregory Benford (born 1941)
- Donald R. Bensen (1927–1997)
- J. D. Beresford (1873–1947)
- Fyodor Berezin (born 1960)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655)
- Jack Bertin (1913–1983) (pseudonym of Peter B. Germano)
- Alfred Bester (1913–1987)
- Bruce Bethke (born 1955)
- Ambrose Bierce (1842 – c. 1914)
- Lloyd Biggle, Jr. (1923–2002)
- Eando Binder (joint pseudonym of Earl (1904–1966) and Otto (1911–1974) Binder)
- John Birmingham (born 1964)
- David Bischoff (1951–2018)
- Michael Bishop (1945–2023)
- Terry Bisson (1942–2024)
- Jerome Bixby (1923–1998)
- Malorie Blackman (born 1962)
- Jayme Lynn Blaschke (born 1969)
- James Blaylock (born 1950)
- James Blish (1921–1975)
- Robert Bloch (1917–1994)
- Alexander Bogdanov (1873–1928)
- Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (born 1954)
- Kevin Bokeili (1963–2014)
- John Boland (1913–1976)
- Nelson S. Bond (1908–2006)
- Pierre Bordage (born 1955)
- François Bordes (1919–1981)
- Anthony Boucher (1911–1968) (pseudonym of William A.P. White)
- Pierre Boulle (1912–1994)
- Sydney James Bounds (1920–2006)
- Louis Henri Boussenard (1847–1910)
- Ben Bova (1932–2020)
- Leigh Brackett (1915–1978)
- Ray Bradbury (1920–2012)
- Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930–1999)
- Gillian Bradshaw (born 1956)
- Johanna Braun (1929–2008)
- Mark Brandis (1931–2000)
- Reginald Bretnor (1911–1992)
- Miles J. Breuer (1889–1945)
- David Brin (born 1950)
- Jason V Brock (born 1970)
- Damien Broderick (1944–2025)
- Max Brooks (born 1972)
- Terry Brooks (born 1944)
- John Brosnan (1947–2005)
- Eric Brown (born 1960)
- Fredric Brown (1906–1972)
- James Cooke Brown (1921–2000)
- Rosel George Brown (1926–1967)
- Simon Brown (born 1956)
- John Brunner (1934–1995)
- Steven Brust (born 1955)
- Edward Bryant (1945–2017)
- Valery Bryusov (1873–1924)
- Tobias S. Buckell (born 1979)
- Algis Budrys (1931–2008)
- Vitaly Bugrov (1938–1994)
- Lela E. Buis (fl. 1977–present)
- Lois McMaster Bujold (born 1949)
- Mikhail Bulgakov (1891–1940)
- Faddey Bulgarin (1789–1859)
- Kenneth Bulmer (1921–2005)
- Kir Bulychev (1934–2003)
- Chris Bunch (1943–2005)
- David R. Bunch (1925–2000)
- Anthony Burgess (1917–1993)
- Sue Burke (born 1955)
- Yuli Burkin (born 1960)
- Arthur J. Burks (1898–1974)
- Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)
- Michael A. Burstein (born 1970)
- F. M. Busby (1921–2005)
- Aleksandr Bushkov (1956–2025)
- Jim Butcher (born 1971)
- Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006)
- Stuart J. Byrne (1913–2011)
C
[edit]





- Pat Cadigan (born 1953)
- Jack Cady (1932–2004)
- Martin Caidin (1927–1997)
- Italo Calvino (1923–1985)
- Jack Campbell (born 1956)
- John W. Campbell, Jr. (1910–1971) (also known as Don A. Stuart)
- Karel Čapek (1890–1938)
- Paul Capon (1912–1969)
- Orson Scott Card (born 1951)
- Joseph Carne-Ross (1846–1911)
- Terry Carr (1937–1987)
- Lin Carter (1930–1988)
- Cleve Cartmill (1908–1964)
- Jeffrey Carver (born 1949)
- Jay Caselberg (born 1958)
- Beth Cato (born 1980)
- Hugh B. Cave (1910–2004)
- Franci Cerar (fl. 1979)
- Jack L. Chalker (1944–2005)
- Becky Chambers (born 1985)
- Joël Champetier (1957–2015)
- A. Bertram Chandler (1912–1984)
- Suzy McKee Charnas (1939–2023)
- Daína Chaviano (born 1960)
- J. Kathleen Cheney (born 1964)
- C. J. Cherryh (born 1942)
- Ted Chiang (born 1967)
- Charles Chilton (1917–2013)
- John Christopher (1922–2012) (pseudonym of Samuel Youd)
- Richard Chwedyk (born 1955)
- Massimo Citi (born 1955)
- Charles Heber Clark (1841–1915) (also known as Max Adeler and John Quill)
- Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008)
- Jo Clayton (1939–1998)
- Hal Clement (1922–2003) (pseudonym of Harry Clement Stubbs)
- John Cleve (1934–2013) (pseudonym of Andrew J. Offutt)
- Mark Clifton (1906–1963)
- Ernest Cline (born 1972)
- Mildred Clingerman (1918–1997)
- Brenda Clough (born 1955)
- Martha deMey Clow (1932–2010)
- John Clute (born 1940)
- Stanton A. Coblentz (1896–1982)
- Theodore Cogswell (1918–1987)
- Frona Eunice Wait Colburn (1859–1946)
- Allan Cole (1943–2019)
- Robert William Cole (1869–1937)
- Eoin Colfer (born 1965)
- Erroll Collins (1906–1991) (pseudonym of Ellen Edith Hannah Redknap)
- Suzanne Collins (born 1962)
- D. G. Compton (1930–2023)
- Michael Coney (1932–2005)
- Groff Conklin (1904–1968)
- Storm Constantine (1956–2021)
- Glen Cook (born 1944)
- Hugh Cook (1956–2008)
- Paul Cook (born 1950)
- Rick Cook (1944–2022)
- Brenda Cooper (born 1960)
- Edmund Cooper (1926–1982)
- Alfred Coppel (1921–2004)
- James S. A. Corey (joint pseudonym of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck)
- Larry Correia (born 1977)
- Juanita Coulson (born 1933)
- Richard Cowper (1926–2002) (pseudonym John Middleton Murry, Jr. used when writing science fiction)
- Erle Cox (1873–1950)
- John G. Cramer (born 1934)
- Michael Crichton (1942–2008)
- Robert Cromie (1855–1907)
- John Crowley (born 1942)
- Andrew Crumey (born 1961)
- Ray Cummings (1887–1957)
- Philippe Curval (1929–2023)
- Julie E. Czerneda (born 1955)
D
[edit]



- Roald Dahl (1916–1990)
- Brian Daley (1947–1996)
- John Dalmas (1926–2017)
- Tony Daniel (born 1963)
- Jack Dann (born 1945)
- Maurice Georges Dantec (1959–2016)
- Dennis Danvers (born 1947)
- Clark Darlton (1920–2005) (pseudonym of Walter Ernsting)
- James Dashner (born 1972)
- Avram Davidson (1923–1993)
- Chan Davis (1926–2022) (pseudonym of Chandler Davis)
- Vox Day (born 1968)
- L. Sprague de Camp (1907–2000)
- Antonio de Macedo (1931–2017)
- James De Mille (1833–1880)
- Marianne de Pierres (born 1961)
- Stephen Dedman (born 1959)
- Lester del Rey (1915–1993)
- Miriam Allen deFord (1888–1975)
- Samuel R. Delany (born 1942)
- Bradley Denton (born 1958)
- Charles Derennes (1882–1930)
- August Derleth (1909–1971)
- A.J. Deutsch (1918–1969)
- Graham Diamond (born 1949)
- Philip K. Dick (1928–1982)
- Terrance Dicks (1935–2019)
- Gordon R. Dickson (1923–2001)
- Charles Willard Diffin (1884–1966)
- Lyuben Dilov (1927–2008)
- Dougal Dixon (born 1947)
- William C. Dietz (born 1945)
- Thomas M. Disch (1940–2008)
- Cory Doctorow (born 1971)
- Alfred Döblin (1878–1957)
- Stephen R. Donaldson (born 1947)
- Alain Dorémieux (1933–1998)
- Sonya Dorman (1924–2005)
- Candas Dorsey (born 1952)
- Ian Douglas (born 1950) (pseudonym of William H. Keith, Jr.)
- Terry Dowling (born 1947)
- Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
- Debra Doyle (1952–2020)
- Gardner Dozois (1947–2018)
- David Drake (1945–2023)
- Tananarive Due (born 1966)
- Catherine Dufour (born 1966)
- Jacek Dukaj (born 1974)
- Jean-Claude Dunyach (born 1957)
- Nictzin Dyalhis (1873–1942)
E
[edit]

- C. M. Eddy, Jr. (1896–1967)
- G. C. Edmondson (1922–1995)
- George Alec Effinger (1947–2002)
- Ivan Antonovich Efremov (1907–1972) (in Russian Иван Антонович Ефремов)
- Greg Egan (born 1961)
- Phyllis Eisenstein (1946–2020)
- Gordon Eklund (born 1945)
- Suzette Haden Elgin (1936–2015)
- E. C. Eliott (1908–1971) (pseudonym of Reginald Alec Martin)
- William B. Ellern (1933–2023)
- Harlan Ellison (1934–2018)
- Roger Elwood (1933–2007)
- Victor Rousseau Emanuel (1879–1960)
- Carol Emshwiller (1921–2019)
- M. J. Engh (1933–2024)
- George Allan England (1877–1936)
- Inge Eriksen (1935–2015)
- Steven Erikson (born 1959) pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin
- Walter Ernsting (1920–2005)
- Andreas Eschbach (born 1959)
- Kelley Eskridge (born 1960)
- Valerio Evangelisti (1952–2022)
- Christopher Evans (born 1951)
- E. Everett Evans (1893–1958)
F
[edit]


- Paul W. Fairman (1916–1977)
- Jane Fancher (born 1952)
- Lionel Fanthorpe (born 1935)
- Ralph Milne Farley (1887–1963) (pseudonym of Roger Sherman Hoar)
- Philip José Farmer (1918–2009)
- Nabil Farouk (1956–2020)
- Howard Fast (1914–2003)
- John Russell Fearn (1908–1960)
- Cynthia Felice (born 1942) ISFDB
- Brad Ferguson (born 1953)
- Paul Di Filippo (born 1954)
- Sheila Finch (born 1935)
- Jack Finney (1911–1995)
- Eliot Fintushel (born 1948)
- Nicholas Fisk (1923–2016) (pseudonym of David Higginbottom)
- Francis Flagg (1898–1946) (pseudonym of George Henry Weiss)
- Camille Flammarion (1842–1925)
- Eric Flint (1947–2022)
- Homer Eon Flint (1888–1924)
- Michael Flynn (1947–2023)
- Charles L. Fontenay (1917–2007)
- Jeffrey Ford (born 1955)
- John M. Ford (1957–2006)
- William R. Forstchen (born 1950)
- E. M. Forster (1879–1970)
- Robert L. Forward (1932–2002)
- Richard Foss (born 1956)
- Alan Dean Foster (born 1946)
- M. A. Foster (1939–2020)
- Karen Joy Fowler (born 1950)
- Gardner Fox (1911–1986)
- Randall Frakes (born 1947) ISFDB
- Leo Frankowski (1943–2008)
- Herbert W. Franke (1927–2022)
- Yves Fremion (born 1940)
- C. S. Friedman (born 1957)
- Oscar J. Friend (1897–1963)
- Esther Friesner (born 1951)
G
[edit]



- Neil Gaiman (born 1960)
- Raymond Z. Gallun (1911–1994)
- Arnould Galopin (1865–1934)
- Daniel F. Galouye (1920–1976)
- Charles E. Gannon (born 1960)
- James Alan Gardner (born 1955)
- Martin Gardner (1914–2010)
- Richard Garfinkle (born 1961)
- Randall Garrett (1927–1987)
- Laurent Genefort (born 1968)
- Mary Gentle (born 1956)
- Peter George (1924–1966)
- Hugo Gernsback (1884–1967) (namesake of the Hugo Award)
- David Gerrold (born 1944)
- Mark S. Geston (born 1946)
- Edward Gibson (born 1936)
- Gary Gibson (born 1965)
- William Gibson (born 1948)
- John Ulrich Giesy (1877–1947)
- Alexis A. Gilliland (born 1931)
- John Glasby (1928–2011)
- John Gloag (1896–1981)
- Molly Gloss (born 1944)
- Dmitry Glukhovsky (born 1979)
- Parke Godwin (1929–2013)
- Tom Godwin (1915–1980)
- Jacques Goimard (1934–2012)
- H. L. Gold (1914–1996)
- Lee Gold (born 1942)
- Stephen Goldin (born 1947)
- Lisa Goldstein (born 1953)
- Kathleen Ann Goonan (1952–2021)
- Rex Gordon (1917–1998) (pseudonym of Stanley Bennett Hough)
- Richard Gordon (1947–2009)
- Phyllis Gotlieb (1926–2009)
- Ron Goulart (1933–2022)
- Steven Gould (born 1955)
- Jean-Baptiste Cousin de Grainville (1746–1805)
- Charles L. Grant (1942–2006)
- Claudia Gray (born 1970)
- Dominic Green (born 1967)
- Nunsowe Green (fl. 1882, pseudonymous)
- Roland J. Green (1944–2021)
- Simon R. Green (born 1955)
- A. T. Greenblatt (fl. 2010–present)
- Colin Greenland (born 1954)
- William Greenleaf (born 1948)
- Percy Greg (1836–1889)
- Lois Gresh (born 1965)
- George Griffith (1857–1906)
- Nicola Griffith (born 1960)
- Jon Courtenay Grimwood (born 1953)
- Ken Grimwood (1944–2003)
- Alexander Gromov (in Russian Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Грóмов)
- Martin Grzimek (born 1950)
- Wyman Guin (1915–1989)
- Eileen Gunn (born 1945)
- James E. Gunn (1923–2020)
H
[edit]



- PJ Haarsma (born 1964)
- Karen Haber (born 1955)
- H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925)
- Ronald M. Hahn (born 1948)
- Isidore Haiblum (1935–2012)
- Jack C. Haldeman II (1941–2002)
- Joe Haldeman (born 1943)
- Austin Hall (1885–1933)
- Barbara Hambly (born 1951)
- Edmond Hamilton (1904–1977)
- Peter F. Hamilton (born 1960)
- Elizabeth Hand (born 1957)
- Otfrid von Hanstein (1869–1959)
- Lee Harding (1937–2023)
- Charles L. Harness (1915–2005)
- Clare Winger Harris (1891–1968)
- Harry Harrison (1925–2012)
- M. John Harrison (born 1945)
- Henry Hasse (1913–1977)
- Simon Hawke (born 1951)
- Peter Heck (born 1941)
- Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988)
- Zenna Henderson (1917–1983)
- Brian Herbert (born 1947)
- Frank Herbert (1920–1986)
- Paul van Herck (1938–1989)
- Philip E. High (1914–2006)
- Douglas Hill (1935–2007)
- Ernest Hill (1915–2003)
- Matt Hill (born 1984)
- Charles Howard Hinton (1853–1907)
- Christopher Hinz (born 1951)
- Morioka Hiroyuki (born 1962) (in Japanese 森岡浩之)
- Christopher Hodder-Williams (1926–1995)
- P. C. Hodgell (born 1951)
- William Hope Hodgson (1877–1918)
- E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822)
- Lee Hoffman (1932–2007)
- James P. Hogan (1941–2010)
- Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754)
- Elizabeth Holden (1943–2013)
- Robert Holdstock (1948–2009)
- H. H. Hollis (1921–1977) (pseudonym of Ben Neal Ramey)
- Nalo Hopkinson (born 1960)
- Shinichi Hoshi (1926–1997)
- Rokheya Sakhawat Hossain (Begum Rokheya) (1880? – 1932)
- Hayden Howard (1925–2014)
- Robert E. Howard (1906–1936)
- Hugh Howey (born 1975)
- Fred Hoyle (1915–2001)
- L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986)
- Marek Huberath (born 1954)
- Matt Hughes (born 1949)
- Monica Hughes (1925–2003)
- Edna Mayne Hull (1905–1975)
- Cyril Hume (1900–1966)
- Stephen Hunt (born 1966)
- Kameron Hurley (born 1980)
- Dave Hutchinson (born 1960)
- Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
I
[edit]- Dragutin Ilić (1858–1926)
- Dean Ing (1931–2020)
- Simon Ings (born 1965)
- Muhammed Zafar Iqbal (born 1952)
- Kazuo Ishiguro (born 1954)
- Emmi Itäranta (born 1976)
J
[edit]

- Alexander Jablokov (born 1956)
- Muriel Jaeger (1892–1969)
- John Jakes (1932–2023)
- Malcolm Jameson (1891–1945)
- Phil Janes (fl. 1993–present)
- Laurence Janifer (1933–2002)
- N. K. Jemisin (born 1972)
- P. C. Jersild (born 1935)
- Wolfgang Jeschke (1936–2015)
- K. W. Jeter (born 1950)
- Michel Jeury (1934–2015)
- Xia Jia (born 1984)
- George Clayton Johnson (1929–2015)
- D. F. Jones (1917–1981)
- Gwyneth Jones (born 1952)
- Neil R. Jones (1909–1988)
- Raymond F. Jones (1915–1994)
- Diana Wynne Jones (1934–2011)
- Robert Jordan (1948–2007)
- M. K. Joseph (1914–1981)
- Emmanuel Jouanne (1960–2008)
- Theodore Judson (born 1951)
- Unno Juza (1897–1949)
K
[edit]


- Vilma Kadlečková (born 1971)
- Franz Kafka (1883–1924)
- Janet Kagan (1946–2008)
- Michael Kandel (born 1941)
- Colin Kapp (1928–2007)
- Alexander Kazantsev (1906–2002)
- Joseph E. Kelleam (1913–1975)
- David H. Keller (1880–1966)
- James Patrick Kelly (born 1951)
- Rick Kennett (born 1956)
- Steven L. Kent (born 1960)
- Katharine Kerr (born 1944)
- John Kessel (born 1950)
- Roy Kettle (born 1949)
- Alexander Key (1904–1979)
- Daniel Keyes (1927–2014)
- Gregory Keyes (born 1963)
- David Kier (born 1943)
- Caitlín R. Kiernan (born 1964)
- Lee Killough (born 1942)
- Wade A. Kimberlin (born 1970)
- Sara King (born 1982)
- Stephen King (born 1947)
- Vincent King (1935–2000)
- Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
- John Kippax (1915–1974)
- Donald Kingsbury (born 1929)
- Hugh Kingsmill (1889–1949)
- Jack Kirby (1917–1994)
- David Barr Kirtley (born 1977)
- Annette Curtis Klause (born 1953)
- Gérard Klein (born 1937)
- Otis Adelbert Kline (1891–1946)
- Marko Kloos (fl. 2011–present)
- Nigel Kneale (1922–2006)
- Boban Knežević (born 1959)
- Damon Knight (1922–2002)
- Norman L. Knight (1895–1972)
- Walter Koenig (born 1936)
- Lazar Komarčić (1839–1909)
- Dean R. Koontz (born 1945)
- Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923–1958)
- Mary Robinette Kowal (born 1969)
- Tom Kratman (born 1956)
- Nancy Kress (born 1948)
- Günther Krupkat (1905–1990)
- Zoran Krušvar (born 1977)
- Michael P. Kube-McDowell (born 1954)
- Walter Kubilius (1918–1993)
- Michael Kurland (born 1938)
- Katherine Kurtz (born 1944)
- Henry Kuttner (1915–1958)
- David Kyle (1919–2016)
L
[edit]



- W. S. Lach-Szyrma (1841–1915)
- R. A. Lafferty (1914–2002)
- Jay Lake (1964–2014)
- Louis L'Amour (1908–1988)
- Geoffrey Landis (born 1955)
- David Langford (born 1953)
- Sterling E. Lanier (1927–2007)
- Justine Larbalestier (born 1967)
- Glen A. Larson (1937–2014)
- Kurd Lasswitz (1848–1910)
- Philip Latham (1902–1981) (pseudonym of Robert S. Richardson)
- Yulia Latynina (born 1966)
- Keith Laumer (1925–1993)
- Stephen R. Lawhead (born 1950)
- W. H. C. Lawrence (fl. 1889)
- Alain Le Bussy (1947–2010)
- Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018)
- Ann Leckie (born 1966)
- Gentry Lee (born 1942)
- Mary Soon Lee (born 1965)
- Sharon Lee (born 1952)
- Stan Lee (1922–2018)
- Tanith Lee (1947–2015)
- Yoon Ha Lee (born 1979)
- Fritz Leiber (1910–1992)
- Murray Leinster (1896–1975) (pseudonym of Will F. Jenkins)
- Stanisław Lem (1921–2006)
- Edward M. Lerner (born 1949)
- Milton Lesser (1928–2008) (pseudonym of Stephen Marlowe)
- Doris Lessing (1919–2013)
- Jonathan Lethem (born 1964)
- David D. Levine (born 1961)
- Paul Levinson (born 1947)
- Roger Levy (fl. 2001–2018)
- C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
- Shariann Lewitt (born 1954)
- Jacqueline Lichtenberg (born 1942)
- Jean-Marc Ligny (born 1956)
- Brad Linaweaver (1952–2019)
- Dénis Lindbohm (1927–2005)
- David Lindsay (1876–1945)
- Liu Cixin (born 1963)
- Ken Liu (born 1976)
- Ken Lizzi (born 1969)
- John Uri Lloyd (1849–1936)
- Jack London (1876–1916)
- Amelia Reynolds Long (1904–1978)
- Frank Belknap Long (1901–1994)
- Barry B. Longyear (1942–2025)
- Jean Lorrah (born 1938)
- H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937)
- Archibald Low (1888–1956)
- Nathan Lowell (born 1952)
- Robert A. W. Lowndes (1916–1998)
- Lois Lowry (born 1937)
- George Lucas (born 1944)
- Lucian (born c.125)
- Nicole Luiken (born 1971)
- Sergey Lukyanenko (born 1968)
- Duncan Lunan (born 1945)
- Sam Lundwall (born 1941)
- Richard A. Lupoff (1935–2020)
- John Lymington (1911–1983)
- Elizabeth A. Lynn (born 1946)
- Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873)
M
[edit]





- Darko Macan (born 1966)
- Paul J. McAuley (born 1955)
- Ed McBain (1926–2005)
- Anne McCaffrey (1926–2011)
- Wil McCarthy (born 1966)
- David McDaniel (1944–1977)
- Jack McDevitt (born 1935)
- Ian McDonald (born 1960)
- James D. Macdonald (born 1954)
- John D. MacDonald (1916–1986)
- William P. McGivern (1918–1982)
- Maureen F. McHugh (born 1959)
- J. T. McIntosh (1925–2008)
- Will McIntosh (born 1962)
- F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre (c. 1948–2010)
- Vonda N. McIntyre (1948–2019)
- R. W. Mackelworth (1930–2000)
- Richard McKenna (1913–1964)
- Katherine MacLean (1925–2019)
- Ian R. MacLeod (born 1956)
- Ken MacLeod (born 1954)
- Neil McMahon (born 1949)
- Sean McMullen (born 1948)
- Mike McQuay (1949–1995)
- Angus MacVicar (1908–2001)
- Tom Maddox (1945–2022)
- Charles Eric Maine (1921–1981) (pseudonym of David McIlwain)
- Donald Malcolm (1930–1975)
- Daryl F. Mallett (born 1969)
- Barry N. Malzberg (1939–2024)
- George Mann (born 1978)
- Laurence Manning (1899–1972)
- Leo Margulies (1900–1975)
- Stephen Marley (born 1946)
- Paul Marlowe (fl. 2000–2014)
- George R. R. Martin (born 1948)
- Arkady Martine (born 1985)
- David Marusek (born 1951)
- Richard Matheson (1926–2013)
- Susan R. Matthews (born 1952)
- Julian May (1931–2017)
- Ged Maybury (born 1953)
- John Meaney (born 1957)
- S. P. Meek (1894–1972)
- R. M. Meluch (born 1956)
- Miguel Mendonça (born 1973)
- Richard C. Meredith (1937–1979)
- Robert Merle (1908–2004)
- Judith Merril (1923–1997)
- A. Merritt (1884–1943)
- Sam Merwin Jr. (1910–1996)
- Régis Messac (1893–1945)
- John Metcalfe (1891–1965)
- Melinda Metz (born 1962)
- Robert A. Metzger (born 1956)
- Stephenie Meyer (born 1973)
- John B. Michel (1917–1969)
- China Miéville (born 1972)
- Victor Milán (1954–2018)
- Joel A. Miller (born 1977)
- John J. Miller (1954–2022)
- P. Schuyler Miller (1912–1974)
- R. DeWitt Miller (1910–1958)
- Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1923–1996)
- Edward Page Mitchell (1852–1927)
- Kirk Mitchell (born 1950)
- Syne Mitchell (born 1970)
- Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999)
- Premendra Mitra (1904–1988)
- L. E. Modesitt, Jr. (born 1943)
- Judith Moffett (born 1942)
- Donald Moffitt (1936–2014)
- Thomas F. Monteleone (born 1946)
- Elizabeth Moon (born 1945)
- Michael Moorcock (born 1939)
- Alan Moore (born 1953)
- C. L. Moore (1911–1987)
- Patrick Moore (1923–2012)
- Ward Moore (1903–1978)
- Daniel Keys Moran (born 1962)
- Dan Morgan (1925–2011)
- Richard K. Morgan (born 1965)
- Chris Moriarty (born 1968)
- A. R. Morlan (1958–2016)
- John Morressy (1930–2006)
- Chris Morris (born 1946)
- Janet Morris (1946–2024)
- William Morrison (1906–1982) (pseudonym of Joseph Samachson)
- James Morrow (born 1947)
- Sam Moskowitz (1920–1997)
- Pat Murphy (born 1955)
- Øyvind Myhre (born 1945)
N
[edit]
- Linda Nagata (born 1960)
- Jayant Narlikar (1938–2025) (Marathi: जयंत विष्णू नारळीकर)
- Grant Naylor (joint pseudonym of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor)
- Ondrej Neff (born 1945)
- Geoff Nelder (born 1947)
- Ray Nelson (1931–2022)
- István Nemere (1944–2024)
- Josef Nesvadba (1926–2005)
- Kris Neville (1925–1980)
- Eirik Newth (born 1964)
- Yuri Nikitin (in Russian Юрий Никитин) (1939–2025)
- Larry Niven (born 1938)
- William F. Nolan (1928–2021)
- Jeff Noon (born 1957)
- John Norman (born 1931)
- Lisanne Norman (born 1951)
- Eric North (1884–1968) (pseudonym of Bernard Cronin)
- Andre Norton (1912–2005) (pseudonym of Alice Mary Norton)
- Philip Francis Nowlan (1888–1940)
- Alan E. Nourse (1928–1992)
- Charles Nuetzel (born 1934)
- Eric S. Nylund (born 1964)
O
[edit]
- Robert C. O'Brien (1918–1973)
- Kevin O'Donnell, Jr. (1950–2012)
- Patrick O'Leary (born 1952)
- Raven Oak (born 1977)
- Vladimir Obruchev (1863–1956)
- Edwin Vincent Odle (1890–1942)
- Andrew J. Offutt (1934–2013)
- Nnedi Okorafor (born 1974)
- Chad Oliver (1928–1993)
- Bob Olsen (1884–1956)
- Jerry Oltion (born 1957)
- Marek Oramus (born 1952)
- Jerry Ordway (born 1957)
- Rebecca Ore (born 1948)
- George Orwell (1903–1950) (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair)
- Karen Osborne (born 1980)
- John Ostrander (born 1949)
- A. K. Otterness (fl. 1992–2012)
P
[edit]



- Lewis Padgett (joint pseudonym of Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore)
- Michel Pagel (born 1961)
- George Pal (1908–1980)
- Ada Palmer (born 1981)
- David R. Palmer (born 1941)
- Jane Palmer (born 1946)
- Philip Palmer (born 1960)
- Raymond A. Palmer (1910–1977)
- Edgar Pangborn (1909–1976)
- Alexei Panshin (1940–2022)
- Cory Panshin (born 1947)
- Christopher Paolini (born 1980)
- Richard Parks (born 1955)
- James Patterson (born 1947)
- Stel Pavlou (born 1970)
- Donald G. Payne (1924–2018) (also known as James Vance Marshall, Ian Cameron, and Donald Gordon)
- Hayford Peirce (1942–2020)
- Charles Pellegrino (born 1953)
- Dalibor Perković (born 1974)
- Leslie Perri (1920–1970)
- Steve Perry (born 1947)
- Lawrence Person (born 1965)
- Emil Petaja (1915–2000)
- Wildy Petoud (born 1957)
- John T. Phillifent (1916–1976)
- Mark Phillips (joint pseudonym used by Laurence Janifer (1933–2002) and Randall Garrett (1927–1987))
- Peter Phillips (1920–2012)
- Rog Phillips (1909–1965) (pseudonym of Roger P. Graham)
- Eden Phillpotts (1862–1960)
- Bal Phondke (born 1939) (Marathi: डॉ. बाळ फोंडके)
- John R. Pierce (1910–2002) (also known as J.J. Coupling)
- Marge Piercy (born 1936)
- H. Beam Piper (1904–1964)
- Doris Piserchia (1928–2021)
- Brian Plante (born 1956)
- Charles Platt (born 1945)
- P. J. Plauger (born 1944)
- Van Allen Plexico (born 1968)
- Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
- Frederik Pohl (1919–2013)
- Arthur Porges (1915–2006)
- Jerry Pournelle (1933–2017)
- Gareth L. Powell (born 1970)
- Tim Powers (born 1952)
- Terry Pratchett (1948–2015)
- Fletcher Pratt (1897–1956)
- Robert Presslie (1920–2002)
- Paul Preuss (born 1942)
- Cherie Priest (born 1975)
- Christopher Priest (1943–2024)
- Philip Pullman (born 1946)
Q
[edit]- Roberto Quaglia (born 1962)
- William Thomas Quick (born 1946)
- Daniel Quinn (1935–2018)
R
[edit]


- Ayn Rand (1905–1982)
- Bill Ransom (born 1945)
- Carlos Rasch (1932–2021)
- Hannu Rajaniemi (born 1978)
- Marta Randall (born 1948)
- Melanie Rawn (born 1954)
- Satyajit Ray (1921–1992)
- Francis G. Rayer (1921–1981)
- Tom Reamy (1935–1977)
- Robert Reed (born 1956)
- Philip Reeve (born 1966)
- Miha Remec (1928–2020)
- Maurice Renard (1875–1939)
- Ed Earl Repp (1901–1979)
- Laura Resnick (born 1962)
- Mike Resnick (1942–2020)
- Lester del Rey (1915–1993)
- Alastair Reynolds (born 1966)
- Mack Reynolds (1917–1983)
- Christopher Rice (born 1978)
- Christopher Ride (born 1965)
- John Ringo (born 1963)
- Adam Roberts (born 1965)
- Keith Roberts (1935–2000)
- Shauna S. Roberts (born 1956)
- Stephen Robinett (1941–2004)
- Frank M. Robinson (1926–2014)
- Jeanne Robinson (1948–2010)
- Kim Stanley Robinson (born 1952)
- Spider Robinson (born 1948)
- Justina Robson (born 1968)
- Esther Rochon (born 1948)
- Ross Rocklynne (1913–1988)
- Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991)
- Simon Rose (born 1961)
- Joel Rosenberg (1954–2011)
- Mary Rosenblum (1952–2018)
- J.-H. Rosny (joint pseudonym of Joseph (1856–1940) and Séraphin (1859–1948) Boex)
- Patrick Rothfuss (born 1973)
- M. A. Rothman
- Milton A. Rothman (1919–2001)
- Tony Rothman (born 1953)
- William Rotsler (1926–1997)
- Gustave Le Rouge (1867–1938)
- Christopher Rowley (born 1948)
- Rudy Rucker (born 1946)
- Anthony M. Rud (1893–1942)
- Christopher Ruocchio
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch (born 1960)
- Joanna Russ (1937–2011)
- Eric Frank Russell (1905–1978)
- Mary Doria Russell (born 1950)
- Richard Paul Russo (born 1954)
- A. Merc Rustad (born 1986)
S
[edit]






- Fred Saberhagen (1930–2007)
- Carl Sagan (1934–1996)
- Nick Sagan (born 1970)
- Margaret St. Clair (1911–1995) (also known as Idris Seabright)
- Don Sakers (1958–2021)
- Saki (1870–1916) (pseudonym of Hector Hugh Munro)
- Emilio Salgari (1862–1911)
- Sofia Samatar (born 1971)
- Ramiro Sanchiz (born 1978)
- Cathal Ó Sándair (1922–1996)
- Brandon Sanderson (born 1975)
- Domingo Santos (1941–2018) (pseudonym of Pedro Domingo Mutiñó)
- Pamela Sargent (born 1948)
- Al Sarrantonio (1952–2025)
- Robert J. Sawyer (born 1960)
- John Scalzi (born 1969)
- Nat Schachner (1895–1955)
- K. H. Scheer (1928–1991)
- Paul Scheerbart (1863–1915)
- Herman George Scheffauer (1876–1927)
- Joseph Schlossel (1902–1977)
- Bryan Thomas Schmidt (born 1969)
- Stanley Schmidt (born 1944)
- James H. Schmitz (1911–1974)
- Lawrence M. Schoen (born 1959)
- Karl Schroeder (born 1962)
- J. Neil Schulman (1953–2019)
- George H. Scithers (1929–2010)
- Thomas N. Scortia (1926–1986)
- Józef Sękowski (1800–1858)
- Arthur Sellings (1911–1968)
- Rod Serling (1924–1975)
- Garrett P. Serviss (1851–1929)
- Michael Shaara (1928–1988)
- William Shatner (born 1931)
- Richard S. Shaver (1907–1975)
- Bob Shaw (1931–1996)
- Larry Shaw (1924–1985)
- Nisi Shawl (born 1955)
- Kieran Shea (born 1965)
- Michael Shea (1946–2014)
- Robert Sheckley (1928–2005)
- Charles Sheffield (1935–2002)
- Mary Shelley (1797–1851)
- Lucius Shepard (1947–2014)
- Joel Shepherd (born 1974)
- David Sherman (1944–2022)
- T. L. Sherred (1915–1985)
- R. C. Sherriff (1896–1975)
- M. P. Shiel (1865–1947)
- Lewis Shiner (born 1950)
- Sharon Shinn (born 1957)
- Wilmar H. Shiras (1908–1990)
- John Shirley (born 1953)
- Shumil (born 1957)
- William Shunn (born 1967)
- Nevil Shute (18990–1960) (pseudonym of Nevil Shute Norway)
- Luís Filipe Silva (born 1969)
- Robert Silverberg (born 1935)
- Clifford D. Simak (1904–1988)
- Dan Simmons (born 1948)
- Joe Simon (1913–2011)
- Johanna Sinisalo (born 1958)
- Curt Siodmak (1902–2000)
- Jack Skillingstead (born 1955)
- John Sladek (1937–2000)
- William Sleator (1945–2011)
- Henry Slesar (1927–2002)
- William Milligan Sloane III (1906–1974)
- Joan Slonczewski (born 1956)
- George Edgar Slusser (1939–2014)
- Clark Ashton Smith (1893–1961)
- Cordwainer Smith (1913–1966) (pseudonym of Paul M.A. Linebarger)
- E. E. Smith (1890–1965)
- Evelyn E. Smith (1922–2000)
- George H. Smith (1922–1996)
- George O. Smith (1911–1981)
- L. Neil Smith (1946–2021)
- Michael Marshall Smith (born 1965)
- Melinda Snodgrass (born 1951)
- Jerry Sohl (1913–2002)
- Martha Soukup (born 1959)
- Steven Spielberg (born 1946)
- Norman Spinrad (born 1940)
- Jacques Spitz (1896–1963)
- Nancy Springer (born 1948)
- Dana Stabenow (born 1952)
- Brian Stableford (1948–2024)
- Michael Stackpole (born 1957)
- Robert Stallman (1930–1980)
- Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950)
- Roman Frederick Starzl (1899–1976)
- Christopher Stasheff (1944–2018)
- John Steakley (1951–2010)
- Simon Stålenhag (born 1984)
- Allen Steele (born 1958)
- Angela Steinmüller (born 1941)
- Karlheinz Steinmüller (born 1950)
- Neal Stephenson (born 1959)
- Bruce Sterling (born 1954)
- Jacques Sternberg (1923–2006)
- Francis Stevens (1883–1948) (pseudonym of Gertrude Barrows Bennett)
- Marc Stiegler (born 1954)
- G. Harry Stine (1928–1997) (also known as Lee Correy)
- S. M. Stirling (born 1953)
- John E. Stith (born 1947)
- Giampietro Stocco (born 1961)
- Manning Lee Stokes (1911–1976)
- Sam Stone (fl. 2010–present)
- J. Michael Straczynski (born 1954)
- Charles Stross (born 1964)
- Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (1925–1991 and 1933–2012, respectively) (in Russian, Аркадий и Борис Стругацкие[1])
- Theodore Sturgeon (1918–1985) (pseudonym of Edward Hamilton Waldo)
- Somtow Sucharitkul (also known as S. P. Somtow) (born 1952)
- Sujatha (1935–2008)
- Tricia Sullivan (born 1968)
- Michael Swanwick (born 1950)
- Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
- Michael Szameit (1950–2014)
T
[edit]


- John Taine (1883–1960) (pseudonym of Eric Temple Bell)
- Stephen Tall (1908–1981) (pseudonym of Compton Newby Crook)
- Yoshiki Tanaka (born 1952)
- Charles R. Tanner (1896–1974)
- Andrius Tapinas (born 1977)
- Howard Tayler (born 1968)
- Dennis E. Taylor (fl. 2015–present)
- Travis S. Taylor (born 1968)
- Adrian Tchaikovsky (born 1972)
- Steve Rasnic Tem (born 1950)
- William F. Temple (1914–1989)
- Tais Teng (born 1952) (nom de plume of Thijs van Ebbenhorst Tengbergen)
- William Tenn (1920–2010) (pseudonym of Philip Klass)
- Sheri S. Tepper (1929–2016)
- Tom Terry (born 1963)
- Walter Tevis (1928–1984)
- Felix Thijssen (1933–2022)
- Theodore L. Thomas (1920–2005)
- Tade Thompson (fl. 2005–present)
- Robert Thurston (1936–2021)
- Lavie Tidhar (born 1976)
- Mark W. Tiedemann (born 1954)
- Patrick Tilley (1928–2020)
- James Tiptree Jr. (1915–1987) (pseudonym of Alice Sheldon)
- Arthur Tofte (1902–1980)
- Brad R. Torgersen (born 1974)
- Karen Traviss (fl. 2002–2017)
- F. Orlin Tremaine (1899–1956)
- Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoy (1882/3–1945) (in Russian Алексей Николаевич Толстой)
- Edwin Charles Tubb (1919–2010)
- George Tucker (1775–1861)
- Wilson Tucker (1914–2006)
- George Turner (1916–1997)
- Harry Turtledove (born 1949)
- Mary Turzillo (born 1940)
- Lisa Tuttle (born 1952)
- John Twelve Hawks (fl. 2005–2014)
- Kathy Tyers (born 1952)
U
[edit]- Steven Utley (1948–2013)
V
[edit]
- Catherynne M. Valente (born 1979)
- James Van Pelt (born 1954)
- Sydney J. Van Scyoc (1939–2023)
- A. E. van Vogt (1912–2000)
- Jack Vance (1916–2013)
- Jeff VanderMeer (born 1968)
- Robert E. Vardeman (born 1947)
- John Varley (born 1947)
- Vladimir Vasilyev (born 1967)
- Vercors (1902–1991) (pseudonym of Jean Bruller)
- Jules Verne (1828–1905)
- Alpheus Hyatt Verrill (1871–1954)
- Pierre Versins (1923–2001)
- Harl Vincent (1893–1968)
- Joan D. Vinge (born 1948)
- Vernor Vinge (1944–2024)
- Paul Voermans (born 1960)
- Julius Vogel (1835–1899)
- Voltaire (1694–1778)
- Elisabeth Vonarburg (born 1947)
- Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007)
W
[edit]




- Karl Edward Wagner (1945–1994)
- Roland C. Wagner (1960–2012)
- Howard Waldrop (1946–2024)
- Edgar Wallace (1875–1932)
- F. L. Wallace (1915–2004) (also known as Floyd Wallace)
- Ian Wallace (1912–1998)
- Hugh Walters (1910–1993)
- Bryce Walton (1918–1988)
- Jo Walton (born 1964)
- Donald Wandrei (1908–1987)
- Ian Watson (born 1943)
- Lawrence Watt-Evans (born 1954)
- Peter Watts (born 1958)
- Don Webb (born 1960)
- David Weber (born 1952)
- Stanley G. Weinbaum (1902–1935)
- Richard M. Weiner (1930–2020)
- Andy Weir (born 1972)
- Jan Weiss (1892–1972)
- Manly Wade Wellman (1903–1986)
- Angus Wells (1943–2006)
- Basil Wells (1912–2003)
- Dan Wells (born 1977)
- H. G. Wells (1866–1946)
- Martha Wells (born 1964)
- Chuck Wendig (born 1976)
- K. D. Wentworth (1951–2012)
- Bernard Werber (born 1961)
- Wallace West (1900–1980)
- Scott Westerfeld (born 1963)
- Suzanne Weyn (born 1955)
- Dennis Wheatley (1897–1977)
- Alex White (born 1981)
- James White (1928–1999)
- Steve White (1946–2025)
- Ted White (born 1938)
- Sonny Whitelaw (born 1956)
- Cherry Wilder (1930–2002)
- Kate Wilhelm (1928–2018)
- Liz Williams (born 1965)
- Lynda Williams (born 1958)
- Rob Williams
- Robert Moore Williams (1907–1977)
- Sean Williams (born 1967)
- Tad Williams (born 1957)
- Walter Jon Williams (born 1953)
- Jack Williamson (1908–2006)
- Michael Z. Williamson (born 1967)
- Connie Willis (born 1945)
- Colin Wilson (1931–2013)
- D. Harlan Wilson (born 1971)
- F. Paul Wilson (born 1946)
- Richard Wilson (1920–1987)
- Robert Anton Wilson (1932–2007)
- Robert Charles Wilson (born 1953)
- David Wingrove (born 1954)
- Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg (1937–1995)
- Otto Witt (1875–1923)
- Edmund Wnuk-Lipinski (1944–2015)
- Bernard Wolfe (1915–1985)
- Gene Wolfe (1931–2019)
- Donald A. Wollheim (1914–1990) (various pseudonyms)
- Jack Womack (born 1956)
- John C. Wright (born 1961)
- S. Fowler Wright (1874–1965)
- Stefan Wul (1922–2003) (pseudonym of Pierre Pairault)
- James Wylder (born 1989)
- Philip Wylie (1902–1971)
- John Wyndham (1903–1969) (pseudonym of John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris)
Y
[edit]
- Neon Yang
- Nir Yaniv (born 1972)
- Tetsu Yano (1923–2004)
- Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (born 1942)
- Yi Kŭmch'ŏl
- Jun'ya Yokota (1945–2019)
- Jane Yolen (born 1939)
- Robert Franklin Young (1915–1986)
- Charles Yu (born 1976)
Z
[edit]
- Arthur Leo Zagat (1896–1949)
- Timothy Zahn (born 1951)
- Janusz Zajdel (1938–1985)
- Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884–1937)
- George Zebrowski (1945–2024)
- Roger Zelazny (1937–1995)
- Alexander Zelenyj (fl. 2005–present)
- Tully Zetford (pseudonym of Kenneth Bulmer)
- Sarah Zettel (born 1966)
- Andrzej Ziemiański (born 1960)
- Rafal A. Ziemkiewicz (born 1964)
- Aleksandar Ziljak (born 1963)
- Werner Zillig (born 1949)
- David Zindell (born 1952)
- Zoran Živković (born 1948)
- Pamela Zoline (born 1941)
- Alexander Zorich (born 1973) (joint pseudonym of Yana Botsman and Dmitry Gordevsky)
- Joseph Zornado (fl. 2000–2019)
- Jerzy Żuławski (1874–1915)
See also
[edit]- Black science fiction
- Category:Science fiction writers by nationality
- Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
- List of Clarion South Writers Workshop Instructors
- List of Clarion West Writers Workshop alumni
- List of Clarion West Writers Workshop instructors
- List of Clarion Writers Workshop Alumni
- List of Clarion Writers Workshop Instructors
- List of fantasy authors
- List of horror fiction authors
- List of military science fiction works and authors
- List of Romanian science fiction writers
- List of science fiction editors
- Lists of authors
- Novelists
- Timeline of science fiction
- Women science fiction authors
References
[edit]- ^ Individually, their names are Аркадий Стругацкий and Борис Стругацкий.
Resources
[edit]- A useful book for looking up authors is A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction, by Baird Searles, Martin Last, Beth Meacham, and Michael Franklin (1979). It also tells you whom else you might like if you like one author.
- Other invaluable works include The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls (2nd. Ed. 1991), The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, edited by George Mann (1999) (ISBN 0-7867-0887-5 or ISBN 1-84119-177-9), and Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers, edited by Curtis C. Smith (1981) (ISBN 0-312-82420-3).
External links
[edit]- Official website for "Russian Science Fiction and Fantasy"
- Official website for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
List of science-fiction authors
View on GrokipediaGenre Overview
Origins and Key Themes
Science fiction is a genre of speculative literature that explores the potential impacts of scientific advancements, technological innovations, and their effects on future societies and human existence. This form of fiction often extrapolates from current scientific knowledge to imagine plausible yet extraordinary scenarios, distinguishing it from fantasy through its grounding in rational, evidence-based speculation.[2] The genre's origins are commonly traced to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), widely regarded as the first science fiction novel for its examination of scientific hubris in creating artificial life.[3] Shelley's work emerged from Enlightenment-era fascination with discovery, blending proto-scientific inquiry with cautionary tales about overreaching human ambition.[4] Central to science fiction are recurring themes that probe humanity's relationship with progress, including space and time exploration, utopian and dystopian visions of society, artificial intelligence, encounters with extraterrestrial life, and the ethical quandaries arising from technological change.[5] For instance, H.G. Wells' The Time Machine (1895) exemplifies time travel as a motif to critique social evolution and class divisions, depicting a future where humanity has bifurcated into decadent surface-dwellers and subterranean laborers.[6] These themes often serve as allegories for contemporary anxieties, using speculative narratives to question the moral costs of innovation and the fragility of civilization.[7] The genre's historical development began in the 19th century, drawing roots from Gothic and Romantic traditions that emphasized the sublime, the irrational, and the consequences of defying natural laws, as seen in works blending horror with emerging scientific rationalism.[8] This foundation transitioned into a distinct popular form in the 1920s with the advent of pulp magazines, pioneered by Hugo Gernsback's Amazing Stories (launched April 1926), which serialized scientific romances and coined the term "scientifiction" to promote fiction that educated while entertaining.[9][10] Gernsback's publication marked a shift toward mass-market accessibility, fostering a dedicated readership and professionalizing the field.[10] Science fiction authors have profoundly influenced cultural perceptions of technology, embedding ideas into the public imagination that later inspired real-world developments and societal debates.[11] Wells' early dystopian visions, such as in When the Sleeper Wakes (1899), anticipated elements of cyberpunk by portraying surveillance-heavy megacities and corporate overlords, foreshadowing concerns over technology's role in exacerbating inequality.[12] Through such narratives, the genre has shaped expectations of innovation, from space exploration to digital ethics, encouraging readers to envision and critique possible futures.[13]Major Subgenres
Science fiction encompasses a variety of subgenres, each distinguished by its thematic focus, narrative style, and treatment of speculative elements. The primary division often falls between hard science fiction and soft science fiction, with additional subgenres branching out to explore specific motifs like interstellar adventure or technological dystopias. These categories help contextualize authors' works by highlighting how they extrapolate from scientific principles, social dynamics, or cultural anxieties. Hard science fiction emphasizes rigorous adherence to known scientific laws and plausible technological extrapolations, often centering plots on physics, engineering, or astronomy. Key traits include detailed depictions of space travel, quantum mechanics, or evolutionary biology, prioritizing intellectual rigor over emotional drama. For instance, Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) exemplifies this through its physics-based exploration of human evolution and extraterrestrial contact, grounding cosmic phenomena in realistic orbital mechanics and AI development.[14][15] In contrast, soft science fiction shifts attention to social sciences, psychology, and human behavior, using speculative elements to probe cultural, ethical, or interpersonal issues rather than technical feasibility. This subgenre frequently incorporates anthropology or sociology, allowing for imaginative world-building that critiques societal norms. Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) illustrates this approach by examining gender fluidity and cultural isolation on an alien world, emphasizing psychological depth and human connections over hard scientific detail.[16][17] Beyond these foundational categories, space opera represents epic, adventure-driven narratives set against vast interstellar backdrops, featuring interstellar conflicts, alien civilizations, and heroic quests. Originating in the pulp era, it prioritizes sweeping scale and melodrama, with advanced technologies enabling galaxy-spanning plots. E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series (1930s–1940s) pioneered this subgenre through its portrayal of cosmic battles between galactic patrols and tyrannical forces, establishing tropes like psychic lenses and multi-species alliances.[16][18] Cyberpunk, emerging in the 1980s, depicts near-future dystopias where high technology coexists with societal decay, focusing on hackers, corporations, and cybernetic enhancements in a "high-tech, low-life" world. It critiques capitalism and surveillance through gritty, noir-infused stories of digital rebellion. William Gibson's Neuromancer (1984) defined the subgenre with its vivid cyberspace immersions and anti-heroic console cowboys navigating AI-dominated underworlds.[19][20] More recent developments include biopunk, which parallels cyberpunk but centers on biotechnology, genetic engineering, and biohacking, often exploring ethical dilemmas of altering life forms. This subgenre emerged in the 1990s amid advances in biotechnology, questioning human augmentation and ecological impacts.[20] Climate fiction, or cli-fi, similarly arose in the late 2000s to address anthropogenic environmental crises, blending speculative narratives with real-world data on global warming and resilience strategies. Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future (2020) exemplifies cli-fi by weaving policy interventions, eco-terrorism, and carbon drawdown techniques into a mosaic of near-future scenarios.[21] Another emerging subgenre is solarpunk, which envisions optimistic, sustainable futures where technology harmonizes with ecology and community, gaining prominence in the 2010s as a counterpoint to dystopian narratives.[22] Subgenres frequently overlap and evolve, reflecting broader cultural shifts; for example, the New Wave movement of the 1960s prioritized literary experimentation, stylistic innovation, and inner psychological exploration over plot-driven adventures, influencing soft science fiction and cyberpunk by elevating social commentary and non-linear forms. This era marked a transition from pulp traditions to more introspective works, blurring boundaries as authors like Le Guin incorporated New Wave sensibilities into anthropological SF. Today, hybrid forms abound, such as biopunk elements in cli-fi or space opera infused with hard SF realism, adapting to contemporary concerns like AI ethics and planetary survival.[23][24]Compilation Methodology
Sources and Notability
The compilation of this list adheres to established notability standards for science fiction authors, requiring inclusion only for those who have published at least one significant work in the genre, with influence demonstrated through major awards such as the Hugo, Nebula, or Locus; frequent citations in scholarly genre histories; or measurable cultural impact, such as adaptations or widespread academic discussion.[25][26][27] Pure fantasy authors or those in adjacent genres are excluded unless their works exhibit clear science fiction elements, such as speculative technology or scientific extrapolation, to maintain focus on the core genre. Diversity in representation is a deliberate priority, addressing historical underrepresentation of marginalized voices; for instance, women authors constituted only about 10-15% of science fiction writers in the mid-20th century, rising gradually thereafter, while efforts now emphasize inclusion of authors of color, such as Octavia E. Butler, whose breakthrough publications in the 1970s marked a pivotal expansion of Black perspectives in the genre.[28][29] Non-Western authors are similarly highlighted, exemplified by Liu Cixin's global influence through works blending Chinese cultural contexts with hard science fiction, broadening the genre beyond Euro-American dominance.[30] Exclusions apply to one-off contributors without sustained genre impact, as well as unpublished works, ensuring the list prioritizes verifiable professional output; pseudonyms are acknowledged where used, but entries are listed under the author's primary recognized name for consistency. Verification draws from authoritative references, including The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (third edition, 2011, with ongoing online updates at sf-encyclopedia.com), which selects authors based on their substantive contributions to science fiction literature, and comprehensive award databases like the Science Fiction Awards Database (sfadb.com), which track nominations and wins across Hugo, Nebula, and Locus honors to confirm notability.[27]Updates and Currency
Since 2020, science fiction has seen a marked rise in Afrofuturism, which blends African diasporic experiences with speculative futures to address themes of justice and technology, as evidenced by ongoing discussions in cultural critiques.[31] Similarly, solarpunk has gained traction as an optimistic counter to dystopian narratives, emphasizing sustainable technologies and community resilience amid climate crises, with predictions of increased post-disaster recovery stories in 2025 publications.[32] N.K. Jemisin continues to exert influence through her exploration of systemic oppression and environmental collapse in works like the ongoing Great Cities series, shaping contemporary genre discourse on intersectional futures.[33] Themes of artificial intelligence and climate urgency have integrated more deeply into narratives, such as in Arkady Martine's A Desolation Called Peace (2021), which examines imperial expansion, alien communication via AI translators, and the ethical costs of interstellar contact.[34] Notable authors debuting or achieving prominence between 2015 and 2025 include Andy Weir (born 1972), whose Project Hail Mary (2021) popularized hard science fiction centered on interstellar problem-solving.[35] Becky Chambers (born 1985) debuted with the Wayfarers series in 2015, but her 2021 novella A Psalm for the Wild-Built highlighted cozy speculative fiction exploring human-robot coexistence and ecological harmony.[35] Everina Maxwell, active since the early 2020s, introduced space opera dynamics in Winter's Orbit (2021), focusing on political intrigue and arranged alliances in a galactic empire.[35] Recent awards reflect evolving genre priorities, with the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novel going to Emily Tesh's Some Desperate Glory and nominations including Martha Wells's Witch King from her ongoing works and John Scalzi's Starter Villain.[35] The 2024 Nebula Award for Best Novel was awarded to Vajra Chandrasekera's The Saint of Bright Doors, underscoring experimental and culturally diverse storytelling.[36] As of November 2025, the 2025 Hugo results highlight continued recognition for series like Wells's Murderbot, with winners such as Rebecca Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky series adaptations noted for indigenous perspectives.[37] These awards show a shift toward greater diversity, with women and authors of color comprising a significant portion of recent finalists, fostering broader representation in the field.[38] The 2025 Nebula Awards, announced in June 2025, further emphasized diverse storytelling, with winners including works by authors like John Wiswell for Best Novel (Someone You Can Build a Nest In), continuing trends in inclusive speculative narratives.[39] Efforts to address gaps in representation have emphasized global voices, including scholarship on Indian science fiction, such as Sami Ahmad Khan's Star Warriors of the Modern Raj (2021), which analyzes dystopian futures and cultural hybridity in the genre.[40] In African science fiction, Nnedi Okorafor's mature output, such as the 2024 novella She Who Knows: Firespitter, advances Africanfuturism by weaving indigenous knowledge with technological innovation and resistance narratives.[41]Alphabetical Directory
Authors A–D
Douglas Adams (1952–2001) was a British author known for his humorous science fiction, particularly The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), a satirical space opera that critiques bureaucracy and existentialism through absurd adventures. His work in comedic sci-fi influenced popular culture, including radio, TV, and film adaptations.[42] Brian Aldiss (1925–2017) was an English science fiction writer celebrated for novels like Non-Stop (1958) and the Helliconia trilogy (1982–1985), blending hard science with literary experimentation in subgenres like generation ships and planetary ecology. As a critic and editor, he advanced the understanding of science fiction's evolution.[43] Poul Anderson (1926–2001) was an American author of hard science fiction, noted for Tau Zero (1970), which explores relativistic physics in a spaceship accelerating toward light speed, and The High Crusade (1960), a humorous take on medieval knights conquering aliens. His meticulous scientific detail and themes of time dilation and alternate history shaped mid-20th-century SF.[44] Neal Asher (b. 1961) is a British hard SF author focusing on AI-dominated futures. The Polity series, including Gridlinked (2001), explores agent Ian Cormac battling rogue intelligences, contributing violent, tech-heavy narratives adapted into audiobooks appealing to young adult thriller readers. Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was an American biochemist and prolific science fiction writer, best known for the Foundation series (1951–1993), depicting a galactic empire's fall through psychohistory, and I, Robot (1950), introducing the Three Laws of Robotics: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. His foundational contributions to robotics ethics and galactic empire narratives defined Golden Age SF.[45] Margaret Atwood (born 1939) is a Canadian author whose dystopian science fiction, such as The Handmaid's Tale (1985), examines feminist themes of oppression in a theocratic society, blending speculative elements with social commentary. Her work bridges literary fiction and SF, highlighting gender and environmental issues.[46] Iain M. Banks (1954–2013) was a Scottish writer whose Culture series, starting with Consider Phlebas (1987), portrays a post-scarcity utopian society run by benevolent AIs, exploring space opera with philosophical depth on morality and interventionism. His innovative depiction of advanced civilizations influenced modern space opera. Stephen Baxter (born 1957) is a British hard SF author known for The Time Ships (1995), a sequel to H.G. Wells' The Time Machine delving into quantum physics and multiverses, and the Xeelee Sequence (1991–2010), featuring epic-scale cosmology. His rigorous scientific extrapolations on time travel and cosmology expanded hard SF boundaries. Greg Bear (1951–2022) was an American writer of hard SF and military SF, with notable works like Blood Music (1985), exploring nanotechnology and emergent intelligence, and the Forge of God series (1987–1989), depicting apocalyptic alien contact. His integration of biology and physics in speculative scenarios advanced biotech themes in SF. Alfred Bester (1913–1987) was an American science fiction pioneer, famed for The Demolished Man (1953), the first Hugo Award winner for its telepathic murder mystery, and The Stars My Destination (1956), a cyberpunk precursor on revenge and jaunting (teleportation). His stylistic innovations and exploration of human potential influenced New Wave SF.[47] Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) was an American author whose poetic science fiction includes The Martian Chronicles (1950), a lyrical portrayal of Mars colonization, and Fahrenheit 451 (1953), a dystopian warning against censorship. His evocative style and focus on technology's impact on humanity blended SF with literary fantasy.[48] John Brunner (1934–1995) was a British New Wave author known for Stand on Zanzibar (1968), a dense mosaic novel on overpopulation using collage techniques, and The Shockwave Rider (1975), pioneering computer viruses in SF. His socially conscious narratives anticipated cyberpunk and ecological concerns. Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006) was an African American author central to Afrofuturism, with works like Kindred (1979), a time-travel story confronting slavery, and the Patternist series (1976–1984), exploring genetic telepathy and power dynamics. Her intersectional themes of race, gender, and survival reshaped diverse voices in SF.[49] John W. Campbell (1910–1971) was an American editor and writer who shaped Golden Age SF through Astounding Science Fiction, with stories like "Twilight" (1934) and "Who Goes There?" (1938, basis for The Thing). As an editor, he promoted hard SF and pseudoscience, influencing authors like Asimov and Heinlein. C. J. Cherryh (born 1942) is an American author of space opera, notable for the Alliance-Union series, including Downbelow Station (1981 Hugo winner), depicting interstellar politics and alien cultures, and the Foreigner series (1994–present) on human-alien diplomacy. Her detailed world-building and linguistic focus enriched diplomatic SF. Hal Clement (1922–2003) was an American hard SF writer, pseudonym of Harry Stubbs, known for Mission of Gravity (1954), featuring high-gravity planet Mesklin and centaur-like aliens, emphasizing scientific accuracy in planetary science. His "world-building as puzzle" approach inspired rigorous SF. Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) was an English author and futurist whose hard SF includes 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, co-scripted with Kubrick), exploring evolution and AI, and Rendezvous with Rama (1973), a mysterious alien artifact. His predictions of space travel and geostationary satellites bridged SF and science.[50] Michael Crichton (1942–2008) was an American techno-thriller writer whose SF works like The Andromeda Strain (1969), on extraterrestrial microbes, and Jurassic Park (1990), involving dinosaur cloning, popularized scientific ethics and bioengineering risks. His research-heavy narratives made complex science accessible.[51] Samuel R. Delany (born 1942) is an African American New Wave author known for Dhalgren (1975), an experimental post-apocalyptic narrative, and Babel-17 (1966), a linguistic SF exploring language as thought control. His literary SF addressed race, sexuality, and semiotics, expanding genre boundaries.[52] Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) was an American writer whose philosophical SF, such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968, basis for Blade Runner) and The Man in the High Castle (1962), probes reality, identity, and authoritarianism through alternate histories and AI. His paranoid themes influenced postmodern SF and film.[53] Thomas M. Disch (1940–2008) was an American New Wave poet and novelist, with Camp Concentration (1968) depicting a dystopian experiment enhancing intelligence via syphilis, and On Wings of Song (1979), exploring virtual transcendence. His satirical critiques of society and technology blended horror with SF. Cory Doctorow (born 1971) is a Canadian-British activist-author whose near-future SF includes Little Brother (2008), on teen hackers resisting surveillance, and Walkaway (2017), post-scarcity anarchism via 3D printing. His open-source advocacy and digital rights themes modernized cyberpunk. Avram Davidson (1923–1993) was an American fantasist and SF writer, noted for The Kar-Chee Reign (1966), alien invasion on a ruined Earth, and short stories like "Or All the Seas with Oysters" (1958), blending whimsy with speculative biology. His erudite, quirky style influenced slipstream fiction.Authors E–H
Authors whose surnames begin with E through H encompass a pivotal era in science fiction, marked by the shift from Golden Age pulp adventures to more sophisticated explorations of society, technology, and human nature during the 1960s-1980s New Wave influences. These writers innovated plot structures by integrating libertarian ideologies, ecological concerns, and cybernetic futures, often drawing from personal experiences like military service or scientific speculation to craft character-driven narratives that challenged conventional genres. Broderick, Damien (1944–2025) was an Australian hard science fiction author and critic whose works blended semiotics, futurism, and speculative physics. His novel The Judas Mandala (1982) is notable for coining the term "virtual reality" and exploring simulated worlds through quantum and informational lenses. Broderick's contributions include over 70 books, emphasizing radical technologies and earning the 2005 Distinguished Scholarship Award from the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts.[54][55] Egan, Greg (b. 1961) is an Australian mathematician and hard science fiction writer renowned for rigorous explorations of quantum mechanics, consciousness, and digital existence. Permutation City (1994) examines uploaded minds and simulated universes, establishing Egan as a pioneer in posthumanist themes. His reclusive style, with no public photos and a focus on conceptual depth over character drama, has influenced computational SF, with works published in outlets like Asimov's Science Fiction.[56] Ellison, Harlan (1934–2018) was an American speculative fiction master whose provocative short stories and anthologies defined New Wave boundaries, blending fantasy, horror, and SF with social critique. He edited the groundbreaking Dangerous Visions (1967), which challenged censorship and introduced edgy voices to the genre. Ellison's innovations in plot—often nonlinear and intense—earned him eight Hugo Awards and four Nebulas, including SFWA Grand Master status in 2006; his screenplay for A Boy and His Dog (1975) highlighted anti-authoritarian satire.[57] Farmer, Philip José (1918–2009) was an American author celebrated for adventurous SF that merged pulp traditions with literary experimentation, including erotic and mythological elements. His Riverworld series, beginning with To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971), features historical figures resurrected on an alien planet, innovating epic plots with resurrection mechanics. Farmer's unique Wold Newton universe linked literary heroes across timelines, winning three Hugos and influencing shared-universe concepts in SF.[58] Gibson, William (b. 1948) is a Canadian-American writer who pioneered cyberpunk, coining "cyberspace" to depict immersive digital realms intertwined with gritty urban decay. Neuromancer (1984), the first of his Sprawl trilogy, revolutionized plot through hacker heists and AI conspiracies, winning Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards. Gibson's style emphasized "extreme presentness," forecasting internet culture and virtual reality, with later works like The Peripheral (2014) exploring alternate histories via time slippage.[59] Haldeman, Joe (b. 1943) is an American author whose military science fiction draws from his Vietnam War service as a combat engineer, infusing plots with realistic depictions of war's psychological toll. The Forever War (1974) allegorizes interstellar conflict and time dilation's alienation, earning Hugo and Nebula Awards. Haldeman's contributions include blending hard SF with anti-war themes, as in Forever Peace (1997 Nebula winner), and SFWA Grand Master recognition in 2009.[60] Harrison, Harry (1925–2012) was an American-born writer and illustrator who infused SF with humor and social commentary, starting in comics before transitioning to novels. The Stainless Steel Rat series, launching with The Stainless Steel Rat (1961), features a witty thief in humorous space opera adventures, subverting heroic tropes. Harrison's Make Room! Make Room! (1966) addressed overpopulation presciently, inspiring Soylent Green; he co-founded World SF in 1978 to promote international SF.[61] Heinlein, Robert A. (1907–1988) was an American naval officer-turned-author whose libertarian-leaning narratives shaped modern SF, emphasizing individual freedom and technological progress. Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) introduced "grokking" and countercultural ideas, becoming a bestseller that won a Hugo. Heinlein's Future History series and juveniles like Starship Troopers (1959) innovated military SF plots with competence porn; he secured four Hugos and influenced space exploration via Destination Moon (1950 film).[62] Herbert, Frank (1920–1986) was an American journalist and ecologist whose epic SF delved into environmentalism and messianic politics on desert worlds. Dune (1965), the first in a six-book saga, features intricate plots of spice-driven feudalism and ecology, winning Hugos and Nebulas while sparking real-world desert conservation debates. Herbert's unique fusion of Arabic influences and hard ecology made Dune the best-selling SF series, with sequels like Dune Messiah (1969) critiquing heroism.[63] Huxley, Aldous (1894–1963) was an English philosopher-novelist whose dystopian visions prefigured bioengineered societies and loss of individuality. Brave New World (1932) plots a consumerist utopia via genetic conditioning and soma drugs, satirizing industrial progress and influencing SF's cautionary tales. Huxley's partial blindness shaped his speculative style, seen in later works like Island (1962) contrasting utopian ideals; his wit and prescience earned lasting impact on themes of technology's dehumanizing potential.[64]Authors I–L
This section profiles notable science fiction authors whose surnames begin with the letters I through L, emphasizing their roles in expanding the genre's global reach through diverse cultural perspectives, innovative subgenres, and cross-cultural themes. These writers have contributed to the internationalization of science fiction, blending Western traditions with non-Western narratives, exploring cosmic scales, technological ethics, and societal transformations. From British and Irish explorations of postcyberpunk futures to Polish philosophical inquiries and Chinese hard science fiction addressing the Fermi paradox, authors in this range have influenced the genre's evolution beyond American-centric Golden Age motifs, fostering a more inclusive literary landscape.- Ian McDonald (b. 1960, British/Irish): A Belfast-based novelist known for postcyberpunk settings and nanotechnology themes, McDonald debuted with Desolation Road (1988), a Locus Award winner blending Mars colonization with magical realism influences. His River of Gods (2004), set in a future India, earned a Hugo nomination for its portrayal of AI consciousness and cultural clashes, highlighting South Asian influences in global SF.[65]
- K. W. Jeter (b. 1950, American): Often credited with coining "steampunk" in 1987, Jeter's works fuse Victorian aesthetics with speculative technology. His debut Morlock Night (1979) reimagines H.G. Wells's The Time Machine in an alternate London invaded by subterranean creatures, establishing early steampunk tropes of retro-futurism and social critique. Later novels like Infernal Devices (1987) explore imperial decay and mechanical horror, influencing the subgenre's global adoption.[66]
- Gwyneth Jones (b. 1952, British): A prolific writer under her own name and pseudonym Ann Halam, Jones examines gender, rock culture, and post-apocalyptic societies. Bold as Love (2001), winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, depicts a near-future Britain fractured by environmental collapse and identity politics, drawing on British counterculture to globalize themes of rock stardom and biotechnology. Her Aleutian trilogy, starting with White Queen (1991), a Tiptree Award winner, portrays first contact through feminist and postcolonial lenses.[67]
- James Patrick Kelly (b. 1951, American): A short fiction specialist and Hugo Award winner for "Solitude" (1994), Kelly co-edited influential anthologies like Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology (2007). His novel Burn (2005) explores corporate dystopias on a colonized world, emphasizing ethical dilemmas in virtual realities and human augmentation, contributing to cyberpunk's evolution into more introspective, character-driven narratives.[68]
- Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018, American): A towering figure in anthropological SF, Le Guin's Hainish Cycle, including The Left Hand of Darkness (1969, Nebula and Hugo winner), revolutionized gender and cultural exploration by depicting a planet with ambisexual inhabitants, influencing global feminist SF. The Dispossessed (1974, another Hugo/Nebula winner) contrasts anarchist and capitalist societies on twin worlds, earning her the SFWA Grand Master title in 2003 for broadening SF's philosophical scope. Her works, translated worldwide, promoted cross-cultural empathy in speculative storytelling.[69]
- Nancy Kress (b. 1948, American): Specializing in genetic engineering and bioethics, Kress's Beggars in Spain (1991 novella, Hugo/Nebula winner; expanded novel 1993) examines a genetically modified "Sleepless" underclass, sparking debates on inequality in a post-scarcity world. Her Probability series, beginning with Probability Moon (2000), Nebula winner, integrates quantum physics with interstellar diplomacy, underscoring human adaptability and international cooperation themes.[70]
- John Kessel (b. 1954, American): Co-founder of the Clarion Workshop, Kessel blends SF with literary elements in works like Good News from Outer Space (1989, Philip K. Dick Award special citation), a satirical take on messianic cults and alien intervention in America. The Moon and the Other (2017) envisions lunar gender-separated societies, earning a Locus nomination for its exploration of autonomy and conflict resolution, enhancing SF's dialogue on diverse social structures.[71]
- Stanisław Lem (1921–2006, Polish): A philosopher-scientist whose satirical SF critiqued human hubris, Lem's Solaris (1961) depicts a sentient ocean planet defying comprehension, adapted into films and translated into over 40 languages, marking Eastern European SF's global impact. The Cyberiad (1965) features robotic inventors in absurd adventures, earning the 1973 Polish State Literary Award and influencing international robot ethics discussions. His works globalized SF by integrating continental European skepticism toward technology.[72]
- Fritz Leiber (1910–1992, American): A versatile Grand Master (SFWA 1981), Leiber's The Big Time (1958 novella, Hugo winner) unfolds a time-war "Change War" in a pocket universe, pioneering alternate history and psychological depth in SF. His Gather, Darkness! (1943) portrays a theocratic future overthrown by science, blending horror and SF to critique authoritarianism, with influences extending to international sword-and-planet subgenres.[73]
- Liu Cixin (b. 1963, Chinese): An engineer-turned-author whose hard SF addresses cosmic isolation, Liu's The Three-Body Problem (2008, English 2014) won the 2015 Hugo Award—the first for an Asian author—exploring the Fermi paradox via alien contact and Cultural Revolution echoes. The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, including The Dark Forest (2008), sold millions globally, popularizing Chinese perspectives on interstellar strategy and humanity's precarious place in the universe.[74]
- H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937, American): Founder of cosmic horror, a subgenre blending SF with existential dread, Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (1936) reveals ancient alien entities in Antarctica, emphasizing humanity's insignificance against vast, indifferent cosmos. His Cthulhu Mythos, shared collaboratively, influenced global weird fiction and SF, with translations fostering cross-cultural examinations of forbidden knowledge.[75]
- Ken MacLeod (b. 1954, Scottish): A libertarian socialist voice in SF, MacLeod's Fall Revolution series begins with The Star Fraction (1995, Prometheus Award winner), depicting anarcho-capitalist orbital habitats clashing with Earth governments. His works, like The Cassini Division (1998), critique accelerationism and AI governance, drawing on Scottish Enlightenment ideas to internationalize political SF debates.
- Ian R. MacLeod (b. 1956, British): Known for alternate histories and steampunk, MacLeod's The Summer Isles (1998, World Fantasy Award winner) reimagines a Celtic Britain winning against Rome through magical technology. Red Queen (2017) explores a divided future Europe, emphasizing class and innovation, contributing to British SF's tradition of reworking imperial narratives for global audiences.[76]
- Tanith Lee (1947–2015, British): A pioneering female voice in dark SF-fantasy hybrids, Lee's Don't Bite the Sun (1976) depicts hedonistic Four-BEE society on a pleasure planet, critiquing consumerism through alien psychology. Her works, including the Wars of Vis trilogy, influenced international gothic SF with queer and mythological elements.[77]
