Fictional Genres: Science Fiction

As a writer, I enjoy many fictional genres, but perhaps none more than science fiction, which is represented by a host of authors of the highest originality and substance.

I will list them and their achievements in their order of birth. As to ranking to each his or her own.

Mary Shelley (1797-1851): Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein.

Jules Verne (1828-1905): The French author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (made into a terrific movie starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason), Journey to the Center of the Earth (another movie), and also the entertaining Around the World in 80 Days (also a successful movie).

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930): The Lost World (see note below).

H.G. Wells (1866-1946): The Time Machine (another classic book and movie). 

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1930): Tarzan (no comment needed).

J. R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973): The Hobbit, and The Fellowship of the Ring series.

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): Brave New World (also prophetic).

George Orwell (1903-1950): The prophetic 1984, and Animal Farm.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988): Stranger in a Strange Land.

Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008): 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Ray Bradbury (1920-2012): Something Wicked This Way Comes, Fahrenheit 451.

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) Foundation; I Robot.

Frank Herbert (1920-1986) Dune and four sequels.

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007): Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle.

Phillip K. Dick (1928-1982): Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Excellent question).

Ursula K. Le Guinn (1929-2018): The Left Hand of Darkness (is that a great title, or what?).

Harlan Ellison (1934-2018): Dreams with Sharp Teeth and many others (I did a writer's workshop with him in Hollywood, back in my screenwriting days in the '80s).

Michael Crichton (1942-2008): Jurassic Park (Note: I feel the need for commentary here. Among the angry, escaped dinosaur species that populated his theme park with, Crichton erroneously included a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which happened to exist only in the preceding Cretaceous Period (but hey, who's counting?). This book was also a ripoff of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World (Full disclosure: I adapted this as a screenplay for Universal Pictures--sadly never produced, because the studio boss said 'who gives a fuck about dinosaurs?' Well, about 300 million people and counting, apparently). In all fairness to Crichton, however, his book The Andromeda Strain was excellent.

George R.R. Martin (1948 and counting): The Game of Thrones series. What makes this series (originally based on the Wars of the Roses) sci-fi is that wall of ice, people returning from the dead, and those dragons.

Douglas Adams (1952-2001): The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. Brilliant in all respects, and perhaps my favorite sci-fi series. 

Ciao for now.

E.C..






















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