It's probably an impossible task, given the diversity of the field and the
sheer number of good writers, but here's the list I'd offer (at least today)
William Gibson--for the impact and influence of cyberpunk (even if he's not
really the first cyberpunk);
Greg Bear--mind bending hard science fiction;
Connie Willis--for her ability to blend tragedy and screwball comedy in a
single book and because she's one of the leading practicioners of what one
might call humanist sf;
Philip K. Dick--yeah he's dead (maybe), but I'm not sure even folks like
Heinlein or Asimov cast a longer shadow in the field than he does right now.
Ask me tomorrow and I'll probably think differently.
Kevin
Kevin P. Mulcahy
Alexander Library
Rutgers University
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