The greatest alive?

[onyxhawke]

So who is the greatest living science fiction and fantasy author? Is it Ray Bradbury who has done the rarest of all things for genre fiction and crossed over to being used in English classes from elementary school all the way to college and universities?  Does it go to Stephen King? He's sold oodles of books and even managed to convince the mainstream he isn't (usually) science fiction? Can we anoint Terry Pratchett? Despite his presence, and the legacy of Douglas Adams, People who Matter are still convinced humor doesn't sell. Another reasonable choice is Lois Bujold who has more Hugo Awards for both science fiction and fantasy, and is a perennial nominee for the Locus, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards as well? A case can be made for J.K. Rowling as well, without much need to go into what she's done. Robin Hobb certainly deserves a strong look as well. Mercedes Lackey has helped define SF/F for the last two decades and has written and sold across half a dozen of the subgenres. Another name some might throw out is China Meiville, for lush language and creativity?  R. A. Salvatore has sold well enough that he can make a legit claim to being the greatest too.

 

So is the greatest living SF/F writer one of these? Or is there someone I just don't know?

Comments

[darkspires.livejournal.com]

What about Frank Herbert? The Dune books are in the realms of creative art. Then there is Tolkein and his hobbits. LOTR brought a new dimension to fantasy as well as marking Tolkein the only writer who really ever managed to get away with successfully writing in omni.

John Wyndham wrote a goodly many that became films and then there are Huxley and Orwell, both of whom had books used in curriculi.

I guess the guy who started it all was H.G.Wells. He surely deserves a mention.

I don't see the great ladies mentioned. The first great lady coming to mind is Andre Norton. Then what about Marian Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey?

[gerriwritinglog.livejournal.com]

Both Andre Norton and Marian Zimmer Bradley are deceased. If she weren't, Andre Norton would definitely be on my list. She's the first person who inspired me to write. I wanted to write stories that she could read and enjoy as much as I enjoyed hers. Alas... But there are many others I can write for, so I keep plugging on ahead.

Most of the rest you've listed are also deceased, and the question was the greatest alive. :)