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List of science fiction authors

Note that this partial list contains some authors whose works of fantastic fiction would today be called science fiction, even if they predate, or did not work in that genre. There is also a considerable overlap with the List of fantasy authors, since many authors are equally comfortable with both genres, and in any case some works deliberately combine the two or blur the distinction.

Some notable science fiction authors are (in alphabetical order):

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Lynn Abbey (born 1948)
Edwin Abbot (1838-1926)
Kobo Abe (1924-1993)
Robert Abernathy (1924-1990)
Forrest J. Ackerman (born 1916)
Douglas Adams, (1952-2001)
Jerry Ahern, (born 1946)
Brian Aldiss, (born 1925)
Lloyd Alexander, (born 1924)
Roger MacBride Allen, (born 1957)
Kingsley Amis, (1922-1995)
Colin Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson (born 1962)
Poul Anderson, (1926-2001)
Piers Anthony, (born 1934)
Catherine Asaro, (born 1955)
Isaac Asimov, (1920-1992)
Janet Asimov, (born 1926)
Robert Asprin, (born 1946)

B

Kage Baker, (born 1952)
J.G. Ballard, (born 1930)
Iain M. Banks, (born 1954)
John Barnes, (born 1957)
Steven Barnes, (born 1952)
T. J. Bass, (born 1932)(Thomas J. Bassler)
L. Frank Baum, (1856-1919)
Stephen Baxter, (born 1957)
Greg Bear, (born 1951)
Charles Beaumont, (1929-1967)
Gregory Benford, (born 1941)
Alfred Bester, (1913-1987)
Eando Binder (Otto and Earl Binder)(1911-1974)(1904-1966)
Terry Bisson (born 1942)
Jerome Bixby, (1923-1998)
James Blish, (1921-1975)
Robert Bloch, (1917-1994)
Nelson S. Bond, (born 1908)
Jorge Luis Borges, (1899-1986)
Anthony Boucher, (1911-1968)(pseudonym of William A.P. White)
Ben Bova, (born 1932)
Leigh Brackett, (1915-1978)
Ray Bradbury, (born 1920)
Marion Zimmer Bradley, (1930-1999)
Reginald Bretnor, (1911-1992)
David Brin, (born 1950)
Damien Broderick, (born 1944)
Terry Brooks, (born 1944)
Eric Brown, (born 1960)
Fredric Brown, (1906-1972)
John Brunner, (1934-1995)
Steven Brust, (born 1955)
Algis Budrys, (born 1931)
Lois McMaster Bujold, (born 1949)
Anthony Burgess, (1917-1993)
Edgar Rice Burroughs, (1875-1950)
Octavia E. Butler, (born 1947)

C

Pat Cadigan, (born 1953)
John W. Campbell Jr., (1910-1971) (Pseudonym, Don A. Stuart)
Orson Scott Card, (born 1951)
Terry Carr, (1937-1987)
Lin Carter, (1930-1988)
Jeffrey Carver
Jack L. Chalker, (born 1944)
A. Bertram Chandler, (1912-1984)
C. J. Cherryh, (born 1942)
Ted Chiang
Charles Chilton, (born 1917)
John Christopher, (born 1922) (Pseudonym of Samuel Youd)
Margaret St. Clair
Arthur C. Clarke, (born 1917)
Jo Clayton, (1939-1988)
Hal Clement, (1922-2003) (Pseudonym of Harry Clement Stubbs)
Mark Clifton
Brenda Clough
Stanton A. Coblentz
James Coltrane
Groff Conklin, (1904-1968)
Glen Cook, (born 1944)
Michael Crichton, (born 1942)
Compton N. Crook, (1908-1981)(Pseudonym, Stephen Tall)

D

Roald Dahl, (1916-1990)
Brian Daley, (1947-1996)
John Dalmas
Erich von Däniken, (born 1935)
Jack Dann, (born 1945)
Avram Davidson, (1923-1993)
L. Sprague de Camp, (1907-2000)
Samuel R. Delany, (born 1942)
Lester del Rey, (1915-1993)
August Derleth, (1909-1971)
Philip K. Dick, (1928-1982)
Gordon R. Dickson, (1923-2001)
Thomas M. Disch, (born 1940)
Cory Doctorow, (born 1971)
Arthur Conan Doyle, (1859-1930)
Gardner Dozois, (born 1947)
David Drake, (born 1945)

E

George Alec Effinger, (1947-2002)
Greg Egan, (born 1961)
Suzette Haden Elgin
William B. Ellern, (born 1933)
Harlan Ellison, (born 1934)
Roger Elwood, (born 1933)

F

Philip José Farmer, (born 1918)
Howard Fast (1914-2003)
Eric Flint, (born 1947)
Michael Flynn
Edward Morgan Forster, (1879-1970) (E.M. Forster)
Robert L. Forward, (1932-2002)
Alan Dean Foster, (born 1946)
Karen Joy Fowler
Randall Frakes
C. S. Friedman, (born 1957)

G

Neil Gaiman, (born 1960)
Raymond Z. Gallun, (1911-1994)
Daniel F. Galouye, (1920-1976)
Randall Garrett
Mary Gentle
Hugo Gernsback, (1884-1967), (of Hugo Award fame)
David Gerrold, (born 1944)
Mark S. Geston
Edward Gibson
William Gibson, (born 1948)
Tom Godwin, (1915-1980)
H.L. Gold, (1914-1996)
Terry Goodkind, (born 1948)
Phyllis Gotlieb, (born 1926)
Ron Goulart, (born 1933)
Charles L. Grant, (born 1942)
Ken Grimwood
Wyman Guin

H

H. Rider Haggard, (1856-1925)
Jack C. Haldeman II, (1941-2002)
Joe Haldeman, (born 1943)
Barbara Hambly
Edmond Hamilton, (1904-1977)
Peter F. Hamilton, (born 1960)
Charles Harness
Harry Harrison, (born 1925)
M. John Harrison, (born 1945)
Henry Hasse
Robert Heinlein, (1907-1988)
Zenna Henderson
Frank Herbert, (1920-1986)
Douglas Hill
Christopher Hinz
Paul Hofrichter
H.H. Hollis
James P. Hogan, (born 1941)
Robert L. Holt & Frank L. Holt
Fred Hoyle, (1915-2001)
L. Ron Hubbard, (1911-1986)
Dafydd ab Hugh (born 1960)
Stephen Hunt
Matthew Hunter
Aldous Huxley, (1884-1963)

I

Dean Ing, (born 1931)
Simon Ings

J

John Jakes, (born 1932)
Laurence M. Janifer, (1933-2002)
K. W. Jeter, (born 1950)
George Clayton Johnson, (born 1929)
D. F. Jones
Raymond F. Jones, (1915-1994)
Diana Wynne Jones, (born 1934)

K

Franz Kafka, (1883-1924)
Colin Kapp, (born 1928)
Daniel Keyes, (born 1927)
Stephen King, (born 1947)
Damon Knight, (1922-2002)
Dean R. Koontz, (born 1945)
Cyril M. Kornbluth, (1923-1958)
Nancy Kress, (born 1948)
Henry Kuttner, (1915-1958)

L

R. A. Lafferty, (1914-2002)
Geoffrey Landis
David Langford
Glen A. Larson, (born 1937)
Keith Laumer, (1925-1993)
Stephen R. Lawhead, (born 1950)
Sharon Lee, (born 1952)
Tanith Lee, (born 1947)
Kimmo Lehtonen
Doris Lessing, (born 1919)
Jonathan Lethem
C. S. Lewis, (1898-1963)
Ursula K. Le Guin, (born 1929)
Fritz Leiber, (1910-1992)
Murray Leinster, (born 1896)(Pseudonym of Will F. Jenkins)
Stanislaw Lem, (born 1921)
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Nina Liedtke
Jean Lorrah
H. P. Lovecraft, (1890-1937)
Barry B. Longyear
Sergey Lukyanenko, (born 1968)

M

John D. MacDonald (1916-1986)
Katherine Maclean, (born 1925)
Ken MacLeod, (born 1954)
Ian R. MacLeod, (born 1956)
Barry Malzberg
Laurence Manning, (1899-1972)
Leo Margulies, (1900-1975)
Paul Marlowe
George R. R. Martin, (born 1948)
Richard Matheson, (born 1926)
Julian May, (born 1931)
Paul J. McAuley, (born 1955)
Anne McCaffrey, (born 1926)
Jack McDevitt, (born 1935)
Maureen F. McHugh, (born 1959)
Capt. S.P. Meek
Judith Merril, (1923-1997)
A. Merritt, (1884-1943)(Abraham Merritt)
Gustav Meyrink
China Miéville, (born 1972)
P. Schuyler Miller, (1912-1974)
Steve Miller, (born 1950)
Walter M. Miller, Jr, (1923-1996)
L. E. Modesitt, Jr, (born 1948)
Donald Moffitt, (born 1936)
Elizabeth Moon, (born 1945)
Michael Moorcock, (born 1939)
Alan Moore, (born 1953)
C. L. Moore, (1911-1987)
Patrick Moore, (born 1923)
Daniel Keys Moran, (born 1962)
Sam Moskowitz, (1920-1997)
Pat Murphy

N

Linda Nagata, (born 1960)
Larry Niven, (born 1938)
William F. Nolan, (born 1928)
Jeff Noon, (born 1957)
John Norman, (born 1931)
Janet Norris
Andre Norton, (born 1912) (pseudonym of Alice Mary Norton)
Alan E. Nourse, (1928-1992)

O

Charles Oberndorf
John Ostrander
Jerry Ordway, (born 1957)
Marek Oramus
George Orwell, (1903-1950)(pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair)

P

Ray Palmer (1910-1977)
Edgar Pangborn (1909-1976)
Alexei Panshin, (born 1940)
Cory Panshin
Charles Pellegrino
Steve Perry
H. Beam Piper, (1904-1964)
Doris Piserchia
Edgar Allan Poe, (1809-1849)
Frederik Pohl, (born 1919)
Jerry Pournelle, (born 1933)
Terry Pratchett, (born 1948)
Paul Preuss

Q

R

Bill Ransom
Rick Raphael
Tom Reamy, (1935-1977)
Miha Remec, (born 1928)
Mike Resnick
Alastair Reynolds, (born 1966)
Mack Reynolds, (1917-1983)
Kim Stanley Robinson, (born 1952)
Spider Robinson, (born 1948)
Keith Roberts, (1935-2000)
Ross Rocklynne, (1913-1988)
Gene Roddenberry, (1921-1991)
Joel Rosenberg, (born 1954)
*[[Tony Rothman
Christopher Rowley
Rudy Rucker, (born 1946)
Joanna Russ, (born 1937)
Richard Paul Russo
Eric Frank Russell, (1905-1978)
Mary Doria Russell, (born 1950)

S

Fred Saberhagen, (born 1930)
Carl Sagan, (1934-1996)
David Saperstein
Pamela Sargent, (born 1948)
Al Sarrantonio
Robert J. Sawyer, (born 1960)
James H. Schmitz, (1911-1974)
Stanley Schmidt, (born 1944)
Thomas N. Scortia, (1926-1986)
Rod Serling, (1924-1975)
Michael Shaara, (1928-1988)
William Shatner, (born 1931)
Richard S. Shaver, (1907-1975)
Bob Shaw, (1931-1996)
Charles Sheffield, (1935-2002)
Robert Sheckley, (born 1928)
Mary Shelley, (1797-1851)
Lucius Shepard
Joel Shepherd, (born 1974)
T.L. Sherred
John Shirley, (born 1953)
Robert Silverberg, (born 1935)
Clifford D. Simak, (1904-1988)
Dan Simmons, (born 1948)
Johanna Sinisalo, (born 1958)
John Sladek, (1937-2000)
William Sleator
Joan Slonczewski
Clark Ashton Smith, (1893-1961)
Cordwainer Smith, (1913-1966) (Pseudonym of Paul M.A. Lindebarger)
E. E. Smith, (1890-1965), (Edward E. "Doc" Smith)
George O. Smith, (1911-1981)
L. Neil Smith
Jerry Sohl, (1913-2002)
Norman Spinrad, (born 1940)
Michael A. Stackpole, (born 1957)
Olaf Stapledon, (1886-1950)
Christopher Stasheff
Allen Steele
Neal Stephenson, (born 1959)
Bruce Sterling, (born 1954)
S. M. Stirling, (born 1953)
J. Michael Straczynski, (born 1954)
Charles Stross, (born 1964)
Boris and Arkady Strugatsky (sometimes listed contrariwise), a.k.a. the Strugatsky brothers (1925-1991)(born 1933)
Theodore Sturgeon, (1918-1985)
Somtow Sucharitkul, (Pseudonym, S. P. Somtow)
Michael Swanwick, (born 1950)
Jonathan Swift, (1667-1745)

T

John Taine, (1883-1960) (Pseudonym of Eric Temple Bell)
William Tenn, (born 1920)(Pseudonym of Philip Klass)
Steve Rasnic Tem, (born 1950)(Steve Rasnic)
William F. Temple, (1914-1989)
Robert Thurston
Patrick Tilley, (born 1928)
James Tiptree, Jr, (1915-1987)(Pseudonym of Alice Sheldon)
Wilson Tucker
Harry Turtledove, (born 1949)
Kathy Tyers

U

V

Voltaire, (1694-1778)
Jack Vance, (born 1916)
A. E. van Vogt, (1912-2000)
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, (born 1922)
John Varley, (born 1947)
Jules Verne, (1828-1905)
Joan D. Vinge, (born 1948)
Vernor Vinge, (born 1944)

W

Roland C. Wagner, (born 1960)
Howard Waldrop, (born 1946)
Ian Wallace, (1912-1998)
Lawrence Watt-Evans, (born 1954)
Stanley G. Weinbaum, (1902-1935)
David Weber
H. G. Wells, (1866-1946)
K. D. Wentworth
Wallace West
James White, (1928-1999)
Steve White, (born 1946)
Kate Wilhelm, (born 1928)
Walter Jon Williams
Jack Williamson, (born 1908)
Connie Willis
Robert Anton Wilson, (born 1932)
Robert Charles Wilson, (born 1953)
David Wingrove
Adam Wisniewski-Snerg, (1937-1995)
Gene Wolfe, (born 1931)
Donald A. Wollheim, (1914-1990), (Pseudonyms, various)
Jack Womack
John Wyndham, (1903-1969)

X

Y

Jane Yolen, (born 1939)

Z

Timothy Zahn, (born 1951)
Janusz A. Zajdel, (1938-1985)
Yevgeny Zamyatin, (1884-1937)
George Zebrowski, (born 1945)
Roger Zelazny, (1937-1995)
Sarah Zettel, (born 1966)
Rafal A. Ziemkiewicz
David Zindell, (born 1952)

See also

A great book for looking up authors is A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction by Baird Searles, Martin Last, Beth Meacham, and Michael Franklin. Even if it hasn't been updated since the 1979 publication at hand, it's very useful. It tells you whom else you might like if you like one author.

Also invaluable are The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2nd. Ed. 1991) ed. by John Clute and Peter Nicholls, and The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, ed. by George Mann (1999) (ISBN 0786708875 or ISBN 1841191779).

If you add any authors to this list, please also consider adding them to the A-Z list of authors.