Book recommendations required

[triskellian]

The colleague who lent me an awful Heinlein book last year apparently has some sort of contact with the person responsible for Asda's¹ book-buying policy, and he's asked her for some suggestions of fantasy and SF books he should be getting, both the classics and the new and shiny. She's got this idea that I read a lot of said genres, and asked me for additions to her list. Since her list is composed of people like Heinlein and Anne McCaffrey, she really needs² some pointers to the actually-good stuff out there, which is where you guys come in.

So, tell me your top five classic fantasy/SF authors, and your top five new and shiny fantasy/SF authors. I'll pass the list on, and maybe you'll be able to buy some of your choices in Asda in the future!

¹A British supermarket
²My estimation of her needs, not hers ;-)

Comments

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

Presumably they need recommendations for authors that would appeal to Asda shoppers. And presumably they don't need to be told that J. K. Rowling, T. Pratchett, et al would sell quite well?

Classic
Niven and Pournelle - I can't agree with al_fruitbat enough.
Isaac Asimov - is still probably spinning in his grave.
Julian May - "Many Colored Land", nuff said.
Frank Miller - books with added pictures!
Tim Powers - "The Anubis Gates", nuff said.

Shiny
I don't read much of this new-fangled fantasy or sf stuff since it tends to piss me off. I remember the good old days when a writer would write a book. Then it became de rigeur to churn out a fat, padded trilogy. Nowadays, every new thing that comes out seems to be chapter one in an epic, new, fantasy cycle. Bollocks more like. I blame Anne McCaffrey for starting the trend of being able to get away with fat books in which nothing happened.

Anyway.