Quote from: NicephorusI think part of the problem is that all publishing tends to be conservative.  Publishers chase trends more often than they try to start them.  Military SF appears to be the only branch of SF currently doing well enough in the U.S. that publishers will try new authors.

:ditto:

Has anyone been keeping up with what were some of the bastions of new writers, the scifi mags like Asimov's and Analog? I haven't looked at them in a while. Have they also fallen prey to what's afflicting the publishing houses, or are they still introducing new, good scifi writers?

I don't think it's just publishers (though obviously they're part of the problem).

Look at Stephenson; the guy makes his name as part of the second generation of cyberpunk authors then he writes a book set partly in the present, partly in the second world war and then he writes three phone-book sized novels set during the English Enlightenment and as a result he has a huge mainstream success and STILL manages to win loads of sci-fi prizes despite being as much sci-fi as I, Claudius.

Meanwhile Brin's been quiet, as has Benford.  Greg Bear's been doing contemporary stuff (more techno/science thrillers than real sci-fi) as is Kim Stanley Robinson and Dan Simmons has been doing sci-fi with a big chunk of ancient greece in it.

Meanwhile Doctorow, Sawyer, Ryman and Wilson are all actually canadian.

Meanwhile in Britain there's Stross, MacLeod, Banks, McDonald and Reynolds.

I'm not saying this in a "we're better than you" way but simply to draw attention to the fact that the Big US Sci-fi writers have either stopped producing novels regularly or they've turned away from the sci-fi genre.

I agree that punblishers are partly to blame because the US is still pumping out short stories suggesting that there's a problem with new authors coming through but there's also clearly a problem with the US sci-fi community.

EDIT: Actually, according to Gary wolfe in Locus, if you look at the "best of the year's sci-fi" short story collections you're finding more of the same stories popping up in multiple books and they're coming from less and less magazines.  There still ARE sci-fi writers producing but there's clearly some cultural phenomenon going on that means that US sci-fi types aren't finding their muse at the moment.

Quote from: ColonelHardisson:ditto:

Has anyone been keeping up with what were some of the bastions of new writers, the scifi mags like Asimov's and Analog? I haven't looked at them in a while. Have they also fallen prey to what's afflicting the publishing houses, or are they still introducing new, good scifi writers?

Not really, there are so many these days it's hare to keep track.

One book I have justt started to read lately is Scott Gamboe's Killing Frost. It's a military sci-fi book and the author's first. So far it looks like he has promise.

Another is the Kris Lingknife series by Mike Sherman. There are four books in the series, but they are all published in the last tow years.

Sci Fi.   I am a Sci Fi fan.   Fantasy just never really did it for me.

I am such a sci fi fan that when people talked about wanting a sci-fi rpg site I put one up that has a forum and I hope to add more to the site as we grow:

(Shameless Plug)  The RPG Outpost- Sci-Fi RPG Dedicated Site.

Quote from: Geek Messiah(Shameless Plug)  The RPG Outpost- Sci-Fi RPG Dedicated Site.

Cool.

Off to post there now.

Tough call, but I'm leaning towards fantasy.

Hmmm...
Option C: Neither here nor there.
One of my favorite things about alot of anime is that it's neither here nor there. It at least tries for both the "epic" "base myth" thing from fantasy and the "what if" of science fiction. Everything past those core values (whether it be the scientific theory that backs up energy weapons or the magic/elves/dragons bit) is just the tropes.... am I using the word correctly? I've only seen the word used here, so... Anyway, I like good fiction that is both epic/universal and speculative... and expect something new of the tropes. But I have to admit I'll tolerate a hell of alot more if I happen to be in the mood for it.

I think one of the major factors in play here is the readership's understanding of science. Anyone can pick up a fantasy novel and get the core concepts. Magic systems have to be explained in terms everyone can undertand. Nobody gets confused by armor and horses or even teleportation spells. science fiction, on the other hand can present a real challange for some readers. Hell, I'm fairly well educated- and sometimes when I'm reading SF when the crunchy bits start I start to skim. Some of the "best" authors in American SF are also just dead boring even when they're not throwing the science at you over and over again. I'm thinking of Brin and Bear here, both of whom bore. me. to. tears. Other American  authors haven't produced anything worth reading in a couple of decades- Larry Niven anyone? Furthermore, some of the best American authors are just old and not producing- Jack Vance, for instance, should be subjected to radical life extension therapy and forced to write another 40-50 novels, for the good of us all.
And in regards to Mr. Analytical's statement about the UK not being hands down better than the US at this point, I must disagree- You guys have Banks and he is, IMO, the best thing to happen to SF in the last 30 years. You're killing us in fantasy too, btw, if you claim Ericson as one of yours, anway.

PS All of you go read The Algebraist right now.

Quote from: AosI think one of the major factors in play here is the readership's understanding of science. Anyone can pick up a fantasy novel and get the core concepts.

In John Scalzi's blog (he's an up and coming SF author, see link in earlier post), he talked about this.  Fantasy tends to be more approachable by readers new to the genre.  Too many SF writers tend to think "I'm going to write SF for hardcore SF readers and everyone else had better do their homework or forget about it."  So, SF has a slower recruitment rate.

On the UK thing, don't forget China Mieville - a fantasy author who doesn't copy and paste from Tolkien.

Quote from: AosFurthermore, some of the best American authors are just old and not producing- Jack Vance, for instance, should be subjected to radical life extension therapy and forced to write another 40-50 novels, for the good of us all.

You have my vote here! We'll have to get cracking on it right away, though... :<

-clash

Quote from: NicephorusOn the UK thing, don't forget China Mieville - a fantasy author who doesn't copy and paste from Tolkien.

Actually i meant to mention him in my post... oops. I got The Algebraist by Banks and The Scar and Perdido Street Station by Meiville all for xmass last year, some of the best reading I've had in years.

Quote from: AosPS All of you go read The Algebraist right now.

  I'm a big fan of Iain Banks but I wasn't convinced by the Algebraist.  It felt to me as if it was re-visitng old themes and could really have done with an editor.  Having said that, I think his best book is still The Player of Games, which puts me at odds with seemingly everyone else who tend to prefer The Use of Weapons.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI'm a big fan of Iain Banks but I wasn't convinced by the Algebraist.  It felt to me as if it was re-visitng old themes and could really have done with an editor.  Having said that, I think his best book is still The Player of Games, which puts me at odds with seemingly everyone else who tend to prefer The Use of Weapons.

Well you're all wrong- his best book is clearly Feersum Endjinn. But of the culture novels Player of Games is my favorite, followed by Consider Phlebus. Use of Weapons didn't do much for me.
As for The Algebraist, I understand that lots of Banks fans don't like it, but I found it be a lot of fun, and I thought the main character was very well realized.

You mean the religious tyrant?  I thought he was so preposterous as to be camp.  He was like the Childcatcher from Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang he was so over the top.

I've never managed to finish Feersum Endjinn, much for the same reason that I've never read Trainspotting.  I hate that tricksy style of writing.

I enjoyed the Algebraist, but I haven't read much Banks SF, so that may be just because I didn't know about better books he'd done.