Hard SF, yes!

[vilakins]

From jhall1:

I am: Gregory Benford A master literary stylist who is also a working scientist.

Which science fiction writer are you?

Yep, I'm happy with that. Not that many of the questions had much to do with writing. Hee; apparently the real Greg Benford once took this quiz, and it told him he was Arthur C. Clarke.

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I thought the quiz looked familiar, and checking back over my blog archives reveals that I did take it, though apparently there were no pictures then. I was Hal Clement. I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest, but as I recall Mission of Gravity was pretty cool, so, hey. :)

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Ooh, we're the Clement twins.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

Clement triplets.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Mission of Gravity is marvellous. It would be in my all-time top 10 SF novels, I think.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I read that years ago and loved it. [Searches the library catalogue...] Bum. They won't let me request it. :-(

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Didn't we have almost exactly this conversation about three months ago? :)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Deja vu again. It bloody well said 'available' this time though.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

LOL! I haven't read any Benford. Would you recommend him?

[kerravonsen]

I've only read a couple of his books. Good if you like hard SF, but as is often the case with hard SF, his characterisation is a bit flat. Though "In the Heart of the Comet" is pretty good, but then I assume that's because he co-wrote it with David Brin, who is the only hard-SF author I've come across who can actually do good characterisation as well as hard science.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll have to add Benford and Brin to the long list of authors that I really ought to get around to reading.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Brin is wonderful! I highly recommend him; he does good characters including inventive and interesting alien ones. I think he's my current favourite.

I've enjoyed Benford's novels as they're good hard SF and I love that, but yes, his characters aren't anywhere near as memorable as his science.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I chuckled at the thought of Greg Benford being told he was Arthur C. Clarke - I wonder if he thought it was a compliment...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'd say yes if it was vintage Clarke; he's lost it recently though, like Larry Niven. :-(