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Who are the best science fiction authors in your opinion. This is my list. I know all of these authors are from the "golden age" and there are not any new authors. Time will tell if any newer author bumps someone off.....

http://bookstove.com/science-fiction/to ... f-all-time

One of the best books I ever read was by Neil Stephenson, Anatham (new school). And the series by Dan Simmons were awesome (The Hyperion Series (two series of two books each) is what I am thinking of by Simmons). Those are fairly recent books though, and I wouldn't argue with the list you gave, except to bump Frank Herbert (I think God Emperor of Dune might be the best book ever written) up a few, and maybe find a way to add A. E. Van Vogt.

I have read most of these authors when I was in my teens, because my elder brother shared his science fiction collection with me. Frank Herbert is still a top writer, because of his research and elegant style. All those years being a reporter and in the navy, give his book a vividness and reality that is believable. I haven't read Philip K Dick yet and I hope I won't be disappointed. I've heard some people say that the novella is science fiction's best form.
My continued favorite writers are Ursula K LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Jasper fforde, Fritz Leiber (his short stories), Nancy Farmer, Zenna Henderson. Of the cyberpunk novels, I prefer Stephenson's SnowCrash to Gibson's Neuromancer.

I must add in Orson Scott Card, and Peter Hamilton. They are newer sci-fi authors, and very good.

I like Orson Scott Card's books, but i was sad to see this:

http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2004-02-15-1.html

He dislikes the idea of gay marriage so much he practically wrote an entire book on the issue.

James Blish. He wrote a 4 book series compiled into a volume called Cities in Flight which I read as a teenager. Later he sold his soul to write Star Trek books which were supposed to be the written version of the episodes. It was a very unsatisfactory series since he insisted on varying the storylines.

haha, yeah, that wouldn't make a lot of sense.

I suppose that would be a pretty un-satisfying job, though.

I guess you would take the script and prose up the environmental descriptions and have to write up all the emotes... that sounds pretty boring.

I'll third Orson Scott Card. I moved in the middle of reading Ender's Game and had to return it to the library. I loved what I'd read to that point, and I hope to have a go at the series again sometime soon.

I'd have to agree with that list but with a few caveats. I think H. G. Wells should be at the top rather than Jules Verne, if only because the Time Machine and Island of Dr. Moreau were so superb. I think Ender's Game is such a great book it entitles Orson Scott Card to a slot on the list as well. Finally, the only author whose presence on the list I think is unwarranted would be Isaac Asimov. I know he's supposedly a great sci-fi author because of his ideas and so on so forth, but I've never really been able to enjoy his books...neither the plots nor the characters nor the writing style were particularly compelling. His books read more like logic puzzles than stories to me, although granted that's just my opinion. Other than that, good list.

Another vote for Orson Scott Card...