Jeanne Hedge wrote

Yes all great stories - But  David Weber "Honor Harrington" stories are also

{snip}

Hey, I like Honor too.  Can't wait for June and "Honor Among Enemies" <g>

Oh great, I had not heard about that one in the UK yet,  a must to read in June!

Wayne Pillion wrote:-

Foxtrot the Furryous
...giddy with joy because she found another McCaffrey fan...

YAY!!  And I thought I was the only one!!!!!  Have read everything she 
puts out.  Sad that Pern Saga had to end.

 

WHAT!?! i hadn't heard this, but the only info about the pern series that I
get anyway is from seeing her books in the store.  AAGGGHHH! I can't believe
it, there is still so much potential in that series.

AAGGGHHH! in sympathy - she is also a great public speaker.  Her talks on the
craft of writing are well worth listening to for pragmatic tips, eg always carry
a small notebook to write down interesting names (both people and place) for
future use.

Other writers, I have enjoyed include John Brunner for the immediate future,
especially "Shockwave Rider" and the concept of what can only be called 'a
freedom of information virus', which reveals those files that government wants
to keep secret.  This story is a real preview of the potential power of the
internet.

In fantasy, Gordon R Dickson's 'Dragon Knight Series' a parallel worlds
crossover fantasy type plot with the added bonus of the wizard "Carolinus" a
perfect supervisor/mentor/teacher obnoxious knowitall infuriating !%&*^+@ (we've
all met one).

Again Dickson in partnership with Anderson wrote the "Hooka" stories, such as
"Earthman's Burden".  The Hooka must be a gift for fanfic writers.  These aliens
look like overgrown teddy bears.  They are virtually indestructable, but are a
Trek Prime Derective violation nightmare.  If they read something, fact or
fiction, and they like it, they base their whole liifestyle on it, be it Bad
Westerns, Spanish Main Pirate Romances or the history behind 'Bonnie Prine
Charlie'.  To travel on their planet, you also need a map of the regions various
publishing houses have concessions in to know what the local culture will be!
Just imagine what the results would be if these 'bears' read your favourite
manga or saw your favourite anime and/or combinations thereof and adopted it as
their lifestyle!!!

For aliens, it is difficult as many are just humans in disguise.  I really
enjoyed Alan Dean foster's "Flynx" series just for consistency and general
novelty.  The most stricking alien I have ever read though must be Clifford D.
Simack's "Blob of Pinkness" in "Time is the Simplest Thing" (I think that is the
right story) which runs a rather disturbing copy business.  If it talks to a
visitor or someone it visits, all it initially says is "Hi pal, I trade with you
my mind".  It then takes a copy of the  mind/thoughts/personality/experiences
of its visitor and returns a similar copy of its own and the many thousand
copies it has already taken from other visitors.  Only those of a stable
disposition should visit this alien.