Likes and Dislikes in Current SF/F

[Meg]

What trends in SF/F, especially debut SF/F do you really like or really hate?

What things do you wish that authors would do more or quit doing?

And which authors would you really love to see make it big and become popular?

Alternately, which authors would you love to see put down their pens?

[Amanda]

I hate all the one layered paranormal romance crap that is everywhere right now. Shallow stuff that anyone could write
I really love how the steampunk community continues to grow and evolve
Pretty sick of the sword and sorcery stuff like Terry Goodkind. Enough already!
Would love to see James P. Blaylock get more props for the work he has done over the years
Hope the new author Stephen Hunt makes it big as I love his writing

[Sandy]

I agree with Amanda about most of the PNR. I tend to read more urban fantasy. It's grittier and the stories are more unpredictable.

I wish fewer authors would feel like thier characters need to pair up and live happily ever after at the end of a book.

I'm looking foward to the first book by a new author that looks interesting - Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

[Fiona]

really like the new authors out there scott Lynch books out his style of writting with the added effect of believable characters and coarse descriptions are a wonderful breath of fresh air

[stormhawk]

"Paranormal Romance" ... Blech! A romance is still a romance even if one of the characters is a vampire, werewolf, witch, or talks to ghosts. I've gotten a few as free Kindle downloads and find them as empty-headed as regular romance ... I read to think, not avoid it!

One of my friends turned me on to the books of John Scalzi. They are good hard SF, and have a sense of amusement about them that doesn't make them just silly, like Terry Pratchett. Don't get me wrong, I like Pratchett and Discworld, but prefer my SF straight. I'd like to see more storytellers like Jack Chalker and Larry Niven, though. As much as I enjoy rereading Known Space or The Well of Souls, I'd love to find new authors that excite me as much.

And don't get me started on the stuff that's basically highly paid fan-fic!

[Paul]

I'm really loving Charles Stross' Laundry books - the main character is a nerd working in IT support for a government department tasked with defending Britain (and secondarily, the world) from extra-dimensional threats. International espionage, Cthuloid monstrosities and civil service office politics.

I haven't discovered any new genre writers recently (have been getting into US crime writers like Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos), but hopefull I will on here. Also, I've just found a a site that does ebooks and magazines, and they do F&SF, Asimovs and the like so I may re-acquaint myself with those old friends.

I used to read a lot of fantasy - Tolkein, Eddings, Donaldson, Leiber, etc - but got turned off it because everything was multi-volume epics and I got tired of waiting for the next installment. I occasionally dip back in, but am usually horrendously disappointed (I really couldn't stomach Steve Erikson's "Gardens of the Moon" or Feist's "Magician") but I am getting desperate for the next of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire".