For years now, I purchase used paperback copies of Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon The Deep. I give them out to whomever asks me what he or she should read in scienc

For years now, I purchase used paperback copies of Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon The Deep. I give them out to whomever asks me what he or she should read in science fiction. I think it's a perfect blend of old and new tropes and a rousing tale of adventure. But my favorite SF author is Howard Waldrop, though Ted Chiang is climbing up my list.