Of Galaxies, Sprinkles, and Glazes: Lessons from the Donut King and Science Fiction’s Golden Age

I just had the chance to write an article for The Mary Sue, in which I chatted about my debt to Golden Age Science Fiction writers. I mentioned writers and work in passing, but I didn’t list any by name.

So, here’s a quick rundown of some of the work I was thinking about. This is BY NO MEANS a complete list of cool science fiction, but these are the works that I actively felt helped me write my book and let me dream a little bigger than I had before:

Isaac Asimov: “Nightfall” and the (original) Foundation Trilogy. Also, I, Robot.
Frank Herbert: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune. (the works get progressively freakier)
R.A. Lafferty: “The Land of Great Horses,” (wtf?) The Annals of Klepsis (seriously, wtf???), and, especially for Light from Uncommon Stars, The Reefs of Space.
E.E. “Doc” Smith: Triplanetary (the first Lensman book–still the standard by which I measure all space opera)

and three more  books that helped me create my book:

Jack Chalker: And the Devil Will Drag You Under
Anne McCaffrey: The Ship Who Sang
Roger Zelazny: Nine Princes in Amber