[Anacardo]

Science fiction and fantasy are very thin genres that attract a ton of hacks. That said, there's some of it I really enjoy.

Like probably three quarters of the readers of this forum, I thought Ender's Game was the greatest thing ever written when I was thirteen. Around the same age I was in awe of Harlan Ellison, though I've liked his work less and less as I've gotten older.

I very much enjoy the works of Roger Zelazny, particularly the Amber books. There's ten of them, comprising two different story arcs, but they're all fairly short (I have all ten in one reasonably-sized volume) and very engrossing.

Though I don't think he's any great shakes as an author, I've read nearly everything Larry Niven has ever written. He writes purist hard science fiction, with fairly interchangeable characters. Great stuff to read when taking a break from heavier material.