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Science fiction is sometimes thought of as something of a "geeky" genre and not something of interest in the wider arena. However, when you start to piece together some of the more famous writers who have wrote in this area over the years you begin to see that this is an unfair value judgment.

Science fiction is by its very nature sometimes difficult to distinguish from the area of fantasy. It is not enough to think of science fiction as involving technology, most people would consider Harry Potter fantasy and that lies half in the modern world. So, for the following list of ten science fiction writers I have used my own personal judgement as to what qualifies as "science fiction" and have based their inclusion upon both notoriety and merit, and is presented in order of age.

1 Mary Shelley, 1797-1851, Famous Work: Frankenstein (1818).

With this gothic horror/science fiction masterpiece Mary, wife of the English Romantic poet Percy Shelley, arguably created the genre of science fiction. Frankenstein was thought up in the now legendary May 1816 party around Lake Geneva in the company the scandalous poet Lord Byron, amongst others. According to popular belief it was the fireside meeting of Byron and the Shelleys that help produce this important work. The endless fascination with this novel over the years, has led to various film adaptations, helping to make sure that it has found its way into public consciousness for good.

2 Jules Verne, 1828-1905, Famous Works: Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1870).

Jules Verne's highly accessible works of exploration have been hugely popular throughout the world, from the time of publication up to the present day. He is a highly respected literary figure in his own country, France, and much of his work prefigures real inventions such as methods of exploratory travel and even the internet and television. Although much of his work was aimed at younger audiences his work remains deeply readable from an adult perspective and seriously worth investigating.

3 H. G. Wells, 1866-1946, Famous Works: The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), The War of the Worlds (1898).

Hugely influential and highly regarded, H.G. Wells, along with Verne is often regarded as the father of science fiction and vastly popular in his time as well as today. He wrote in various genres quite prolifically, though is best well know for the above works of science fiction that have been endlessly

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