Does anybody else find it fairly difficult to get a good, original take on sci-fi, something that is almost alien or completely because it ignores the 'rules' and goes on it's own? I've rarely seen authors actually stay true to a good, either character-based or story-based sci-fi, and it really sucks. Right now, I'm getting back to writing my novel after having been gathering thoughts and processes on it, and seeing a lack of creativity from much of what dominates sci-fi is really a skull-crusher. The few authors I do like have been noted as this century or last centuries greats, people like Robert Buettner, Brent Weeks, Alistair Reynolds, and Ben Bova.