Programmers at a four-year degree universities graduate as Computer Scientists, in a department not usually included in any schools department of Engineering.
A computer engineer is a different beast altogether. While they might handle programming their main area of expertise is in designing electronic hardware such as computers or computer components.
Another good way to tell, an engineer can do circles around any programmer when it comes to Math... If you didn't take up to diff eq. and discrete math, you're not an engineer baby!
Although I agree with many of the opinions here both on great authors and what makes scifi writing memorable.
But there are some other, less notable and equally talented authors, such as Gene Wolfe, who has authored the Long Sun and New Sun series'. Wolfe combines a twisted sense of fantasy and bleak scifi futures.
Also Jeff Noon has some of the most original and far seeing scifi novels I've ever read. Noon's approach is similiar to Neal Stephenson's, in that he manages to twist reality into a familiar yet totally odd and foreign version of itself. Both cultures and characters are totally engrosing.
But personally the universe created by Niven and Pournelle (co-authors), which provides an indepth history and a believable level of technolgy. Also there are several novels and short stories all based in the same universe over an extended amount of time.
Plus Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, has to be one of the best sci-fi books ever.
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Lets look at the obvious determining factor:
Programmers at a four-year degree universities graduate as Computer Scientists, in a department not usually included in any schools department of Engineering.
A computer engineer is a different beast altogether. While they might handle programming their main area of expertise is in designing electronic hardware such as computers or computer components.
Another good way to tell, an engineer can do circles around any programmer when it comes to Math... If you didn't take up to diff eq. and discrete math, you're not an engineer baby!
Although I agree with many of the opinions here both on great authors and what makes scifi writing memorable.
But there are some other, less notable and equally talented authors, such as Gene Wolfe, who has authored the Long Sun and New Sun series'. Wolfe combines a twisted sense of fantasy and bleak scifi futures.
Also Jeff Noon has some of the most original and far seeing scifi novels I've ever read. Noon's approach is similiar to Neal Stephenson's, in that he manages to twist reality into a familiar yet totally odd and foreign version of itself. Both cultures and characters are totally engrosing.
But personally the universe created by Niven and Pournelle (co-authors), which provides an indepth history and a believable level of technolgy. Also there are several novels and short stories all based in the same universe over an extended amount of time.
Plus Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, has to be one of the best sci-fi books ever.
Just my two cents...