Authors Who Should Retire

I started this thread on usenet back in either '93 or '94.

We have nice things like google to play with.  Use it to see what
people were saying 14 years ago & reply!

The sole reason for the thread:  Established authors in decline are
keeping new authors with better work from being published.  While this
might be good for business, as publi****ng is, in the short run -it is
bad in the long run as good up and coming authors are shut out.

Please keep the debate in two parts:  Authors who SHOULD retire as
their work has gotten to the point that a nice long chat with a good
friend is required.  I would also like to see some discussion on
"making room for new talent in 2008".  By making room I am talking
about new authors EARNING MONEY for their work, not putting stories on
the web for free.


Me back in '96:

 About once a year I start this thread.  I cover authors I
like as it would not be fair to judge authors for whom I do not care
for.
          This thread is not to be confused with my other yearly
thread "Authors You've Out-Grown".  That thread covers
authors you liked as a kid but just don't measure up now that
you're an adult.


           Since I started this thread three years ago I find this
the
hardest and saddest one of all.


           It it time for my favorite SF author to retire.  Larry
Niven.


             An Aunt gave me a copy of _Ringworld_  for  Christmas
back in '75 when I was in 6th grade.  It was a door into another
world.  I started reading it the day after Christmas on a plane
going to Florida for vacation.  I sat on the beach and read and read,
was done in three days.  My parents were amazed as I had hardly read
before, I  think they were a bit worried.  I will remember to this
day
when I asked my folks if I could use some of my own money to buy
a book...  Shocked silence.  We were still on vacation so didn't
know where to go -we ended up at a bookstore on St. Armand's Circle
(in Sarasota).  They had ONE book by Larry Niven, _Neutron_Star_.
I was hooked.  As I didn't understand much of the science I wrote
down
what I didn't and took the list to my teacher.  She took me to the
library, grabbed a few books on astronomy...  In one term my grades
went from a C- to and A-.


        The chances are pretty good that my life wouldn't be as good
as it is now if I didn't read _Ringworld_.  I owe Larry Niven a lot.
Thats why this is so damn hard to write.  I feel that Mr. Niven
should


retire now, before he goes down hill any further.
_The_Ringworld_Throne_ is a pitiful work.  So bad that for the
third time in my life I took a book back for a refund.


      To have such a decline in such a short time since
_The_Smoke_Ring_....  I wonder after Mr. Niven's health.  Is he OK?