u/Onnissiah

I was born in the USSR, and (unlike many Russians) always supported the US and its main role in defining the world’s order. You saved the planet from both Hitler’s and Stalin’s socialist empires, you did mostly the right thing in the South America, the Middle East, in Balkans. You made the world more free and prosperous. Why can’t your country handle your enemies anymore?

I recently reread the entire collection of writings by late Vernor Vinge, one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time.

I noticed a sad trend:

His talent peaked in the 1990s (e.g. his „Fire upon the deep“ is the greatest space opera ever written).

After that, he did a few OK works (like „Rainbows end“ from 2006).

And then Vinge finished his writing career with a boring, terribly written book („The children of the sky“ from 2011).

Interestingly, in his semi-autobiographical „Rainbows end“, the protagonist (a genius writer) is suffering from the loss of the writing skill, for medical reasons. Seems late Vinge was aware of his loss.

Is it a common trend among sci-fi writers? Other such examples?