Who were some of the pioneering authors in the early days of science fiction?

Among the early authors of science fiction were Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Their works explored new concepts and ideas that shaped the genre's future.

Jules Verne was one of the early and very influential science fiction authors. His works like 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' and 'Around the World in Eighty Days' were full of imaginative concepts for his time. Another is H.G. Wells, who wrote 'The War of the Worlds' and 'The Time Machine'. His works often explored scientific and social ideas in a fictional context.

Octavia Butler was a very important author. Her works like 'Kindred' and 'Dawn' are considered classics in early black science fiction. She was great at exploring complex themes like race, power, and identity in a science - fiction context.

Kurd Lasswitz was a prominent figure in early German science fiction. His works often explored scientific concepts in an imaginative way. Another well - known author was Hanns Heinz Ewers, who wrote stories with elements of the supernatural and science fiction. Otto Witt was also among the early German science fiction authors, contributing to the development of the genre in its early days.

Yevgeny Zamyatin, although his works were sometimes controversial, was also part of early Soviet literature that had elements of science fiction. His most famous work 'We' had dystopian elements which were different from the more utopian - leaning science fiction of some of his contemporaries, but it still contributed to the overall landscape of early Soviet science - fictional thought.

One of the important early authors was Osamu Tezuka. He is often considered the 'Godfather of Manga' and his works had significant science - fiction elements. His stories like 'Astro Boy' were not only popular in Japan but also globally, and they introduced many science - fictional concepts to a wide audience.

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay also had some works that can be considered as early forays into Bengali science - fiction - like concepts. He was a very influential writer in Bengali literature in general, and his works with elements of the extraordinary and the scientifically - tinged were important for the genre. Another important figure was Satyajit Ray, who was not only a great filmmaker but also wrote some science - fiction - inspired works in Bengali that added to the richness of early Bengali science fiction.

H.G. Wells was a very prominent author. His works like 'The War of the Worlds' were extremely influential. Jules Verne was also important, although he started writing a bit earlier but was still highly regarded in the early 20th century. His books such as 'Around the World in Eighty Days' had elements of science fiction.

H.G. Wells is also crucial. His 'The War of the Worlds' is a classic. It explored the idea of an alien invasion, which was a very new concept at that time. His works often had a social and political commentary within the science - fiction framework.

One of the early greats was Mary Shelley. She wrote 'Frankenstein', which can be considered an early form of science fiction as it dealt with the idea of creating life through scientific means. Edgar Allan Poe also dabbled in science - fictional ideas in some of his works, though he is more known for his horror stories. These authors were pioneers in the field of science fiction, laying the groundwork for future generations of writers.