So I'm intrigued by what about Simmons turns you off? I know, for me, one thing that really bugs me about him is that he - like so many scifi/fantasy authors - really REALLY needs an editor. I've worked my way through his newest The Terror as well as the Ilium/Olympos pairing. They're both good, but HUGE. With more details than I need - I mean, character development and tension building is great obviously. But at some point, both of those books just felt like i was spinning wheels for long portions of the plot.
Tim Powers is the bees knees. I've only read Expiration Date, but I love how he develops his own urban fantasy tropes - rather than just relying on older mythos, he invents his own modern/pantheistic madness. He strikes me as very Neil Gaiman and China Mieville in that manner.
You're right, but I don't think he's that particularly clever. He left some huge openings in his argument, but whenever you address them it's just ignored. I've come to realize that it's just a waste of time unless you're engaging for entertainment purposes. And it's not that entertaining to me at the moment.
Tim Powers is the bees knees. I've only read Expiration Date, but I love how he develops his own urban fantasy tropes - rather than just relying on older mythos, he invents his own modern/pantheistic madness. He strikes me as very Neil Gaiman and China Mieville in that manner.