Favorite authors and why

[lucky4life]

I want to see what some of you guys' favorite authors are. What kind of books do you read? Tell me why the authors you like are so good (in your opinion). I'm always looking for new and spectacular reads. As you will see...major bookworm here.

My list:
Tamora Pierce (love all of her Tortall books)
Piers Anthony (Xanth series, wonderfully punny)
Anne Rice (sexy vampires...what more is there to say?)
Garth Nix (Abhorsen trilogy is really good)
Robin McKinley (my fav. of hers is Sunshine...again...sexy vampire)
Mary Stewart (Merlin trilogy, beautifully written)
J.R.R. Tolkien (obvious)
J.K. Rowling (again...painfully obvious)
Orson Scott Card (all of the books about Ender and the Shadow series, my only sci fi fav. author)
Neil Gaiman (loved The Sandman, Neverwhere, and Good Omens)
Terry Pratchett (Good Omens, any of the Discworld books...very silly)

[Alice Catherine]

OK, here we go:

J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter, obviously)
Jenny Nimmo (Children of the Red King/Magician/Charlie Bone Series)
Stephanie Meyer (Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse)
Gaston Leroux (The Phantom of the Opera)
Victor Hugo (many books, but my favorite, which I'm reading right now, is Les Miserables)
Susan Kay (Phantom)
Any of the Dear America/Royal Diaries authors

[Scandiadream]

Roald Dahl (Matilda, The Witches)
CS Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)
Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle In Time)
Lloyd Alexander (Chronicles of Prydain)
Frank L. Baum (The Wizard of Oz)
Edward Packard (main Choose Your Own Adventure author)

There are a few others. This is just a first listing.

[Alice Catherine]

*smacks self on head*

...I forgot about Lemony Snicket *dies*

[Bernard_Monsha]

Well for fiction not mentioned yet short list

Joe Haldeman: The Forever War
Fyodor Dostoevsky: The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, The Possessed
Robert A. Heinlein: Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land.


@ Scandia I myself hate the Narnia books but love The Screwtape Letters.

[Anamin]

Robert Jordan-though he's gotten a little long-winded for me.
David Eddings-Belgariad/Malorian
Jasper Fforde-Thursday Next novels
Peter David's Star Trek:TNG novels
Fight Club and the other books by Chuck
Lemony Snickett on audio
Abhorsen Trilogy on Audio
Eragon was ok, but again a little long-winded.
Roger Zelazny-Amber novels-not spectacular, but a different concept

That's a good start for now

[Alice Catherine]

I saw Narnia as completely overrated. Same with Bridge to Teribithia (sp?). I guess it's because of the movies. If Charlie Bone had a movie then maybe I wouldn't be the only freakin person in Boyertown that liked it.

[goddessofanime]

Some have been mentioned already like JK Rowling and Neil Gaiman, but let me just add:

Augusten Burroughs (Running with Scissors) I just like his dry sense of humor.

David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day): 'The Santa Diaires' BEST CHRISTMAS STORY EVER

for fiction, it's Jane Austen. I've been really getting into her a lot lately.

[Hara!]

Brian Micheal Bendis.

Why? Skrulls. And the fact that my cape cannot work under these conditions.

[Holy Knight]

Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time)
Mervyn Peake (The Gormenghast Novels)
John Steinbeck (East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath)
Alexandre Dumas (Count of Monte Cristo)
Victor Hugo (Les Misérables and countless poems)
Stephen King (only for the Dark Tower series)
Terry Pratchett (Discworld world)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez (One hundered years of solitude)

And I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few. I'll update once I can check my library.

[HSaabedra]

What no love for Hispanic/Latino authors? My favorites Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Paulo Coelho. As for others, I enjoy the work of Neal Stephenson, Alexander Besher, and Ayn Rand. All of these authors have a way with words that is at once realistic and dreamlike.

[Holy Knight]

What no love for Hispanic/Latino authors? My favorites Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, and Paulo Coelho. As for others, I enjoy the work of Neal Stephenson, Alexander Besher, and Ayn Rand. All of these authors have a way with words that is at once realistic and dreamlike.

Yes! Gabriel Garcia Marquez, that was the name I was looking for. I'm currently reading his "100 ans de solitudes" (one hundred years of solitude), considered his best work.

Paulo Coelho, I'd have to think about. I did highly enjoy The Alchemist, but I still don't know what to think of it.

[HSaabedra]

Yes! Gabriel Garcia Marquez, that was the name I was looking for. I'm currently reading his "100 ans de solitudes" (one hundred years of solitude), considered his best work.

Paulo Coelho, I'd have to think about. I did highly enjoy The Alchemist, but I still don't know what to think of it.

Do not overthink Paulo Coelho. Just let the first impression you got be your guide with his work.

[ZeroRyoko1974]

Tolkein. The fantastical worlds and characters he created really entice the imagination.

[Leader Desslock]

Geoffrey Chaucer - Had the greatest command of the English language I've ever read. Far better than Shakespeare, in my opinion. His works make learning Middle English worth the effort.
Samuel Clemens - The man was a genius at ... everything, really. There's one short story he wrote about a moutaineering trip that has me in tears every time I read it. His review (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3172/3172.txt) of James Fenimore Cooper's literary offenses is equally hilarious.
Terry Pratchett - An author I believe will be recognized as one of the great satirists of English literature.
C.S.Lewis - Personally, I've gotten more out of his works than Tolkein.
Douglas Adams - His satire isn't nearly as well written as Pratchett, but man, he's an enjoyably silly author. The world needs more silliness of his caliber.
Bill Watterson - If you have to ask why, then... I can't help you. Calvin & Hobbes is brilliant stuff.
Edgar Allen Poe - Any writer can learn a LOT from this man.
Jonathan Swift - Okay, I mentioned Pratchett and Clemens. I can't very well leave out Swift.
Kurt Vonnegut - I almost have to put him in a genre of his own. I salute you, Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut's the one who got me into metafiction, so I have to give credit where credit's due.

What no love for Hispanic/Latino authors?
Okay, so throw on a big thumbs up for Jorge Luis Borges.


I'm sure there are people I'm leaving out, but that's a good short list. I'll toss on honorable mentions to Joseph Heller, Robert Heinlein, Richard Bach, Richard Adams, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Jefferson, Donald Barthelme, Stephen King, J.K.Rowling, Robert Frost, etc.

[Soluzar]

Well for fiction not mentioned yet short list

Joe Haldeman: The Forever War
Robert A. Heinlein: Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land.
Win.

I love fantasy and sci-fi, even though a lot of both sucks harder than the average black hole. Personally I would also add the following. Not because they are on a par with the ones you named, but because they are fun, too.

Greg Bear: Eon, Eternity. These books gave me a sense of wonder few others could match.
Isaac Asimov: Various. His novels suck in an awesome way.
Arthur C. Clark: Against the Fall of Night, Rendezvous with Rama, The Fountains of Paradise. Especially the last one. The first two are cool but cheesy.

I might name a few more later, but those are the sci-fi authors I loved as a young teenager. Not that sci-fi is all I read, but making big long lists of things always seems unfair because I'm leaving out probably better authors than I include. Besides, a lot of the fiction I like is probably the kind that would attract derision, and since I enjoy it, there's no reason to subject myself to that. I'll just say for now that I would like to wholeheartedly endorse all of Desslock's list... except that I never got into Vonnegut.

[Bernard_Monsha]

What no love for Hispanic/Latino authors?


I was forced to read I, Rigoberta Menchu in college and it soured me on Latin American authors. José da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino I like but for all the wrong reasons.

[Hara!]

I was forced to read I, Rigoberta Menchu in college and it soured me on Latin American authors. José da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino I like but for all the wrong reasons.

Was it a dirty book?

[HSaabedra]

I was forced to read I, Rigoberta Menchu in college and it soured me on Latin American authors.

I don't blame you. That will kill any interest in Latin American literature.

José da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino I like but for all the wrong reasons.

Everyone should like them for all the wrong reasons. :lol:

[Bernard_Monsha]

Was it a dirty book?

No it is a work of fiction propagated as the truth. She even won a Nobel prize for her "autobiography" ( presented as true) even though it was a made up for propaganda purposes.



Everyone should like them for all the wrong reasons.

Go us more fast never I was seen a so much bad beast; she will not nor to bring forward neither put back.

[goddessofanime]

I loved 'The House on Mango Street' when I was in college.

[RPGQueen]

George Orwel - 1984 is my fav book
Frank Herbert - Dune was amazing
Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and loathing rocks!!
Douglas Adams - Hitchhicker's Guide

[Vaikyuko]

Let's see...faves, neh?

Douglas Adams
Dante Alighieri
Ian Fleming
Neil Gaiman
Sir William Golding
Robert A. Heinlein
Victor Hugo
C.S. Lewis
Alan Moore
Edgar Allen Poe
Terry Pratchett
J.D. Salinger
William Shakespeare
Mark Twain
Kurt Vonnegut
H.G. Wells

Those are just a few, I've got a lot more. I used to really like Tolkien's works, but for all their acclaim, he really was just okay. He tends to bog everything down with exceedingly dusty-smelling facts, as though his books are essentially textbooks. Very dull at times, very exciting at others, but overall not as good as one would hope. Rowling...eh. Ayn Rand, another eh (Atlas Shrugged, talk about boredom).

[Daishikaze]

Edgar Rice Burroughs
Robert E. Howard
Fritz Leiber

Three people that wrote some exciting action packed fantasy storys that I enjoyed more than some of their more long-winded contemporaries.

[Haro!]

Jorge Luis Borges
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
F. Scott Fitzgerald
H.G. Wells
Kurt Vonnegut

[Solid_Snake]

Tom Clancy.
Orson Scott Card.
David Eddings.

/Thread.

[jedisolo]

Timothy Zahn(one of the best Star Wars authors), Troy Denning, Karin Travis, Ken Follett and Sandra Brown (non Star Wars).

[Dorktron2000]

Eurpides - Because of his Iphigenia at Aulis and Iphigenia among the Taurians but he has a really broad range

Homer - The Odyssey is nice when you're young, The Iliad when you're older

I guess I should read a bit more but I've been varying it up among 19th century lit and long Asian novels.

[Stelok]

John M. Ford, who wrote two Star Trek novels: Final Reflection and How Much for Just the Planet?
Why: His book Final Reflection not only provides a complex, non-stereotypical insight into Klingon culture and society but is narrated from a Klingon point of view, a very unusual book apart from the others that villify the Klingons as villains. While many authors repeat their same formula once it proves successfully popular, Mr. Ford changes his style so his next book would be different from his previous one. For instance Final Reflection is a complex story that centered on the Klingons and is told from a Klingon narrative, while How Much for Just the Planet? is a hilarious nonsense comedy book.

James Clavell, who wrote historical novels taking place in Japan and China including Shogun.

Kevin Ryan, for his insightful work into Klingon-Federation conflict in the Errand of Vengeance and Errand of Fury books.

Diane Carey
John Vornholt

Richard Brightfield, an author of Choose Your Own Adventure series

[Dr. Ezra]

David Sosnowski. He's got a kickass writing style, in my opinion.

[Tom Servo]

Roger Hargreaves' fine literature, especially the epic liber on Mr. Jelly.

[Woooh]

Robert Jordan because he is as persistent as can be and nothing will ever match the first 7 books of the WOT series.

Tad Williams because he can manage to store unmanageably huge adventures into a very compact trilogy or foursome that's much easier to stomach.

Clive Barker because he writes the most ridiculous out of this world fantasy horror books with some of the strangest ideas and concepts.

[Neo0tak0n]

J.R.R. Tolkien
Frank Herbert

[Caifane]

Brett Easton Ellis(American Psycho, Glamorama, Lunar park)

Garth Nix(ive only read Sabriel but it was enjoyable and ill get to his other stuff eventually.)

George R.R. Martin(Game of Thrones is what im currently reading and im enjoying that.)

comicbook wise Jeff Loeb, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar

[boomsnapclap]

Sarah Dessen (That Summer/This Lullaby/Dreamland/Keeping the Moon)
Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Jenny Nimmo (Charlie Bone books)
Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle In Time)
Robin McKinley (The Hero and the Crown/Spindle's End)
Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak)

[Caine]

Tolkien - (obvious)
Douglas Adams - (see above)
Jonathan Swift - (See Above)
Dr. Seuss - writes for children, but man, I will argue that this makes him the greatest author of all time.
Stephen King - the Dark Tower series, which i have once again picked up in an attempt to make more progress, and Hearts in Atlantis. I fell like I need to read The Stand, among others.
Orson Scott Card - I've read most of his works, but the Ender series truly is excellent work
Kurt Vonnegut - I really need to read more of his work, but after reading just Welcom to the Monkey House and Cat's Cradle, I understand why he is so great.

I feel liek I need to read Gaiman and Pratchett (all i've read is Good Omens, which I thouroughly enjoyed)

[Anamin]

Timothy Zahn(one of the best Star Wars authors), Troy Denning, Karin Travis, Ken Follett and Sandra Brown (non Star Wars).

The first three Zahn novels are the best I think I've read in the series. If they make movies following Han/Leia and co, they should base them off of those books.

[StandingAlone]

Homer- The Odysseus and the Iliad are both awesome books to read if you have the time and love Greek Mythology
Stephen King- The Dark Tower series is enough to make anyone love his work. Keep it up "Caine" they keep getting better. His other work is great too.
Tolkien- duh
J.K. Rowling- I admit, I like the Harry Potter books... new one comes out soon, woot.
Tom Clancy- He has the best action/war books. Rainbow Six could almost be counter-strike.
Tracy Hickman- The Dragonlance Series is really good.

[max payne]

J.K. Rowling (you already know why)
Frank Herbert (Dune is awesome)
Ian M. Banks (Science fiction and non-science fiction books are all awesome)
Spike Milligan (The best poet in the multiverse)
Alan Moore (What? He writes!)
That's writers I enjoy.

[lucky4life]

o...m...f...g. I was looking at the list I made when I first started this thread and I realized that I forgot to put Douglas Adams on my list. I mean...I do own "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". *bangs head on desk*

Also...I saw that someone has read a few of the Phantom novels. I was going to reccommend Maskerade by Terry Pratchett to that person because it's basically the same story only immensely sillier. (if they haven't read it of course)