Favorite Author(s)

JazzyAnna · Post by **JazzyAnna** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 11:53 am

I'm not sure if there is a thread about this already or not. If there is, please forgive me. Anyway, I just would like to know what authors people like. Hence the name "Favorite Author(s)" A few of my favorite authors are Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman and Robert J. Sawyer.
Thanks.
-anna

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:11 pm

Where to start? lol!

Peter Matthiessen
Ernest Hemmingway
Terry Pratchett
Robertson Davies
John Irving
Diane Ackerman (she probably qualifies more as a writer though)
Emile Zola
Mark Helprin
Anais Nin
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Isabel Allende
Carlos Castaneda

JazzyAnna · Post by **JazzyAnna** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:26 pm

@DW
Have you ever read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett? It's very funny. I've been meaning to read more of Terry Pratchett's books after reading that, but I haven't gotten a chance to.

RandomThug · Post by **RandomThug** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:47 pm

Favorite authors...

Books - Hunter S. Thompson, Chuck Paliuak (sp?), Ed Greenwood, Trevanian(read shibumi) ehh I cant think of any more

Comics - Gaimen, Ennis, Moore god i cant remember them all right now.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:52 pm

[QUOTE=JazzyAnna]@DW
Have you ever read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett? It's very funny. I've been meaning to read more of Terry Pratchett's books after reading that, but I haven't gotten a chance to.[/QUOTE]Indeed yes, it is a great read!

Terry Pratchett is definitely an author worth getting to know. What I really appreciate is that he is exceedingly funny, and light-hearted, yet he also manages to pass along a fair amount of commentary and observation where human folly is concerned

In particular I would recommend his Discworld series, the characters are truly memorable

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:12 pm

Artur C Clarke, JRRTolkien (yes I like LOTR and stuff, have you read Roverandom?), Umberto Eco, José Roberto Torero (one of the best living brazilian authors), Izaac Asimov, Dostoievski (the Village of Stiepanchikov is just cool, not to mention Karamazov brothers), Luis Fernando Veríssimo (laugh reading), Hemingway (even though I'm off with him for some time), Scayde (yes, moonlight...

) and others.

Malta Soron · Post by **Malta Soron** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:23 pm

Tolkien!!!

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:27 pm

I don't have a favorite author.
I have read many authors and it is always the works and not the author himself I hold highest.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:28 pm

Haruki Murakami, Flann O'Brien and Jorge Luis Borges are the first three I can think of that haven't been mentioned yet. marvellous, all of them.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:42 pm

Jack Whyte, Alexander Dumas, Tolkien (though, as I broaden my horizons, I find his writing isn't so much good, he just tells a good story), Kurt Vonnegut, douglas Adams, Plato, Sartre. The list could probably go on, but I'm too tired tot think of more.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:49 pm

[QUOTE=Aegis]Tolkien (though, as I broaden my horizons, I find his writing isn't so much good, he just tells a good story)[/QUOTE]

Aint that why so many good writers are so boring? Good story is a must for me...

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:54 pm

[QUOTE=Luis Antonio]Aint that why so many good writers are so boring? Good story is a must for me...[/QUOTE]
Actually, I believe that both is really required. If Tolkien were as great a writer as his fans make him out to be, there would be far more fans of the Rings out there. The simple fact is, though, that Tolkien, while weaving a great story, didn't write in a way that is actually very good. The fact that you can even pin point a part of the story in which most people give up on the books is even worse.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:59 pm

[QUOTE=Aegis]Actually, I believe that both is really required. If Tolkien were as great a writer as his fans make him out to be, there would be far more fans of the Rings out there. The simple fact is, though, that Tolkien, while weaving a great story, didn't write in a way that is actually very good. The fact that you can even pin point a part of the story in which most people give up on the books is even worse.[/QUOTE]

Really makes sense. But, for example, Crime and Punishment (this is the name in portuguese) from Dostoievski is just unbearable, and it is considered one "obra maestra" from mr D... I cant read it till half, tis just too boring. LOTR, in the other hand, is a far better told history, and I've read it all in a week - it is a charming writing.

Have you ever read AC Clarke books? Thats Sci Fy. Why they are best sellers? Cause he knows how to tell the history behind all the puts on the lines. He makes it a great story, with all the sci fy background making it even better for us nerds. Well, IMO, to know how to write is good and important, but to have and to be a great storyteller as Tolkien is far mor important.

Just my two cents, as you use to say...

JesterKing · Post by **JesterKing** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:20 pm

nobody has said:

Robert Asprin (shorter books, like 150-250 pages, but they are jsut plain hilarious, he knows how to build a world...)

Orson Scott Card (some of his books are kinda dumb, but Enders Game and that seriest are great!)

Alexander Dumas (Count of Monte Cristo... best book ever. its a must read)

Steven King (ok most of his work is just to weird for me, all that horror, but if you ahve ever picked up the Dark Tower series you will be very glad you did so)

Paulini (cant spell his name... he wrote Eragon, which i thought was a pretty good one, even if a tad to LOTRish)

Anne McAffrey (the Dragon Riders of Pern. enough said

)

C.S. lewis

JK Rowling (the stories are good, i know some poeple dont want to read them becasue 'its what everybody else is doing' and they dont want to seem like the people who follow the crowds... but there is a pretty darn good reason everybody else reads them)

wow... whats wrong with me i cant think of anymore... ahhh well i never really memorize autor's names anyway.

And I relaly like the way Tolkein wrote, so it all boils down to personal preference in the end...

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:30 pm

Dr. Seuss

Scayde · Post by **Scayde** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:37 pm

Hey...You stole my answer !

sparky_kat · Post by **sparky_kat** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:11 pm

My favorite authors are
Terry Brooks (Shannara Series, Kingdom of landover, Knight of the Word)
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (The Death Gate Cycle series, Darksword Trilogy)
just love fantasy books like these

JesterKing · Post by **JesterKing** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:28 pm

sparky! you thought of it!!!! ok yes i agree, the Magical Kingdom of Landover series was really good.

werebeargoddess · Post by **werebeargoddess** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:29 pm

I'd have to say Terry Brooks, JK Rowling, Tamora Pierce, JRR Tolkien, Christopher Paolini (the only book he's written so far I think is Eragon, though I think he's working on a sequel), and Mercedes Lackey. My cousin introduced me to some of her Valdemar novels, and I've been reading them ever since.

sparky_kat · Post by **sparky_kat** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:47 pm

glad i could help jester

i thought of another series ... Wheel of Time .... but cant remember author though