vanGorn
Joined: Feb 24, 2004
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 Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 12:53 |
 
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Some of my favourites:
- J.G.Ballard
- H.W.Franke
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Gustav Meyrink
- Stanisłav Lem
btw: I hadn't expected Fumbbl to be J.K.Rowling-free zone  |
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Dravaal
Joined: Feb 05, 2005
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Jan 14, 2006 - 13:14 |
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George RR Martin
David Gemmell
David Eddings (although seems to be losing it)
Jennifer Fallon
Sara Douglass
Juliet Marrilier
Robin Hobb
To name a few...
Shocked however that nobody has mentioned Larry Niven. One of the hard science-fiction greats, if not greatest. In all possibility my favourite author of all time, nudging out George RR Martin. Purely for the brilliant scope and science of his work, to the longevity of his career. |
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nachtmeister
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 13:30 |
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William Gibson, Nigel Findley and R.A. Salvatore ( the early novels ) and the Gotrek & Felix Saga by William King |
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Angie
Joined: Mar 06, 2004
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 13:36 |
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Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Dan Brown. |
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If you can't beat them, Kill them!!!! |
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Sp0n
Joined: Mar 17, 2004
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 13:55 |
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Owein77
Joined: Dec 13, 2005
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 14:23 |
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Not sure if anybody has mentioned Mervyn Peake, he was a creative genius so deserves to be on this list.
Also H.P.Lovecraft, P.K.Dick, J.R.R.Tolkien, Pratchett and Robert Rankin are/were fantastic authors and are some of my favourites. |
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Owein77
Joined: Dec 13, 2005
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Jan 14, 2006 - 14:23 |
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Not sure if anybody has mentioned Mervyn Peake, he was a creative genius so deserves to be on this list.
Also H.P.Lovecraft, P.K.Dick, J.R.R.Tolkien, Pratchett and Robert Rankin are/were fantastic authors and are some of my favourites. |
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Danger-Dan
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
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Jan 14, 2006 - 14:51 |
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Of the truly great fiction writers I know and read, only one has not been mentioned, namely Ricardo Pinto. His stories are original, dark, mystic and vibrant, a believable society based on blood purity, forming the basis for extremely segregated classes, some being treated and viewed as base animals, others having the blood of god in their veins.
He (Ricardo) is however, gay - and hence, so are the main characters. This messes somewhat with my enjoyment of his books. The same is true for Clive Barker, and China Mieville - though China doesn't have any sexual agenda until in his latest book, Iron Council.
It seems to be somehow mandatory for truly great writers to be gay. You can almost say that since Raymond E. Feist (for instance) is so mind-bogglingly un-original, he simply must be straight as an arrow. I wonder if publishers select their writers based on this: "Well, the manuscript looks ok, but is he gay??" |
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Macavity
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
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Jan 14, 2006 - 15:18 |
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I doubt they do, but it is statistical fact that certain professions contain a much higher percentage of homosexuals (I worked in a Dinner Theatre for 4 years and got more than one compliment on my legs/butt in the change room).
There are about 8 and a half billion theories as to why, my personal favourite being that homosexually inclined youth are less comfortable with their peers for a number of years and develop a better imagination for these kind of things. Any gays online here want to weigh in on how wrong that might be?
P.S. Yes, I do have great legs, why are you so shocked? |
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When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. -C.S. Lewis |
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Gentlemaniac
Joined: Feb 05, 2004
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Jan 14, 2006 - 15:29 |
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I can't believe you guys haven't even mentioned Steven Brust. He is definitely one of the best fantasy authors writing today, with the unusual ability to write books that weigh less than a pile of bricks. He has two storylines, both set in the world of Dragarea, both of which are excellent, but they're very different. Phoenix Guards and its sequels(aka the Khaavren Romances) are epic swashbuckling fantasy, while the Taltos books are more like fantasy noir. The Khaavren Romances is the best overall series, but the Taltos series has the best single books IMO. He also has some seriously good books on the side.
Pratchett has gone from great to the greatest; the Discworld series must be the only 30 book (and counting) series in the world that only gets better and better.
Ursula leGuin can be recommended for anyone who prefers fantasy literature without a D&D logo on the cover.
I can't help but love Harry Potter. I just can't.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first book I ever read that didn't have pictures in it. That experience may be one of my most life-defining experiences. I was six years old, and all of a sudden, a new world opened. I have been a fantasy junkie ever since. All of the Narnia books are good, but this one is special to me.
Tolkien is so obvious I shouldn't have to mention him, but I do, just to be on the safe side.
Neil Gaiman is a genious. Enough said.
I love George R.R. Martin and Megan Lindholm aka Robin Hobb; most other modern fantasy authors are seriously lacking in originality and/or skill. Jordan was pretty good until he lost track of where he was going; Feist writes well enough but his lack of originality makes the books boring fast; Brooks and Goodkind I have been warned against by a fellow fantasy enthusiast whose opinion I value greatly; I have only read a couple of their books myself and didn't really like them.
Leaving the fantasy genre, I do of course love Douglas Adams. For some reason, I haven't read all the HHGttG books yet, but I will soon. Lately(yesterday, actually) I also begun reading the works of one of Adams' personal favorites, P. G. Wodehouse. So far, he's meeting my expectations and then some.
H. P. Lovecraft was a true original genious. Mourn his early passing, horror lovers.
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein is a truly great book, and those who disliked the movie (which was very good in its own special way) will find the book very different. A great read.
When it comes to the real classics, I'm working on them. I have read some Shakespeare, Kafka, Ibsen and Beckett, and I need to read more Hemingway, Joyce, Hamsun and Poe. I also need to finish Don Quijote, Dante's Divine Comedy(which isn't funny, but very good), and the Odyssey. Suffice to say they're all great.
There's more but I can't bothered to list any of it. Maybe later. |
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Macavity
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
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Jan 14, 2006 - 15:35 |
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If you're interested in Classics, Gentlemaniac, you should try Frankenstein and A Tale of Two Cities (the least dry Dickens). If you can't read Norwegian, there is an english version of Ibsen's "Enemy of the People", that was translated and then put into more effective wording (for expressions, and what not) by Arthur Miller (who wrote the Crucible). It's the most powerful play-writing I've ever seen. Brilliant all-around. |
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When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. -C.S. Lewis |
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macike
Joined: Jun 25, 2005
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 19:38 |
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H.P. Lovecraft
C.S. Forester
J.R.R. Tolkien
G.G. Kay
R. Zelazny |
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Lord_Splutticus
Joined: Aug 03, 2003
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Jan 14, 2006 - 19:43 |
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lauth81
Joined: Aug 21, 2004
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Jan 14, 2006 - 19:58 |
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SF:
Iain M. Banks
Philip K. Dick (Bladerunner anyone?)
Larry Niven (Ringworld novels)
Alastair Reynolds
Neal Stephenson
William Gibson (Neuromancer Trilogy is a must read)
Bruce Sterling (Schismatrix)
Stephen Baxter (Vacuum Diagrams)
Fantasy:
Tolkien
Robert E. Howard (all the ORIGINAL Conan Stories)
Karl Edward Wagner (Kaine stories)
Michael Moorcock (Elric)
Also like the first 3 Dragonlance novels (Chronicles Trilogy)
"High" Literature:
Franz Kafka
Umberto Eco
Joseph Conrad
Arthur Schnitzler
Some crime stories:
Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe novels)
Andrea Camilleri
If you want to read somthing really wacked and witty, try Jesper Fforde. Very british humor. |
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no plan survives contact with the enemy |
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Psilocybe
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
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| Posted:
Jan 14, 2006 - 20:34 |
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Orderly: Tolkien, George lucas, Terry pratchett, Jan Guillou, H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. wells, Isac Asimov, Gene brewer ( author of K-PAX ).
Thats my favorite list of writers...
you can never read a book they wrote and say that it was a mistake that you read it...
( If you havent read the triology K-PAX, i strongly suggest you do so, it gives you something to think about. )
DONT SEE THE MOVIE... |
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