[OT] Who is your favourite author?

[Wanderer]

Of any genre.

I don't really care much for fantasy, because you can get the same things out of literature.

So who do you recommend?

David Gemmel, and his "Druss - The Legend"

Yes, it is fantasy (barely), but IMO it has great literary content. Despite the fantasy label, it has a sickeningly realistic approach to the reality of war and medieval combat. Lots of focus on the state of mind of those choosing to die in the "unwinnable battle".

The fantasy component is small enough to be explicable as psionic talents of a gifted extreme minority, and the real-world battle medieval battle logistics are paramount.

For me, the parallel between Druss' strength of will being the major component of his might, paralleled with the author's strength of will fighting his own personal health demons at the time, is a sweetener.

The classic comment about how the most renowned and revered fighter never had the courage to face the hardships of a farmer - is the clincher.

 

[Sammael99]

John Irving
Paul Auster
Umberto Eco
Stephen Fry
Ben Elton
Jorge Luis Borges
Italo Calvino
Alexandre Dumas
David Lodge
Walter Mosley
Raymond Chandler
...

 

[Tenbones]

Favorite Authors

Heh this is always an impossible thread. But I can't resist.

Mind you all, this is merely my own personal tastes and opinions.

Fiction-

Fantasy:
Raymond Feist - I don't care about who created what first. I give the nod to Tolkien of course, and I acknowledge George R.R. Martin, Eddings, Gemmel and Jordan. Feist rocks them all.

Horror:
Clive Barker - I love Gaiman, Rice, Lovecraft, King, and Brite, but Barker is damn good, and when he's hot, he can scare the beejezus out of you in one paragraph, and sweep you away with panoramas of dark majesty in the next.

Sci-Fi:
David Brin - Again, Asimov, Heinlein, Card, Bear, Clarke, all of them are giants, NAY! TITANS! of their craft. This is a tough category, but I'm basing my judgement solely on which book brought me the most entertainment plus offered a lot of thought provoking ideas. I have to go with the Uplift Saga.

Fiction:
James Clavell: What can I say, the man rocks. His history might be totally screwed, his storytelling skills are superb. Also mentionable: Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael", will make you rethink your entire life in different terms.


Non-Fiction:
Ken Wilber. Read his work. It will change your life. Joseph Campbell, Huston Smith are also indispensible.

 

[Tenbones]

Favorite Authors

Heh this is always an impossible thread. But I can't resist.

Mind you all, this is merely my own personal tastes and opinions.

Fiction-

Fantasy:
Raymond Feist - I don't care about who created what first. I give the nod to Tolkien of course, and I acknowledge George R.R. Martin, Eddings, Gemmel and Jordan. Feist rocks them all.

Horror:
Clive Barker - I love Gaiman, Rice, Lovecraft, King, and Brite, but Barker is damn good, and when he's hot, he can scare the beejezus out of you in one paragraph, and sweep you away with panoramas of dark majesty in the next.

Sci-Fi:
David Brin - Again, Asimov, Heinlein, Card, Bear, Clarke, all of them are giants, NAY! TITANS! of their craft. This is a tough category, but I'm basing my judgement solely on which book brought me the most entertainment plus offered a lot of thought provoking ideas. I have to go with the Uplift Saga.

Fiction:
James Clavell: What can I say, the man rocks. His history might be totally screwed, his storytelling skills are superb. Also mentionable: Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael", will make you rethink your entire life in different terms.


Non-Fiction:
Ken Wilber. Read his work. It will change your life. Joseph Campbell, Huston Smith are also indispensible.

 

[trancejeremy]

Fantasy:

Sean Russell (my favorite series ever is the World Without End/Sea Without Shore duology, and the prequel duology is also great)
Lawrence Watt-Evans (his Ethshar books, anyway)
Glen Cook (his Garrett books)
Michael Moorcock
Karl Edward Wagner

SF:

H. Beam Piper
Mike Resnick
Mick Farren
Phillip K. Dick

Misc fiction:

Earl Stanly Gardner
Louis L'amour
Alexandre Dumas
Raymond Chandler
Dashiell Hammett
Cornell Woolrich
Voltaire (Candide is my favorite book)
Richard Knaak

UFOs:

Jacques Vallee
John Keel

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

MODERN
Vachss - a whole new meaning to gritty.

Go, Burke!

Gee, that's be a fun character for a d20 Modern game. Yeah, Vachss would be toward the top of my list, too. Just a lot of fun to read.

I also like Lynda Barry, but she's only written a couple of works longer than short stories.

 

[tburdett]

If I had to pick one it would be Homer.

My top ten would also include..

Tolkien
Asimov
Heinlein
Chris Bunch
Allan Cole
Eddings
Hemingway
Steinbeck
Alan Dean Foster

 

[dragonsworn]

Robert Jordan