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11-09-2012, 01:29 PM
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#1
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Golden Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,905
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Who's your Favorite Author and why
Over my lifetime I have read a LOT of books. And likewise over the years, I have had several different "Favorite" authors. However, time and again I always come back to one in particular.
Growing up, I was a HUGE Tolkien fan. Still am to a large degree. So much so that I can actually tell you almost line for line what was altered/added/deleted from the movies (which I also love).
Recently I have been reading The Song of Ice and Fire and find Martin's stuff thoroughly engrossing. I find his world extremely well envisioned and I think he is one of the best writers out there today.
Another series I am thoroughly enjoying is the S M Stirling "Change" novels. Something about the way he puts the world together is absolutely captivating. And it doesn't hurt that he has a heavy Tolkien influence throughout. 
There are others to be certain, but none more so than Douglas Adams. Here was a true genius if ever there was one. His points of view and perspectives resonate with me. His sense of humor is unparallelled. And his perspectives on Life, the Universe and Everything are as timeless to me today as they were the first time I read them. Recently I read an article about him being a "Radical Atheist" and find even that to be well in line with my world view. And even his reasons for being such are very similar to my own. But more than that, he is just a fantastic writer and a master of the 'Throw away' lines in his books.
Contrary to many 'Adams' fans, I actually enjoy the Dirk Gently books better than the HHGTG series. Yet both I feel are masterpieces. To bad he didn't have more time to write more.
Who are some of your favorites?
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11-09-2012, 01:52 PM
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#2
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Lifer
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Land of Ahs
Posts: 22,938
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Diana Gabaldon - Outlander series
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“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
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11-09-2012, 01:55 PM
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#3
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Lifer
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: NYC
Posts: 14,957
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Neal Stephenson, Arthur C. Clarke
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11-09-2012, 01:55 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 925
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whoever wrote the "choose your own Adventure" books...that dude
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It's my first day?
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11-09-2012, 01:59 PM
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#5
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Super Moderator
PC Gaming
Elite member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London Fields
Posts: 37,370
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Martin Amis hands down. What that dude does with the English language is freaking brilliant and how it's so often wrapped up in disgusting characters and despicable acts makes it all the better.
The first time I read The Information it took me forever because I kept going back and re-reading certain passages just because the phrasing he used was so fantastic. Read everything he ever put out after experiencing that novel.
KT
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11-09-2012, 02:02 PM
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#6
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 2,902
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Mark Twain - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer where my favorite as a kid.
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11-09-2012, 02:11 PM
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#7
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Lifer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 10,729
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Jack Kerouac -on the road and dharma bums
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You can push them out of a plane, you can march them off a cliff, you can send 'em off to die on some godforsaken rock, but for some reason you can't slap 'em
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11-09-2012, 02:15 PM
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#8
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Elite Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,653
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David McCullough - John Adams, Truman, 1776
Makes history come to life and enjoyable to read. More like reading a good story than a biography.
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Temp Heroes - BoomerD, skyking, jacob0401, EagleKeeper, alchemyst, Sabot, Shinerburke, bob4432
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11-09-2012, 02:33 PM
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#9
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Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: 20850
Posts: 12,983
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Neil Gaiman.
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“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
― John Wesley
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11-09-2012, 02:47 PM
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#10
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: 51.6 @ 17500 mph
Posts: 4,017
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Second for Neil Stephenson. Just read Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon and you'll understand why.
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11-09-2012, 02:48 PM
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#11
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Super Moderator
Off Topic
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 91,835
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joseph heller. catch 22 is the best book i've ever read.
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AnandTech Mean Moderator
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11-09-2012, 03:01 PM
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#12
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: saddle river nj
Posts: 3,959
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Poe. If you have to ask why, you haven't read enough Poe.
Dumas. Still haven't read all of his books - but there are a lot of them.
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sold my sig on ebay
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11-09-2012, 03:09 PM
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#13
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Lifer
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 20,474
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I've read a decent number of books but they only share a couple of the same authors, so I can't give a very good answer. I haven't read any Philip K. Dick though, weirdly enough, but I'd most likely enjoy his work.
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11-09-2012, 03:13 PM
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#14
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wayne, New Jersey
Posts: 6,762
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Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler are my favorites. Dale Brown is also pretty good, as were books by Robert Ludlum
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11-09-2012, 03:19 PM
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#15
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Elite Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Bellevue, WA
Posts: 35,479
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David Drake's military SF - he's a history buff and veteran, and (to me) does better than anyone else at conveying the feel of being both a low-ranker and an officer. (Not that I've been either myself.)
E.E. "Doc" Smith's space opera - if you enjoyed Babylon 5's Shadow War, it was heavily inspired by Smith's Lensman series.
L. E. Modesitt Jr - the Recluce series is a great set of fantasy stories set centuries apart. He's also written a number of good SF stories like the Ecolitan series, Adiamante, etc. that look at the effects of future technology and different political systems. Sadly, his creative spark seems to have faded in the last few books.
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - the Liaden / Korval stories are great modern space opera / science fantasy.
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11-09-2012, 03:22 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Montana
Posts: 50
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Joe Haldeman for Scifi and as a kid I loved Brian Jacques' Redwall series and David Eddings' Belgariad.
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11-09-2012, 03:24 PM
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#17
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Lifer
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: NYC
Posts: 14,957
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paratus
Second for Neil Stephenson. Just read Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon and you'll understand why.
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Yeah, snowcrash is freaking awesome.
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11-09-2012, 03:31 PM
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#18
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Lifer
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 11,307
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I'm not sure. The best novel I've read in a long time was The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, though, so I guess Chabon maybe wins by default since I can't decide otherwise?
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11-09-2012, 03:31 PM
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#19
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,853
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Herman Hesse (Neal Stephenson will tell you the same thing)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Inspector Jihad
no i got that. thats assuming that we just 1% smarter. i think its more that 1% contains some ingredient that makes intelligence works.
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11-09-2012, 03:33 PM
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#20
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,996
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oyeve
Neal Stephenson, Arthur C. Clarke
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His books have declined in quality.
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I do cocaine.
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11-09-2012, 08:11 PM
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#21
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Lifer
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: North of Tonto, ON
Posts: 46,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceb
Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler are my favorites. Dale Brown is also pretty good, as were books by Robert Ludlum
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11-09-2012, 09:36 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 350
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Top would have to be Frank Herbert for the Dune series.
Followed by Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov, Tolkien, J. K. Rowling (I had the amazing opportunity to grow up as the books were written and released, maturing as they did), Terry Pratchett, R. R. Martin, Raymond E. Feist, Iain M. Banks in rough order following.
Honourable mentions to Ludlum, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Baldacci and a couple of others I don't recall for now.
Sadly my reading now is mostly medical physiology and science research papers. They are soooo dry it hurts.
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"You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die."
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11-09-2012, 10:04 PM
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#23
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 7,635
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Brandon Sanderson
Robert Jordan
Dumas
probably my top three
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11-10-2012, 12:35 AM
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#24
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Around
Posts: 7,014
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Frank Herbert, for Dune. (not the series. rest of the books weren't near as good.)
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Hold me closer Tony Danza
Count the Headlights on the Highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You've had a busy day today.
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11-10-2012, 01:33 AM
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#25
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,770
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Jules Verne, The Mysterious Island.
I love the way things are described, and the language used.
I have an original English translation, first edition, 20000 leagues Under the Sea.
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Oil and gas logging Engineer
KD8DYO
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