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Who's your Favorite Author and why

thespyder

thespyder

Golden Member
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?
 
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
 
Mark Twain - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer where my favorite as a kid.
 
David McCullough - John Adams, Truman, 1776

Makes history come to life and enjoyable to read. More like reading a good story than a biography.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler are my favorites. Dale Brown is also pretty good, as were books by Robert Ludlum
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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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