Favorite Writers / Books ?

[eliogabalo]

Who're your favorite writers ? And the most beautiful books you've read ?
My favorite authors are L.F. Céline, John Fante and Charles Bukowski. The most beautiful books "Mort à crédit" of L.F. Céline and "Ask the Dust" of John Fante. Another wonderful book is "Lolita"of V.Nabokov.

[Excaliborg]

favourite author is terry pratchett.

the most enchating novel i read is the emporer of scent. best of all its a true story.

other wonderous works include the adventures of tintinand the tales of asterix and obelix

[mykel73]

Terry Brooks is my favorite author.

[BlueRaven88]

i dont read anymore. last book i read was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when i was like 11 or something. theres just no good fantasy novelists out there that can hold my attention anymore. besides, with all the time i spend on my computer id have no time to read anyway. i love technology too much to do anything as primitive as read a book

[cocklover]

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.

[tightship]

im a sucker for fantasy

some favs are:
george rr martin - song of fire and ice series. hbo is gonna make this into a series and i cant wait. hbo does such a good job with its original programming. if you like fantasy and you have not read martin you need to.

robin hobb - assassin's apprentice through fool's fate. six book series. outstanding, outstanding series.

robert jordan - wheel of time series. probably second to only lords of rings as far as popularity goes. VAST plot and a VAST amount of characters. i think the series is up to 12 or 13 books long now. one more book to go to finish the series. unfortunately, jordan just died.

i like many others but there is 3. martin and hobb are favorites.

[Ogryn1313]

C.S Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia. I loved them as a child and so they'll always stick with me.
Robert Howard, Conan the Barbarian. This character was around since the early 1930's and first appeared in Wierd Tales. A kind of magazine. Conan has been around ever since in many forms but Howard's original stories are gripping and laced with social commentary. They were written in a fashion you don't see anymore.
Frank Herbert, Dune. Heavy read but awesome.
H.P. Lovecraft, Poe has nothing on this guy.
I also read Star Wars and Forgotten Realms novels. A bit of a childish indulgence.
Otherwise the bulk of my library is WW2 history, art books, and other historical works.

[Mimecore]

I don't exactly an avid reader, although I do like to read.

If you put me on the spot, I have to say I'm a fan of John Steinbeck and Sam Shepherd. The latter helped me get through a dreadful acting class I thought would be fun.

[wendals]

My best writer is J.R.R Tolkin. I like how much effort he put into designing the languages and the backstory to middle earth

[reddyheart]

I liking the dark tower of Stephen King and, of course, the books of Dan Brown.

Tom Clancy (Executive Orders, Rainbow Six, Teeth of the Tiger)
Carl Hiaasen (Tourist Season, Double Whammy, Native Tongue, Strip Tease, Stormy Weather, Lucky You, Basket Case, Nature Girl)
Eric Nylund (The Fall of Reach, First Strike, Ghosts of Onyx)

[giancarlo]

I also don't have much time for reading, though it's a very pleasant and relaxing activity. But hey!, we are living in the century of speed - the TV and the interent are much more effective...

[fem-fem]

Melanie Hong - "my Life as Ladyboy"
Roger Roche - "Notice from Bangkok"
Vanity - "Vanity, one women,two bodies"
Shilapaar Noortekapsa - " FemBoys" vol I and II

[Bionca]

HP Lovecraft (Call of Cathullhu, etc)
Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods)
Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series)

[belfagar]

Douglas Adams

The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. and the 5 set in the trilogy.

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

Kurt Vonnegutt - Best writer ever, his best books are slaughterhouse 5 and Mother Night. Mother night is particularly dark and twisted.

Phillip K Dick - Brilliant sci-fi author, some of his short stories are the best. of course the brilliant A Scanner Darkly is one of the best.

Terry Pratchtt - YAY!! Everyone loves PTerry! keep fighting that Altzheimers TP. All his discworld books are wickedly funny, pick any and just read. It's usually best to pick one near the beginning of a story arc, but there's no need to know what happened in the last ones. Also, his 2 scifi books 'dark side of he sun' and 'Strata' are very good too. If you've read Ringworld, you should totally read Strata, it totaly nails RW if you know what I mean, very funny.


I used to like Michael Crichton's books. Jurrassic Park and Lost World were great, so was Congo but his new stuff is a bit shit. Especially State Of Fear. it's bloody awfull, disparate elements, shit characters, shit plot, it held together about as well as the story I wrote in year 8 English.



Oh my! I totally forgot, You Must By Law or you will be Beaten With Sticks go and read the His Dark Materials trillogy, by Phillip Pullman.

Best fantasy series ever. Go read Northern Lights (Golden Compass for you unfortunate yanks), it totally rules. If only they hadn'y fucked up the film damn christian-appeasment.

[lopey]

Originally Posted by SluttyShemaleAnna

Kurt Vonnegutt - Best writer ever, his best books are slaughterhouse 5 and Mother Night. Mother night is particularly dark and twisted.

Tiger gotta hunt, bird gotta fly, man gotta sit and wonder:

"why, why, why?"

Tiger gotta sleep, bird gotta land, man gotta say:

"I understand"

[sesame]

Ian M. Banks (Superb Sc Fi and amazingly complex)

Consider Phlebas
The Player of Games

T. H. White (King Arthur and Merlin Mythology)

The once and the future King
The sword in the stone

Joanne K. Rowling(Woohooo Harry Potter!! Magic!)

All the Harry Potter books.

Carlos Castaneda (Philosophy, Nagual and Don Juan)the Best

Fire from within
Art of Dreaming
Journey to Ixtlan
2nd ring of Power

[sesame]

SluttyShemaleAnna,
I like your article about authors. Its very detailed.
May be I will read 'Dark side of he sun' and 'Strata' by Terry Pratchtt , as you have mentioned. I'm pretty much into sci-fi.

[Bionca]

seems to be a common thread...

Lots of sci-Fi fantasy here... hmmmm

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

Originally Posted by lopey

Tiger gotta hunt, bird gotta fly, man gotta sit and wonder:

"why, why, why?"

Tiger gotta sleep, bird gotta land, man gotta say:

"I understand"

Of course, how could I have forgotten cat's cradle? Bokonism is the best religion after Pastafarianism.

[marlowe]

1) "The Talented Mr Ripley", Patricia Highsmith. Great novel about identity. The Matt Damon film version is crap, the French version "Plein Soleil" with Alain Delon is better.
2) "The New York Trilogy", Paul Auster. Good elusive stories.
3) "What Am I Doing Here", Bruce Chatwin. Stories and travelogues of the beautiful and bizarre.
4) " Martin Beck series", Sjowall and Wahloo. If you're into detective fiction this series of 10 novels is the best.
5) "Have Mercy on Us All", Fred Vargas. Whacky detective stuff in Paris.
6) "Contempt", Alberto Moravia. Novel about the precarious nature of love.
7) "Let it Come Down", Paul Bowles. Novel about continual rain and other things.
8) "From the Holy Mountain", William Dalrymple. Good book if you're interested in Byzantine history and eastern christianity.
9) "Winnie-the-Pooh", A.A.Milne. Taoist philosophy from a bear, a piglet, and a donkey.
10) "Foxy Dreamy, Yes Indeedy", Stephanie Gabrielle Talbot. Kids stuff for grown-ups.

[fionahavelock]

The Monogamy Myth, a personal handbook for dealing with affairs by Peggy Vaughn.... whooaaa...

[sesame]

Dan Brown- Da Vinci Code
( This book displays the uncanny power of good writing and research to make bullshit palatable.)

Swami Yogananda- Autobiography of a Yogi
(Great writing, but also a bit biased at certain places)

Swami Rama- Living with the Himalayan masters
(Superb, Top notch, un-put-downable
It describes the lifestyle of Yogis living in the Himalayas)

Paul Brunton- A search in secret Egypt
(Its a very interesting research work; never vexing at any point.
It also describes some really wierd things.)

[ila]

Originally Posted by sesame

Dan Brown- Da Vinci Code
( This book displays the uncanny power of good writing and research to make bullshit palatable.)

That is so very true although I didn't find the bullshit all that palatable. It made me start to gag after a while.

[ila]

My favourite author of fiction would be Robert Ludlum. My favourite book from him is The Parsifal Mosaic. In my view it is a true masterpiece of intrigue.

Another favourite author is James A. Michener. He has written some truly interesting books, both fiction and non fiction.

[ila]

Another favourite authore is Shakespeare. Although he wrote plays and not books I think he is one of the greatest wordsmiths of the English language. I was not interested in his works at first, but then I had an English teacher, many years ago, that really explained what was being said and provided great insight to his works. Since then I have gained a deep appreciation for his writings.

I like mostly history books. I also like fiction in which historical facts can be woven into the story of the fictional characters.

Books on the military are another favourite, but I prefer to read the stories of the common soldier.

I'm not too fond of biographies or autobiographies, but there are some that I will read.

I must not forget one of my favourite reference sources. I like to read encyclopedias. It was a habit I developed when I was very young and these many years later I still read them just for general interest.

[sesame]

Originally Posted by ila

Shakespeare ... ...I was not interested in his works at first, but then I had an English teacher, many years ago, that really explained what was being said and provided great insight to his works. Since then I have gained a deep appreciation for his writings.

Ila, why dont you start a new thread about Shakespeare? Or, you could explain what is being said by Shakespeare in lucid terms...

Pleeeeeeeeease!

[Loki]

Clive Cussler, Stephen King, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, James Rollins, Dan Brown

[ila]

Originally Posted by sesame

Ila, why dont you start a new thread about Shakespeare? Or, you could explain what is being said by Shakespeare in lucid terms...

Pleeeeeeeeease!

I appreciate the thought Sesame, but I'm not sure where I would even begin.

[hankhavelock]

Hmmm... hook me up with some Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum or Len Deighton, and then I'm totally happy. I can't brag about being particularly "litterate".

[hankhavelock]

Originally Posted by ila

My favourite author of fiction would be Robert Ludlum. My favourite book from him is The Parsifal Mosaic. In my view it is a true masterpiece of intrigue.

Another favourite author is James A. Michener. He has written some truly interesting books, both fiction and non fiction.

Hehe, The Parcifal Mosaic... that's where I got my nickname ;-) And I kid you not :-)

[victornl]

I think i've read all the Michael Crichton books, i really like his writing style.
For the rest i read mostly (action) thrillers

[ShemaleFan_UK]

My favourite author is Isaac Asimov and my favourite books by him are the books in the "Foundation" series.

Another favourite book is "I Will Fear no Evil" by Robert Henlein.

[kraken111]

HP LOVECRAFT - EDGAR ALLAN POE - CLIVE BARKER

[GRH]

I'm not a big fan of fiction, I find that I read philosophical works more often than not...That said...

I much prefer the stylings of Nietsche...While I don't agree with all of his assertions, his style of writing and acessibility is second to none within the world of philosophy...

I also like the works of Castaneda, Ram Dass, and others...

In terms of fiction, I have MUCH respect for Tolkien and all of his works, I own everything he has ever written. Along a similar trend, I much respect the work of C.S. Lewis and his writings.

[barbecue7]

hey bionca, i love robert jordan too, he is who really got me into fantasy, i also like terry goodkind and terry brooks and a number of others, have any other favs?

[jimnaseum]

Originally Posted by marlowe

"The Talented Mr Ripley", Patricia Highsmith. Great novel about identity. The Matt Damon film version is crap

I KNEW there was a great book behind that movie, Hollywood has to dumb it down for a bigger box office.

Honorable mention: LeCarre- Smiley's People
Book I've bought like 4 times: Hesse- Glass Bead Game
Nicest surprise in High School: Fitzgerald- Great Gatsby

In college I took a test and it had the weirdest question- "Who is the best writer in Western Civilization?" I shook my head and wrote William Shakespeare, and kept on working. A few minutes later, a student raised his hand in the middle of the test and said "What kind of stupid question is this, doesn't it depend on interpretation and personal taste who's the best writer?"
The Professor answered "There is one writer who is so head and shoulders above all the others that 10 out of 10 literary experts agree that he is the best writer"
At least I got one right.

[TheSkronkDonkey]

Fiction:
Contact - Carl Sagan
2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C Clarke
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Snow Falling On Cedars - David Guterson
A Passage To India - E M Forster

Some Non-Fiction:
Cosmos - Carl Sagan
The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry
Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley - Peter Guralnick

[CreativeMind]

One of my all-time favorite lines about books was from Steve Martin who said in a comedy routine (as I recall the line): "Oh yeah, I love to read! There's nothing like sitting down and enjoying a great book! And let me tell you, MOBY DICK was fantastic. At the end...when Ahab's rope gets tangled and he's tied to the whale...and the camera pans over to Gregory Peck as they sink into the sea...man, that's just great writing."

Personally, my all-time favorite would be Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars among other things or someone like E.E. "Doc" Smith and his intergalactic Lensmen series. I just have a soft spot for old school pulp adventures because back in the Thirties and Forties it was adventure on a more innocent and grand scale of exuberance, a time where anything seemed possible both then or for the future.

For horror, Clive Barker...For fantasy, like everyone else, Tolkien or Lewis or Rowling...I loved early Crichton when he blurred science more with a fantastical note (Jurassic Park seems to have been his high point). And then there are always case by case books -- like "A Tale of Two Cities" -- which are classic in nature and you just have to love or something silly like "Meg" about a 200 foot shark on the loose which just makes for fun, doofy reading plopped on the couch.

[Big_Willie]

Originally Posted by kraken111

HP LOVECRAFT - EDGAR ALLAN POE - CLIVE BARKER

My favourites too. If I had to name one favourite book, maybe I'd say Weaveworld from Barker, a really amazing book.

But I also like other great writers, like Dean R. Koontz, Robert Merle or Umberto Eco for example.

my favorit authors are hunter s thompson, john steinbeck charles bukowski, charles dickons, fyodor dostoyefski, jack kerouack, f scot fitzgerald, george orwell william s buroughs and alot more i cant name now.

some of my favorit books are, fear and laothing in las vegas by hunter s thompson, junky by william buroughs, money by martin amis, ham on rhy by charles buckowski, great expectations by charles dickons 1984 george orwell on the road by kerouack, of mice and men and the grapes of wrath by steinbeck the cathcer in the rhy by j d salenger
and many other fine piece's of literature

[noshy]

Nick hornby:about a boy and high fidelity

Originally Posted by SluttyShemaleAnna

Of course, how could I have forgotten cat's cradle? Bokonism is the best religion after Pastafarianism.

pastafarianism is that a spelling mistake or some sort of pasta based religion

[nmlss]

I love Edgar Allan Poe's short terror tales and Neil Gaiman. I'm searching for Coraline after the movie premiere, because I wanna read the book first.

[FoxySarah]

I'm a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, and other authors who contributed to the Mythos.

David Farland is another favorite for his "Runelords" series of fantasy novels.

Michael Crichton is a favorite fiction/science fiction author, as is Douglas Adams

And to further prove how much of a geek I am: I enjoy reading Marvel Comics.

[Ogryn1313]

Frank Herbert's Dune, and the later Dune books.

H.P Lovecraft. Though in small doses as his use of language could be a bit troublesome at times.

Robert Howard, the creator of Conan the Barbarian. Excellent adventure tales.

Military history texts:

Field Marshall Rommel and His Art of War. Very good book written by Rommel himself. The lessons in it can be applied to beyond the battlefield.

Steel Inferno, the Battle History of the 1st SS Panzer Division

Band of Brothers, it was a book too. Excellent read.

Various military field manuals.

Last of the Mohicans

Schindler's List

Star Wars Novels

Ranger Rick's Dinosaur Book...a childhood favorite

Space Station 7th Grade...another childhood favorite

[mrtrebus]

Some of my fave writers are JG Ballard, William Golding, Paul Auster & Arthur Conan Doyle (Im a big Sherlock Holmes fan). One of my fave books that I've read loads of times is Frankenstein.

[orion]

OK .. we've had favourite Television shows .. so what sort of Books do people read (when they're not watching Tele) and why do they like them ??

Supplementary to that .. do people prefer reading "the" Book .. or watching the Film or Television adaptation of the Book ?

To start the ball rolling .. I'm into Thrillers, particularly with a Medical/Scientific theme (not Sci-Fi) .. I think I mentioned in another post that I enjoy reading books by an American Dr called Robin Cook ?

I also like Military themed books .. just read one called "Special Forces Pilot" .. written by an old friend of mine about his experiences as a Royal Marines helicopter pilot in the "hush-hush" part of the Falklands War

I also enjoy "Historical" books, both Fiction & Non-fiction .. in particular the Roman & Medieval periods ..

To answer my own "supplementary" .. I prefer reading the Book .. that way the characters "come alive" in my imagination .. and aren't pre-created by someone else ..

So .... over to you .....

[transjen]

I'm a big fan of TERRY BROOKS love the sword of Shannara series and i also love ANN RICE her vampire novels are great Jennifer