Favorite Writers
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My favorite fiction writers are Kurt Vonnegut and John Steinbeck. Although both are brilliant storytellers and masters of style, Vonnegut stands alone as my all-time favorite. My dad introduced me to Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle when I was in eighth grade with the casual suggestion that I might enjoy checking out some grown-up reading. From the first pages, I was hooked for life.
Henry Miller also fits prominently into my pantheon of favorite writers, but he's not as easy to categorize as fiction or not. What I've come to find though is that all writing is fiction, even if it's based on events that actually took place, so there's really no need to make a distinction, but differentiate we do.
A more recent addition to my favorite writers is J. K. Rowling. Right at the start of the lockdown days a year ago, a friend suggested I read Rowling's Harry Potter books, and I became an instant fan; I read through the entire series in about a month, which was not a bad way to spend the early days of the stay-at-home pandemic. She's another brilliant storyteller, and a very talented prose stylist too.
So that's what I've got to seed the pot. What's the zone got? Who are your favorite writers?
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
Gary Snyder, Kesey, Vonnegut,
Gary Snyder, Kesey, Vonnegut,
john gierach , Tom mcguane
Tolkien
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bob
For suspense and mystery
For suspense and mystery fiction and non-fiction Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child both together and individually.
Fiction suspense and mystery Steve Berry
Vonnegut rocks.
Love all Kerouac
Too many others to list. Not sure if this is for current stuff or older stuff.
Been reading a lot of Holocaust stuff both fiction and non-fiction.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: (~)};)StealYourFace
For sci-fi
For sci-fi
PKD
futuristic drug societies...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
In no particular order:
In no particular order:
Frank Herbert
Neal Stephenson
Tom Perrotta
Peter Hamiltion
Liane Moriarty
Paolo Bacigalupi
Michael Ondaatje
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Margaret Atwood
Jonathan Franzen
Douglas Adams
Colleen McCullough
Tom Robbins
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
I'm going to have to
I'm going to have to contribute in a granular fashion. Janwillem van de Wetering first came to mind. He was a Dutch writer of Dutch detective mysteries with a Zen sensibility from practice. Unusual, well written and a bit twisted. He's had me for 50 years or so. There is an English writer of Dutch detective novels named Nicholas Freeling I like a lot. I don't read either of these authors for the mysteries but rather for the characters and their unique Dutch sensibilities.
I've liked some Vonnegut books a lot. I went through a period of reading contemporary Western and First People's fiction beginning in the late '70's and really admired and enjoyed early Sherman Alexie, and Craig Leslie, Richard Ford, James Welch.
That's it for now. I used to read voraciously, haven't recently.
Interesting thread.
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judit, your mention of First
judit, your mention of First People's fiction reminded me of Louise Erdrich. I don't know if she identifies with First People, but she does claim membership in the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. I've read a handful of her novels, and loved them, and taught her novel The Round House a few times.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: (~)};)StealYourFace
Just finished reading the
Just finished reading the 43rd book during my Covid captivity/incarceration...
only 4 authors repeated: David Michell, Sigrid Nunez, Margret Atwood, Jennifer Egan
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: (~)};)StealYourFace
and major props/ shout out to
and major props/ shout out to the SF Public Library for operating during the shelter-in-place; first with the e-book catalog and later with curbside pickup. My latest binge watch is Westworld...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
James Thurber is a favorite,
James Thurber is a favorite, not just because of the Stories but also Dog cartoons.
https://jamesthurber.org/
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Briank
Another one for Vonnegut. I
Another one for Vonnegut. I read "Breakfast of Champions" when I was maybe 10, and went from there. I think that "Mother Night" is especially brilliant.
Every once in a while I'll read a heady history book, biography, or something like that, but I generally like "brain candy," page turners that I can get fully ensconced in. Ludlum, Child and Kellerman all come to mind.
I used to love spy novels, but in my opinion 2 things killed that genre. The first was the end of the Cold War. The second was Tom Clancy, who turned it into techno garble where the plot lost importance. The last 10 spy novels I read were all the same, foiling Arab bombing plots against so high value American target.
Probably my most read book is "The Oxford History of Great Britain."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DZ
John Mcphee
John Mcphee
I read every new Lee Child front to back when they come out, but he's been mailing it in lately.
My brother would scold me for reading Reacher novels. He called it "mind candy". Not serious reading
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Briank
Joy, there's nothing wrong
Joy, there's nothing wrong with escapism. I can blast through a Reacher novel in a day, fully engulfed, and when I'm done I have no fucking idea what the story was. That's brain candy!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
Yes, another vote for Louise
Yes, another vote for Louise Erdrich.
WALSTIB, the Eugene Library has had curbside pickup throughout the shut down, and 2 streaming platforms (Kanopy and Hoopla). They are only open for very limited services. Since the library is where a lot people have their only access to computers and phone charging it's been a real hardship for them that it's been closed.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DEDHED
I love the Sci Fi/Fantasy
I love the Sci Fi/Fantasy genre, some of my favorites are:
JRR Tolkien
Douglas Adams
Michael Moorcock
Fritz Leiber
Piers Anthony
C.S. Lewis
Fred Saberhagen
Roger Zelazny
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>> Edward Abbey << ^ THIS ^
>> Edward Abbey <<
^ THIS ^
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I read Desert Solitaire years
I read Desert Solitaire years ago, and reread it several times over the next few years because I liked the subject matter, but what I liked most is Abbey's voice. I think the word cantankerous might apply here.
So, Ken and Ned, if I was going to explore Abbey's writing further, what would you suggest?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: DZ
I second: Moorcock and Abbey
I second: Moorcock and Abbey
>>>if I was going to explore Abbey's writing further, what would you suggest?
^^^all of his books read well
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: KeseyB
I liked Abby's journal,
I liked Abby's journal, Confessions of a Barbarian.
Also Steinbeck ~ descriptions and plots are honest
Not a fave, but a fun book I found in a thrift store & read is Hugh Laurie's The Gun seller. Humorous mystery; didn't realize he wrote as well as sing/act.
When sad, I always go to Bill Watterson....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Joe Shaver
Thoreau
Crabneesh
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
Larry McMurtry died yesterday
Larry McMurtry died yesterday. While not a favorite, he and his work were strong threads in the fabric of my life.
Bss, I share Crabneesh being a favorite. Thanks for mentioning him.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
Vonnegut
Vonnegut
Heller
Chris Moore
Gaiman
Hiaassen
Robbins
John Irving
Pete Hamill (Denis, too)
King (for a snack)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance just me Newberry
I love to read, but I'm not a
I love to read, but I'm not a connoisseur. Pre-covid I would usually buy my books from the used paperbacks-for-sale sections of local libraries; I'm a .50c a book kind of guy.
After the lockdown I began randomly searching Amazon and came upon Richard Russo and have read a few of his, all good.
I've also lately been enjoying books by John Lescroart, who has a lot of books involving two or three recurring characters (a lawyer, a cop & a private eye) but I think I like them more because they're all set in San Francisco/Bay Area with lots of local details, and I can really envision the settings.
In general over time...
I love Joseph Heller just because of Catch-22.
I love Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (had to look that up for spelling) just because of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
I love Jack London mainly for The Sea Wolf.
John Kennedy Toole for A Confederacy of Dunces.
Always been a fan of John Irving.
Obviously John Steinbeck is brilliant, but his books are all kind of sad.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MarkD
Yeah, my first Vonnegut was
Yeah, my first Vonnegut was "Breakfast of Champions" also. He was awesome and an early and lifetime hero.
I think my favorite living author is James Lee Burke. I have read all of his Robicheaux series. "Light Of The World" is the best book I have read in many yrs.
Lee Child is winding down, but Reacher has been a good series.
For comedy, Douglas Adams. Every Hitch-hiker book was solid laughs. Also Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms is a great character and very funny.
Michael Connelly has been very good at times.
I burnt out on spy novels also. Too much rightwing garbage.
James Michener wrote some of the best historical fiction ever. "Hawaii", "Alaska", I have read each multiple times. "Centennial", "The Source", "Chesapeake" and "The Drifters" all stand out.
Barry Eisler is a fine author, a little dark but always good.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jeff
Top of Mind is Richard Powers
Top of Mind is Richard Powers.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: That’s Nancy with the laughin’ face
I don't have any "favorite"
I don't have any "favorite" writers, I do have some favorite novels and some writers that I get hooked on for a while, and then move on. Years ago it was Bradbury, Follett, Asimov and Vonnegut. Gore Vidal, Douglas Adams, Kingsolver, Isabel Allende, Toni Morrison, TC Boyle, Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah and others I've probably forgotten. When I read a great book, I usually give it away to someone I know will love it and well, my memory is often foggy.. I do love children's literature and spent years reading aloud to our kiddo and other young kids. Brian Jacques/Redwall series, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Roald Dahl..
Just started reading David Duchovy's latest novel after hearing an interview with him on NPR. Enjoying it so far.