Who are some of your favorite writers, all-time?

[Picaro]

Fiction:
John Le Carre
Fredrick Forsythe, best spy and Cold War novelist
Steinbeck
Ken Kesey, mainly for one book,Sometimes A Great Notion, not the Cuckoo's Nest of movie fame he also wrote and is most famous for.
Elmore Leonard, both his westerns and his crime novels
Asimov, mainly for his concepts like the Foundation series, but his actual writing and such wasn't particularly good.
Hemingway
Gabriel Marquez
Conan Doyle
Thomas Mann
James Lee Burke
Truman Capote ... could have written more and gotten even better as a writer, if he had just stayed out of New York City and stayed down south.
William Faulkner
Sherwood Anderson
Daniel Silva
David Baldacci

Yes, I'm out of fiction to read.... haven't read hardly any fiction in years, mostly histories and economics the last couple of decades, except for the Silva and Baldacci books. Went back some years ago and tried to reread the science fiction books I thought were great when I was a teenager and in college, but they didn't age well, and I couldn't believe I liked stuff that bad and once read them all the way through. lol

 

[bluzman61]

Fiction:
John Le Carre
Fredrick Forsythe, best spy and Cold War novelist
Steinbeck
Ken Kesey, mainly for one book,Sometimes A Great Notion, not the Cuckoo's Nest of movie fame he also wrote and is most famous for.
Elmore Leonard, both his westerns and his crime novels
Asimov, mainly for his concepts like the Foundation series, but his actual writing and such wasn't particularly good.
Hemingway
Gabriel Marquez
Conan Doyle
Thomas Mann
James Lee Burke
Truman Capote ... could have written more and gotten even better as a writer, if he had just stayed out of New York City and stayed down south.
William Faulkner
Sherwood Anderson
Daniel Silva
David Baldacci

Yes, I'm out of fiction to read.... haven't read hardly any fiction in years, mostly histories and economics the last couple of decades, except for the Silva and Baldacci books.

Wow, impressive list. Thanks for your post.

 

[bodecea]

*Vonnegut
*Bradbury (tho I swear he was paid by the adjective)
*Hesse
Tolkien
Douglas Adams
Heinlein (have a bizarre story about meeting him....in all places...Antarctica)
Gabaldon

*when younger

 

[bluzman61]

*Vonnegut
*Bradbury (tho I swear he was paid by the adjective)
*Hesse
Tolkien
Douglas Adams
Heinlein (have a bizarre story about meeting him....in all places...Antarctica)
Gabaldon

*when younger

Thanks for your post. I like your comment about Bradbury, it's very true!

 

[ABikerSailor]

Just about every author in the OP's post, and quite a few others are some of my favorite authors.

The one author that ranks as number one in my book? The esteemed Mr. Harlan Ellison. I first ran into his books back in 1983 when I was on my first ship. A friend of mine was reading a book called "Gentleman Junkie and Other Stories of the Hung Up Generation", and I asked him if I could borrow it when he was done. He said sure, but he was VERY adamant that I got the book back to him in good shape. He was one of those who had damn near every book the man wrote.

After reading the stories in that book, I was hooked, and devoured just about everything I could get my hands on. And, I found out that if you don't get his books when they come out, good luck finding them at a used book store, most people who have his books are loath to let them go.

My second favorite author is Robert A. Heinlein. His book "Time Enough for Love" about Lazarus Long was an excellent (although long) read. Another of my favorites by him was a book I read as a kid, "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel", about a guy that won a spacesuit in a contest that he named Oscar.

But, if it comes to military style stories, Tom Clancy can't be beat. After he wrote "The Hunt for Red October", not only did he get a visit from the DOD wanting to know how he found out about the procedures that are carried out on a sub (at the time, they were classified), but the Navy also decided to change procedures, because he had written about them accurately. No, he didn't get classified material, he knew lots of military people and how they did things, as well as did LOTS of research by getting FOIA documents on submarines.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Ray Bradbury is a favorite. I used to date Harlan Ellison back in the day when he was between wives. He died not long ago. It truly hurt. I am glad that he finally found a woman who gave him so many years of happiness.

For westerns I admit to a fondness for old school, Zane Gray.

Wow, you DATED Harlan Ellison?!? THAT must have been quite interesting. I was saddened by his death, as well. He was a true original, in every sense of the word.

Even though it had been many years since I last saw him i was devastated to hear of his passing. I was also rather shocked at the amount of weight he gained. I went out a couple of times with Alan Dean Foster. Then I gave up writing aspirations when I went to law school.

Another of the old time greats was Lester Del Rey. His wife, Judy was an editor. Did you ever meet them? Judy was a horribly deformed dwarf. She was the kindest most gracious lady I ever met. It was easy to see why Les just adored her.

 

[bluzman61]

Ray Bradbury is a favorite. I used to date Harlan Ellison back in the day when he was between wives. He died not long ago. It truly hurt. I am glad that he finally found a woman who gave him so many years of happiness.

For westerns I admit to a fondness for old school, Zane Gray.

Wow, you DATED Harlan Ellison?!? THAT must have been quite interesting. I was saddened by his death, as well. He was a true original, in every sense of the word.

Even though it had been many years since I last saw him i was devastated to hear of his passing. I was also rather shocked at the amount of weight he gained. I went out a couple of times with Alan Dean Foster. Then I gave up writing aspirations when I went to law school.

Another of the old time greats was Lester Del Rey. His wife, Judy was an editor. Did you ever meet them? Judy was a horribly deformed dwarf. She was the kindest most gracious lady I ever met. It was easy to see why Les just adored her.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Lester and his wife, Judy. I believe I've read some wonderful things about them. Harlan himself may have mentioned them in one of his many long, but often hilarious, intros in one of his books. And I've certainly heard of Alan Dean Foster, another fine writer.

 

[Jake Winker Frogen]

Haruki Murakami and the man who influenced him more than most Raymond Carver.

I have a soft spot for the poetry of Charles Bukowski too, but then I have been known to imbibe fiery waters.

 

[Jake Winker Frogen]

Harlan Ellison

I forgot about him.

He wrote a wonderful book of observations-essays about television called The Glass Teat.


I must admit I never read his fiction, should give it go.

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Tolkien
Heinlein
Louis Lamour
David Weber
John Ringo
Asimov
I read Science Fiction, war stories and histories. I like westerns but haven't found a good one in a long time. I enjoy books about Animals too.

David Weber and John Ringo are my current favorites.

 

[toobfreak]

Harlan Ellison

Did you ever get a chance to meet him? He was quite the character. Angry, confrontational, intelligent, clever, and above all, hysterically funny. Unfortunately, we'll most likely never see someone like him again.

Harlan's antics are well known after his bitter, tempestuous 40-year feud with Gene Roddenberry because Gene had the temerity to take a great Ellison novel that unfortunately wasn't a good fit to the given needed format of a TV show and made the necessary changes in it that turned it into the best Star Trek episode of all time.

Harlan was a little guy who unfortunately let his insecurity and persecution complex about his size cloud his brilliance. He even fought with the writers of Terminator claiming they stole the idea from one of his Outer Limits episodes to the point that they finally gave him screen credit just to shut him up.

 

[toobfreak]

Harlan Ellison

I forgot about him.

He wrote a wonderful book of observations-essays about television called The Glass Teat.


I must admit I never read his fiction, should give it go.

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

Another writer I'm surprised (I did not see) anyone mention is HP Lovecraft.

 

[bluzman61]

Harlan Ellison

Did you ever get a chance to meet him? He was quite the character. Angry, confrontational, intelligent, clever, and above all, hysterically funny. Unfortunately, we'll most likely never see someone like him again.

Harlan's antics are well known after his bitter, tempestuous 40-year feud with Gene Roddenberry because Gene had the temerity to take a great Ellison novel that unfortunately wasn't a good fit to the given needed format of TV show and made the necessary changes in it that turned it into the best Star Trek episode of all time.

Harlan was a little guy who unfortunately let his insecurity and persecution complex about his size cloud his brilliance. He even fought with the writers of Terminator claiming they stole the idea from one of his Outer Limits episodes.

Very true about Harlan. He did seem to have a "Napoleon Complex" due to his lack of height, also known these days as being "vertically challenged". But he was one heck of a writer.

 

[bluzman61]

Harlan Ellison

I forgot about him.

He wrote a wonderful book of observations-essays about television called The Glass Teat.


I must admit I never read his fiction, should give it go.

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

Another writer I'm surprised (I did not see) anyone mention is HP Lovecraft.

I THINK one person mentioned him. I like some of Lovecraft's stuff.

 

[toobfreak]

Even though it had been many years since I last saw him i was devastated to hear of his passing.

I'd be interested to hear any stories you can share about Harlan.

 

[Picaro]

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

I remember that movie, it was actually pretty good considering its low budget; Don Johnson was just a kid when he made that one. The dog's acting was great, too. I watch it whenever it makes the rounds, which hasn't been for a very long time now. Never read the book, though, or Ellison, at least that I can remember. I liked the space operas more than the 'science' in science fiction.

 

[Picaro]

Harlan Ellison

I forgot about him.

He wrote a wonderful book of observations-essays about television called The Glass Teat.


I must admit I never read his fiction, should give it go.

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

Another writer I'm surprised (I did not see) anyone mention is HP Lovecraft.

Extremely literate writer, but too grim for most peoples' tastes, as is most of the horror genre. Lovecraft is one of the best 'atmosphere' writers I've read of most, though, even though I don't care for the horror genre.

 

[toobfreak]

Harlan Ellison

I forgot about him.

He wrote a wonderful book of observations-essays about television called The Glass Teat.


I must admit I never read his fiction, should give it go.

I did see A Boy and His Dog at the movies however.

Another writer I'm surprised (I did not see) anyone mention is HP Lovecraft.

Extremely literate writer, but too grim for most peoples' tastes, as is most of the horror genre. Lovecraft is one of the best 'atmosphere' writers I've read of most, though, even though I don't care for the horror genre.

I rather like this story of his, short and sweet (right column).

The Thing In The Moonlight

Gave me horrors as a little boy.

H.P. Lovecraft’s

H.P. Lovecraft’s 'The Thing in the Moonlight'

www.hplovecraft.com

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Jerry Ahern
Mark Olden
Eric Lustbader

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Harlan Ellison

Did you ever get a chance to meet him? He was quite the character. Angry, confrontational, intelligent, clever, and above all, hysterically funny. Unfortunately, we'll most likely never see someone like him again.

Harlan's antics are well known after his bitter, tempestuous 40-year feud with Gene Roddenberry because Gene had the temerity to take a great Ellison novel that unfortunately wasn't a good fit to the given needed format of a TV show and made the necessary changes in it that turned it into the best Star Trek episode of all time.

Harlan was a little guy who unfortunately let his insecurity and persecution complex about his size cloud his brilliance. He even fought with the writers of Terminator claiming they stole the idea from one of his Outer Limits episodes to the point that they finally gave him screen credit just to shut him up.

He also won a goodly cash settlement. The suit was legit. I'm surprised the Herbert estate didn't stomp on Cameron for AVATAR.

Most writers of sound mind don't like people stealing, or fucking with their work. Harlan was simply louder about it than most.