Which authors are must reads for you?

[Steve_D]

There is only one author whose complete works I have thoroughly enjoyed time and time again, and that is Robert A. Heinlein.

I'm not a big science fiction fan - I find much of it derivative and cold - but Heinlein's work (more accurately defined as "speculative fiction" by the man himself) contained at its core a deep understanding of humanity and the human condition, communicated by some of the most interesting, varied and convincing characters to ever come from fiction.

As was often the case for sci-fi in Heinlein's day, the genre was mostly an allegory for modern life that allowed him to make bold social statements without fear of reprisal. This meant that the characters and dialog were always the focus of the story, and not the technology. However, Heinlein's deep passion and understanding of mathematics, physics and science, as well as the military, is very apparent in all his writing and incredibly infectious. It adds an air of credibility and authenticity to his stories.

His earlier novels in particular are charming, often introducing young and naive protagonists who view the galaxy - including the races that populate it and the technology they utilise - with a child-like wonder, through which the reader can identify. Because the themes he presents are universal - crossing from childhood into adulthood, redemption, camaraderie, love, a strong sense of family, the struggle against oppression and good old fashioned exploration and adventure - his work appeals to all kinds of readers. A love of science fiction is certainly not a pre-requisite for enjoying the worlds of Robert A. Heinlein.

[DiapDealer]

Tim Powers
John Irving
Guy Gavriel Kay
Nick Hornby
Neal Stephenson
Dennis Lehane
James P. Blaylock
Dan Simmons

[BlackVoid]

Joe Abercrombie
Alastair Reynolds
Kurt Vonnegut

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Todd Young

I'm still trying to find every Patricia Highsmith ever published. Some of them are hard to get and none are available as ebooks. If you haven't tried her, I'd recommend any of her books. Suspense, readability, bizarreness. If you like that sort of thing.

FYI, Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, published under the pseudonym Claire Morgan, is available as a e-book, e.g., at Fictionwise.

Amazon also has this one, as well as The Tremor of Forgery, The Cry of the Owl, and Eleven.

[Catlady]

Current authors who are must-reads:

Anne Perry
Victoria Thompson
Megan Abbott
Marian Babson
Mary Stewart

Deceased authors who are must-reads:

Shirley Jackson
Cornell Woolrich
John Steinbeck
Victoria Holt
Phyllis A. Whitney

[mikelvdb]

Alten, Steve
Arruda, Suzanne
Berry, Steve
Doetsch, Richard
Evanovich, Janet
Francis Dick
Grafton, Sue
Harper, Tom
Howard, Linda
Kearsley, Susanna
Knox, Tom
MacLeod, Charlotte
Mariani, Scott
Michaels, Barbara
Paretsky, Sara
Parnell, Hall
Peters, Elizabeth
Preston & Child
Rollins, James
Scott, Michael
Stewart, Mary
Sussman, Paul
Twining, James

[John A. A. Logan]

Mikhail Bulgakov
Knut Hamsun
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Alexander Trocchi
Alan Sharp
John Kennedy Toole
Robert Pirsig
Neil Gunn
Joseph Conrad
Milan Kundera

[AlexGrama]

I would say, Tolkien, Herbert, King, Murakami and Grama ().

[Spock96]

Chris Walley.
Michael Crichton.

[cjr72]

Among authors still writing:
Peter F. Hamilton
Iain M. Banks
Neal Stephenson
Dan Simmons
Conn Iggulden

[Polarpenguin]

Dean Koontz
Alex Kava
Jonathan Kellerman

I do read authors whose surnames begin with letters other than K too!

[speakingtohe]

I have recently added Max Allen Collins and Robert K. Tanenbaum to my very long list.

Helen

[Bilbo1967]

For me (in no particular order);


Living authors
Christopher Brookmyre
Carl Hiaasen
Iain Banks (without the 'M')
Jo Nesbo
Lee Child
Ben Elton
Terry Pratchett
Jim Butcher
Rob Grant

Those that are now sadly deceased and so won't be publishing any more books
George MacDonald Fraser
John Steinbeck
Steig Larsson
Douglas Adams

[spindlegirl]

I grew up with Lucy Maud Montgomery and have not outgrown her. Her works are pretty much curriculum around Canadian schools and all of the LMM works in the public domain were the first to hit my calibre and E readers.

Margaret Atwood is a master author too, Canadian as well. I have read most of her novels and have bought and re-bought my favorites. She's weird, wonderful, diverse. "Cat's Eye" was the first full length novel I read and I have 2 paperback copies, plus, borrow it from the library from time to time.

My life would not be complete without Farley Mowat. They just recently added his e-books to our library and I was thrilled.

I started getting into Lee Child's reacher series. His scenarios are over the top unbelievable, but page turning, and I am suitably grossed out by the way he chooses to kill his victims. I've only read the first and second, but will eventually read the others as they become available.

Every now and again, I like a little Nora Roberts.

ETA: Only after I posted did I read the other posts, and the start date of this thread, but hey, still cool to hear about other authors and why they are liked.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

For me (in no particular order);


Living authors
Christopher Brookmyre
Carl Hiaasen
Iain Banks (without the 'M')
Jo Nesbo
Lee Child
Ben Elton
Terry Pratchett
Jim Butcher
Rob Grant

Those that are now sadly deceased and so won't be publishing any more books
George MacDonald Fraser
John Steinbeck
Steig Larsson
Douglas Adams

A lot of commonality in our lists, and have to say .

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

I started getting into Lee Child's reacher series. His scenarios are over the top unbelievable, but page turning, and I am suitably grossed out by the way he chooses to kill his victims. I've only read the first and second, but will eventually read the others as they become available.

I envy you the fact that you still have them all to read for the first time. I still have waking nighmares over the tunnel scene in "Die Trying".