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Message started by Gary A. Markette on Jul 9th, 2013, 5:09am

Title: Who do you read?
Post by Gary A. Markette on Jul 9th, 2013, 5:09am

I thought it might be interesting to learn who writers read. I've compiled a short list (10 names) of the writers I read and enjoy the most (with a slight cheat). I'm asking other 'realmers to do the same. Writers should be current and still working (no "deaders"), but that's the only rule. Here's my list (in no particular order)

Steven King (Loved The Stand and the Dark Tower Books)
Dean Koontz (His Odd Thomas series continues to interest me)
Orson Scott Card (The Enders books qualify as great literature AND terrific yarns)
Geroge R. R. Martin (Have read "only" his Songs of Ice and Fire novels; believe me, that's plenty)
Jeffrey Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme is as cool as Sherlock Holmes; and Jeff is also reinvigorating the Bond novels)
Jonathan and Faye Kellerman (this is my cheat; forced to pick, I'd probaby select Faye's Decker/Lazarus tales, but Jonathan's Alex Delaware novels also rock)
Peter Straub (Steven King with a conscience)
Neil Gaiman (American Gods -- nuff said)
Bernard Cornwell (A non-mystery/scifi/fantasy/horror writer--yes, indeedy. Read any of his Sharpe novels and you'll see why I include him.)
John Grisham (He makes gross errors, but his stories are too interesting to ignore.)

Your lists?

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by ente per ente on Jul 9th, 2013, 9:42pm

My list of (still :)...) living, most famous writers that I usually, or more frequently read in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror genre are, as follows:


-Dan Simmons;
-Raymond E. Feist;
-Stephen King;
-Orson Scott Card;
-Walter Jon Williams;
-Tanith Lee;
-William Gibson;
-Nalo Hopkinson;
-Neal Stephenson;
-Terry Goodkind;
-Greg Bear;
-Clive Barker;


so far... ;)



Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by J. Davidson Hero on Jul 10th, 2013, 8:59am

Sorry Gary.  Most of my current list is made up of "deaders."  :-[

John

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by Gary A. Markette on Jul 10th, 2013, 10:19am

OK. How about a list of "deaders" too, then. Here's mine:

J. R. R. Tolkien (got to be a hobbit with me)
Robert Parker (Only the Spenser novels, though; oh, and the two Chandler pastiches)
Charles Dickens (call me old fashioned; Cities made me cry)
Edgar Rice Burroughs (loved the Tarzan and Mars series)
Donald Hamilton (Matt Helm, yeah, better spy than Jimmie Bond!)
G.K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton (His Father Brown stories are cool)
Ian Flemming (don't tell him what I said about Helm)
Agatha Christie (Poirot or Marple--love 'em both)
Rex Stout (Nero's my all-time favorite fat guy detective; I identify--with the fat guy part, anyway)
Conan Doyle (and not just for Sherlock)

Your court, John.

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by balero on Jul 10th, 2013, 10:36am


Thanks ente per ente for the list, I will try and obtain some.  Must admit that I hadn't heard of all, but the Stephen King author.

I'm reading The Shining at the moment, the one filmed of course.
What a wonderful human story, full of human interest.  A family fighting not just evil entities but also human weakness in the character of the father Jack.   A pot boiler and page turner all rolled into the script.
Thanks again.

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by J. Davidson Hero on Jul 10th, 2013, 12:19pm

Thanks Gary.  :)

I've got quite a few older books I've been trying to read.  Once I start on an author's books, I usually try to read everything by them.  I'm a bit of an obsessive completionist.  And some of these deaders have written a LOT of books.    ;D  

Here's my list of recently read, in the process of reading, or starting soon:

A. E. van Vogt - recently finished The Mixed Men, in the middle of The Weapon Shops of Isher

The Ascent of Wonder: The Evolution of Hard SF an anthology by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.  It includes a lot of classic Hard SF stories.

Joseph Campbell - The Masks of God - 4 volumes.  I've been chipping away at this for a while, and it's going to take a while more.

Isaac Asimov - There are still a lot of his classic series I haven't read.  The last novel I read was The Stars, Like Dust.

Robert Heinlein - I'm about 2/3 of the way through his books.  The Door into Summer is in the queue.

Jules Verne - I've read about 15 of Verne's novels, so quite a few to go yet.  Some might consider Verne's novels to be a little dry these days, and some of the translations are better than others, but I like to tackle a new Verne every few books.

Edgar Rice Burroughs - same, still working my way through the shelf.  I've read some of the Mars books, some of the Tarzan books, some of the Pelucidar books, and I have the Venus books to read too.

American Sonnets - part of the American Poets Project published by Library of America.  I have quite a few of these books which typically focus on a single American poet.  It's a nice way to build a collection of American poetry.

Piers Anthony - Xanth is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

E. E. "Doc" Smith - I have a copy of Triplanetary I started recently, and the rest of the lensmen series will have to follow.

How's that?

I also have books by several of the authors on both Gary's lists and ente per ente's list sitting and waiting for me to read them.  

I really wish I could read faster.  :(





Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by ente per ente on Jul 11th, 2013, 1:16am

Among the very well known (and unfortunately dead) authors, here is the list, as follows:


-Heinlein;
-A.E. Van Vogt;
-Isaac Asimov;
-Iain M. Banks;
-Alfred Bester;
-Fredric Brown;
-Octavia E. Butler;
-Philip K. Dick;
-Cyril M. Kornbluth;
-Fritz Leiber;
-Richard Matheson;
-Robert Anton Wilson;

:)

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by J. Davidson Hero on Jul 12th, 2013, 10:34am

I forgot to list C. J. Cherryh.  I started Cuckoo's Egg a little while back.

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by Webbie on Jul 13th, 2013, 5:44am

These lists read like a "Who's who" of science fiction.

With so many great writers, past and present, it seems odd that sci-fi has such a low opinion rating from the masses. Yet at the same time Hollywood is pumping out movies of a sci-fi genre left and right.

Perhaps the techno wave running through society makes sci-fi seem like a normal trend. Such as cell phone designed to look like Star trek communicators so that now sci-fi is mundane reality.

DARPA has a "Terminator" prototype robot which will soon be either as battle suit like in  "Avatar" or a Terminator battle robot.

NASA has ion drive motors for really long distance travel.

Space X has a rocket that hovers just like the 1950's movies.

Meanwhile the Dystopian society predicted in so many sci-fi novels seems to be unfolding before our very eyes.

With all this, where is my flying car? :)

Anyway here goes.
deaders list

- Philip K. Dick;
- Isaac Asimov;
- Robert Anton Wilson;
- Andre Norton
- Heinlein;
- A.E. Van Vogt;
- Alfred Bester;
- Cyril M. Kornbluth;
- Fritz Leiber;
- JRR tolken;
- CS Lewis

In days gone by I used to buy "The Years Best Science Fiction" edited by Gardner Dozois every single year without fail.
However in the last couple of years I nave been remiss in keeping up with my old habits which I do find that I miss.

A nice quiet afternoon spent reading doesn't ever seem to be wasted time.

I ponder how I had the time to do so when I was younger but now cannot find the time to do so when the days still have 24 hours each.


Some political type reading that I have enjoyed in the past.
1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
2. 1984 by George Orwell
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. Atlas Shrugged by Ann Rand
5. Neuromancer and also Snow Crash by William Gibson
6. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson
7. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne


Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by Jeangoldstrom on Jul 14th, 2013, 7:10pm

Great reading list, Webbie. Very much like mine, I admit. I can't seem to get into the newer writers. Of course I despise Neil Gaiman because he slighted our beloved Anotherealm.

Yes, he really did.

I used to go to a number of s-f cons and buttonhole some of the interesting authors there, to do an article about them for our dear Anotherealm. So, at one con I saw Neil Gaiman -- who at that time was still pretty unheard-of. He was talking to a couple of people, so I waited until they were finished, then asked him if I could interview him for AR.  

He said okay, then some other people came up and wanted to talk to him. I figured since he was a young author starting out he would want to make as many friends as possible, so I deferred to the other people and told him I'd like to email him some questions, for an article for AR.

He said okay, and gave me his email address. After the con was over and we got home, I emailed him my few questions -- about five, as I recall.

No response out of him.

I emailed him twice more, then realized he was obviously blowing off my request.

And _blowing_off_Anotherealm!

So to myself I said, "That's it for you, Neil Gaiman. Anyone who disrespects my beloved Anotherealm is _dead_ to me."

Yes, like that really hurt him a lot. Of course it didn't. But I still despise him, and that's why.

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by Gary A. Markette on Jul 15th, 2013, 1:33am

Whoa! Didn't know that. Anybody who slights Jean needs to be exfoliated with a wire brush. Neil, baby, American Gods or no, you're off my list!

Title: Re: Who do you read?
Post by J. Davidson Hero on Jul 15th, 2013, 11:18am

I'm sorry for your bad experience Jean.  :(

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