Apart for Terry who do you consider the best writers?

[Who's Wee Dug]

You could have put them in alphabetical order...

Why! can't you sort them out for yourself they were of the top of my head so to speak.

[Who's Wee Dug]

I love reading and have a huge amount of books from a wide variety of authors, but the ones I always go back to are the ones by Terry, Douglas Adams and one book in particular by Iain Banks - The Crow Road.

"It was the day my grandmother exploded" - by far the best opening line ever

Good one, my favorite Banksie one is the Business

[AndieKry]

The list is growing - starting from around 900 BC.
New day brings new authors - any bird that comes can be a messenger.
And e-Cry.

[Danny B]

A non-definitive, in-no-particular-order list of the ones I can think of right now. (I.E. the ones I can see from the bookshelves which I can see from the computer desk, without having to get out of my chair or twist my neck to look at the other ones.)

(Early) Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Michael Scott Rohan
Damon Runyon
Donald E. Westlake (including the Richard Stark pen-name)
Ian Rankin
Robert Holdstock
Clive Barker
Larry Niven
Madeline L'Engle
Mike Ripley
Diana Wynne Jones
J.R.R. Tolkien
Fritz Leiber
Robert E. Howard
H.P. Lovecraft
Edgar Allen Poe
Jake Arnott
Louis L'Amour
Roddy Doyle
Nick Hornby
Mark Chadbourn
Robert Harris
Arthur C. Clarke
Meg Gardiner
Julian Barnes
Alan Moore
David Peace
George R.R. Martin
William Gibson

As you may have deduced from the list, I lean towards the fantastic and the pulpy. I was undecided on whether to add Christian Jacques or Brian Lumley because, while I enjoy the books, I enjoy them in the same way I enjoy watching Mega-Shark vs Giant Octopus.

[Squig]

Apart from Terry;

Tolkien
Raymond E. Feist
David Gemmel
Janny Wurts
Robert Jordan

I kind of concentrate on author by author and Feist/Gemmel/Jordan have each written a LOT of books... I need a new bookcase.

I also like David Eddings although I'd be tempted to put him in a lesser category than the above, as his works aren't nearly as... grown-up?... not sure if that's the right way of putting it. Still a very enjoyable read, thou...

[bikkit]

Brandon Sanderson :3 (anyone heard of him? Brilliant stuff. My second favourite author)
Alan campbell (Steampunk kinda stuff)
DOUGLAS ADAMS ^o^
Alison croggon
Niel Gaiman
Whoeer it was that wrote The Book Thief
Ian Irvine
Terry brooks
Robin hobb (like David eddings but better)
Margaret Weiss and Tracy hickman(One word: RAISTLIN)
&many more


I raid the fantasy section for the more obscure things, as you can see.

[BatrickPatrick]

Stephen Fry <3

[ramtopsman]

Douglas Adams
Max Brooks

[ghostsecurity28]

OOOH !!!

1. Markus zusak
2. James herbert
3. C j sansom
4. Robyn young
5. James mcgee

pre 1900

1.Shakespeare
2.William blake
3.Edgar allan poe
4.Lord byron
5.Mary shelley

[high eight]

I find that Stephen King is somewhat inconsistant. I've read increadibly good books by him and also complete garbage.

Sometimes he does the good and the garbage in the same book. Pinches quite a bit from obscure 60s and 70s British SF and dark fantasy, too.

My favourites? Tons, including:

Kipling (Best short story writer in the English language)
Keith Roberts (Second best. Also a grumpy old sod and general misanthrope. My kind of guy. )
China Meiville
Robert Holdstock
M R James (Best ghost story writer in the English language)
John Gordon (Second best. Also good at Garneresque fantasy. Speaking of which....)
Alan Garner
T H White
Tolkien (Though he does witter on a bit)
Patrick O'Brian (Best writer of historical fiction and sea stories, etc.....)

And loads more.

[chevy67]

i have so many faves other than Terry


Stephen King
Clive Barker
John Saul
Shaun Hutson
James Herbert
Anne Rice
Sergei Lukyanenko
Kathy Reichs
Tess Gerritson
David and Leigh Eddings

to name a few i could go on and on.

[Tonyblack]

I'm a real fan of Kathy Reichs as well. I've got one of her books sitting there waiting to be read after I've read Monstrous Regiment. She's much better than Patricia Cornwell.

[BatrickPatrick]

I'm suddenly very into Gregory Maguire...Wicked FTW

[Tonyblack]

I'm suddenly very into Gregory Maguire...Wicked FTW

I'm curious. I've seen the letters "FTW" in various places on the Internet but when I try to find what they mean I get either "For The Win" (which I don't understand) or F*** The World (which I do).

What does it mean?

[Bouncy Castle]

What? No love for Robert Rankin?

C'mon people. Where is the love?