Best writer (of all times)(poll)

[Glip the Gnome]

Thank you Alaric! I was getting worried nobody was going to say David Eddings.

He's one of the few authors that I actually find myself missing the characters when I'm done with the book.

Definitly my favorite author of all time.

I like Steven Brust's stuff a lot though too.

[This message has been edited by Glip the Gnome (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Kinslayer]

I'm surprised Salvatore hasn't been mentioned yet as he's the brains behind one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time, Jarlaxle(has anyone read Servant of the Shard? what a great twist in the last paragraph about Jarlaxle's parentage). C.S. Lewis has also got to rank highly for being able to bring fantasy to the younger reader, he's the guy who got me into fantasy with the Narnia series. Finally, I like Gemmell's dark, true to life style of writing and the way all his characters become accidental heroes after setting out for selfish reasons such as vengeance.

[AliCat]

Terry Pratchett generally leads my list, although I agree that the humor on some of the last few novels has been a bit strained, perhaps because he's churning them out too fast. His most recent, Thief of Time, was regaining some of the humor I though had been missed in The Truth.

My other favorites would be Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley who are equally talented in writing absorbing SF as well as creating series of books that are astronomically different from the previous series.

Mystery: Hard to classify a favorite, as there are so many genres. Love Hillerman, Elizabeth George, Dick Francis, Diane Mott Davidson, Ellis Peters, Ngaio Marsh....

Action/Drama: Crichton (also classifies as SF), Cussler, and Harold Coyle (the last creates very realistic military stories).

Also adore Barbara Delinsky.

Sorry, but I can't pick just one!!!

[jabidas]

Offhand Erich Maria Remarque(think thats how you spell his name). Salinger i read a lot of when I was younger. Currently reading lots of Hunter S Thompson brilliant man and sticky to fantasy now Robin Hobb.

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[Halo]

Wouldn't say that any one author can be classified as THE best. Were I forced to choose my favourite author , it would be Robert Anton Wilson (The Illuminatus Trilogy) . For fantasy it would be between Tolkien , Williams and Martin.

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"if you whistle while you’re pissing, you have two minds where one is quite sufficient.
If you have two minds, you are at war with yourself" (Illuminatus. 405).

[Sir Taliesin]

Originally posted by Row Firecam: Alistair McLean for action, James Joyce for [uhm] drama and Steve Perry for SciFi There I jst listed all my favourite authors, although I havn't read a Alistair Mclean book since I was 16, but then I think I read all of his books

<font color=orange>Now he's a blast from the past. I use to read his books a lot. Seawitch was my favorite. The one about the oil derrick.</font>



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Sir Taliesin



If they take my gun can I still use my Axe?

[adam warlock]

so far in my book:
R.A. Salvatore, all of the star wars writers, and Piers Anthony

[Albromor]

I'd have to say Jack Vance is one of my all time favorite authors. His Dying Earth series (if you want to understand where the AD&D system of magic comes from it is Vance's DE series) and his Lyonesse triology are brillant. vance is a wordsmith par excellant. I would also add Ray Bradbury, J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis (anybody read his Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce?), Glenn Cook, Pratchett, Roger Zelazney, Robert Silverberg, Tim Powers (On Stranger Tides is excellent), Robert Bellows (The Face in the Frost is classic, classic, classic), and many others that I have not the time to list.

[hotca_ionut]

i have to say karl may
i mean hes just great

[Anubis]

R.A. Salvatore. But he could tone down his long winded desription of the fight scenes with Drizzt though. That gets rather dull and boring

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You shall sit in judgment with Osiris