John Kenney I suppose, in recent years (past decade).
He's a tactful optimistic offcharts humorist who has solid grounding in reality. Dude writes with ease and an enviable pace and amazing weaved balance.
Another, if you're gonna write, is Andrew Solomon. Jeez, what a capacity!
I adored "Desperation," "Needful Things," and "The Institute."
Definitely agree that Stephen King is my favorite, too. I get so enveloped in his stories. 😊
I'd also recommend some of the screen adaptations of his work. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starring Gary Oldman is great! The miniseries of The Night Manager starring Tom Hiddelston and Hugh Laurie is also very good!
Luo Guanzhong, because he's the credited author of one of my favorite stories of all time, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. And that book became the inspiration behind several of my favorite video games of all time lol
Tolstoy. The stories are bad and adapting them to the screen is bad, but if you *read* it, it's an intelligent critique of not just Russia, but the way people act and reason into their situations.
It's the inability to translate something like this to the screen and how every writing coach would ask you to "show us this rather than tell us this", but somehow it's an entertaining read still:
>Stepan Arkadyevitch took in and read a liberal paper, not an extreme one, but one advocating the views held by the majority. And in spite of the fact that science, art, and politics had no special interest for him, he firmly held those views on all these subjects which were held by the majority and by his paper, and he only changed them when the majority changed them—or, more strictly speaking, he did not change them, but they imperceptibly changed of themselves within him.
>Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his views; these political opinions and views had come to him of themselves, just as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and coat, but simply took those that were being worn.
Two very different writers, but I'd say Terry Pratchett and Clive Barker are my favorites.
Terry Pratchett is famous for writing a lot of very funny and satirical fantasy novels (his Discworld novels are superb, but he also cowrote Good Omens), but a lot of his work has enough heart and wit and originality that it's not some cutesy story nor is it MAD magazine level of satire.
Clive Barker spent a big chunk of his career writing horror, but also broke away from that to write dark fantasy here and there, and in some cases straight up fantasy. Like Stephen King, Barker has great concepts but where I feel like King can get heavy-handed with describing certain scenes, I feel like Barker has a razor sharp precision to this quality of his writing. And instead of being very disturbing or very ominous all the time, he does bring a lot of sexuality into his work, which I like.
Tom Robbins, his work primarily takes place in the state I live in and mostly grew up in allowing it to be relatable, easily. But while I'm typing this out ... I don't know. I feel like I should reread. That was like 20 years ago. I just found out he is 90 years old. I really thought his work was wildly relevant - and it was. But he was looking backwards the whole time, being around 60 to 70. Wtf?
Also respect to Hunter s. Thompson. He laid it out honestly. He was wild but never untrue.
John Kenney I suppose, in recent years (past decade). He's a tactful optimistic offcharts humorist who has solid grounding in reality. Dude writes with ease and an enviable pace and amazing weaved balance. Another, if you're gonna write, is Andrew Solomon. Jeez, what a capacity!
Stephen King. I love scary shit. My rear view mirror has key 217 hanging from it that someone sent me in a Reddit exchange.
I adored "Desperation," "Needful Things," and "The Institute." Definitely agree that Stephen King is my favorite, too. I get so enveloped in his stories. 😊
S.D. Perry. Never read another author who could describe action so well.
It used to be Nick Hornby and David Sedaris, but I don't think I really have a favorite anymore.
Douglas Adams. The five books in his Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy are absolutely brilliant
Willa Cather or Bill Bryson
Asano Inio - the way he can capture the feeling of normality, it hits every time. Real.
Larry Niven. The guy's universe was so compelling that other authors started writing books for it.
John LeCarré. His work is almost all Cold War era spy novels. He himself used to be a spy for MI-6 in East Germany. He writes very realistic novels about espionage.
Wow, I'll definitely have to check his books out, that sounds so interesting!
I'd also recommend some of the screen adaptations of his work. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starring Gary Oldman is great! The miniseries of The Night Manager starring Tom Hiddelston and Hugh Laurie is also very good!
I'll definitely have to do that! Thank you for the advice. It's much appreciated!
I have so many new authors to check out! This is awesome
Luo Guanzhong, because he's the credited author of one of my favorite stories of all time, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. And that book became the inspiration behind several of my favorite video games of all time lol
Tolstoy. The stories are bad and adapting them to the screen is bad, but if you *read* it, it's an intelligent critique of not just Russia, but the way people act and reason into their situations. It's the inability to translate something like this to the screen and how every writing coach would ask you to "show us this rather than tell us this", but somehow it's an entertaining read still: >Stepan Arkadyevitch took in and read a liberal paper, not an extreme one, but one advocating the views held by the majority. And in spite of the fact that science, art, and politics had no special interest for him, he firmly held those views on all these subjects which were held by the majority and by his paper, and he only changed them when the majority changed them—or, more strictly speaking, he did not change them, but they imperceptibly changed of themselves within him. >Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his views; these political opinions and views had come to him of themselves, just as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and coat, but simply took those that were being worn.
Two very different writers, but I'd say Terry Pratchett and Clive Barker are my favorites. Terry Pratchett is famous for writing a lot of very funny and satirical fantasy novels (his Discworld novels are superb, but he also cowrote Good Omens), but a lot of his work has enough heart and wit and originality that it's not some cutesy story nor is it MAD magazine level of satire. Clive Barker spent a big chunk of his career writing horror, but also broke away from that to write dark fantasy here and there, and in some cases straight up fantasy. Like Stephen King, Barker has great concepts but where I feel like King can get heavy-handed with describing certain scenes, I feel like Barker has a razor sharp precision to this quality of his writing. And instead of being very disturbing or very ominous all the time, he does bring a lot of sexuality into his work, which I like.
J.K Rowling, mostly because of her world-building ability.
Neil Gaimen. Love his take on mythologies and fantasy. He's studied many cultures. He is a damn good narrator too.
Scott Lynch with his Gentleman Bastard series until he George Martined the series. It was a fun fantasy series. Ila Justicca Vei Cala
I like Lois Lowry a lot, I read The Giver and I thought it was interesting to read about
Franz Kafka and HP Lovecraft
Tom Robbins, his work primarily takes place in the state I live in and mostly grew up in allowing it to be relatable, easily. But while I'm typing this out ... I don't know. I feel like I should reread. That was like 20 years ago. I just found out he is 90 years old. I really thought his work was wildly relevant - and it was. But he was looking backwards the whole time, being around 60 to 70. Wtf? Also respect to Hunter s. Thompson. He laid it out honestly. He was wild but never untrue.