Top 5 Favorite Authors!!

[Eldanuumea]

I didn't even try to find my original post, but here are my present five, in no particular order:

Jim Butcher
Robin Hobb
Sara Douglass
Jacqueline Carey
Brandon Sanderson

And the next five would be:

George Martin
Elizabeth Bishop (the Sebastien series more than Black Jewels)
Naomi Novik (Tremeraire)
L. McMaster Bujold
J.K. Rowling

 

[vadi]

Guy Gavriel Kay Always favourite.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Umberto Eco For "Foucault's Pendulum" and "The Name of the Rose".
Gene Wolfe Probably the only writer of fiction that I consider genius.
Lois McMaster Bujold We can excuse "The Sharing Knife"; she wanted to write a romance like fantasy for a long time. Anyway, "A Civil Campaign" is perhaps my favourite.
Dan Simmons

In addition I respect the works of authors like:
Tolkien
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Dave Duncan
Robert J. Sawyer
Tim Powers
Stephen R. Donaldson
Tad Williams
Steven Erikson (I've read only the first three books - and breached my no-read-till-series-done policy - but I realised that he is done something massively complex. I'll read all 10 when complete, of course, and I'd breach my no-reread-fiction policy besides )
Jack McDevitt
Robin Hobb
Connie Willis
Jonathan Carroll
Robert L. Forward
Dean R. Koontz

 

[Eldanuumea]

It was hard for me to leave Guy Gavriel Kay off my list. I consider him one of the artistically better fantasy novelists. But for some reason, some of his work leaves me cold. It's not memorable in the way that some of the other writers' works are. Again, it has a lot to do with an author getting me to truly give a damn about at least one of the characters. If that fails, I'm not likely to think as much of a book, no matter how well it's put together otherwise.

 

[Myshkin]

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This always mystifies me. While Zafon's style may be reminiscent of some of the magical realists (Garcia Marquez and Saramago), I found nothing in The Shadow of the Wind that would be considered speculative.

 

[vadi]

This always mystifies me. While Zafon's style may be reminiscent of some of the magical realists (Garcia Marquez and Saramago), I found nothing in The Shadow of the Wind that would be considered speculative.

I agree mostly, but that doesn’t mean that the style lacks in any regard or that we have to like works of Fantasy only

Kay's work leaves you cold? Interesting, we talk about some of the most emotional stuff out there And if Kay prefers non heroic, flawed characters it doesn’t mean that they are not fascinating or not believable. Interesting though, because is not only the artistic value that defines the works of Kay but also the deep characterization. I don’t consider the trilogy in par with his other work, though, and I recommend to all that want to read his books start with either A Song of Arbonne or Tigana.

 

[owlcroft]

What a limitation!

Five? Five? Five!?!

Consider these ten (not to speak of a number of very close runners-up):

• Borges, Jorge Luis
• Bramah, Ernest
• Cabell, James Branch
• Calvino, Italo
• Carroll, Lewis
• Dunsany, Lord
• Eddison, E. R.
• Peake, Mervyn
• Tolkien, J. R. R.
• Vance, Jack

Which half of that assemblage could any sane person leave off any list of the greatest masters of fantasy?

 

[Myshkin]

I agree mostly, but that doesn’t mean that the style lacks in any regard or that we have to like works of Fantasy only

Your right. I was under the impression that this was about fantasy author, but I see that that's not stipulated in the thread title.

 

[Toma]

The only one whose order really matters is Peter S Beagle.
There's just something in his works that absolutely defines what fantasy is, for me.

Peter S Beagle
Jane Lindskold
David Gemmell
Barbara Hambly
Naomi Novik

 

[Mithfânion]

Which half of that assemblage could any sane person leave off any list of the greatest masters of fantasy?

LoL

Some of these are really obscure nowadays, you have to admit. And some I bounced off, hard. I like Tolkien and Vance. I have a feeling I might enjoy The Worm Ourobouros. But I really disliked Dunsany and Peake. Calvino and Borges feel more like expirements to me, artsy-fartsy stuff.

Lewis Carroll: children's books. Bramah, very very obscure. Cabell. Have heard his name before, but again, obscure.

 

[molybdenum]

OK, I'll bite.

In no particular order:
George RR Martin
Robert Jordan
William Shakespeare
Brandon Sanderson
Steven Erikson

With potential for Mark J Ferrarri to overtake Sanderson if more of his books are as good as The Book of Joby.

 

[PeterWilliam]

The Tolkien Top 5 ...and then some. The Great Eight?

1. Tad Williams
2. Elizabeth Moon
3. Steven Erikson
4. Robin Hobb
5. G.G. Kay


6. David Gemmell
7. Brandon Sanderson
8. J.V. Jones

 

[Tickle]

Well my 5 favorite are (no particular order):

Anne Bishop
Michelle West
Elizabeth Haydon
Melanie Rawn
Jacqueline Carey

I would also have to say Frank Herbert - I love the Dune Series.

I'm going to have to say my list has changed slightly. I would now add the following:
Jane Lindskold
C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
Dean Koontz - I feel that some of his books (mostly the ones I like the most) would be better classified as Fantasy or SF. (Watchers, Strangers)

 

[cgw]

Minor revisions from a few years ago:
Mostly authors I would read almost anything they write.
1. Zelazny
2. -----no number 2 because no one is close.
3. Dave Duncan
4. Fred Saberhagen (fantasy only)
5. Raymond Feist (I have not been so quick lately to read his new stuff)

PC Hodgell - I have read all her work but it is only 4 books.
Abercrombie - ditto

 

[owlcroft]

And?

Some of these are really obscure nowadays, you have to admit.

I am unclear about how popularity correlates to greatness.

Dunsany and Peake : I don't think I'm alone in classing them as perhaps the greatest fantasists ever. I'm amazed anyone could dislike either, but--considering how different they are, too--I'm even more amazed anyone could dislike both. Well, well, live and learn.

Calvino and Borges feel more like expirements to me, artsy-fartsy stuff. "Artsy-fartsy"??!?!!?! Hmm, I think we're getting to the root of the issue here.

Lewis Carroll: children's books. Either you haven't read them since childhood, or you aren't understanding them. They are chockful of clever and sometimes profound matters from logic and philisophy. The question of the Red King's dreams is almost chilling.

Bramah, very very obscure. Cabell. Have heard his name before, but again, obscure. Yes, and . . . ? Back in the day, when literacy was not a rarity, each was lionized. I guess that was then and this is now . . . .

 

[ChrisW]

or you aren't understanding them

If people arn't understanding them is that there fault or the authors? If it's the Authors then clearly they arn't that great Not that i'm saying they have to write on a level that caters to the people who arn't all thbere but if the average person isn't getting it then what's the point?

 

[nquixote]

Oh, I do so love list threads!!

In no particular order...

Tolkien
Martin
LeGuin
Vance
Wurts

(I assumed only fantasy authors should be included...)

 

[owlcroft]

How to say this nicely?

If people arn't understanding them is that there fault or the authors? If it's the Authors then clearly they arn't that great Not that i'm saying they have to write on a level that caters to the people who arn't all thbere but if the average person isn't getting it then what's the point?

Um, the average person is getting them--that's why they're classics . . . .

 

[ChrisW]

umm but you said

Lewis Carroll: children's books. Either you haven't read them since childhood, or you aren't understanding them.

So your saying that if someone doesn't think their great there dumb. Am I wrong?

 

[owlcroft]

Not the word I used . . . .

So your saying that if someone doesn't think their great there dumb. Am I wrong?

I am saying that a great number of people--most readers, I'd venture--have easily found in Lewis Carroll's "Alice" works (especially Through The Looking-Glass) numerous large concepts that are variously fascinating, amusing, or profound (and sometimes all of those).

Perhaps some time spent visiting various of the sites listed on this page of The Lewis Carroll Society of North America site would be of assistance in augmenting your understanding of the books.

 

[Sauronsbeagle]

JRR Tolkien
George RR Martin
R Scott Bakker
Steven Erikson
Stephen Donaldson/Robin Hobb (too hard to decide which to drop!)