# Name your top three present day authors (and your favorite work of theirs) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306 "2012-01-22T15:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/21 "2012-01-23T16:37:13Z")
I’m currently reading two authors where I’m enjoying their works: Michael Connelly - The Harry Bosch series. Enjoyable read; the main character ages in real time over the series. I"m a guy, and this author seems to be a popular female favorite type author; Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. After seeing the American Movie, I’ve seen the first two Swedish movies; and read the first two books. I just started the 3rd book last night. I don’t really have a 3rd as my other favorite authors either don’t write any more, or are one trick ponies as far as I can tell. Joseph Wambaugh; good police stories; Mario Puzo - The Godfather, and of course William Goldman - The Princess Bride. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/22 "2012-01-23T16:40:43Z")
If I may nitpick, Steig Larsson doesn’t write any more either. He died a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/23 "2012-01-23T16:57:59Z")
Tad Williams - The _Otherland_ series is my favorite, but I’ve loved everything he’s written. Terry Pratchett - _Reaper Man_. Again, have enjoyed everything he’s written. Karen Miller - _Godspeaker_ trilogy ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/24 "2012-01-23T16:58:18Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > _Watership Down_ is one of my top three favorite books, but I hesitate to choose Adams as a favorite author because I read another book of his (_Girl in a Swing_) and frankly hated it. What is UP with that? I tried to read _Shardik_, both because I adore _Watership Down_ and because it figures into to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I couldn’t do it. It was drowning me in awfulness. That might be a good thread, too – authors who somehow hit on One Great Book, but can’t seem to ever get close to it again. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/25 "2012-01-23T18:37:27Z")
Terry Pratchett, but don’t ask me for a single one - there are about 10 vying for top spot. At the moment, if forced, I would probably say Going Postal Jasper Fforde - Well of Lost Plots, with Shades of Grey coming a close second Catherynne Valente - Deathless ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/26 "2012-01-23T19:02:10Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > What is UP with that? I tried to read _Shardik_, both because I adore _Watership Down_ and because it figures into to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I couldn’t do it. It was drowning me in awfulness. > > That might be a good thread, too – authors who somehow hit on One Great Book, but can’t seem to ever get close to it again. I read Shardik but not Watership Down and I was left wondering what the hell so many people saw in this guy’s writing, Shardik just draaaaaaaaged. Guess I should have read Watership Down. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/27 "2012-01-23T19:26:22Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > If I may nitpick, Steig Larsson doesn’t write any more either. He died a few years ago. Haha, true enough; but they seem to be at their most popular right now. I guess I only have one name on my list then. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/28 "2012-01-23T19:38:09Z")
I can’t seem to come up with a third. I’ve been kicking around Pat Conroy, Jim Butcher, Patrick Ness, Dave Barry… **Icarus** mentioned Ray Bradbury, I could go with that. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/29 "2012-01-23T19:39:29Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > What is UP with that? I tried to read _Shardik_, both because I adore _Watership Down_ and because it figures into to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I couldn’t do it. It was drowning me in awfulness. I thought about it for the same reasons, but I’m just going to take your word as reason enough to excuse myself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/30 "2012-01-23T19:42:20Z")
1. JK Rowling - Harry Potter series(book 6 if you must have one) 2. Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn series(1st one if you must have one) 3. Stephen King - Dark Tower Series(book 3 if you must have one). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306/31 "2012-01-25T03:47:23Z")
Wow, didn’t mean to sink the thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-top-three-present-day-authors-and-your-favorite-work-of-theirs/610306.md?page=1)