I was looking for the quote that Toole begins the novel, and takes the title (something like: the world will know when genius appears for the dunces will form a confederacy against him) … but I found this excerpt which I must share:
*On the prow of the wagon, in an attempt to attract business among the Quarterites, Ignatius taped a sheet of Big Chief paper on which he had printed in crayon: TWELVE INCHES (12) OF PARADISE. So far no one had responded to its message. *
Kurt Vonnegut.
Orson Scott Card, Poe come to mind quickly.
One book–Dune by Frank Herbert.
mystery–agatha christie
comic–bill watterson
Eve, I’ll be sure to pick up your book as soon as I can. How will I be able to get your work address to get you to sign it?
I’ve always liked Donald Westlake. Not great literature, but always entertaining.
Probably never. Except for the first two or three Hitchhiker books (which were themselves just novelizations of the original radio scripts), he only actually wrote when his British editor locked him up in a hotel room. I think he still has a book or two under contract, but I don’t know anyone who seriously expects anything new to ever appear. He seems to enjoy “messing about on computers” (his phrase) much more, these days.
(But don’t we all?)
There are only two authors whose books I buy the second they come out
1: Robert Jordan - his Wheel of Time series has to be the greatest series of books ever written ever!!! - read them and find out
2: Terry Pratchett - he writes the funniest books ever written - read the Discworld books - everyone
from when I was a kid the only things I would ever read were Roald Dahl books - best kids books around
Gherbod Fleming- do a search on Amazon and buy everything he has written.
Margaret Wise and Tracy Hickman- 10 times better then tolkien.
Kathleen Ryan- see ‘Gherbod Fleming’
I s’pose Terry Pratchett, but don’t you think he’s fallen too much into a formula now? I still buy them as they come out (in paperback), and they’re still good, but they’re not quite what they used to be, it seems to me
Ursula LeGuin
Alan Garner
Whoever it was that wrote “The Dark is Rising” - haven’t read them for years, but they left a real impression
C S Lewis - the fantasies AND the theological ones
Imanuel Velikovsky
My favourite author of the future will be the person who signs my winning-the-lottery seven-digit check
Nelson DeMille, without a doubt. Never fails to make me laugh.
My favorite is Geeta Mehta.
Author of:
–Karma Cola
–The Raj
–A River Sutra
–Snakes and Ladders
I’m surprised more folks haven’t mentioned Tolkien-- Truely without a peer. Other favorites include (in no particular order) Shakespeare, C. S. Lewis, Madeline L’Engle, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, James Fenimore Cooper, Mark Twain, and David Weber.
I really like books by:
David Brin
Isaac Asimov
Mark Twain
Jared Diamond
… and, of course, Cecil…
There are so many good ones I like to read, but if I could only pick two to take into exile, it’d have to be Robert A. Heinlein, and Louis L’Amour, both of whom died in '88. Bummer Summer!
**Jane Austen
Rex Stout
Sharyn McCrumb
Charlotte Macleod
Carolyn G. Hart
Richard and Frances Lockridge
Agatha Christie
Georgette Heyer
Lillian Braun
Josephine Tey**
Hey, I could go on and on, but since I already have and I don’t want to bore you to any further tears, just let me say that there are TONS of really excellent authors out there who deserve mention. And I will not alienate you by mentioning them, okay?
Scotti
I’m sure Eve would be on my favorites list, but I still haven’t been able to find her book. (Sorry Eve…I’m really trying to find it, and when I do I promise I will mail it to you for you to sign).
Stephen King.
John Crowley. No one beats him IMHO for fantasy.
Little,Big a masterpiece.(Engine Summer is pretty good
too.)
For sheer skin crawling creepiness, The Debt to Pleasure,
by John Lanchester.
Harlan Ellison. The best author in the hemisphere now that Robert Bloch and Luis Borges are both dead. The man has a genius with character, with plot and with language. Who else could come up with titles like “I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream,” or “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs” and then have the story to back it up. Great fiction and essays for people who like an edge to their reading.
Guy Gavriel Kay, obviously.
I’m glad Zelazney still has some fans. I thought I was the last. Oh, and if I hear someone mention Robert Jordan agan, I will become very, very angry.