My favourite authors are James Herbert and Graham Masterton............in my opinion these two leave all other horror writers for dead...... oops excuse the pun......
the latest James Herbert novel  "Nobody True " is fantastic, has anyone else read it...???

Just read in the Herald, new kid on the block, Andrew O'Connor has won last night the $20,000 Vogel Prize for a manuscript by an author under 35.

For anyone interested, article here.

I can't name a favourite author. I read many different genres but mainly sci-fi.
Some of my sci-fi favs include Douglas Adams, Arthur C Clark, John Wyndham, Anne McCaffrey, Asimov, Piers Anthony and Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Some write serious stuff, others write entertaining stuff and yet others just write fluff. But I love reading fluff too.

I've probably forgotten some sci-fi legend in my above list. Robert Heinlein was deliberately left off the list. His books are very entertaining but I have found that evntually all of his characters end up naked at some point and some fantasize about incestual relationships. It doesn't appeal to me at all. Everytime I open a heinlein novel I'm waiting for the daughter to ponder about her father and then I wonder which of the characters is going to shed all his clothes.

I've read a number of James Herbert novels. They are very good. I haven't caught up with 'Nobody True' yet. I will look for it at the library.

Quoted Text

...then I wonder which of the characters is going to shed all his clothes...

! This read like something out of a Jackie Collins' novel.

My favorite author for an very interesting Genre, 'Historical Fiction'. Her name is Judith Tarr and her novels, some of them quite large books, take a time in history or an historical figure like Alexander the Great, and inject a fictional character or characters into her story about that famous person or time. One I remember well was about Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt and the last one I read (for the second time) was about Alexander the Great, although the main charcter was not Alexander. I have enjoyed learning history as I go along having not selected history at school. I enjoy other Genres as well but this is the flavour of the moment with me.
A good Fantasy writer is Elizabeth A Lynn who comes first in my books (excuse the pun). I am a voracious reader and read 2 to 3 books per week. I only read in bed.

I also like James Herbert and found  'nobody true' to be a good read. However I really love Dean Koontz's books, trouble is they never last very long as I have to keep reading until I'm done. I haven't read his latest one yet, I've bought it but I'm waiting until my exams are over with, that way I have a little treat to look forward to.
Any aspiring nurses out there might want to read 'Tending lives/nurses on the medical front' by Echo Heron and anyone interested in midwifery will love 'Baby catcher' by Peggy Vincent!

Definitely Dean Koontz is the best horror writer around. I will read anything that he has written.

Sci-fi has to be Mike Resnick hands down. I have all of his books written under his own name. Never been able to find out what pseudonyms he wrote under a number of years ago. The majority of his books take place within the same universe, at various points in time within that universe. He does outer-space western sci-fi like nobody else.

Douglas Adams is my favourite of all time I think.  I can still get a laugh out of Hitchhiker's Guide even though I read my copy so often I had to buy a new one 'cos the old one fell apart

But I love to read lots of stuff...history, literature, mystery, biography, travel are my favourites ... my ideal job would be to own a bookshop but I'd never make any money 'cos I would be too busy reading to do any sales work

I just finished State of Fear by Michael Crichton...very interesting take on the environmental movement and the way "we" are manipulated by "them" (politicians and media).  I'm wondering how much of it is true....very very interesting

love John Irving books. Mainly "A prayer for Owen Meanie" and "Son of the Circus."
Very Humorous in a dry kind of way ,and yet moving or thoughtful storylines.
In a completly different line i have been enjoying Laurell K hamilton and the Anita Blake Vampire series. A bit like Buffy meets Micky Spillane in the way its written i feel. OK i know its an odd description!  Picked one of these up from a recommendation from a friend and couldn't put them down.

Another of my favorite Authors is Robert J Sawyer. He writes excellent Science Fiction. I am about to embark on the final book in a series of three called (in order)
Hominids... Humans... Hybrids. It is based in 2 parallel Earths. One like we live in and the other where Neanderthals are the dominant species and are equaly as civilised and educated as we are. A rip occurs in the (whatever it is called) between the two worlds and one Neanderthal named Ponter Boddit comes to investigate our world.

This guy writes clearly and comprehensively and is a joy to read.
You can find more about the many books he has written at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi.....mp;Go.x=0&Go.y=0

My favorite authors would be agatha christie as i love old english murder mysteries and the bronte sisters/thomas hardy. Wuthering heights is my favorite novel..

I'm a HUGE Raymond E. Feist fan

im old school, graham greene, just brilliant, dickens, gogol, dostovesky, george johnston,

1: Milan Kundera (Undearable Lightness Of Being, Immortality, and etc).

2: Robert Musil (The Man Without Qualities, The Confessions Of Young Törless, and etc).

3: Hermann Broch (The Sleepwalkers, The Death Of Virgil and etc).

4: Mitch Cullin (Branches, Tideland, and etc).

5: Ryu Murakami (Almost Transparent Blue, Coin Locker Babies, and etc).

I have been really into historical novels of late particularly by Sara Donati and Diana Gabaldon.  They are both fantastic authors and their books I have found hard to put down...each of them is writing a series of novels so that when I finish one I have to go buy the next to find out what happens to the characters next!  Truly addictive reading.  And they give a fascinating insight to history as well and although there is a touch of authors licence in some of the historical events, generally the history is very accurate and genuine.  Well worth the read!

I agree, Dean Koontz is really good, he always seems to add a human element that you can relate to.

My other favourites not neccessarily from the same genre are:

John Saul
Stephen King (his earlier stuff mostly)
John Grisham
Robin Cook
Patricia Cornwell
Jeffrey Archer
Michael Connelly
Sidney Sheldon
James Patterson
Dan Brown

I also read

Frederick Forsyth
Ken Follett
Wilbur Smith
Tom Clancy
Jack Higgins
and even Mary Higgins Clark, especially for a light read.

I find that when they turn a good book into a movie it never seems to translate the way I picture it, although I  imagine Tom Hanks will do a good job in the Da Vinci Code.

I have rediscovered Ruth Rendell.

Arthur Upfield; d**k Francis; AJ Quinnell; Winston Graham; Stephen King; Joyce Stranger; Nevil Shute; many others, will update from time to time

Why does the name D.i.c.k get bleeped?  

I think it should only be bleeped if its used inappropriately in context.

Sad to hear that Sidney Sheldon died today!
He was one of my favourite authors a few years back.

More recently, into Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly and Raymond E Feist.

My favourites are still.....
Graham Masterton
James Herbert
Campbell Black
Joe Donnelly.

I used to like Clive cussler but find him very childish now, I think his books these days are mostly written by his son, Dirk Cussler.

Love a well written detection or murder mystery , especially a writer who can inject some humour into the characters and construct sentences of more than 10 words :

Jonathan Kellerman
Elizabeth George
John Connolly

Recently found Carl Hiaasen -- satirical / macabre situations , but a good read if you suspend reality for a while !

I cannot believe no-one has mentioned the KING of horror- Richard Laymon.  I currently own around 20 of his books (and have read the rest) and would recommend them to anyone with a stable stomach.  
Comedy- in my opinion, no-one beats Janet Evanovich, although I only like the Stephanie Plum series, not the ones she wrote with that other chick (Full House, Full Tilt etc).  I also own the whole series of these and I am waiting for #13.
Best book I have ever read- 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven'.  Can't remember the author but he also wrote 'Tuesday's with Morrie'  which is also good.

John Douglas has a series of books.

He worked for the FBI in Behavioral Science section. He basically invented profiling. He talks about all the serial killers he helped track down. The Scott Glenn character  in the movie silence of the lambs was based on him.

John connely is brillant his books especially his last one dark angel can take a few chapters to warm up but its worth it , his best book i think is the killing kind but u really need to read the series(based on same character) from the start to understand every dead thing is the first.

Quoted from felicity009

John Connelly is brillant his books especially his last one dark angel can take a few chapters to warm up but its worth it , his best book i think is the killing kind but u really need to read the series(based on same character) from the start to understand every dead thing is the first.

Yes , the first book I read ( after reading a short story written by him in Nocturnes , which he edited ) was Dark Hollow ,  2nd in the series

I went back to Every Dead Thing and moved forward from there

All the characters combine to make a great "ensemble" , but Angel and Louis are my favorites !!

The Unquiet is due out in May .... can't wait !!

ok i just finished reading dark angel and although it was good i found it really hard to get into and didnt think it was as good as the others

Charles Bukowski YEAH BUKO!!!!

As for horror writters I stopped reading king koontz ect in my teens when I found a writter called Poppy Z Brite, the lady is truely a genius of the horror genre. You need an execptionally strong stomach to read her work, but its so well written and so f@*ked up. Just brilliant!

Jodi Picoult has to be my favourite!! Her latest "nineteen minutes"  is about a high school shooting... sad but so real!

Lauren Greenfield another brilliant photographer/ author. "Thin" was my favourite its so relatable, anyone who has suffered from an eating disorder should definately check it out.

love jane austen, the bronte"s, elizabeth gaskell, enid blyton, bonnie byrannt, charmed and sabrina books. i never tire of these books and can read them over and over again.  

Like the historical fiction such as James A michener, Edward Rutherfurd, and others such as Tom Clancy, Bernard Cornwall, some Colleen McCullough( should see the interview with Andrew Denton on Enough Rope) some Bryce Courtney.

Recently, been getting into Matthew Reilly.  I know it is not he best books in the world, but it is an enjoyable read for action fans.  I use him to encourage many boys who don't like reading to read.

My favourite would have to be Anais Nin.  Her writing is daring, sensual and poetic.

Some would consider her writing as pornographic.  Wasn't she a bigamist?

I have merely answered the question that has been posed.  Anais Nin is my favourite writer not my personal literary role model.

It would appear I have previously insulted your choice of adding Harry Potter to your high school curriculum.  May I ask what you know of J.K. Rowling's personal life and how does one's personal life impact on one's ability to write?

My favouirte is Hemingway and he was an alcoholic...Henry David Thoreau, Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr., Oscar Wilde, William James, Walter de la Mare, and R.H. Ward had experiemented in drugs... Who cares.  They are all great writers.

Pornographic is in today's fashion, music and tv - that's society.  Raising bigamy is a foolish accusation to raise on the internet and certainly totally unrelated to the topic.

My favourite is Anais Nin too because she opened my eyes to things people are too afraid to speak of.  She is certainly no saint but who is these days.

Yeah, that's a bit harsh making the "bigamist" remark.  I am not here to debate on any mans ethics or morals. I think this is dangerous territory. Morals and ethics are abstract concepts. As with anything abstract everyone interprets it differently. There are no universal ethics and morals we can go based on the rule of thumb. So I find it extremely discouraging that a monitor would raise something about abstract concepts which cannot be defined.  And certainly on a totally unrelated topic.

I'll start off saying that my favourite author back in high school was Isaac Asimov. I don't get enough time to read much these days to reassess that. He really opened me up to reading and then all the absolute garbage we had to study for English at school turned me off again.

So Anais Nin (the author) was an adulterous bigamist. That's no secret. She received an honourary doctorate and many artistic accolades and postings during her life. Would you go out of your way to not read her work based on your dislike of someone who does? Perhaps because she explored her sexuality in a way that challenges you?

Quoted from AnaPent

My favourite is Anais Nin too because she opened my eyes to things people are too afraid to speak of.  She is certainly no saint but who is these days.

Yeah, that's a bit harsh making the "bigamist" remark.  I am not here to debate on any mans ethics or morals. I think this is dangerous territory. Morals and ethics are abstract concepts. As with anything abstract everyone interprets it differently. There are no universal ethics and morals we can go based on the rule of thumb. So I find it extremely discouraging that a monitor would raise something about abstract concepts which cannot be defined.  And certainly on a totally unrelated topic.

I too remember AnaisNin.  As a kid she was someone we weren't allowed to talk about or that we revered.  Why is asking was she a bigamist harsh?    And what is so abstract about it?  I eventually did a search on her.  She was a bigamist, but allegedly no-one knew until after she died.

... Derek Hansen who happens to be both a friend and a favourite author of mine.  Has anyone read his "Lunch with the Generals"?

Yes I read it and enjoyed it but wouldn't rave about it. I found the book more of a soapbox about the author's own personal experiences but I sort of know Derek Hansen's background so the things in the book I had seen before when he was splashed everywhere in the advertising industry. My hubby was a huge fan of Derek's advertising agency and a bit of the reason why he wanted to start his own publication.  His book Sole Survivor was more interesting for me but I'm a big saga fan.

I have deleted and modified some of these posts in an attempt to promote harmony in the festive season.  This was not my idea, but that of one of our members here.  I take full responsibility for making the decision to do as was requested, and hope we can all move forward from here on.

On with the debate...

That's cool Paula, Thank You!

Anais, I'll have to borrow Lunch with the Generals from you once I've finished by current Matthew Reilly.

Next time we drive past "that intersection" I'll know what you mean.

Haha... I swear Derek sketched my favourite scene based on Edgecliff.  He described it so well in that final chapter.  I have Lunch with Mussolini too.  It's definitely better written but the plot is too predictable.

I think my tastes differ from all the above.
I like supernatural and Horror type stories hence my favourite authors are Graham Masterton and James Herbert.
In the normal adventure vein I have all the books by Wilbur Smith

I love supernatural and horror stories also. Just getting back into Dean Koontz. He was a bit 'icky' years ago but his latest stuff (in the last 4 years) has been great IMHO. The 'Odd Thomas' series is fantastic. Recently read his 'The Face' and now reading 'One door away from Heaven'. Buying 'Brother Odd' on special at QBD bookstore tomorrow. It is more into the supernatural realm these days and not slash horror. Read a few James Masterton in my time. I am a sponge when it comes to reading. Used to get A's in English because of my love of the written word. That is the ONLY subject I got good grades in though.

OMG... One door away from Heaven was fabulous. I cried The ending was beautiful and fitting. I didn't get to the QBD bookstore to buy Brother Odd
Reading some Judith Tarr at the moment. Dean Koontz since the new Millenium began, deserves accolades for his clever and insightful writing.  

How to choose a favourite....almost impossible!  Some of mine are:  Terry Pratchett - both funny and clever and so hard to put down. Gerald Durrell - particularly 'My Family and Other Animals'.  James Herriott for his wonderful animal stories.  Agatha Christie and Murray Ball (if a cartoonist can be included) and P.G. Wodehouse who can work wonders with words and extract his characters unruffled from the most terrible tangles.

I have read every Gerald Durrell book and laughed myself silly at every one. My god, his family must have been a circus to live with. I have wanted so much to travel to Corfu since reading his books and live there, for a while at least! One particular thing he wrote that still makes me laugh when I think of it, is about a female skunk in an amorous way and looking like a black and white football, she was so fat. The way he wrote, you were actually transported to where he was and looking at what he described, bless his soul. I used to be friends with a lady who had worked on Jersey (or was it Gurnsey) off England in the zoo he founded. I was most envious.  

Quoted from noTO

I'm a HUGE Raymond E. Feist fan

+1

Also eddings, Goodkind, Robert Jordan, David Gemmel, Anne rice and Tad Williams

I love the Matha Finely books!
Elsie Dinsmore, Millie Keith, Violet Travilla and Layle Colbert.
All the books are set in the 1800's and are historically true and accurate.
But each of the girls have there own trials and they really inspired me to live a better life!
Has any one else read the A Life Of Faith Siries??

My favourite author is Ken Follett.  After reading his "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End", I find it hard to find another book I enjoyed so much as those.  Couldn't put them down.  

Since my last post in Dec 2007 in this topic I think I have read every James Patterson book