(image cropped from this picture…cannot find the source)
…Yes, it is a post about Books and Reading.
Jeff S. posed an interesting question in one of his comments in the book review post for A Game of Thrones by author George R. R. Martin: Who are your favorite authors and how did you discover them?
Rare is the book lover who doesn’t love to talk about their books, their inspirations, etc. and I thought it was a capital idea to pose his question to the blog community at large. Some of us have discovered life long favorite books/authors because of the timely intervention of a skillful tour guide, someone whose passionate recommendation of that author caused us to give him/her a try. Others have blazed their own path, picking up a book from a heretofore unexplored author only to discover that they have laid their hands on a precious treasure–there’s gold in them there books! Truth be told, I imagine that most readers over a certain age have favorites that they tried based on the referral of another reader AND have been an intrepid explorer in their own reading lives.
So I am splitting up Jeff’s “Who Are Your *Favorite Authors?” question into two parts:
A. Those that entered your life because of the referral of another person.
and
B. Those that were your very own discovery.
While I am more than happy with a brief list, I love details, so feel free to either answer in the comments section with a quick list, or write a small novel. Your choice. You can see my answers after the jump.
*”favorite” can be defined a number of ways and I am not a stickler on what that means. They might be authors that you have read and enjoyed for a long time or those you have just recently come to admire. For the most part I classify my favorites as authors I have re-read many times and/or have read several of their novels and/or cannot wait until their next novel comes out and/or cannot shut up about them.
Authors I Consider Favorites that I Discovered Thanks to the Intervention of Others:
Neil Gaiman—
On my second solo trip to the Big Apple to visit my dear college friend Scott, he thrust the Sandman graphic novels in front of me and said, “You must read these while you are here”. This was somewhere in 1996, not long after the final issue, #74, was released. I became a fan of comics AND Gaiman during that week. Neverwhere later sealed the deal permanently.
Patricia A. McKillip—
This might be cheating as far as considering this a ‘recommendation’, but my brother Jason bought me the first book in the Riddle-master trilogy, The Riddle-Master of Hed, when we were both young men and I was sucked right in. I quickly bought the other two books in the series and tore through them. My memory may be faulty, but this is the first high fantasy series I recall reading and I’ve been a fan of McKillip’s lyrical style ever since.
John Scalzi—
It was a review by Nic on the blog site Eve’s Alexandria that made me aware of this series by John Scalzi. After reading a few pages I was transported back to my youth and the science fiction that I grew up reading. My science fiction love had not disappeared, but the fire was a bit dim. John Scalzi rekindled that love and I have been a more passionate science fiction fan because of the great experiences I have had with his novels.
J.R.R. Tolkien—
I have to give dual credit for this one: Peter Jackson (and crew) and John Harper. I had not read Tolkien before the release of Fellowship of the Ring. During opening week I went out with James and Tom and their friend John Harper. We had a meal and then proceeded to the film. John Harper was a HUGE Tolkien geek, having read the books and many other Tolkien related material over the years. Prior to and after the film he was giving us all kinds of background info on the series, without spoiling either of the films that had yet to be released. The Lord of the Rings films are among my favorites and it is the passion of Peter Jackson and his crew coupled with John’s passion for the original material that combined to light the spark for me to read the entire series, and a lot more, since Return of the King was released.
Edgar Allan Poe and William Shakespeare—
The results of required reading in junior high and senior English, respectively. I had a really good experience with my first Shakespeare with my English teacher and it has forever emboldened me to read more plays and literature. I am very grateful to her for that.
L.M. Montgomery—
My sister-in-law Beth, long before she became my sister-in-law, introduced me to Anne of Green Gables via the Wonderworks film starring Megan Follows. She also mentioned how good the books were. I got a huge crush on the character and proceeded to read all of the books in the series. I have read most of them more than once, my favorites (Anne of the Island, Anne’s House of Dreams, and Rainbow Valley) several times over. Anne Shirley’s love of reading and love of imagination have always echoed my own. Anne, and L.M. Montgomery, are true ‘kindred spirits’.
Robert E. Howard—
Jeff recommended the comics series by Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord, which was fantastic, and then suggested that I would probably enjoy the stories as well. And he was right. Howard’s Conan stories so defied my expectations, based entirely on the fun but cheesy Schwarzenegger Conan films, that I quickly moved Howard on to my favorite authors list. If you haven’t read the Conan stories, you really should give them a try.
Authors I Consider Favorites that I Discovered in my own Exploration:
Bram Stoker—
It is not that I hadn’t heard of Bram Stoker before, but it wasn’t until I saw a copy of Dracula face out on the library shelf at my local library, somewhere around my 11th year, that I ever thought about reading the book. I can still remember quite vividly the delicious fear I felt reading those first few chapters. Every time I think a novel has replaced it in my number one spot, I see a copy and think on my youth and adult reading experiences with the book and it climbs right back into the top spot. I have read Stoker’s Jewel of the Seven Stars as well as The Mystery of the Sea, plus a book of short stories. He was not a one hit wonder for me, I enjoy this other work as well.
Harry Harrison—
While I credit my uncle Dean (along with the Star Wars films) as my catalyst for my passion for the genre of science fiction, I see my foray into the world of the Stainless Steel Rat as a product of my own intrepid exploration. Dean was very generous in allowing me to read his books, but was not one to pick up a book and say, “hey, I think you might like this”. I had read and re-read his Brian Daley Han Solo novels many times over before daring to try anything else. On one overnight visit to my grandmother’s house I decided to take a chance and read something else. The back cover of Harrison’s SSR trilogy, The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat intrigued me enough to be bold and give it a try–a stainless steel rat was born!
Robert A. Heinlein—
This one is pretty simple. I worked in a small bookstore during my college years and spent a great deal of time making sure the Science Fiction and Fantasy section of the bookstore looked its very best. Whenever I would shelve Heinlein’s Time Enough For Love I would look at that great (and sexy) cover and tell myself that someday I would read that book. And one day, many years later, I finally did. My foray over the past few years into his juvenile fiction, recommended by Jeff and Jerry, has only made my affection for this author stronger.
Isaac Asimov—
Though his Foundation books graced my uncle’s bookshelves, I always felt intimidated by this author. Somehow, despite never really reading much or hearing anything much about him growing up, I had this idea that his work was not accessible. When I was decommissioned (details here…quite possibly my favorite post to write EVER) I determined to give these novels a try. I read the whole trilogy one right after the other and fell HARD. I followed that up a year later with I, Robot and have since read several other of the robot short stories and some other short stories and I consider myself a big fan. From my blog visiting over the past year it seems that Asimov is somewhat declasse these days. I write that off as the science fiction version of literary elitism. These are good stories. Really good stories.
H.P. Lovecraft—
This one could probably go on the recommended list, though I cannot recall any one person, friend or author, who specifically recommended Lovecraft. I knew many people liked him and/or counted his work as inspiration. A few years back I decided to give him a try for the R.I.P. Challenge and am so glad I did. His short stories are the quintessential stuff that I look at as inspiration for the R.I.P. Challenge. Gothic and classic in all the right ways, his stories give me thrills and chills despite their nostalgic quality.
P.G. Wodehouse—
Though Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie introduced me to two of his most famous characters, I hadn’t met anyone who had read any Wodehouse before I tried it out for myself. I find his work laugh-out-loud funny with a sweetness and sentiment that makes him an author who it is a joy to come back to again and again. Something Fresh is my favorite Wodehouse novel and I’ve read it several times over.
There are a few other potential favorites who I have not read enough of to feel justified in proclaiming them so just yet:
George R. R. Martin— Recommended by my friend Jeff. I’ve read one science fiction collaboration and one fantasy novel. Both have impressed me immensely.
Haruki Murakami— Nearly simultaneous praise singing by my friend Cameron and by Bellezza gave me the push I needed to try out my very first Japanese fiction a couple of years ago. Two short story collections and a novel later I consider myself a fan. I have one more of his novels on my shelf waiting patiently for me and several more (thankfully) to go. I think one more positive novel experience will give me the foundation I need to give him favorite status.
Nick Horby– Nymeth and Chris made The Polysyllabic Spree sound like a must read. And they were right. I tore through all three of his Believer Magazine essay collections and have read part of Fever Pitch and all of Slam and am really impressed. He is another who should probably just be considered a favorite. His essays have brought several other wonderful authors to light for me (Anna Quindlen and Anne Fadiman and Sarah Vogel, to name a few).
________________________________________
Before moving on to read your favorites, I wanted to mention a few other book-related items. The first being that June 1st is the beginning of the Japanese Literature Challenge 4, hosted by Dolce Bellezza. This challenge runs through the end of January 2011. Details can be found here.
This challenge has introduced me to a few really talented writers. I look forward to continuing my Murakami education during the challenge and I picked up a copy of Jiro Asada’s award-winning short story collection, The Stationmaster, at the comic shop last night. Really looking forward to that.
Come join us!
______________________________________
My friend Harry is hosting a giveaway sponsored by CSN stores in which the prize is the above book case. You must be a U.S. or Canadian resident to qualify. If you would like to be included in the drawing, please click here before June 15th and follow the very simple instructions.
_____________________________________
And now I would love to hear from you. Don’t feel that you have to go into detail about your books. And again, feel free to if you would like to.
I must say, almost every books I’ve read I’ve read, heard or seen something about before buying it or getting it at the library. I suppose there have been some that I saw in a catalog or found at the book store that were completely new to me, but I’ll really have to put on the thinking cap to come up with specifics. So for now (and there will be more later) I’ll just say thank heavens for: book reviews, recommendations from friends, and suggestions from blogs and many other sources!
I’ll skip the contest, thanks anyway.
Richard: I’m defining ‘recommended’ as being something more than just hearing about the book or knowing something general about it, if that helps. I wouldn’t consider even a book blurb from another author as being ‘recommended’ for this exercise. For me I have to have been inspired to pick up the author by some memorable conversation with someone who recommended it or by a film that prompted me to read it or have been given a book as a gift or something along those lines.
But that is just me. Thought it might help though if I laid out how I was doing it.
I have The Stationmaster book of short stories waiting for me too, thanks to notification from Chris (Stuff As Dreams) when it was first released. We’re going to have fun, Carl, diving into our Murakamis and stations…thanks for the shout out on your blog. XOXO
Bellezza: You are very welcome. Glad to do it. It will be a fun challenge this year.
Ok. Here goes it. Starting with my youth.
CS Lewis – Chronicles of Narnia series. As a kid I had no idea these books had all kinds of religious undertones. I just thought they fun adventure stories centering on kids just like me. I don’t remember anyone recommending these to me.
Llyod Alexander – I believe I just found his fantasy novels as well. Another fantasy series I was sucked into around the 5th or 6th grade.
JRR Tolkien – The Hobbit – I was assigned to read this book in the seventh grade and LOVED it. This lead me to immediately read the LOTR trilogy and from there on out I was hooked as a fantasy reader for life. I can’t imagine what kind of reader I would have turned out like if I had been forced to read The Hobbit.
Tolkien lead me to reading many other fantasy series for the rest of my middle and high school years. I like authors such as Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, Glen Cook, Thieves World shared universe books and Joel Rosenberg but the next one after Tolkien I fell in love with was…
Raymond E Feist – I found him on my own. I loved his Magaican series books and one great horror book he wrote called A Fairie Tale.
Frank Herbert – I found him as well on my own. DUNE was the first Scifi book I remember falling in love with. It had everything. Truly a classic. I read 6 books all written by him on Dune. I never had given the new stuff a chance. I’m afraid they will taint my memories of the originals.
Star Trek Books – While I loved Star Wars growing up I was an even bigger Star Trek fan. I remember watching many of a Star Trek rerun at dinner time in front of the television with a tv tray holding my meal. My love of ST:DS9 as an adult lead me to search out the books which I have hugely enjoyed. My favorite ST authors are Peter David, Keith RA Decandio, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dillmore and David Mack. Thank you Gene Roddenberry !!!
Alexandar Dumas – I was told I must read a ” clasic ” one year in high school for an assignment which lead me to choose The Three Musketeers. Every movie version of this classic stinks when compared to the original. Thank you English teacher.
Neil Gaiman – I have Carl to thank for my love of Neil. Stardust being a particular favorite of mine. I love Neverwhere quite a lot as well. I can’t wait to read the author’s preferred edition one day. I love a ton of his short stories as well in addition to The Sandman series.
George RR Martin – After many years in my 20’s of not reading much my friend Mark Roth is responsible for reigniting my love of fantasy reading by introducing me to The Song of Ice and Fire series which I fell hard for. I can’t describe how much I love these books. They just got everything and are in my top 5 all time reads.
Robert A Heinlein – I read Starship Troopers back when the movie came out and loved it but didn’t read any more Heinlein. Once I had kids and they got a little older my good friend Jerry told me about the RAH juvenile’s. They are great and I have read many to my kids… Farmer in the Sky, Red Planet and Have Space Suit Will Travel just to name a few. I wish someone was writing YA Scifi like these books today.
Robert E Howard – Frazetta made me love this character growing up but my friend Jerry again got me to check out the original material as an adult and I loved them. Conan stories are not as one dimensional as the Arnold movie leads every one to believe.
John Scalzi – Carl introduced me to this author years ago. Along with Heinlein they each have re-sparked a love of Scifi reading in me as an adult. The Old Man’s War series is great and I loved Agent to the Stars. His blog, Whatever, is also highly entertaining. THANKS CARL !!!
Ian Fleming – Thank you Daniel Craig for doing such a great job in the last two movies that I read some of the original stories which are incredible.
Possible favoites in the years to come if they keep putting out quality books like the have so far: Patrick Rothfuss who wrote The Name of the Wind and Alex Bledsoe who has written two Eddie LaCrosse novels so far which rock.
I’m curious about other people’s favorite’s as well. Great list Carl.
Ha, how funny. I had Ian Fleming on my list as well, for the very same reason, and took him off just because I felt like my list was getting too long! I ditto your thoughts.
I’m not sure I’ve read any Feist at all. I know I’ve seen the Lloyd Alexander books but I don’t recall having read them. I will be reading Dune sometime. My hope is that I’ll get to it and finish it during the heat of summer.
I’ve enjoyed MANY Star Trek novels over the years, mostly original series characters. Its fun reading the Vanguard series with its focus on new characters in that universe.
I didn’t read any of the Chronicles of Narnia books until I was well into adulthood. Not until we moved here to KC actually. Scott got them for me as a Christmas gift once and that was my first time ever.
OMG! I cannot believe you didn’t read LOTR before the movie came out!! Holy Cow ! I keep forgetting how young you are! lol.. sheesh..
I think I’ve done favorite authors before..but let me think on it maybe I can wind up with a post. I will say that the first author would be Tolkien. My brother intoduced me to the Hobbit …and I couldn’t put it down.
Robert A. Heinlein is my top favorite writer. I discovered him in the 8th grade when he was on an approved reading list of my English teacher. I still regularly reread his books.
Mark Twain. I think I love reading about him more than reading his books, but I was totally into him for several years after high school. My mother gave me a set of his books for graduation. I’ve been meaning to reread his travel books like Roughing It and Innocents Abroad soon.
Jack Kerouac. Discovered On the Road from reading Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. Like Twain, I love reading biographies on Kerouac. I reread Kerouac’s novels just about every decade.
After that I have a bunch of writers that I have had infatuations with, but haven’t developed full blown love affairs. People like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Samuel R. Delany, Isaac Asimov, etc. I tend to fixate individual novels, like Life of Pi, Replay, Middlesex, etc. However, I’ve started reading a lot of fiction by Robert J. Sawyer and nonfiction by Bart D. Ehrman, so I guess I’m dating them now.
Oh, this was such fun to read! As were everyone else’s responses.
I feel sort of brain-dead here, because I can’t really come up with many favorite authors. I’m not sure if I’m just too tired to think, or if I’m honestly just too flaky to stick with most authors for long. :/ But the few who jump to mind:
Stephen King–first discovered on my own back in middle school. While I don’t immediately read everything of his as it comes out like I did back in my teens and twenties, I probably still would consider him a favorite. The Stand is certainly still one of my favorite books of all-time.
Neil Gaiman–sort of a mixture of self discovery and credit to others. Actually, I’d really have to give you credit for my Gaiman-love. I read, and loved, Coraline before I started blogging. Only read it because Annie found it in a thrift store and wanted me to read it first to make sure it wasn’t too scary for her. And while I really loved it, it honestly never occurred to me to look to see if he’d written other things. Yes, I was *that* clueless about Mr. Gaiman until meeting you all! And honestly, it was your influence that led me to pick up American Gods…another of my all-time favorite books. And while I haven’t yet read close to everything he’s written, I’ve yet to read anything I don’t like.
Ray Bradbury–Again, I haven’t read anywhere close to all his writings yet, but he is definitely a favorite! And I really only first read Something Wicked This Way Comes because it sounded like it would make a good “school” read. And hey, it was!
Patrick Ness–Definitely Ana’s fault entirely! And wow…do I owe her for that!
And really, that’s the best I can do right now…I know I’m forgetting people that I will kick myself for not mentioning. Oh well.
Debi: That is great! I haven’t read anything by Ness. Ray Bradbury is definitely great. I read Something Wicked when I was a kid after the movie came out. I then went decades without reading him before picking up The Homecoming because of McKean’s art and then later reading the wonderful Dandelion Wine.
I’m not sure how old I was the first time I read Stephen King. The book was The Shining and I remember picking it up from the 5 and dime where I would buy books. I hadn’t seen the movie before reading the book. I went through a pretty heavy King love during my high school years.
Jim Harris: I have several people I am ‘dating’ as well…love that, well done! We of course share an affinity for Heinlein. I have to admit to being pretty thrilled that there is still Heinlein stuff out there that I haven’t read. It will be a sad day when I’ve read it all.
Haven’t read any Kerouac. Not sure if it is required to be a Twain fan when you live in Missouri or not, but of the little I’ve read of Twain’s work I have been very impressed.
Deslily: Yep, I’m young! Ha! 😉
C.S. Lewis: By chance or parental intervention I can’t remember, but I still have my Narnia boxed set from my youth. In adulthood I came across Till We Have Faces and really liked it. I recently discovered he also wrote sci-fi and now have Perelandra and Out of the Silent Planet in the queue.
Shakespeare: I discovered the Complete Works on my parents’ shelves and became hooked. I’ve had my own copy of the anthology for many years now.
Marion Zimmer Bradley: Thanks to a friend I read the Sword and Sorceress anthologies in high school. They introduced me to fantasy as a genre and worlds just opened. I’ve always been interested in mythology and folklore and so fell in love with the Mists of Avalon books. I have yet to read something by MZB I don’t like.
Mercedes Lackey: I first read her stories in MZB’s anthologies, but didn’t get hooked until college when a friend introduced me to her Valdemar series. It’s fun fantasy where I can see friends- like Bastien in the Neverending Story.
Ursula Le Guin: A friend recommended the Left Hand of Darkness, which is tied with the Lathe of Heaven as my favourites by Le Guin. Her translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching is simply poetic. Short stories, young adult, essays…I won’t say no to more.
Steven Barnes: A friend mentioned a fascinating alternate history where Islamic Africa is in power and mainly the Irish are enslaved. It’s the only time I ever ordered a book in advance and Lion’s Blood was worth the wait. I liked it and its sequel Zulu Heart better the second time around because I could focus more on their intricacies. Charisma and “the Locusts” are also really good and I need to read more by Barnes.
Neil Gaiman: I glanced at a friend’s Sandman books but didn’t know his name or writing until I happed upon Neverwhere in a bookstore some years later. I’ve since read other books by him, but still have yet to read his graphic novels. I’ll get to them eventually.
Catherynne Valente: I found out about Palimpsest through a mutual friend of Cat and myself. I attended the opening gala and heard some readings last spring, read the book, and then read more works.
Robert Heinlein has the potential to become a favourite. I thoroughly liked 6xH, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Tunnel in the Sky and have several more books in the queue. Since it’s a good analogy, I’ve only been on one short date with George R.R. Martin, but it went well. Thanks to your recent review, I’ll be reading Wild Cards sooner than later and then possibly more.
Tolkien…I should really get around to reading him. Too much too read, too little time.
Mish: You’ve got a lot of great Heinlein reading ahead of you!
I was just looking at Palimpsest at the bookstore the other day and thought it sounded like it had the potential for being a pretty amazing book.
Neverwhere is my all-time favorite Gaiman. It is the first novel of his that I read and just has that special place in my heart.
I haven’t read Barnes, Lackey or Bradley yet.
It’s interesting I don’t many – any? – mystery authors here, except perhaps Arthur Conan Doyle. Doesn’t anyone here read mysteries?
I can only speak for myself, I read some mysteries, more often in the detective/spy format, which is where Ian Fleming would have landed had I not deleted him from my list. I enjoy the work of Christie that I’ve read and if Alan Bradley’s new Flavia mysteries are as entertaining as the first one I could consider him a favorite sometime in the future. I have read several of the Charles Todd mysteries and think they are great.
Now that I think about it, Gaston Lereoux should probably be on my favorites list. I enjoyed Phantom of the Opera, but his mysteries featuring Joseph Rouletabille are certainly among my favorite reading experiences. Those have both been read-alouds to my wife and they were fantastic.
I did enjoy Poe’s one detective mystery, The Murders in the Rue Morgue.
I’ve enjoyed the two Ben Gates novels I’ve read, especially Kill Now, Pay Later but I don’t know if those are considered mysteries or if pulp detective novels fit in their own category.
If Jedediah Berry’s next novel is as good as The Manual of Detection then he will be solidly placed in my favorites file. I could probably put Paul Auster in that holding pattern, or dating, queue as well. I enjoyed the New York Trilogy of mysteries and his novella Travels in the Scriptorium. If I would even finish Gordon Dahlquist’s novel, Glass Books of the Dream Eaters I might consider that as well.
I know you aren’t a big fan of James P. Blaylock’s Landgon St. Ives stories but I consider them a blend between mystery and steampunk and he is another I could put on my favorites list. Same with Alex Bledsoe. His sword and sorcery/pulp detective/fantasy novels featuring Eddie LaCrosse are great. If memory serves those are novels we agree to disagree on because you didn’t particularly like them either.
More often than not I am in the mystery section buying books for my wife than I am looking for something for myself.
Though I do not read many traditional mysteries, I am a HUGE fan of mystery television/movies, particularly the British stuff: Poirot, Marple, Foyle’s War, Inspector Lynley, Inspector Lewis, Inspector Allen.
Wow, that was a long, rambling answer. Bet you are sorry you asked! 🙂
I’m still waiting to see who the authors are that you consider favorites.
Just for Richard! Recommended (I guess) by PBS and Peter Davidson’s wonderful portrayal. British mystery writer Margerie Allingham and her series of Campion novels.
Self discovered; Will Thomas and his 5 Barker & Llewelyn novels. Really good thought provoking suspense/adventure/mysteries based in 1860’s or so London.
My favorite self discovered authors…hmmm…so many! but first to mind; Charles De Lint, Neil Gaiman (I picked up each issue as it came out at the local comic shop), Maria V. Snyder, Will Shetterly and Emma Bull and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Recommended favorites (if you count sneaking them out of my brothers bookshelf recommended!) Ursula K. Leguin’s Earthsea trilogy, Tolkien’s The Hobbit & the Lord of the Rings, Andre Norton, Edgar Rice Burrough’s Pellucidar novels, Robert E. Howard, Kenneth Robeson’s Doc Savage series, Maxwell Grant’s Shadow series, and the list could go on & on & on!!!
sheesh, that just made me realize, i read a LOT of pulps growing up! ^_^
I strongly consider putting Burroughs on my list for the John Carter of Mars series. I’ve only read three or four of them but they are a hoot. I should give Doc Savage a try at some point.
The Peter Davison Campion films are fantastic. My absolute favorite, which I’ve watched several times, is Sweet Danger, featuring Lysette Anthony as Amanda Fitton, who the character eventually marries. I do want to read those few novels that feature her at some point just because I liked her character so much.
I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of Will Thomas.
I won’t swear to it, but i ‘think’ The Estate of the Beckoning Lady has Amanda & the kids in it. If it is the correct book i laughed out loud at some of the antics they went thru to get the house ready for a party. I was overjoyed when they finally released the Campion series on DVD. I just had a few really bad VHS copies taped off of the tv.
another pulp series i enjoyed was The Avenger, can’t remember the original author right off of the top of my head. I never read any of the John Carter novels. We had them & the Tarzan series, but Pellucidar was my Burroughs of choice.
Will Thomas is a contemporary writer, i think his last novel “The Black Hand” was released in 2008. I had bid on a complete set of his paperbacks on ebay on a whim, and then when i was outbid, went and found them on Alibris and some other 1/2 price site and got them. We’ve all really enjoyed them, enough that i’m keeping the series and not swapping them.
Okay, Carl, given the clarification you did in that 3rd comment here, I guess I could say Fred Saberhagen, John Harvey, Robert Sawyer, Carol Berg, Hal Clement, Melanie Rawn, David Eddings, William Horwood, Kristine Katharine Rusch, Barbara Halmby, Dave Duncan, Derick Wilson, A.E. Marsdon, Dorothy L. Sayers, Lester Del Rey, Amanda Cross, Taylor Caldwell, Tony Hillerman, Sax Rohmer, T. Jefferson Parker, Peter Lovesey. The list is much longer, but that’s enough for now.
SGist – Oh, of course! Allingham was an accidental find for me too. I’ve read all of the books (about half of them are very good, the rest so-so but all entertaining. I’m less happy than oyou with the Campion TV shows.
Carl – re: the Poe, didn’t you forget THE MYSTERY OF EDMUND DROOD?
Richard: Sorry you didn’t enjoy the shows as much. I was already a fan of Davison from All Creatures Great and Small and enjoyed him in this role. But then again I’ve never read any of the books.
Did you plan your list so that Jefferson and Lovesey were together so that you would be typing ‘Parker, Peter’? Is that a secret spidey code?
I have some Hal Clement somewhere, perhaps in a short story anthology? I look forward to reading some more Kristine Katharine Rusch in the future. Haven’t read any of her books, but Melanie Rawn has some book covers that I have liked for many years.
I’ve only read a couple of Lester Del Rey short stories, but I’m impressed. I’ve had another friend recommend Saberhagen a few times.
Also forgot one of the authors who has been a favorite since my young adult years and that is John Creasey and his Toff books. I found them on the same uncle’s bookshelf and enjoyed them. Every so often I end up going on a Toff binge through the local library.
Oh, and I haven’t read Edmund Drood…yet.
oh but Richard! the actor they had playing Lugg was perfect!!!! + i was in a serious case of desire for their car… I agree that some of the stories could have been adapted better, but, i loved Peter Davidson as Campion and Lugg’s actor and the set design of Campion’s apartment and the actor that played the Scotland Yard Inspector… ^_^ “Sweet Danger” was great because of Lysette Anthony and her strange on-screen family, but, not the stricketest of adaptations, but a fun romp. As was I think (memories going!) The Case of the Late Pig.
oh yeah! Barbara Hambly! found her all on my own. Loved, loved, loved the Silicon Mage trilogy, so wish she would revisit those characters. Liked the Benjamin January books also.
Mary, Tori and I really enjoyed Lugg as well.
No doubt about Heinlein. American Gods and Neverwhere are tied as Gaiman favourites. I’m a sucker for spins on mythology, and like you, Neverwhere has that special spot. Besides, they’re both Great.
Barnes is excellent at sharing different looks into society and making one question. Lackey’s works lean more towards young adults, but then they often become lifelong readers. Bradley’s works have been around since the fifties and her lengthy Darkover series is on my TBR list.
Palimpsest is fantastic in so many ways, but it’s not for everyone and I feel that it should come with a warning sticker. Some folks didn’t like it because of its sexual content, which isn’t gratuitous, but plays a role in the story. There’s a lot worse in media these days. It can be psychologically challenging, but that’s one of the things that compels me to read more by Valente. I get through a story’s uncomfortable parts and at the end it’s “Whoa! Whatta ride! I want to do that again.”
It’s funny that I’ve watched several mystery tv shows over the years but never picked up any mystery books. I think a part me fears yet another part of the book store that I don’t look through already with the potential to add more books to my TBR pile.
Jeff: True. The more sections one goes to the more the TBR pile goes. I picked up Manual for Detection and Sweetness and the Bottom of the Pie, as somewhat recent examples, just because I turned down those aisles.
Mish: Have you ever read The Book of Flying? For some reason I find myself wondering if I would feel the same about it (love it) as I would Palimpsest. At any rate, I have ordered it from the library. All the copies are on hold for others so it may be awhile until it comes in.
Oh, what a cruel, cruel question you ask, Carl… I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t have favourites because I’m pretty sure I do, but it’s not how I tend to think about my reading. :/ And so it’s a hard question to answer.
I’ll just share some stories of encounters with books I wound up enjoying a lot and not worry whether the author is a favourite or not. It counts, right?
I received an omnibus version of Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence on the train to Wales a few years back. I was going on vacation with several of my internet friends and it’d be the first time we’d meet face-to-face. I’m… not entirely sure what happened, but the bottom line is I got gifted a copy of the omnibus to keep. <3
We stayed in Cardiff for a day/two days before leaving. They have biiiiiig English-language bookstores, Carl! (Yes, okay, that probably isn't very impressive to you, living in the US and having your own big bookstores filled with English books all. ^-~) I sulked and whinged a bit at my friends to recommend me some books by authors they'd loved and I wound up taking "Howl's Moving Castle" with me. ^-^ We got on a bus and I happily went to read my shiny, new, recommended book and I'm told we nearly missed our stop because I was so engrossed in it!
And there's Anna Elliott's Trystan and Isolde trilogy which I discovered, courtesy of Nymeth, and I’m so, so glad I did. I love those books. <3
As for books I discovered for myself… I remember the above because they're fun memories…
*pokes site* Go on and post, please…
Hey Shanra, so great to hear from you! Anything counts when you’re talking about books and reading! 🙂 For me it comes natural to somewhat categorize those authors, especially living ones, that will make me drop everything to read their latest, as well as those deceased authors who I know I’ll dip in to every year or every couple of years because that is the longest I can go without reading their work, despite the majestic piles of wonderful books in existence that I am passing up on to read, or in some cases re-read, their work.
I envy your reading on trains experience. That just seems like such a romantic thing to do. Years ago when my friend Scott lived outside of NYC it was about a 20 or 30 minute train ride into the city (probably more, my memory doesn’t recall the exact figure) and I loved visiting him and reading as we rode in on the train. I wouldn’t necessarily want to commute that way every day, and yet the idea of having a forced 30-60 minutes for reading in the morning and in the afternoon sounds like a really lovely idea.
And I can relate to the fun memories part, those are the ones I remember most myself. Certainly not all the books or authors I mentioned as favorites are the best that exist (or existed), but I have cherished memories with their work that gives me warm fuzzies whenever I think about them.
Well, okay, I’ll have to take another look at the Campion movies. It’s been a while and my memory maybe playing tricks on me.
I really enjoyed reading your list. Several authors I have read, and many I have not. Since reading this post, I have been thinking about my favorite authors. My list is not near as long as yours.
My favorite authors are:
Diana Gabaldon – hands down she is my most favorite. I love her writing, she completely brings me into the world she has created through the use of all senses. I feel connected to the characters, and the time. She is one of the few authors whose books I can re-read, and re-read. Actually, I am currently re-reading, for the third time, her first book – Outlander. Oh yeah, one of the outstanding factors with DG’s writing is the amount of research and time she puts into her work. It blows my mind away because she takes her information and seamlessly installs within the story. Love that. I really could go on and on about her books, but I won’t here as I have already done that on my blog. 😉
George R.R. Martin – he is a brand new favorite. I have finished reading the first three books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. I am sold on his writing… brilliant. He actually is right behind Galbaldon on my favorite list. I know that could re-read his books.
Haruki Murakami – he is another new-to-me author who has made it to my favorite list. Why? I love the way he writes, his flow, his storytelling. He has a gift to make a story of seemingly nothing be of something while giving it intrigue. I have read two books in full and am working on my third book, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Hopefully I will finish that read this month. I have another of his books waiting its reading turn, Pinball 1973.
C.S. Lewis – This man’s imagination is fantastic! He wrote the Chronicles of Narnia in a time where these type of stories were not very acceptable for children’s literature. I am so glad he bucked the system, so-to-speak. I also have enjoyed Screwtape Letters, and look forward to reading Mere Christianity.
Those are the authors that pop to my mind for favorites. I like many other authors, but these are at the forefront of my list.
I do have a Must Read list. These are books that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives. They are not easy reads. They are reads of importance; they enlighten, are food for thought type of reads. These are also the books that I hope each my children will read at one point in their lives.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck – there is so much to glean from this book, but in order to do so, I had to remove myself from my modern day thinking.
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton – I put this book during my first attempt to read it. Then a very good friend of mine read the book, loved it, and encouraged me to give the book another go. I did and am forever grateful. This book is powerful, IMHO. It was a hard read for me, but so worth the effort. Not everyone will get into this story, but I do hope that all of my children read it at one point in their lives.
Silence by Shusaku Endo – Another read that was not easy for me, but again, another read that was worth the effort. This story is powerful. It struck a chord with me. Another story that I am not certain my children will get into, but maybe one day when they are adults.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – this book spoke volumes about family unity and poverty. A book that reminds me to be thankful for all that I do have…to not wasted time on the wanting of things.
Off topic question: Is there a way to subscribe to comments? I have not figured it out, if there is a way.
ibeeg: I think you can click on the ‘comments RSS’ at the bottom of the sidebar, right hand side, to sign up for comments. This old template doesn’t have the ‘sign up for comments’ option that other WordPress people have, unfortunately.
A personal list of ‘must read’ books is great. I’m sure we all have those that we feel people really should read.
I’m a little over a hundred pages into the second GRRM book and am loving it. Very hard to put down, like the first one.
I’m 100% in agreement with your comments about Murakami. He really can turn what seems like nothing into the most beautiful and profound story.
Jeff: I can probably count how many mysteries I’ve read on my hands. Not wanting to add “too much” to your pile, you may be interested in the Woman in White and/or the Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, which were the forerunners for devices used in Sherlock Holmes and later mysteries. Woman in White had more suspense and I liked it better. It’s a shame Collins didn’t write more of the genre because those I would read.
Carl: This is the first I’ve heard of the book, but it sounds like it could be good. You should find out by reading both and let me know.
Mish: The Book of Flying is very good, I highly recommend it. I read it several years ago and it still sticks with me. I guess if I get to Palimpsest when it comes in at the library I’ll be able to let you know what I think of it.
*grins* Terribly romantic, I’m afraid, it is not. But it is incredibly useful and a lot of fun, that’s true. The only reason I read as much as I do is because of train rides. I get a structured 4 hours a university-day to just kick back and read.
And by that definition I have no favourite authors. ^-~ I think I’d be worried if everyone’s favourites were the best writers ever, though. We might all end up with the same favourites and where’d be the fun in that?
Most of my childhood favourites are by Dutch authors and, well, I’m afraid they just don’t have a patch on some of the non-Dutch authors I’ve read. But I’ll always cherish them more for the memories that come with them regardless of any objective kind of quality label.
Shanra: I couldn’t agree more. How horrible if we all liked only the same stuff, or if we just read all the same stuff. We would never have a chance to share new discoveries with each other. I am thrilled that some of my favorites remain authors/books I read as a pre-teen. While they might not be award winning or great literature, they hold the same magic for me today because of the impact they had in my formative years.
I did a post on favorite authors
http://herethereandeverywhere2ndedition.blogspot.com/
Fabulous list, Carl! We share a handful of favourites, and there are others (McKillip, Martin, Wodehouse) that I’ve been meaning to read for ages because of your enthusiasm and the enthusiasm of other bloggers. It’s all about sharing the love, isn’t it?
Will have to think of my own list… it’s getting harder and harder these days. Not that that’s a bad thing.
Nymeth: Look forward to seeing your list. And yes, it is all about sharing the love.
Deslily: Thanks for the link, it was fun reading about your favorites, where they came from, and I liked your list of specific books that you were surprised by and how they have become favorites.
yeah well WE KNOW who got me to read MOST of those extra books!!!
Damn him!!! 😉
Well – the majority of authors I have read have been introduced to me by someone else – through school, family, friends, movies or reviews. Very rare do I just browse and pick up something I’ve never heard of.
My two favorite authors ever were introduced to me:
Faulkner through a college essay assignment where I fell head over heels in love with The Sound & The Fury, and Harper Lee which I consider a gift from my mother as we have read it, watched it, witnessed it (via the theater production) and discussed it countless times.
An author that I cannot for the life of me remember where I discovered him was Kurt Vonnegut – Galapagos is a treasure to me. I had certainly heard of him before but didn’t have any idea what I was in for when I got my hands on that book. I felt like I had made a real discovery. I try to get people to read it all the time – and the few that actually cave and do so generally tend to enjoy it as much as I do.
More recently, I picked up John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things and have been searching everywhere for something else like it that is as enjoyable – no such luck. I’m sure I heard of it from a book blogger – but I can’t remember. I just know that I love it and will read more of him.
Bumbles: I haven’t read Connolly’s book yet, but I’ve heard good things.
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird specifically, was recommended to me over and over again by my wife. I had it in my head that it was a different kind of book than it turned out to be and I resisted reading it for years. I finally decided to read it as part of a gift for one of her birthdays and I fell in love with it. Such a wonderful book and not at all what I expected.
I’m a bit late to this question, but here is my list:
authors I discovered on my own:
LM Montgomery – I love Anne! I read all the books several times
Connie Willis – I don’t remember how I found her, but once I read her I was transfixed. I still am, having recently reread Doomsday and Bellwether.
JAne Austen – I think seeing the old BBC Andrew Davies production with Colin Firth led me to Jane Austen. Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice are my favourites, reread often.
Patricia McKillip – I started with her first book The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and have never looked back.
Robin Hobb – The Farseer series is among the best.
Charles de Lint – Moonheart was my first read, which I picked up because he was coming to a convention and lived here in Ottawa. Although I had stopped reading him for a while, I’m rereading him again. Still among the best.
Carol O’Connell – incomparable Kathy Mallory mysteries.
Joan Hess – Maggody mysteries that are laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Phil Rickman – irresistable mystery combined with supernatural events. Picked up in a bookstore and on my must buy list when a new one comes out.
Louise Penny – because she was featured in a newspaper, for once!! One of my favourite new mystery writers.
Authors found through others:
Janet Evanovich – my mother gave me book one, and I was hooked. If I were a bounty hunter, I’d be like Stephanie Plum, only minus the cute guys.
JRR Tolkien: my mother gave me The Hobbit when I was 10, but it would be another 2 years before a family friend read it out during a visit. I was hooked from the very first, and went on to read just about everything connected to the Lord of the Rings that came out. I still reread Hobbit and LotR every few years, and the movies are so very good.
Guy Gavriel Kay – my friend and I read The Fionavar Tapestry when they first came out, her a little ahead of me. Still classic fantasy for me, and due for a reread soon!
Dana Stabenow – my mother again, who reads more mysteries than I do. I love the arctic setting even though I hate the cold.
Ian Rankin – my former boss at the bookstore I worked at 13 years ago got me hooked on him. Black and Blue was the first one I read, and it is one of my all-time favourite mysteries. I give him to everyone now!
So now you have some more mysteries and a classic on this list! lol
Oh – Patricia Briggs deserves a shout-out too, because of how many bloggers mentioned her books, I finally picked her up and I love the Mercy Thompson series so much. Thank you, book bloggers! Thanks, Carl, for this lovely post!
Thank you for coming over and participating. What fun lists. Always wonderful to hear from someone who loves Tolkien so much. I’m reading a book by Patrick Curry right now about Tolkien and myth, in between my reading of A Clash of Kings.
I really need to get caught up with Patricia A. McKillip. I am so far behind in my reading of her books. I’ve been a bad fan.
Glad you are coming back to de Lint. He certainly is an amazing author.