Wheee!
Considering I've skipped many-a college class because I was reading a book I felt was to good to put down, I figured I'd throw in some things as well.
Authors too good to put down for class, in no particular order:
1. George R.R. Martin (A Song of Fire and Ice series)--On a side note, he's got another story in bookstores now that's outside of this series, sci-fi too I believe.
2. Stephen King (Dark Tower Series)--I agree with Guido on this, if you don't like Stephen King, give these a try. Almost every single book King wrote in his career ties into this series somehow.
3. Neil Gaiman--Really anything of his is phenomenal. His books are great, and even though I never really did the comic thing, his Sandman series is out of sight.
4. China Mieville (Perdido Street Station, Iron Council)--Great books, someone posted Perdido Street earlier and couldn't remember his name.
5. David Brin (Uplift Saga)--Some of the best science fiction I've read in a while. Engrossing story line, developed characters, and a very "uplifting" tone throughout the series (I believe new books are coming out soon as well).
6. J.K Rowling (Harry Potter)--My guilty pleasure.
Other good authors:
(Fantasy)
Terry Brooks--His earliest works are best, although some of his newer work isn't bad.
Robert Jordan--Unfortunately, I am one of those people that look at how thick a books spine is before I buy it (the thicker the better).
Dennis L. McKiernan--Most of his books are entertaining and are fun to read.
Brian Lumley--Probably fits more into horror, but these are good (and at times slightly weird) books about non-traditional vampires.
Sara Douglass--One of the better comtemporary writers out now (contemporary in the States, I believe she's been writing in Australia for quite a while). 4th book in The Wayfarer's Redemption series in American bookstores now.
Donald Stephenson--His Thomas Covenant series is great, new book is out in bookstores as well.
(Sci-Fi)
Arthur Clarke--2001: A Space Odyssey, read it.
Isaac Asimov--A giant in science fiction, I personally like his Foundation Saga a lot.
Tad Williams--Could go into Sci-Fi or Fantasy. Everything I've read by him has been very solid and very well written. Arguably the best prose I've read in a long time.
Larry Niven--Interesting books and theories. I would also argue that many of the ideas from the video game Halo was taken from this series.
Carl Sagan--Another giant, read Contact or see the movie, both are really good although the movie can't go into as much detail into theories and whatnot as the book can.
(Miscellaneous)
Shakespeare--The Bard is amazing. In truth, he's the only poet I really enjoy.
Ayn Rand--Atlas Shrugged is a great book, although I would agree with Roark that it's very dissertaionesque (especially the chapter that was nothing but a 60-odd page speech by John Galt).
Tim Burton--His The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy is hilarious.
Edward Gorey--My God, when I read the Gashlycrumb Tinies for the first time I almost pissed my pants. Read it, all of his stuff is good. *giggles about Hector, who's done in by a thug*
Douglas Coupland--Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs and All Families are Psychotic are wonderful books.
Tom Robbins--I would recommend Skinny Legs and All, and Still Life with Woodpecker.
What I'm currently reading:
Light, by M. John Harrison
The History of Pi, by Petr Beckman
Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncomman Man, by Howard Pollack
That's really all about the fiction stuff I like, I'm not really in the mood to talk non-fiction at the moment. If you can't tell, I'm kinda a bibliophile...hmm, maybe that's why I enjoy playing a text-based MUD?
See ya in Lusternia.
Considering I've skipped many-a college class because I was reading a book I felt was to good to put down, I figured I'd throw in some things as well.
Authors too good to put down for class, in no particular order:
1. George R.R. Martin (A Song of Fire and Ice series)--On a side note, he's got another story in bookstores now that's outside of this series, sci-fi too I believe.
2. Stephen King (Dark Tower Series)--I agree with Guido on this, if you don't like Stephen King, give these a try. Almost every single book King wrote in his career ties into this series somehow.
3. Neil Gaiman--Really anything of his is phenomenal. His books are great, and even though I never really did the comic thing, his Sandman series is out of sight.
4. China Mieville (Perdido Street Station, Iron Council)--Great books, someone posted Perdido Street earlier and couldn't remember his name.
5. David Brin (Uplift Saga)--Some of the best science fiction I've read in a while. Engrossing story line, developed characters, and a very "uplifting" tone throughout the series (I believe new books are coming out soon as well).
6. J.K Rowling (Harry Potter)--My guilty pleasure.
Other good authors:
(Fantasy)
Terry Brooks--His earliest works are best, although some of his newer work isn't bad.
Robert Jordan--Unfortunately, I am one of those people that look at how thick a books spine is before I buy it (the thicker the better).
Dennis L. McKiernan--Most of his books are entertaining and are fun to read.
Brian Lumley--Probably fits more into horror, but these are good (and at times slightly weird) books about non-traditional vampires.
Sara Douglass--One of the better comtemporary writers out now (contemporary in the States, I believe she's been writing in Australia for quite a while). 4th book in The Wayfarer's Redemption series in American bookstores now.
Donald Stephenson--His Thomas Covenant series is great, new book is out in bookstores as well.
(Sci-Fi)
Arthur Clarke--2001: A Space Odyssey, read it.
Isaac Asimov--A giant in science fiction, I personally like his Foundation Saga a lot.
Tad Williams--Could go into Sci-Fi or Fantasy. Everything I've read by him has been very solid and very well written. Arguably the best prose I've read in a long time.
Larry Niven--Interesting books and theories. I would also argue that many of the ideas from the video game Halo was taken from this series.
Carl Sagan--Another giant, read Contact or see the movie, both are really good although the movie can't go into as much detail into theories and whatnot as the book can.
(Miscellaneous)
Shakespeare--The Bard is amazing. In truth, he's the only poet I really enjoy.
Ayn Rand--Atlas Shrugged is a great book, although I would agree with Roark that it's very dissertaionesque (especially the chapter that was nothing but a 60-odd page speech by John Galt).
Tim Burton--His The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy is hilarious.
Edward Gorey--My God, when I read the Gashlycrumb Tinies for the first time I almost pissed my pants. Read it, all of his stuff is good. *giggles about Hector, who's done in by a thug*
Douglas Coupland--Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs and All Families are Psychotic are wonderful books.
Tom Robbins--I would recommend Skinny Legs and All, and Still Life with Woodpecker.
What I'm currently reading:
Light, by M. John Harrison
The History of Pi, by Petr Beckman
Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncomman Man, by Howard Pollack
That's really all about the fiction stuff I like, I'm not really in the mood to talk non-fiction at the moment. If you can't tell, I'm kinda a bibliophile...hmm, maybe that's why I enjoy playing a text-based MUD?
See ya in Lusternia.
I'll read basically anything fantasy related but some of my favorites...
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
His Dark Materials
The Abhorsen books and Shade's Children by Garth Nix
Dune
And right now I'm reading The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
His Dark Materials
The Abhorsen books and Shade's Children by Garth Nix
Dune
And right now I'm reading The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
