Favorite Authors / Poets

[WarEagle]

So, what do the People of SGW read in their liesure (or assigned work if you're a fool who normally doesn't read)?

For science fiction, I think Ray Bradbury would be the best author. His works are phenomenal. His Fahrenheit 451 is pretty insightful and a fun read at that.

I'm also a fan of Douglas Adams, who is of course best known for the Hitchhiker Trilogy in Five Parts. I found it quite humor-enriched. British humor is a bit hard to get for Americans, but I'm sure you won't have much difficultly. There are many paradies of his work, so might as well read it to be in on them.

Among the classical, Charles **Filtered** is good if you're vocabulary is pretty high. I have read Oliver Twist which was a long read, but pretty tragic. Of all the books, I have never forgotten the imagery. And of course, Mark Twain, the pride of American literature. The most well known literary scene is the washwhiting, in his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

And of course, the father of fantasy, thee J.R.R. Tolkien, best known for his trilogy of Lord of the Rings as well as The Hobbit, there and back again. Then there's J.K. Rowling too, whose riches surpass that of the Queen. A bit childish, but a good read if you have time.

Personally, I rather enjoy Artemis Fowl. I know it's suppose to for young adults, but it's still a great series. I'll read The Lost Colonly next week.
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For poets, I have to say, John Lennon is the most amazing song writer. Not sure if he'd be acceptable as an answer. If not, Edgar Allen Poe was actually pretty sweet, most notably from The Raven. Then there's Emily **Filtered** and Robert Frost. They're both amazing.

Comments?

[Wolf359]

LOL - I remember the Hitchiker Trilogy when it was only 4 parts.

As for favourite authors - difficult really - got a lot....

Sci-Fi - other than Star Trek novels I don't read many other Sci-Fi - but the Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley-Robinson is a good read.

Fantasy - J R R Tolkien (obviously) - Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece; Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragonlance Legends ettc); and, Terry Pratchett - The Discworld novels - humourous parodies of other Fantasy authors' works, as well as comical jibes at real life.

Action - James Clavell (Shogun, Tai-Pan, Noble House, King Rat, Whirlwind, Gai-Jin - otherwise known as The Asian Saga). Of these, Shogun is the best, set in 1600, it tells the tale of an English warship navigator (John Blackthorne) who is shipwrecked, along with his crew, on the shores of Japan. The story tells how Blackthorne wins the favour of a Japanese war-lord (Toranaga) and learns the way of the samurai, having first been disgusted by the 'barbaric' japanese class system. Ultimately it is a story of power and how Toranaga wields his influence, and uses Blackthorne, to become Shogun.


Action - Clive Cussler (The Dirk Pitt novels). These novels are all centered around one character - Dirk Pitt - a United States Air Force officer seconded to the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). Pitt, and his sidekick, and friend since childhood, Al Giordino (also USAF), work for the head of NUMA (Admiral James Sandecker) as Special Project Directors and, invariably, during their routine work get caught up in the dealings of international villains, and power-mongers.

They are a sort of James Bond meets Indiana Jones type novel, with Pitt and Giordino having been on adventures discovering US Confederate warships in the middle of the Sahara, finding Viking ships that had travelled to America, raising the Titanic and even discovering Atlantis. They are brilliantly written and easy to read - with spots of humour and action, and traces of dark emotion - and really suck you into the story.

Ultimately, Pitt and Giordino, triumph against their adversaries, aided along the way by a number of regualr characters such as Hiram Yaegar (NUMA's computer specialist), Rudi Gunn (a former US Navy Commander and Deputy Director of NUMA), Congresswoman Loren Smith (Pitt's long-running on/off relationship, St. Julien Perlmutter (a noted expert in sea history and lore, with a fondness for food and drink).

In the later novels, Sandecker has been appointed Vice President of the US and Dirk Pitt is appointed as Director as NUMA, with Giordino as Deputy) - and Pitt's son (who he only discovered in the later novels) takes over his role as adventurer.

I would recommend the Dirk Pitt books to anyone.

[Apadizamek]

science fiction: SO HARD!!

but i have to go classics, the mars trilogy by edgar rice burroughs follows the adventures of one man! john carter of mars, who eventually becomes king of all barsoom, a great series a great read

[|Cloud Strife|]

AH! i cant remember the author of the dark materials trilogy. But he is brilliant imo. great read reccomend it to all. its sci-fi-ish, a bit fantasy as well. but i suppose sci-fi is fantasy.

[Osi]

I like Fiction and my favorite authors have got to be

Brian Jacques

T.A. Barron

and Micheal Chriton

[Apadizamek]

For fantasy

i must vote C.S. lewis and J.R.R Tolkein

[TigerGirl]

AH! i cant remember the author of the dark materials trilogy.

Philip Pullman. Great series.


My favourite authors would be Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, Elizabeth Haydon, and Jacqueline Carey.