# [Essentials] Authors



## Edgedancer (Nov 27, 2009)

To celebrate a new forum based on a field I am very passionate about, books,  I have created a new Essentials Thread for authors. Post your favourite author so that GBAtemp can know not only the great authors but also the unknown and fledgeling ones.

RULES:
Only one nomination per author.
Do not nominated books by themselves as this is for the authors. Example: J.K. Rowling. Not Harry Potter.
Make sure you have read them
No negatives please.

*Essentials* [40+]

*Recommended* [30+]

*Noteworthy* [10+]

*Other* [


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## Domination (Nov 27, 2009)

I don't really read alot of books so:

+1 Garth Nix
+1 James Patterson
+1 J.K. Rowling
+1 Eoin Colfer


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## 8BitWalugi (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 Lemony Snicket.


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## Pizzaroo (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 David Sedaris


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## jesterscourt (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 JD Salinger
+1 Stephen King
+1 James Patterson
+1 William S. Burroughs
+1 Walter Mosley
+1 John Steinbeck
+1 Ernest Hemingway
+1 Mark Z. Danielewski
+1 Haruki Murakami
+1 Michael Chabon
+1 Douglas Adams 

-1 JK Rowling


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## Advi (Nov 27, 2009)

Edgedancer said:
			
		

> J.K. Rowling (2)
> *Matthew Reilly (1)*
> Brent Weeks (1)
> John Flanagan (1)
> ...


lol that's my name

+1 Ayn Rand
+1 Eoin Colfer


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## luke_c (Nov 27, 2009)

Ally Kennen, Chris Ryan, Andy Mcnab, Kevin Brooks.


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## KingdomBlade (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 Dan Brown
+1 J.K. Rowling
+1 Stephenie Meyer
+1 Eoin Colfer
+1 Daniel Handler (or Lemony Snicket)
+1 Dan Burstein
+1 Richard Bach
+1 Neil Gaiman
+1 C.S Lewis
+1 Katherine Paterson
+1 Cornelia Funke

My loved authors. I'm a big book nerd.


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## Cyan (Nov 27, 2009)

I don't read a lot (other than manga), only two :

J.R.R. Tolkien (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien)
J.M. Auel (Jean Marie Auel)


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## nasune (Nov 27, 2009)

-J.R.R. Tolkien
-Dan Brown
-James Patterson
-Paul Auster
-Katharine Kerr
-David Gibbins
-H.P. Lovecraft
-Thomas Harris
-Stephen King
-Asimov
-W.J. Maryson
-H. Rider Haggard
-Clive Barker
-Alexandre Dumas
-James Mallory
-J.K. Rowling

And a shitload of others I can't remember right now 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 .


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## B-Blue (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 Stephen King


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## mehrab2603 (Nov 27, 2009)

+1 J.K. Rowling
+1 Dan Brown
+1 J.R.R. Tolkein
+1 Aisac Asimov


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## Vidikron (Nov 27, 2009)

George R. R. Martin
Scott Lynch
Patrick Rothfuss
Brandon Sanderson


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## Veho (Nov 27, 2009)

Iain Banks.


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## FAST6191 (Nov 27, 2009)

This could go on for a while so only a few for now:

In no order whatsoever.

Frank Herbert
Douglas Adams
Terry Pratchett
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (to separate them would be markedly difficult)
Robert Jordan
Brandon Sanderson
David Eddings
Terry Goodkind

My main problem with naming authors rather than a series is that some of my "favourites" (including some of those I just mentioned) have produced some utter dross too.


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## Danny600kill (Nov 27, 2009)

Here my two favourite authors

+1
Chris Ryan
Andy Mcnab


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## Satangel (Nov 27, 2009)

Darren Shan


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## Shinryuji (Nov 27, 2009)

*+1*
Garth Nix
Douglas Adams
J.R.R. Tolkien
H.P. Lovecraft
Terry Pratchett
David Eddings
Terry Goodkind
Issac Asimov
Dante Aligheri
Frank Herbert 
Reymond E. Feist

-1
J.K. Rowling
Stephanie Meyer (I hate the woman >_>)



			
				FAST6191 said:
			
		

> My main problem with naming authors rather than a series is that some of my "favourites" (including some of those I just mentioned) have produced some utter dross too.



Truly, but then, if the majority of their books weren't good, then why would you like them as authors?


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## Edgedancer (Nov 27, 2009)

FAST6191 said:
			
		

> My main problem with naming authors rather than a series is that some of my "favourites" (including some of those I just mentioned) have produced some utter dross too.


I do agree with you Fast but a list on individual books and series would end up with the majority of titles in the


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## Pyrofyr (Nov 27, 2009)

Negatives are necessary for this thread to work out. It gives a field for people who don't like (and have read) stuff from those authors to say "No", it also removes the insane curve "Essential" eventually has. Without negatives it takes only 20 votes. With negatives it could take 50, meaning that there's also people who think it's bad (apparently 30). Putting negatives next to the total as a second number would be a decent way for you to keep track, and for it to be a fair basis. For example I can say that Stephanie Meyer is absolute shit, her books are terrible, she shouldn't be writing. And I'm sure there are others that feel the same, but all it takes is 20 zombies who enjoy crappy books because they don't read real books to come and say it's good for it to be essential, despite the 30~50 possible people who think it's crap, giving the book false fame.


I've yet to see you give a real reason for 'no negatives' it's a terrible idea.

As for Books/Series. It's true that should be what exists, not an Authors list, although some Authors can be put that way, for example Stephen King's books are for the most part similar, so they could just be listed as "Stephen King Titles".


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## Ferrariman (Nov 27, 2009)

Orson Scott Card


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## Edgedancer (Nov 27, 2009)

Pyrofyr said:
			
		

> Negatives are necessary for this thread to work out. It gives a field for people who don't like (and have read) stuff from those authors to say "No", it also removes the insane curve "Essential" eventually has. Without negatives it takes only 20 votes. With negatives it could take 50, meaning that there's also people who think it's bad (apparently 30). Putting negatives next to the total as a second number would be a decent way for you to keep track, and for it to be a fair basis. For example I can say that Stephanie Meyer is absolute shit, her books are terrible, she shouldn't be writing. And I'm sure there are others that feel the same, but all it takes is 20 zombies who enjoy crappy books because they don't read real books to come and say it's good for it to be essential, despite the 30~50 possible people who think it's crap, giving the book false fame.
> 
> 
> I've yet to see you give a real reason for 'no negatives' it's a terrible idea.
> ...


You have valid points and yes, I can see how they have a place but I am going off every other essentials thread on the site. Look, at the DS essentials thread. No negatives. That said, I will increase the actual requirements for each category.


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## KingdomBlade (Nov 27, 2009)

Pyrofyr said:
			
		

> Stephanie Meyer is absolute shit, her books are terrible, she shouldn't be writing.
> 
> Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Host_(novel)
> 
> ...



Also, I noticed there are two Dan Browns.


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## agony (Nov 27, 2009)

KingdomBlade said:
			
		

> Pyrofyr said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The woman is exceedingly popular for her crap books. Which is why.

Ehhh, I only have 2 favourite authors, Murakami and Butcher, the rest are pretty good too though.

+1 Garth Nix
+1 George R. R. Martin
+1 Haruki Murakami
+1 Garth Nix
+1 Clive baker
+1 Robin McKinley
+1 Jim Butcher


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## dinofan01 (Nov 27, 2009)

George Orwell +1

J.R.R. Tolkein +1


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## Pyrofyr (Nov 28, 2009)

KingdomBlade said:
			
		

> Pyrofyr said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm going to be frank with you, The Host doesn't look like a book I'd read.

The woman seems obsessed with ruining established norms in fantasy creatures. I will read The Host based on your recommendation, and I'll be back when I'm done.

Either way, how many people who vote for her do you think would have even read The Host?


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## swimmeringer (Nov 28, 2009)

I hate Stephen King. So boring!

As for my essential, it's Douglas Adams all the way.


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## KingdomBlade (Nov 28, 2009)

Very very few. The people who will vote are Twilight fangirls who haven't even heard of the book. Maybe except me. It is kinda creepy though, good thing.
You should pirate it first in case it's not your type.


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## Hatsu (Nov 28, 2009)

+1 J.K Rowling


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## iffy525 (Nov 28, 2009)

Seriously? No Kurt Vonnegut? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





+1 Kurt Vonnegut


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## pichon64 (Nov 28, 2009)

+1 Charles Bukowski
+1 Father Luke
+1 Jenifer Wills
+1 Edward Estlin Cummings
+1 John Ashbery
+1 Roque Dalton


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## Ferrariman (Nov 28, 2009)

Chiming in on the Meyer disscussion

Twilight is shit. It will always be shit.

The Host was a pretty good book, not perfect or a classic, but still pretty good.


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## Blue Zoidberg (Nov 28, 2009)

+1 
Kurt Vonnegut
Douglas Adams
Philip K. Dick
George Orwell
H.G. Wells
Agatha Christie 
Jack Kerouac
Ronald Dahl 
Terry Pratchett
Issac Asimov
Noam Chomsky

-1 
J.K. Rowling 
Stephanie Meyer 
(Getting children to read fluff for the sake of getting them to read is stupid. Find children's stories with substance and weight; their teachers and future employers will thank you)


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## Vidikron (Nov 28, 2009)

Blue Zoidberg said:
			
		

> -1
> J.K. Rowling
> Stephanie Meyer
> (Getting children to read fluff for the sake of getting them to read is stupid. Find children's stories with substance and weight; their teachers and future employers will thank you)



That's BS IMO.  I hated reading when I was very young because I didn't like the "classics" being shoved down my throat in school.  It wasn't until I discovered a book I enjoyed via a friend that I discovered my love of reading.  So I'm of the opinion that just about anything that can get someone reading is a good thing no matter what some other person thinks about the book.


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## Blue Zoidberg (Nov 28, 2009)

They don't have to be classics, just quality children's books. 
Dahl, Carle, Geisel (Seuss), &c come to mind.


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## DeMoN (Nov 29, 2009)

+1  Dan Brown 
+1  J.K. Rowling
+1  Anthony Horowitz


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## geminisama (Nov 29, 2009)

+ 1:
David Wong
Richard A. Knaak
Margaret Weiss
Tracy Hickman
R.A. Salvatore
Theodore Judson
H.P. Lovecraft
George Orwell
Aldous Huxley
Steven King
J.K. Rowling
Max Brooks
Steven Colbert
Lois Lowry
Richard Matheson

-1:
Stephanie Meyer


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## Lubbo (Nov 29, 2009)

Matthew Reilly
Robert Muchamore
Charlie Higson


btw you have Dan Brown in the list twice


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## BionicC (Nov 29, 2009)

In no particular order:

Alasdair Gray (Lanark is one of my favourite books EVER)
Iain Banks (never read any of his sci-fi books but I LOVE his "regular" stuff, even if some of it -- eg. The Bridge -- ain't exactly "normal")
Terry Pratchett (a tad inconsistent but even his worst books are better than many authors' best)
Stephen Fry (the man annoys me a lot these days but his books are well worth reading)
Tom Clancy (shamefully, I have something of a soft spot for his particular brand of trashy military porn)


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## Deleted_171835 (Dec 2, 2009)

+1 Eion Colfer
+1 Douglas Adams
-1 JK Rowling


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## jesterscourt (Dec 2, 2009)

+1 HP Lovecraft


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