Sell your favorite author to the literate

[m4dd0g]

Lets hear a good critique of why your favorite author is the best

Why does this person strike a chord with you personally?

Give us a (small) quote from them that captures their essence.

Recommend a best book/poem/link that will show off their style

Most of all: be creative in your 'best author sale', they deserve it surely?

I think the change in Words guidelines is a good thing, but lets keep the quality up. Words has a small throughput but it has dignity, so lets keep it intact.
The newest guideline changes for those who dont know:

1. FOCUS OF THE WORDS FORUM
As of September 2006, the focus of the Words forum has been broadened, in order to incorporate more discussion of words-related topics. This means that threads regarding writing, writers, books, writing events, the publishing industry, and virtually anything related to words will be openly encouraged. So if you’re an aspiring writer, feel free to start a discussion about writing techniques, resources for writers, or publishing opportunities. Or if you’re an avid reader of Sci-Fi, feel free to start a thread about your favourite Sci-Fi novels. If you have a question about grammar or English usage, start a thread about it... or anything else you’d like to talk about that relates to words! Note that we will continue to support writers posting their own work as we always have done in this forum.

(mods - delete me back to the stoneage if im in the wrong here)

 

[up all night]

Words definitely needs more posts like this! Great idea.

My favourite author is without a doubt Margaret Atwood. She's the sort of writer who I find really inspiring but who also makes me hate writing because I know I could never write the way she does. Her prose is so poetic, truly beautiful, but I definitely like her later work much more than her earlier efforts.

My favourite book by her is The Blind Assassin. It's a book I've read over and over again and I'm still not even close to being sick of it. I had a physical reaction to this book. It hurt to read and I don't think I've ever experienced so strong a reaction to a book.

I tried finding a quote but couldn't really find something with a quick look that accurately reflected the overall tone. I'll have another look tomorrow, see if I can find a few of the passages I remember loving.

 

[m4dd0g]

Dan Simmons

Critically acclaimed with a swag load of awards. But the coolest part is that his books (and awards) across most of the genres.

I dont necessarily enjoy reading Simmons as much as other authors (although i certainly do enjoy his books) its more that i feel enriched for having done so. His books arent just more stories by the same author or retelling of a previous work, they seem to have a life of their own as if written by a different person with a unique view on the world

From Song of Kali i can almost smell the rancid mud on the streets Calculate and the non-humanity of the cult of Kali. From Endymion i can see a universe like a giant human ants nest dancing to the tune of oppressors. And from Hyperion i was left with the taste of poetry more so than storytelling.

A quote from the author (as opposed to one of his books):

Writing, I'm convinced, should be a subversive activity - frowned on by the authorities - and not one cooed over and praised beyond common sense by some teacher

For aspiring writers i recommend his writing well series of pages

Even (especially) for non scifi fans i recommend reading Hyperion; it will change your mind on what a genre can become
(Hyperion awards: Hugo, Locus, Seiun-Sho, Japan Hugo, Prix Cosmos)