Which Author Do You Think Writes Better Books?

[Cheese]

Originally posted by Smooch+15 October 2003 - 18:43--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Smooch &#064; 15 October 2003 - 18:43)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-Withcheese@13 October 2003 - 00:58
Stephen King - all his books are about writers (ie himself)

Can you please go into detail? I don&#39;t know what you mean by this comment [/b][/quote]

Salem&#39;s Lot - main character is a writer
The Shining - another writer
Pet Cemetary - ditto
It - one of the kids is a writer
Misery - another writer
Tommyknockers - another writer (okay a female writer)
Dark Half - another writer

Actually not ALL his books are about himself but that&#39;s a good chunk (those are just the books I&#39;ve read). He has written a lot of books and I guess they all have a samey feel to them that is not just about having writer characters, it&#39;s the lack of change in the locations (every story set in Maine) and the cut-out good guys-bad guys. This is a strange thing to say about a writer who writes about such unusual things as shapechanging clowns, ressurected cats and the likes I admit but I prefer character development over fanciful storyline (though still enjoy a bit of fantasy).

Whilst every writer does write about his own experiences and his own life I&#39;ve never felt this more apparent than when reading a Stephen King novel, it can sometimes be very discomforting to read someone working out their own issues so obviously.

Having said that I enjoy reading a Stephen King novel, mainly for the reasons I&#39;ve just explained...you know what you&#39;re going to get. A good story (and that&#39;s all we want really).

[Smurfette]

Originally posted by Withcheese+28 October 2003 - 01:56--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Withcheese &#064; 28 October 2003 - 01:56)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by Smooch@15 October 2003 - 18:43
<!--QuoteBegin-Withcheese

@13 October 2003 - 00:58
Stephen King - all his books are about writers (ie himself)

Can you please go into detail? I don&#39;t know what you mean by this comment

Salem&#39;s Lot - main character is a writer
The Shining - another writer
Pet Cemetary - ditto
It - one of the kids is a writer
Misery - another writer
Tommyknockers - another writer (okay a female writer)
Dark Half - another writer

Actually not ALL his books are about himself but that&#39;s a good chunk (those are just the books I&#39;ve read). He has written a lot of books and I guess they all have a samey feel to them that is not just about having writer characters, it&#39;s the lack of change in the locations (every story set in Maine) and the cut-out good guys-bad guys. This is a strange thing to say about a writer who writes about such unusual things as shapechanging clowns, ressurected cats and the likes I admit but I prefer character development over fanciful storyline (though still enjoy a bit of fantasy).

Whilst every writer does write about his own experiences and his own life I&#39;ve never felt this more apparent than when reading a Stephen King novel, it can sometimes be very discomforting to read someone working out their own issues so obviously.

Having said that I enjoy reading a Stephen King novel, mainly for the reasons I&#39;ve just explained...you know what you&#39;re going to get. A good story (and that&#39;s all we want really).[/b][/quote]
Heh, I&#39;ve read most of his books (nearly all, actually) and often feel the same way about some of his characterisations - not just the author characters, either.

Excellently summed up, though. Yes I can put up with these things because (with the exception of Hearts In Atlantis, Tommyknockers and Insomnia) they are all great stories.

I really can&#39;t understand why so many people automatically slap the Horror label on all his books as many (perhaps his best - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon & Talisman for example) are nothing of the sort.

[Smurfette]

Originally posted by striker@18 October 2003 - 11:49
Tom Clancy and the Clive Cussler.

Did anyone red any books of Clive Cussler?

I believe he wrote Convoy, which I thought was pretty decent.

[bob_the_alien]

I&#39;ve read most of Stephen King&#39;s book&#39;s and while I won&#39;t say he&#39;s the best of the list, he is my favorite, of the ones on the list.

Anne Rice, I sorta like her stuff, but sometimes, I get a bit bored while reading her books.
Tom Clancey, I like the books I&#39;ve read by him but I&#39;ve only read a couple, so I can&#39;t say too much
as for Chuck Palnuick, I have heard of him, but I&#39;ve never read any of his books, so I can&#39;t make a judgement call there.

Stephen King, though, I still pick as my favorite, just for one book series, The Dark Tower, I&#39;ve read every book of the Gunslingers quest so far, and I can&#39;t wait for the next installment, which will be out this month.

Other good writers are Frank Herbert, read the Dune books, they are excellent reads.
Alvin Tofler is a great writer, but his deal with realsim and how the future will be.

[Smurfette]

Originally posted by bob_the_alien+1 November 2003 - 06:04--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (bob_the_alien &#064; 1 November 2003 - 06:04)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Stephen King, though,&nbsp; I still pick as my favorite, just for one book series,&nbsp; The Dark Tower, I&#39;ve read every book of the Gunslingers quest so far, and I can&#39;t wait for the next installment, which will be out this month.[/b]

I find the time it&#39;s taken to get even thiis far in the Gunslinger series really annoying. Mind you, according to his web presence the next two installments will come out this year and next, IIRC.

<!--QuoteBegin-bob_the_alien@1 November 2003 - 06:04
Other good writers are Frank Herbert,&nbsp; read the Dune books, they are excellent reads.[/quote]

D&#39;you know, I always tihnk of James Herbert first when someone mentions him&#33; Not quite in the same league, really.
I loved Dune but the second book I found really hard going and didn&#39;t enjoy it at all.

[Cheese]

D&#39;you know, I always tihnk of James Herbert first when someone mentions him&#33; Not quite in the same league, really.

I don&#39;t know I think James Herbert is a great storyteller, his novels are great fun to read especially The Rats trilogy and Fluke.

I&#39;m sure I&#39;ll be corrected but I think he&#39;s one of the best British horror writers of modern times.

[Smurfette]

Originally posted by Withcheese@1 November 2003 - 20:01

D&#39;you know, I always tihnk of James Herbert first when someone mentions him&#33; Not quite in the same league, really.

I don&#39;t know I think James Herbert is a great storyteller, his novels are great fun to read especially The Rats trilogy and Fluke.

I&#39;m sure I&#39;ll be corrected but I think he&#39;s one of the best British horror writers of modern times.

Let&#39;s face it there&#39;s not that much competition, is there?
Ramsey Campbell? Hmm... I&#39;ve only read two of his novels (but quite a few short stories in old Pan Horror collections I have) because they bored me to sleep. The Doll Who Ate His Mother was one and the other was something about paganism in Lancashire somewhere.
Is Clive Barker British? He&#39;s not really horror, though.
Shaun Hutson? Sheesh, the best thing about him is his love of heavy metal. The last Hutson book I read gave me the impression that he was describing injuries in a way that said, "Hey, look at me - I researched anatomy&#33;"

James Herbert isn&#39;t that bad a writer (better than Campell &#33 but I find his style a little "Casualty"-ish. Reading them is like watching the show in that I try and guess which person in each thread is going to get injured and how.
The Rats and Magic Cottage wre good but I thought The Fog and Sepulchre were only okay.

[Jayhawk]

i would have to go with Clancy

[shubhodeep_das]

What about

John Grisham
Sidney Sheldon
Miachel Cringhton
Jeffery Archer

[Cheese]

Originally posted by Smurfette+1 November 2003 - 21:29--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Smurfette &#064; 1 November 2003 - 21:29)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-Withcheese@1 November 2003 - 20:01

D&#39;you know, I always tihnk of James Herbert first when someone mentions him&#33; Not quite in the same league, really.

I don&#39;t know I think James Herbert is a great storyteller, his novels are great fun to read especially The Rats trilogy and Fluke.

I&#39;m sure I&#39;ll be corrected but I think he&#39;s one of the best British horror writers of modern times.

Let&#39;s face it there&#39;s not that much competition, is there?
Ramsey Campbell? Hmm... I&#39;ve only read two of his novels (but quite a few short stories in old Pan Horror collections I have) because they bored me to sleep. The Doll Who Ate His Mother was one and the other was something about paganism in Lancashire somewhere.
Is Clive Barker British? He&#39;s not really horror, though.
Shaun Hutson? Sheesh, the best thing about him is his love of heavy metal. The last Hutson book I read gave me the impression that he was describing injuries in a way that said, "Hey, look at me - I researched anatomy&#33;"

James Herbert isn&#39;t that bad a writer (better than Campell &#33 but I find his style a little "Casualty"-ish. Reading them is like watching the show in that I try and guess which person in each thread is going to get injured and how.
The Rats and Magic Cottage wre good but I thought The Fog and Sepulchre were only okay.[/b][/quote]
lol I love that "Casualty" -ish description of James Herbert that&#39;s just right.

Shaun Hutson&#39;s books just set my teeth on edge, he&#39;s too graphic and I think you&#39;re right, he has researched for his books but I kind of get the feeling he is out to shock all the time. ( And most of his books read like he has a movie script in mind).

@shubhodeep_das

John Crichton, he researches his topics so well that you can really believe his stories. The amount of information crammed into a book like Jurussic Park or Airframe is amazing, I felt like Ilearned something afetr reading his books.