Who is your favorite (living) author?

So I've been reading a lot lately, kinda got back into it in a serious way over the last couple of years. So instead of asking what you are reading for a change I'm asking who your favorite living author currently happens to be.

For me, at the moment, it's George RR Martin. While I have only read the first four books in his Ice and Fire series I absolutely love how he has become one of the best fantasy writers of our time. I think that when I finally get to and finish A Dance with Dragons (if Winds of Winter isn't out yet) I will finally sit down with The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson who people tell me is truly fantastic in his own right.

As of lately, I've read a lot of Brandon Sanderson's (except not the stormlight archive) and Jim Butcher's work

George R. R. Martin, definitely. Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence are also fantastic.

And I just recently discovered Pierce Brown's Red Rising saga. It's essentially a space opera in the style of Ancient Greece and it's amazing.

Also, anyone here read Paolo Bacigalupi? Very dark writer, but very good. His stuff could become fact in a couple of years if we let it.

David Mitchell

Neil Gaiman. Read American Gods and thought it was great. Then I read The Sandman and it changed my life.

Off the top of my head, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong and Brent Weeks.

Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi or JK Rowling. I wouldn't be able to decide between them right now.

@ianhh6: if you had asked me several years ago before book 7 came out I would have probably agreed that Rowling was the best. That being said The Deathly Hallows had some very obvious issues that reeked of a rushed book, and I don't really agree with the author's use of off-hand comments on Twitter as a means to expand the universe. Her series is one of the best though,I just have some hangups with it's finale.

Huh. Someone else around here who knows about Scalzi's books!

Indeed! All his books are hilarious, I love 'em.

I'm a big fan of Joseph Campbell, David McCullough. Sherman Alexie is okay. There are a lot of authors where I've read a bunch of their early stuff but hardly any of their recent works, Rice, King, Grisham, Cornwell, Clancy, etc. I do like John Green, however. I really don't read a huge amount of modern literature. I did just finish The Danish Girl however, and it was so good.

Man-God George RR Martin.

Probably Cormac McCarthy. I've read most of his books and I especially like Blood Meridian and Child of God. Some of my other favorite authors are Terry Lamsley, T.E.D. Klein, Richard Price, Peter Straub, and Stephen King (mostly horror authors).

Damn it, if you had asked me four years ago, I would have said Ray Bradbury. RIP

Same here. I was just becoming a huge fan of him around the time he died. I've since read most of his books, and there's few authors who are as inspiring and enjoyable for me. I usually read The Martian Chronicles and Something Wicked This Way comes at least once a year now...

@lensflare15:

Haven't read SWTWC, but the Martian Chronicles is an excellent choice. My personal favorite was the collection of short stories that came from The Illustrated Man. (My username on this forum comes from one of his books actually.)

I also love The Illustrated Man. It has some very memorable short stories, like The Veldt, Zero Hour (my favorite in TIM), Last of Night of the World, Marionettes Inc. etc. I've also used "The Visitor" in my usernames on other sites . Haven't read Dandelion Wine yet, though it's on my list.

Hard to say, I've read more Stephen King than any other living author but there's also almost no one who I'm more sick of at this point.

Cormac McCarthy

Also, has anyone here ever read the genius that was Iain M. Banks? He doesn't count because he's dead, but he was an incredible author who essentially re-booted modern space opera.

He also wrote literally novels with the M. initial, so that's a larger reach.

Malcolm Gladwell is off the hook. Love that dude. Big fan of Beverly Cleary too. Been getting my kid into her stuff.

John Le Carre, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Joe Haldeman, Johnathan Franzen, Chimamanda Adichie, Donna Tartt, some others I can't remember

Definitely Brandon Sanderson, big fan of his work.

Jeremy Robinson, Robert McCammon, Robert Barron, James Rollins, Scott Sigler

George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and even though he doesn't count, as he's passed away, Robert Jordan.