My Favourite Authors

So I have a lot of favourite authors. Similar to how I like to read just about anything – this apparently makes me difficult to buy books for, though I’d assume it’s the opposite – I like various authors for different reasons, and they’ll often write in very different ways. Despite the differences in their styles, they all ahve one thing in common – they write really, really well.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of all of my favourite authors, but it’s an indication of some of the authors I’ve found influential and entertaining. I’ve added a few of their books and will put a recommendation on which book of theirs to start with:

• Stephen King (Misery, Salem’s Lot, IT, Carrie): this one’s a predictable choice, but King is one of my heroes. The guy is amazing and has created some of my favourite characters of all time (Pennywise, Annie Wilkes). I’d recommend starting off with King by reading Misery, it’s fast-paced, well-written, and reminds any writer why fans can be a double-edged sword.
• Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians, Mongrels, My Heart Is a Chainsaw): I figured that starting off with two Stephens would be a good decision, even though they both dabble in the darker side of things and share the same first name. Despite this similarity, Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favourite working authors, and I’ve loved every book of his that I’ve read. His writing gives you the feeling of sinking into his horror. Check out Mongrels for an introduction to the writer and one of the most interesting werewolf tales of the modern day all wrapped up in a family drama.
• Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood, The Elephant Vanishes): I can’t say much that hasn’t been said before about Murakami. His writing is intricate and his stories are powerful. Having been, and often still being, a depressed man, reading the work of someone who understands those feelings and makes them empathetic isn’t quite therapy, but it makes one feel less lonely. The Elephant Vanishes is a good collection for a starting point, especially ‘The Second Bakery Attack’ and ‘Barn Burning’.
• Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Death of Ivan Ilyich): Tolstoy’s characters keep me reading, regardless of whatever else is happening. He makes them physical beings who I can imagine standing in front of me, and they all go through changes that are big and small, but felt throughout his works as the stories progress. The first two books I listed are probably more recognisable, but The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a digestible and accessible start to Tolstoy.
• Ted Chiang (Exhalation, Story of Your Life and Others): Chiang’s short stories have managed to make me cry. That’s not an easy task, but I challenge anyone to read through both of his short story collections and not be emotionally moved by what they read. His work does what all of my favourite science fiction does, and dissects what it means to be human. I’d start with Story of Your Life and Others, particularly the titular ‘Story of Your Life’ and ‘Understand’.
• Elmore Leonard (Out of Sight, When the Women Come Out to Dance, Rum Punch): Whenever I need nothing more than a crime story with great characters and quickfire dialogue, I accept no substitute. Elmore Leonard’s work has some of the most memorable characters ot anything I have ever read, watched, or played. He brings his worlds to life with effective storytelling and awesome character work, and his character Raylan Givens remains one of my favourite fictional characters of all time (if you haven’t seen Justified, do yourself a favour and watch it). Out of Sight is a good place to start with Leonard.