Who do you think is the most memorable author of our era?

[Imitation Saccharin]

Considering the world's millions of years old I would say he was.

Bloody christians

 

[curlycrouton]

Considering the world's millions of years old I would say he was.

Bloody christians

What?

 

[sprout]

George R. R. Martin is the ruler I measure other authors by. Niel Gaiman and Dan Simmons are both good authors, however, I'm not sure where I'd rank them.

 

[huntedannoyed]

Why, Hunter S. Thompson of course!

 

[Blind Punk Riot]

Douglas Adams

In time his work will be as revered as Swift or Shakespeare...

I think I've vaguely old enough for him to be included in my era.
Excellent, and just about beats Terry Pratchet.

Dirk Gently's hollistic agency is a good read. But ofcourse the four book trilogy of the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy is a must.

Read The Hobbit while you're at it too!

 

[pffh]

Seeing as people are mentioning Tolkien I will use that as ca how far back we go. So I would have to say Terry Pratchett, Isaac Asmiov, Ernest Hemmingway and Eric Arthur Blair aka George Orwell.

 

[Dudemeister]

Phillip Pullman

Seconded.

Also:
H P Lovecraft
Ray Bradbury
Stephen King

 

[Fruhstuck]

Terry Pratchett for me, the only person for whom i am a fanboy

 

[Unholykrumpet]

I remember reading Catch 22 in my junior English course, I could easily see Douglas Adams being switched out with that in the near future.

 

[far_wanderer]

Timothy Zahn - the man who made Star Wars novels interesting not just clones of the movies
He's not necessarily my pick for all-time best author of the era, but he's a very good one that I haven't seen mentioned yet.

 

[AuntyEthel]

Era is a null-descriptor. What boundaries define era? Our generation, the last century, everything since the millennium? Are we looking at authors as far back as Shakespear, or Asimov, or only those alive today?

I'd say your era would at least be someone who was alive when you were alive, even if its only for a short while.

Anyone else think Dr Seuss was pretty damn good?

 

[Johnn Johnston]

Anyone else think Dr Seuss was pretty damn good?

I'd say he qualifies as a damn good poet.

 

[ThaBenMan]

George R. R. Martin is the ruler I measure other authors by. Niel Gaiman and Dan Simmons are both good authors, however, I'm not sure where I'd rank them.

I definitely second GRRM - not just for A Song of Ice and Fire, which is fantastic, but his other books are great as well: Dying of the Light and Tuf Voyaging are awesome sci-fi novels, and Fevre Dream and Armageddon Rag are superb supernatural horror stories.

I second Neil Gaiman as well. He's the master of modern-day fantasy with a very elegant writing style.

 

[Shivari]

Stephen King.

I think that his shit to good ratio is too high for me to consider him for this title.

"Now for my 300th novel, a couple... uh... is attacked... by a giant... uh... lamp monster! Oooooooo!"

"You're not even trying anymore are you? *sigh* When can I have it?"

 

[Johnn Johnston]

Stephen King.

I think that his shit to good ratio is too high for me to consider him for this title.

"Now for my 300th novel, a couple... uh... is attacked... by a giant... uh... lamp monster! Oooooooo!"

"You're not even trying anymore are you? *sigh* When can I have it?"

I've tried to get into a Stephen King novel, but with each one I keep putting it down before page 150.

 

[Senor Smoke21]

Pratchett and Douglas Adams.
=]

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Neil Gaiman - Stories are random, have all been done before, are without a lesson or point, and above all his work is highly overrated. Did I mention this guy has no prose?

His stories have a point, your just not clever enough to get them.

*Snotty Snot snot*

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Neil Gaiman - Stories are random, have all been done before, are without a lesson or point, and above all his work is highly overrated. Did I mention this guy has no prose?

*takes you outside and shoots you* Especially as you said H.P.Lovecraft didn't do this.

Surprised and pleased that Rowling isn't here but I'd add Charles Stross, Iain Banks, Max Barry, Simon Haynes, Pratchett and Adams of course, Alan Moore...(Shame on the rest of you for missing him out), Stephen Moffat (Because I have to), Charlie Higson, Storm Constantine, Eoin Coifer, Jane Goldman, Jeffrey Deaver.

I'd kick that hack Patterson out though as he's almost as bad as Dan Brown. 2 pages is NOT a chapter.

I'd also add in Mario Puzo, Alfred Hitchcock, Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone, Gary Gygax; and probably a few more I'll remember halfway to sleep tonight.

 

[OuroborosChoked]

No love for Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Thomas Pynchon, or David Foster Wallace?

Not even Alan Moore?

Yeesh...

EDIT: Pynchon and Moore do get mentioned. Apologies.