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

[Satosuke]

In terms of Fiction, my vote's for Chuck Palahniuk. Survivor and Fight Club are two of my all-time favorites.

In terms of Nonfiction, I really like P.J. O'Rourke. He's probably the only political commentator I've seen to get voices of approval from all sides of the spectrum, even people who disagree with what he says.

 

[curlycrouton]

Shakespeare

Shakespeares dead, not exactly part of OUR "era" either.

My vote's for Chuck Palahniuk.

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

Do you know what an era is?
I don't think there can be a 'best author', since each writer resonates better with certain people; there are subjects that some people are interested in that others aren't for example, but my favourite would be Raymond Carver.

an era: a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc.

I consider roughly 1600 onward to be "the modern era". Disagree with me, fine, but that's what I think.

 

[tomdavi]

Clarkson is hilarious but as authors go I'll have to say Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, RD Wingfield, Stephen Fry, Tom Sharpe and Rickard Dawkins. Oh and Neil is good too, though I have only ever read some of his short stories.

 

[H.S.T]

Hunter S. Thompson

 

[Lukeje]

How can the thread have gotten this far without mention of Kurt Vonnegurt?

 

[LadyZephyr]

Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams. Adams especially- his books literally changed my life and made me the person I am today.

 

[Corven]

Stephen King.

 

[wewontdie11]

Stephen King.

I second this.

I very rarely read now as I don't have the patients for it I once did, but when I do pick up a book now and again it's always Stephen King. The man is brilliant.

 

[TheGreatGonzo26]

Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Thomas L. Friedman (he writes mostly about Middle East affairs, I believe).

 

[Shirahime]

If anyone says Dan Brown, I will actually shoot myself.


Personally I'd go for Anthony Burgess.

And more recent, Glen Duncan.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

I'm going for Pratchett or Pullman.

*EDIT* And Douglas Adams, if he counts as being "Our Era".

 

[Burld]

an era: a period of time marked by distinctive character, events, etc.

I consider roughly 1600 onward to be "the modern era". Disagree with me, fine, but that's what I think.

Hmm, fair enough.
Anyway, I forgot to mention two other authors who are my favourite based on one book: Boris and Arkady Strugatsky for Roadside Picnic. It is slightly lost in translation but is a brilliant... everything. There's so many different ideas in there.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

Douglas Adams

OK changed my mind. THIS.

 

[tendo82]

I'm confining my considerations to American writers who are in the latter stages of their careers or died in the past ten years.

Even so that is an enormous amount of talent. Especially considering the staggering work that came out of America in the Post War period. That said, any respectable examination of the best American writers will probably include a few of the following:

Saul Bellow
William Gaddis
Don DeLillo
Phillip Roth
Thomas Pynchon
John Updike
Cormac McCarthy
Tom Wolfe

There are of course more authors, of equal importance, to say nothing of the larger stage of world literature. But these guys have profoundly influenced modern letters and American culture more generally.

 

[stinkypitz]

How can the thread have gotten this far without mention of Kurt Vonnegurt?

is this the only sane person here? If you have not read Sirens of Titan, get off your ass!

 

[Walrus42]

Douglas Adams

 

[AuntyEthel]

How can the thread have gotten this far without mention of Kurt Vonnegurt?

100% agreed. Though my vote still goes to JG Ballard.