Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Authors In a Genre

A meme from the Broke and the Bookish.

Today’s topic: Top Ten Favorite Authors In X Genre (Ex- Top Ten Favorite Science Fiction Authors, Top Ten Fave Contemporary YA authors)

So I asked @_jeremykerr what I should post about, because I worry I’m a broken record on the authors I love. His answer was contemporary YA. I will admit I blanched. I asked what counted as contemporary and he said 5 years so you have to understand my contemporary YA experience is pretty much limited to what I read in my Materials for Young Adults course. I tried I really did but I’ll give you a quick highlight of what the list came down to: John Green (Paper Towns-2008), Francisco X. Stork (Marcelo in the Real World-2009)… and the rest were either too old, didn’t like them that much or I was getting desperate and counting middle grades. I do have some on the shelf to read, but anyway… that was a really long way of saying “scratch that idea” so thanks to Denise over at Life With No Plot I decided to see if I could come up with a list of:

Top Ten Favorite Authors of Fantasy for Adults

1. Neil Gaiman – Okay, yes he writes for younger too but he still counts. I also read Neverwhere and American Gods those were pre-blog years. I love him because it is all so uniquely imaginative.

2. David Eddings – Modern classic or something like that. I feel like this era of writers really transitioned us from “classics” like Stoker and Tolkien into a more accessible but still excellent age of fantasy.

3. Robert Jordan – Ditto with David Eddings, these are the guys who set the stage. Don’t get me wrong I love the oldies but I think that is more stylistic than enjoyment, but if you really want to hear someone gush about Jordan ask Ben.

4. Stephen King – Not someone you think of as “fantasy” but my favorite is and he is definitely speculative. Most of the things I want to read of his have a more fantasy slant.

5. Mercedes Lackey – Great contemporary and high fantasy from the same female author: how can you complain? I have read some Valdemar want to read more but the danger with all of these people is they are so darn prolific!

6. Gregory Maguire – Ironically I haven’t finished the series he is most known for but I love his stand alone works. Twisted fairy tale isn’t the right phrase, perhaps gritty? To take a story you know so well and make it so realistic that you aren’t sure what side to be on.

7. Erin Morgenstern – Someone that doesn’t make me feel behind! I look forward to seeing more. Truly elegant with historical and creative rules.

8. George R.R. Martin – I take pride in the fact I was a pre-HBO fan. The proof is in the fact last time I got caught up was the summer before I started blogging. He was actually part of the reason I wanted to be able to give myself a reminder of what happened and what I felt about the writing.

9. T.H. White – So funny but so rich and classic and and and… one of the few things I have reread from school. Look at how long that review is, the longest until now, probably could win again if I reread it now that I say more. I don’t know much White but I feel like he had a good sense of humor.

10. Charlie Huston – I know it is weird to put someone that has a lot but I have only read one from, but he is high on the “must read more” list. I think this also shows some of the sheer variety within the genre.

So… do you think I’m crazy for anybody on this list? Anybody you think should have been here or shouldn’t? Let me know in the comments!