Author Insights: Who’s your favorite author?

L. J. Bonham: That’s a tough question, there’s so many ways to slice it. One can pick by genre, time period, etc., the possibilities are almost endless.

AI: How about modern authors?

LJB: Hemingway, definitely Hemingway. He’s crisp, to the point, zero BS. He was an adventurer and wrote from his experiences, unlike so many others who were wannabes and never left their drawing rooms.

AI: Pre-modern?

LJB: Bill Shakespeare, without hesitation. I can hear the groans from the gallery, but I don’t care. Next to the Greeks, he covered every aspect of human life. He transcends time. I doubt ninety-eight point seven percent of the authors who have followed will be remembered, let alone read, six hundred years after their deaths.

AI: What’s your favorite genre?

LJB: I prefer Techno-thrillers and Historical Fiction (of course) these days, but I’ve always enjoyed Science Fiction and Fantasy.

AI: Who do you like in those genres?

LJB: Tom Clancy invented the Techno-thriller for all intents and purposes. I’ve always preferred originals to imitators, although Vince Flynn took the genre and pushed its boundaries well. In Science Fiction I lean toward people like Bradbury, Orwell, LeGuin, Dalmas, Willis, and Heinlein. The field has so many good writers that it is hard to settle on just one. Fantasy: Tolkien, of course, but also M.H. Bonham, S.A. Bolich, and a few others.

AI: Do you read much Horror?

LJB: The lighter stuff, never been a fan of Slasher Fiction. It probably sounds odd, but I just recently picked up Jim Butcher’s first book. I thought his melding of the occult and detective noir pulp was very clever. I really prefer Suspense, such as Silence of the Lambs, over Horror though.

AI: Anything or anyone else?

LJB: I couldn’t end this interview without mentioning Michael Crichton. I’ve read all his work, even the obscure stuff. He was very influential for me and I was deeply saddened by his death. He wrote pop fiction but he was a tremendous talent and one damn smart guy.