Poll

No write-ins? Dan Brown gets my vote.

Chris wrote: "No write-ins? Dan Brown gets my vote."

Thanks for bringing to my attention that I had failed to check that box.

Rottgrl88 wrote: "Stephen King gets my vote. I can't stand him. I have tried a couple of his things and his writing style and his story lines just don't click with me."

He is also guilty of using too much pointless bad language. (and rambling on)

I like some and have not read others

Clifford D. Simak was a misogynistic jerk who had his female characters putting THEMSELVES down for being women. I hope that his books are forgotten, shred themselves and turn to dust.

Clifford D. Simak was writing back in the middle of the 20th Century. Plenty of misogynistic jerk-hood going around back then. Maybe it's a LITTLE better now?

Chris wrote: "Clifford D. Simak was writing back in the middle of the 20th Century. Plenty of misogynistic jerk-hood going around back then. Maybe it's a LITTLE better now?"

It must be so easy to be a man (not being sarcastic, either). So many science fiction books are horribly offensive to women, you have no idea; even books written BY WOMEN, like most of the Darkover novels. It's gotten better since I wrote that miserable college paper about female authors of science-fiction in 1999, but still not great. A lot of YA science-fictions novelists are women, but when you get into regular adult sci-fi 2/3 of novelists are men.

Still ... WAY more female writers nowadays than back in the 1950's, when I got started reading sci-fi. I got "City"(written by Mr. Simak) through a junior high school English class back in the 8th grade - 1959/60. Also "Chuldhood's End." BTW, Robert Heinlein was the would-be Hugh Hefner of sci-fi BITD. Try "Stranger in a Strange Land" some time.

Chris wrote: "Still ... WAY more female writers nowadays than back in the 1950's, when I got started reading sci-fi. I got "City"(written by Mr. Simak) through a junior high school English class back in the 8th ..."

I tried to read Stranger in a Strange Land when I was in college and it just didn't move me in any way. I gave up on it. I'll tell you what did move me and changed my life when I was 20: The Lathe of Heaven. I watched the very good 1980 PBS film adaption first, and I was totally blown away. The next day I bought the book at the local bookstore and read it in gulps; then I gave it to my mother, and she read it in gulps (and she NEVER reads sci-fi). It changed me in a profound way, and to this day I've never been the same. From the way I look at the world and people, our environment, technological progress, and many other concepts, it was like a computer virus that altered my programming in every neuron. Even my mother agreed that since reading this book I changed completely and I've never been the same.

Other speculative fiction novels that have changed me include: The Neverending Story; Mockingbird; Resonance; and Level 7.

Based on what you've discussed about yourself, I think that you might enjoy Mockingbird by Walter Tevis, a novel published in 1980. It is completely different from the overpopulation, environmental devastation novels of which so many were published in the 1970's. I'd say that people either get it or they don't; but to me, it was a profound look at what it means to be human and what makes life worth living. The protagonist is the last man on Earth who can read and write, and brings meaning to silent film that I never thought about before.

I also saw that PBS presentation of "The Lathe of Heaven" and also was very affected and impressed. I've read two of UKL's Earthsea books, but that's all so far. So many books to read ... That sci-fi writer I was recommending is James H. Schmitz. His most well known works are about "The Witches of Karres/Karras" and the Telzey Amberdon stories. His female heroes are badass indeed. Of his work I've read "Agent of Vega" and "The Demon Breed' - also excellent. The name Walter Tevis rings a bell, but I'm not sure where or how. What else has he written that I might have read? Thanks for the other recommendations. There's another nice series of lesser-known books(I've only read one so far) by a female writer with a female heroine. When I can remember the names I'll pass them along.

I looked it up. I read Tevis' "The Hustler" back in 1964-65 or so. Good book ... good movie too.

Chris wrote: "I looked it up. I read Tevis' "The Hustler" back in 1964-65 or so. Good book ... good movie too."

I think I'll look that up.

James Patterson obviously has "teams" of folks writing for him, it is not possible for one person to write as many books that I see advertised on TV (by him) monthly.

Jk Rowling. I don't like how all of a sudden she's changing her characters years after she finished a writing them

Almira wrote: "James Patterson obviously has "teams" of folks writing for him, it is not possible for one person to write as many books that I see advertised on TV (by him) monthly."

Yeah, that does make me sad that a single author can get the credit of so many peoples' work.

Jennifer Nivan gets my vote. She trys so hard to write like John Green, it makes me gag.

Hah! I see that Jim Harrison has made it as a write-in. A very good writer obsessed with sex(and female body parts), booze and eating.

Jay Asher.

I can’t stand Nicolas Sparks, JK Rowling, and Margaret Atwood!

ClaraBelle wrote: "I can’t stand Nicolas Sparks, JK Rowling, and Margaret Atwood!"

Nicolas Sparks is a chick(en) lit author in trousers...

Razvan wrote: "ClaraBelle wrote: "I can’t stand Nicolas Sparks, JK Rowling, and Margaret Atwood!"

Nicolas Sparks is a chick(en) lit author in trousers..."
What do you mean by your comment?

ClaraBelle wrote: "Razvan wrote: "ClaraBelle wrote: "I can’t stand Nicolas Sparks, JK Rowling, and Margaret Atwood!"

Nicolas Sparks is a chick(en) lit author in trousers..."
What do you mean by your comment?"

without being presumptuous to ladies authors of chick lit, this guy writes even worse than their majority. tones of syrup...

without being presumptuous to ladies authors of chick lit, this guy writes even worse than their majority. tones of syrup...

LOL! I agree! His main goal is just to make you cry and I don't like it one bit. What a sap! Like maple syrup.