Favourite Author

[Andrew Reeve]

 

As a big fan of Science fiction novels, I wish to draw your attention to one of my favorite authors E. E. "Doc" Smith and he was best known for the Lensman and Skylark series

He was one of the major forces in science fiction writing in the 1930's and 1940's and he continued to write into the 1960's up to his death in 1965. I read all of his novels when I was a young man and now many years later I have fond memories of these books.

Anyone else have fond memories from their favorite authors?

 

[King Cotton]

Again, a late spotting of your thread, Andrew.

My favourite author is Hammond Innes, an English author (1913-98), whose books I discovered while book-shop browsing, soon after getting married and wanting a little reading whilst watching over the kids on the beach. The first of these was 'Campbell's Kingdom', after which I was well and truly hooked. Must have read about 15 of his works, each of which was a totally gripping read; some set in the mountains, some in the sea and a couple in underground mines.

I have to say, to my shame, that when my business life started to demand more time, my reading time went down to zero. My youngest son - the one that most liked my 'Many Bad Words' - lent me a Jack Reacher book (One Shot) recently and I found that just OK.

No, Hammond Innes was the one for me. Have you seen anything of his work, Andrew?

[Andrew Reeve]

Thank you for the recommendation and I have not read any Hammond Innes, Just been on Amazon and there is a good few of his titles still available and "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" has caught my eye and now added to the ever growing list of books I want to read,

[King Cotton]

'The Wreck of the Mary Deare' is up there amongst Innes's best. Absolutely brilliantly written so that you felt you were out there, in an Atlantic storm. Worth putting near the top of your list I reckon.

[King Cotton]

Also, Andrew, I've just had a trial read of Kellerman's 'Heartbreak Hotel' and, after just page 1, I know that I like his prose style. Whether I'll like his story-telling I'll soon find out . . . cheers!

[Lorraine]

 

I do not read much fiction and prefer non-Fiction and the years working as a librarian you end up getting a lot of recommendations and one was for Michael Lewis “Liars Poker” set in Wall Street during the 1980s and it is Michael’s insider account and behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. Excellent book with great descriptive humorous prose

I have now added the “Big Short” and “Flashboys” both of which are by Michael Lewis to my reading list. All of his books are available on Amazon.

 

[Andrew Reeve]

Great choice of reading Lorraine and Michael Lewis writes in such an interesting style and I read the "Big Short" several years ago.

 

 

 

[Lorraine]

Cheers Andrew and will let you know my view point on the "Big Short" when i get a chance to read it.

[KaptainRob]

I read all Hammond Innes books many years ago as 'Wreck of the Mary Deare' was the very 1st movies I'd seen as a child.

My preferred reading genre is 'historical novels' such as those by author Robert Harris.   His research and attention to factual detail ensures a woven fabric of life, of historical events, brought to life in gripping stories, 

I now feed off a book depository for Ebook downloads, not a torrent site, and enjoy authors like Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, Robert Goddard and others.  Sci-fi not my thing.

[King Cotton]

@KaptainRobGreat to hear that you, like me, enjoyed Hammond Innes's writing.

His were the only books (bar one, 'Let No Man Write My Epitaph', Willard Motley, 1958) were the only ones that I couldn't put down till my eyes were closing. Great writing and I'd love to know his mindset whilst he was in full flow . . . calm or excited?

I'm not a reader of any sorts, these days, whilst enjoying my own writing aspirations, so I'm not familiar with RH. I'll Google him, although and thanks for your reply.

[Hamosity]

Just stumbled on  this thread, so apologies for tardiness.

In my formative years (didn’t take). I read a lot of Sci Fi.
Arthur C Clarke, Ray Bradbury, John Wyndham, Issac Asimov and Philip K. Dick. 
I probably don’t need to note this as I’m sure the readers are well aware  (but will anyway): Dick’s 1968 novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ became the movie Blade Runner. 
 

I mention this mainly because the title remains an import philosophical question. More so as we venture into the AI enhanced world. 

[Metaluna]

On 5/10/2021 at 3:12 PM, King Cotton said:

No, Hammond Innes was the one for me. Have you seen anything of his work, Andrew?

Yes! Almost Every Hammond Innes is interesting and captivating. I've read all of his except the last two. He also has a fictional account of Captain Cook's last voyage.

But my favorite is and remains Conrad, particularly Lord Jim. And I always enjoy Don Quixote.

[Smithydog]

My all time favourites are Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler, though like @Andrew Reeve I did enjoy EE "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series when I was growing up.

Agatha Christie books were a family hit as long as no-one told anyone else who was the murderer until everyone had read it!

I am also partial to autobiographies and biographies, many of political leaders past and present, some of which can be inspiring, others that just make you wonder how anyone voted for them!

 

[King Cotton]

42 minutes ago, Metaluna said:

Yes! Almost Every Hammond Innes is interesting and captivating. I've read all of his except the last two. He also has a fictional account of Captain Cook's last voyage.

But my favorite is and remains Conrad, particularly Lord Jim. And I always enjoy Don Quixote.

Hi, @Metaluna!  Conrad, eh? That's interesting, since he was the featured author of my O-level Eng Lit course and even though the 2 works, Typhoon and Youth, didn't exactly excite me, I will never ever forget that they were there, in my desk, waiting for that one-period-per-week Lit session. I quite enjoyed Typhoon, with its nautical drama appealing - like Innes's Mary Deare - but I struggled to see the point or message of Youth.

I'll see if I can find an e-read of Lord Jim, so thanks for that nudge!

[MrStretch]

9 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Clive Cussler

I'm doing a Clive Cussler marathon now; Dirk Pitt Series, NUMA series, The Fargos Series and the Oregon series.

Perhaps it's time for a revisit of Clancy.  I enjoyed them all the first time 'round.

2 minutes ago, King Cotton said:

I'll see if I can find an e-read of Lord Jim, so thanks for that nudge!

You can find it free from the Gutenberg Project.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Lord+Jim&submit_search=Go!

 

[Metaluna]

2 hours ago, MrStretch said:

You can find it free from the Gutenberg Project.

There are other very good Gutenberg sites, too. Gutenberg Project Canada has more recent titles, because Canadian copyright law is only 50 years rather than the 75, I think it is for the US.  Also many good titles at Project Gutenberg Australia.  There is also a site called "Roy Glashan's Library" that provides free downloads of adventure, mystery, and fantasy books in the public domain.

[gummy]

2 hours ago, MrStretch said:

I'm doing a Clive Cussler marathon now; Dirk Pitt Series, NUMA series, The Fargos Series and the Oregon series.

Perhaps it's time for a revisit of Clancy.  I enjoyed them all the first time 'round.

You can find it free from the Gutenberg Project.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Lord+Jim&submit_search=Go!

Cussler is one of my long favourites too but mind you, some of the stories told by people on here are almost as entertaining  

[BigHewer]

On 5/17/2021 at 4:38 PM, Lorraine said:

I do not read much fiction and prefer non-Fiction and the years working as a librarian you end up getting a lot of recommendations and one was for Michael Lewis “Liars Poker” set in Wall Street during the 1980s and it is Michael’s insider account and behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. Excellent book with great descriptive humorous prose

I have now added the “Big Short” and “Flashboys” both of which are by Michael Lewis to my reading list. All of his books are available on Amazon.

Hi @Lorraine, late reply here, but I think we are on the same page (pun intended). I also much prefer non-fiction and have read Liar’s Poker, which is a brilliant account of bond trading in the 80s. I prefer the “fictionalised history” genre if I do read fiction, and my favorite author is Edward Rutherfurd (not Rutherford), whose works you may be familiar with. He writes the history of places seen through the eyes of fictional characters  in a novel format, with each chapter a later period in time.

London, Dublin and Russka are my favorites. China is coming out this year. Highly recommended.

[Marc26]

On 5/17/2021 at 12:38 AM, Lorraine said:

I do not read much fiction and prefer non-Fiction and the years working as a librarian you end up getting a lot of recommendations and one was for Michael Lewis “Liars Poker” set in Wall Street during the 1980s and it is Michael’s insider account and behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. Excellent book with great descriptive humorous prose

I have now added the “Big Short” and “Flashboys” both of which are by Michael Lewis to my reading list. All of his books are available on Amazon.

Here are some books in that genre that were my favorite in the last couple years

 

Billion Dollar Whale.......about the Malaysian con-man involved with the state fund and Goldman Sachs

 

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TDPJNcvLqEwyYPQSScrMycnMz1NIyc_JSSxSKM9IzEkFAN0jDHQ&q=billion+dollar+whale&rlz=1C1GCEJ_enCA874CA874&oq=billion+dollar+wh&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i433i512j0i512l7.8343j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Billion Dollar Loser.......About WeWork founder. I LOVED this book

 

https://www.amazon.com/Billion-Dollar-Loser-Spectacular-Neumann/dp/0316461369

 

One last one, excellent read

 

Red Notice.....about when Russia opened up to the oligarchs and an American who was over there investing

 

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice/dp/1476755744

[Marc26]

On 5/17/2021 at 12:38 AM, Lorraine said:

I do not read much fiction and prefer non-Fiction and the years working as a librarian you end up getting a lot of recommendations and one was for Michael Lewis “Liars Poker” set in Wall Street during the 1980s and it is Michael’s insider account and behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. Excellent book with great descriptive humorous prose

I have now added the “Big Short” and “Flashboys” both of which are by Michael Lewis to my reading list. All of his books are available on Amazon.

And the best book you will read in that genre, similar to Michael Lewis(who I love )

 

Ugly Americans by Ben Mezrich(wrote the Facebook book that movie based on)

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ugly-Americans-Cowboys-Markets-Millions/dp/0060575018

[BigHewer]

4 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Billion Dollar Loser.......About WeWork founder. I LOVED this book

Absolutely brilliant, @Marc26, the rise and fall of Adam Neumann. Loved it too!

[Rain]

Favourite author[s]? 

Oh my! Too many to name.

One that's notable - Kurt Vonnegut 

[Marc26]

8 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Absolutely brilliant, @Marc26, the rise and fall of Adam Neumann. Loved it too!

He was a lunatic! 

He played the system brilliantly though......

[El_Trauco]

 

^{Anthony Burgess (Joseph Kell).}

 

[Vince]

Eric Blair is up there, To Kill an Elephant and his Down and Out, were brilliant.

The American author/poet Charles Bukowski is quite a fun read - Post Office is a hoot.