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Top 100 Fantasy Authors (How Many Have You Read?)

16, but have most on my 'to do' list - i'm surprised at who isn't on the list to be honest - someone mentioned Moorcock, - William Gibson, Philip K Dick anyone? (unless they're defining fantasy as 'has magic and / or swords and stuff in it).

It looks like they're excluding authors who only write sci-fi, though they are allowing urban fantasy.

(Come to think of it, do magical realist authors belong on lists like this? It's kind of a shame to see Jorge Luis Borges left out.)

ETA: Also, I don't recall seeing Harry Turtledove on there. He's best-known for sci-fi, but he's done more fantasy than, say, Richard K. Morgan has.
 

SeverinR

Vala
I've only read two!!!!!!! :cry:


I'm new to fantasy, and I've just started writing a book. Any recommendations?
Very hard to recommend a author to someone you don't know. So many different styles.

McCaffrey:Anne McCaffrey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Dragon riders of Pern"
Her son: Todd McCaffrey: Todd McCaffrey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lackey:Mercedes Lackey bibliography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Heralds of Valdemar"
GRR Martin: Game of thrones:
George R. R. Martin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
Once I find an author I like, I tend to read everything I can from that person. I also tend to reread a lot. Therefore, I expected to score pretty low.

34

Not horrible.

I do feel bad about not reading Michael Sullivan's work yet. Best MS author's work I've read so far: Robert Bevan's Critical Failures. If you haven't read it, do. It's hilarious and well written. I don't usually seek out humorous books, but this one is worth it!
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
Yeah, I really like Robert Bevan's stuff as well. I need to get around to writing a review at some point. Michael Sullivan is well worth reading.
 

Mythopoet

Auror
I got 35.

Probably because I tried a handful of modern authors and decided I'd rather read the classics. I'm much more well read in older fantasy. It's sad the number of authors who have all but been forgotten by the wider fantasy community. (Lord Dunsany, anyone?)

I was gratified to see Roger Zelazny there though. One seldom sees him mentioned in connection with his fantasy, which is excellent. I finally finished reading all of his Dilvish stories (had to find the books used) and loved them. Though Amber will always be his masterpiece in my eyes.
 

Eagle

Scribe
22 for me, but I've got about 20 more of those authors on my shelf and intend to be reading many of them very soon. I don't tend to read just Fantasy though, hence my smaller number. Also when I come across one I tend to read a lot of their novels and nothing else, which has led me to months of reading nothing but Jordan or Sanderson novels.
 
My score was 13. I expected it to be lower, honestly. While I've heard of most of the authors, and have many of their books on my shelf, I'm a slow reader. I buy books faster than I go through them.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I went through and counted thirty-something. Then I realized I wasn't sure if they were authors I'd actually read or just names I recognized from the shelves in the book store. I went through it again to make sure I only picked authors who'd written books I could remember the title of as well and ended up at 25.
 

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I got 23. Not great, I'll admit. Like Nella I own more than I've read - including several on that list.

It was cool to see Michael on that list. But I agree: there should be more of us. Well, NaNoWriMo is about to start, so let's all get to work! Maybe by the end of 2015 a similar list will feature some of our names too.

I think next year I might try to read some of those authors who I've not read. Make a blog challenge of it, maybe. 52 of them, one for each week of the year - I'll make a list. If anyone wants to join me it would make a great cross-blog project/challenge and promote discussion of fantasy.
 
63. :cool:

I think (he said without a trace of bias) it's a pretty good list. At least, there's an advantage to running up a list that big: it's so likely to catch a name that it takes some work to think of that many that aren't on it. But reading through it is more of a lifetime project than not, it doesn't help you narrow it down for what to start with. Still, that's what forums are for.

Hold on, I haven't read Sullivan. Well, that was an easy choice.
 

Ruby

Auror
22. I'm quite pleased with that as I read lots of different genres of books. Also, I reread favourite books many times. There are writers here that I've never heard of so I will look out for their books!
 
I figured I might as well bump it so folks could check the list. Next up will be Lian Hearn. (Edit: also known as Gillian Rubinstein. I've read this writer!)
 
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