Darkblade
Troubadour
1. Your Favorite Writer Now: China Miéville
2. Your Favorite Writer Five Years Ago: Neil Gaiman, American Gods defined my teenage years. I've grown to see some flaws in the story over time though so he has been edged out a little bit.
3. Writer You Used to Hate, but Now You Like: J. R. R. Tolkien, while I still find his prose a bit too much I can better appreciate his craft.
4. Writer That Changed Your Life: Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game was the book that really opened my eyes to what books can be.
5. Writer That Amazes You: James Gurney, took the most ludicrous concept I have ever heard in Dinotopia and brought forth an amazing story with outstanding the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen.
6. Writer That Depresses You: Mohiro Kitoh, a manga author might be cheating but Bokurano and Narutaru are two of the most depressing things I have ever read.
7. Writer That Makes You Happy: Douglas Adams, if Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy does not bring a smile to your face you may just be a depressed android.
8. Writer That Writes Really Well: That is such a general statement I'm not sure who to put here. Max Brooks with the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z was good and he doesn't really fit any other criteria so he can have this spot.
9. Writer That Tells Awesome Stories: Charles De Lint, no one captures the magic in the mundane quite like him.
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10. Writer You Think is Underrated: Terry Goodkind, when he is not going into full bore objectivism mode he actually is pretty decent. Of course the more success he has the further into that state of mind he gets.
11. Writer You Wish Was Still Writing Today (Alive or Dead): Frank Herbert, if only so his son would stop making inferior Dune sequels.
12. Writer That You Can Read Over and Over Again: Neil Gaiman, he is starting to wear a little thin on me but I have reread his books more than anyone else's so I suppose he belongs here.
13. Best Character Writer: Eric Flint, the 1633/Ring of Fire series beautifully captures not only the people you'll find in a modern small rural mining town but also fifteenth century Germany and France (I haven't read as much of the later series where we get into the British yet but I expect they are just as good). All without missing a beat.
14. Best Setting Writer: China Miéville, so he gets on here twice but his Bas-Lag series creates a world so horrific and raw that you can't help but be mesmerized.
15. Writer with the Most Intriguing Plots: Jim Butcher, say what you will about how the Codex Alera series lied (Roman Legionaries with Pokemon my rear end) and how the Dresden Files has been kind of floundering since Changes but he still writes plots that will keep you guessing right up until the last chapter.
16. Writer You Think All Ages Should Read: Robert Munch, if you haven't read The Paperbag Princess go out find a copy and your nearest two to eight year old to read it to right now. I'll wait.
17. Writer Who You Wish You Could Write Like: Everyone on this list. That's a valid answer right?
18. Writer You're Most Jealous Of: Stephanie Meyers, not of her writing but of making millions on something so fearsomly mediocre.
19. Writer Who is Unknown that You Wish More People Read: Nancy Killpatrick, this woman knows her vampires better than anyone I have ever read but alas I have yet to meet someone else who isn't very into specifically Canadian horror who has read anything by her.
20. Newish Writer Who Will Be Even Bigger in the Future: Lesley Livingston, another Canadian author who knows her stuff but is held back by her nationality. She is breaking through into the US markets though so I look forward to her getting more recognition in the future.
2. Your Favorite Writer Five Years Ago: Neil Gaiman, American Gods defined my teenage years. I've grown to see some flaws in the story over time though so he has been edged out a little bit.
3. Writer You Used to Hate, but Now You Like: J. R. R. Tolkien, while I still find his prose a bit too much I can better appreciate his craft.
4. Writer That Changed Your Life: Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game was the book that really opened my eyes to what books can be.
5. Writer That Amazes You: James Gurney, took the most ludicrous concept I have ever heard in Dinotopia and brought forth an amazing story with outstanding the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen.
6. Writer That Depresses You: Mohiro Kitoh, a manga author might be cheating but Bokurano and Narutaru are two of the most depressing things I have ever read.
7. Writer That Makes You Happy: Douglas Adams, if Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy does not bring a smile to your face you may just be a depressed android.
8. Writer That Writes Really Well: That is such a general statement I'm not sure who to put here. Max Brooks with the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z was good and he doesn't really fit any other criteria so he can have this spot.
9. Writer That Tells Awesome Stories: Charles De Lint, no one captures the magic in the mundane quite like him.
g
10. Writer You Think is Underrated: Terry Goodkind, when he is not going into full bore objectivism mode he actually is pretty decent. Of course the more success he has the further into that state of mind he gets.
11. Writer You Wish Was Still Writing Today (Alive or Dead): Frank Herbert, if only so his son would stop making inferior Dune sequels.
12. Writer That You Can Read Over and Over Again: Neil Gaiman, he is starting to wear a little thin on me but I have reread his books more than anyone else's so I suppose he belongs here.
13. Best Character Writer: Eric Flint, the 1633/Ring of Fire series beautifully captures not only the people you'll find in a modern small rural mining town but also fifteenth century Germany and France (I haven't read as much of the later series where we get into the British yet but I expect they are just as good). All without missing a beat.
14. Best Setting Writer: China Miéville, so he gets on here twice but his Bas-Lag series creates a world so horrific and raw that you can't help but be mesmerized.
15. Writer with the Most Intriguing Plots: Jim Butcher, say what you will about how the Codex Alera series lied (Roman Legionaries with Pokemon my rear end) and how the Dresden Files has been kind of floundering since Changes but he still writes plots that will keep you guessing right up until the last chapter.
16. Writer You Think All Ages Should Read: Robert Munch, if you haven't read The Paperbag Princess go out find a copy and your nearest two to eight year old to read it to right now. I'll wait.
17. Writer Who You Wish You Could Write Like: Everyone on this list. That's a valid answer right?
18. Writer You're Most Jealous Of: Stephanie Meyers, not of her writing but of making millions on something so fearsomly mediocre.
19. Writer Who is Unknown that You Wish More People Read: Nancy Killpatrick, this woman knows her vampires better than anyone I have ever read but alas I have yet to meet someone else who isn't very into specifically Canadian horror who has read anything by her.
20. Newish Writer Who Will Be Even Bigger in the Future: Lesley Livingston, another Canadian author who knows her stuff but is held back by her nationality. She is breaking through into the US markets though so I look forward to her getting more recognition in the future.
