re: Who are your five favorite writers off the top of your head?

Good call on Murakami and Bradbury

Evelyn Waugh
Graham Greene
William Faulkner
Flannery O'Connor
Dashiell Hammett/Raymond Chandler

Louis L'Amour
Zane Grey
Martin Armstrong
Thomas Paine
James Thurber

Asimov
Turtledove
Clancy
Pierce

Shelley wins because of Frankenstein

Tom Robbins
Carl Hiaasen
Christopher Moore

Robert Penn Warren
Stuart Kaminsky
Mark Twain
Hermann Wouk
Jack London

I like several that have been listed already.

Has anyone else read Robert F. Jones.Outdoor Adventure Fiction.My favorite is Blood-Sport which I'd say is Outdoor Adventure Fantasy Fiction.One of the most entertaining books I've ever read.

A Father and Son dirtbike camping adventure gets hijacked into a very entertaining adventure.

"Slade's Glacier" is also great.About a Bush Pilot.

quote:

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Blood Sport: A Journey Up the Hassayampa Novel by Robert F. Jones

If outdoor literature has its cult novel, "Blood Sport" is it. Robert Jones has created a new world, in which a mythical river and wilderness become the setting for a father-and-son journey like no other. ... Google Books Originally published: 1972 Author: Robert F. Jones

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I'll mention John Irving as above.The World According to Garp is a great,great book.He wrote The Hotel New Hampshire also,didn't he?

Stephen King.

Those are all entertainment.

Edgar Allan Poe

A rare, thought-provoking thread on the OT.

For me, it would be:

Sam Beckett - Dense, very difficult to digest. Got into him around college during some very dark times. Down the rabbit hole we go. "Waiting For Godot" is the standard Beckett hallmark, as it should be. But lots of other good stuff if you have the determination for it.

Bukowski - Such a genius in the manner he could encapsulate the daily horrors (and comedy) of life for the common man. Oddly endearing and easy to read, with Barfly instantly becoming my favorite film of all time. Mickey Rourke should've won a fricking Oscar for that film.

Kafka - Speaking of horror and anguish, lots to go 'round here. Not much comedy, anyway. Found myself fascinated at the way he could create such deep anxiety via a printed piece of paper.

Richard Brautigan - Gone before his time. A 60s counterculture mentality with a penchant for dark, humorous vignettes. Great author to bring along on road trips. At least he was for me.

I'm not sure about No. 5... I would probably say Leslie McFarlane (aka Franklin W. Dixon) who wrote the Hardy Boys books - an important piece of my childhood! But I could probably also make a case for Sartre, Poe, Dostoyevsky or Patrick McManus (the hilarious columnist who used to write for Outdoor Life magazine).

If more people could share a few sentences about their favorites, it might encourage others to check out some new material. Regardless, great thread!

Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Allan Moore
Clive Barker
BROM

Seems to be a lot of writers listed here that were mandatory reading from either high school or college.

Not including those,

One i would list that I haven't seen posted yet is

Lee Child

Maybe not the all time best, but has put together quite a number of interesting Jack Reacher books. All good.