[deegee]

Okay, from what I have gathered, here follows a list (from reading myself and hearing from others) of the best modern fantasy writers of today...feel free to add, take away, and argue! I haven't read any of the last 4 authors stuff on this list...but have their books on my shelf!

Glen Cook
Brandon Sanderson
Steven Erikson
Joe Abercrombie
Greg Keyes
George R.R. Martin
Scott Bakker
Patrick Rothfuss
China Mieville
Scott Lynch
Jacqueline Carey

[Obdigore]

Ummm.... Havn't read Keyes(I thought he did Sci-Fi?), China, Rothfuss, or Carey, but I hear a lot of people weren't too happy with Rothfuss' book, saying he was overhyped and not 'the second coming'.

Meh, I don't like Bakker either, but lots of people do...Its a good list all in all for the ones I can see though.

[Elan Morin Tedronai]

Haven't read Mieville, Keyes or Cook, although of Cook I have The Black Company here somewhere in the piles of books, just didn't get around to it yet. Also have Rothfuss' first one here, but due to the not-so-grand reviews from readers I kinda keep pushing it forward.

Am actually reading Carey right now, first book almost finished and it's pretty good gonna get the others tomorrow I hope.

The others really are awesome imo, Erikson I dont need to explain I think

Martin has been my number one for years until I read GotM/DG. He writes too slow though...

I'm one of the people that think Bakker is awesome, really love PoN and looking forward to tAE very much.

Sanderson/Lynch/Abercrombie I all discovered in the past 4-6 months, and they really are great aye. Still need to get my hands on Abercrombie's 2nd/3th books, but judging by what I read online it will be something
Mistborn I really loved as well, largely due to the magic system, but the whole story is a very easy read. And Lynch, I just love the humour in those books

Dunno who to add though, you basically named all the ones I would have already

[Tif the Barber Boy]

Of the list, I haven't read Cook, Rothfuss or Carey. Of the others, I have only read 'Elantris' by Sanderson, and wouldn't put him on the list based on that alone. I have read a couple of books each by Abercrombie and Lynch and while they both show promise, I'm still not entirely convinced (maybe once I read their next installments I will know for sure). All the others, I would agree with. Adding on a couple of other names that come to mind, I guess my list would be:

Steven Erikson
Greg Keyes
George R.R. Martin
Scott Bakker
China Mieville
Paul Kearney
Guy Gavriel Kay
Gene Wolfe

[drosdelnoch]

Keyes generally is a sci-fi flavour however his kingdom of bone and thorn is fantasy and damn well done. Have read most of the authors mentioned. The only two I havent gone through yet is Cook and Sanderson. Pats work however is something that you have to read along with Scott Lynch.

[magicrealist]

It looks pretty good...
i dont know what you mean by modern...
Still alive? Still writing?
Anyways here are the ( besides MBoTF) imo, most original fantasy writers today:


Gene Wolfe is amazing. His novels are not as fun as Malazan, but just as rewarding. He is an amazing literay talent, who has completly turned the genre around many times. ( The Book of the New Sun is the rise of Severian, the torturer. It is by far the best first person narrative in Fantasy writing today, and it is the first time I've seen an unreliable narrator in fantast. He's writing an Epic fantasy starting with The Knight. It's really good, and completly turns the tolkien side of the genre over. Be warned, neither are easy reads. PS: I think he's coming out with a Pirate Series!!)

Matt Stover is damn good. If you like action packed fantasy, this is for you. It has the most amazing small scale battles ( ie: one on one bare knuckle BEATDOWNS) of any fantasy novel i have read. It's very gritty, and not for the feint of heart. I highly reccomend his current series ( Heroes Die, Blade of Tyshalle) for anyone who enjoys the amazing action, with good writing.

Jeff VanderMeer: One of the most imaginative fantasy writers writing today. If you love original fantasy go out and buy Shriek: An Afterword, The Secret Life, or Veniss Underground.

I post some more later

[Lost Marine]

You know I'm not gonna lie, I really liked Rothfuss' book, it wasn't the greatest thing ever but I think it was an excellent first novel. I find that people tend to be too critical of him due to the fact that he was "hyped". This is one of the reasons that I don't read reviews or put too much stock in other peoples opinions. To me every book I read is a solitary experience, what the book means to me is what it is, not what a bunch of other random people think.

So I guess that having read his book in a complete vacuum of prior knowledge about it, and not having really followed any of the stuff that followed it coming out I found it to be a really good read.

As for my best authors now, same as everybody else except I wouldn't put Gene Wolfe on the list simply because I can't get into his books.

[paladin]

I thought Rothfuss' book was excellent for a first novel as well. Better than Gardens of the Moon and The Lies of Locke Lamora in my eyes as far as current debuts go.

Steph Swainston is missing from that list.

[Tif the Barber Boy]

paladin;278380 said:

Steph Swainston is missing from that list.

i was thinking about adding Steph Swainston to my list. I thought her first book was brilliant. The second book, however, wasn't as memorable and I'm reluctant to put a name on the list simply based on 1 good (great?) book. I haven't read her new one yet.

Currently I'm reading Mary Gentle's 'Ash' and really enjoying it. If her other stuff is as good then she would be a real contender.

[Aptorian]

Joe Abercrombie

I don't know why this guy is on the list. Of course I haven't read the second a third part of the first law, but while "Before they are hanged" was an entertaining book, it certainly wasn't great in any shape or form. It was a typically generic fantasy world, the characters weren't that good allthough ninefingers and Glotka were interesting to follow, the story was slow and nothing special and the writting was average.

There's certainly potential there, I'd just never put him alongside people like Erikson, GRRM or Lynch on a list of "best authors".

On the other hand, not having read more than the first 4 Black Company books, I don't know what Glen Cook is doing there either.

[Werthead]

The Blade Itself is slow. Before They Are Hanged is much better and much cleverer. Last Argument of Kings is spectacular. Frankly, the onus is on Erikson for Toll the Hounds to be as good as Last Argument of Kings, certainly not the other way around.

I would rank the best modern fantasy authors as:

Joe Abercrombie
Daniel Abraham
R. Scott Bakker
Neil Gaiman
Guy Gavriel Kay
George RR Martin
China Mieville
Terry Pratchett
Gene Wolfe

Erikson is borderline. He's very nearly in there, but three weak books on the trot (4-6) are not a good batting average. Reaper's Gale was good though, and if Toll the Hounds is as good or better, I'd put him back on the list. JV Jones and Tad Williams were also both once on there but have been removed after some disappointing releases and lengthy delays on their books.

The best modern SF authors are:

Iain M. Banks
Peter F. Hamilton
Ian McDonald
Alan Moore
Richard Morgan
Christopher Priest
Alastair Reynolds

Rothuss has to prove himself with his second book. His first was great but undermined by subtle flaws. Lynch also nearly made it but his second book had much greater flaws than the first, and the news of delays on the third is not encouraging.

[drosdelnoch]

I want to add David Gemmell to the list, whilst he passed a couple of years ago I still love reading his work.

[MecnunK]

last argument of kings is out? i checked amazona few days back and it said not released yet?

[Aptorian]

drosdelnoch;278475 said:

I want to add David Gemmell to the list, whilst he passed a couple of years ago I still love reading his work.

But would you consider him a modern author?

[drosdelnoch]

You have to when all's said and done as theres no other author thats stepped up since his passing to take over his area. That should demonstrate that he is not only modern but also in a class of his own.

[Imperial Historian]

Quote

You have to when all's said and done as theres no other author thats stepped up since his passing to take over his area. That should demonstrate that he is not only modern but also in a class of his own.

Actually I'd say Abercrombie and to some extent Sanderson look like they are stepping into similar areas of the market from what I've read, and it has only been a year since his death, a new author can't exactly establish themselves in that time...

Going off that initial list, I wouldn't include Rothfuss, Lynch and Sanderson, they are definitely up and coming authors, but in my opinion they haven't fully established themselves as truly in the best of modern fantasy category yet. Carey I wouldn't add as i've been generally unimpressed by her, and keyes' fantasy is generally of not that high a standard.

Author's I'd add are Hobb (despite some poor recent books) and Pratchett

[polishgenius]

Werthead;278469 said:

He's very nearly in there, but three weak books on the trot (4-6) are not a good batting average.

I know it's all taste and that, but I think you're being harsh on Midnight Tides. Once you get past the shock of the setting I think it's right up there with MoI; it's certainly much better than either HoC or BH, in every respect.


Anyway, not to be too bossy...

My favourites

Erikson
Mieville
Lynch
Swainston (Modern World comes out in MMPB tomorrow, apparently, which is handy coz I just finished rereading the previous to today...)
Abercrombie
Martin
Gaiman
Pratchett
Butcher

I'll wait on Rofthuss to deliver a second book before putting him on it, and Swainston, Lynch and Abercrombie are on probation till I read the third, though what I've heard of the two who have them out suggest they've pulled it off. Wolfe is likely to be on there, but I can't finish Book of the New Sun while stressing at uni, and all I've read is just over half of that.


I'm surprised that only one other person has mentioned Butcher and that wasn't for Dresden Files. I don't think there's a more consistently well written and constructed series about.

[The Tyrant Lizard]

Here's the modern authors I like, based on the fact that I rush out to buy their latest book as soon as I can. (in no particular order)

Joe Abercrombie
Steven Erikson
Scott Lynch
William King
Terry Goodkind (just needed to finish the series)
James Barclay
James Clemens
Ian Esslemont

In my defense I havent read anything by Martin but I plan to start soon. As for Wolfe, I read half of the Knight book, and found it so tedious that I can't read anything else he has written. I also Love David Gemmel books, but I don't think he can be a modern author, because it'll be a long wait for his next instalment.

[Obdigore]

Briar King;283583 said:

Didn't Gemmel die?


I find that Gene Wolfe has a very specific group of people that like him. You love it or hate it basically.

He has three books out based off of the Alexander/Persian conflict I think it is. Latro in the Mist it is about a soldier that has recieved a head wound and he forgets EVERYTHING every time he wakes up so he writes every day down on a scroll. It is a great story that I would recommend to the two of you that haven't liked Wolfe.

I enjoy Wolfe's books, and what he writes/how he writes it. He just isn't the 'best of the best' in my eyes. If we do a top 10, he is there, from what I have read. If we do a top5, I doubt he will make it.

Anyway, Bakker is the same kind of polarizing. I have never met someone who said bakkers stuff was 'ok'. Its either 'I really liked it' or 'It blew chunks and I wish I could have my money back.' I think that is because how he writes, and he goes deep into philosophy as he sees it, and the human condition.

[polishgenius]

I thought Bakker's stuff was okay. Heehee.