Community > Movies, TV & Books

Topic: Who is the best American fiction writer
michiganman3 Joined Mon 10/29/07 Posts: 14521	Fri 07/10/09 07:36 PM Edited by michiganman3 on Fri 07/10/09 07:37 PM


Elizabeth1130 Joined Wed 07/01/09 Posts: 1	Sat 07/11/09 02:49 PM Edited by Elizabeth1130 on Sat 07/11/09 02:50 PM
I think everyone has a different taste. I have too many to mention! For fantasy - J.R.R. Tolkien and the Grimm Brothers For thriller - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child For mystery - Agatha Christie For Sci-Fi - George Lukas and Gene Roddenberry are only a few amongst my favorites but Mark Twain is surely a great writer. There is no denying that TOLKIEN IS NOT AMERICAN! COME ON! SERIOUSLY???

damnitscloudy Joined Sat 04/07/07 Posts: 11293	Sat 07/11/09 02:52 PM
Koontz is a good thriller writer, and Poe was just awesome with his poems and short stories

Gossipmpm Joined Tue 03/03/09 Posts: 19414	Sat 07/11/09 03:04 PM
Yea I like koontz. King That's my kind of read! But I enjoy biographys too And I love archie comics And the national enquirer. The best bathroom reading material of all time!!!

michiganman3 Joined Mon 10/29/07 Posts: 14521	Sat 07/11/09 03:14 PM
John D. Macdonald and his Travis Mcgee books.

Dan99 Joined Sat 08/23/08 Posts: 14941	Sat 07/11/09 03:19 PM
I have no idea who the best is, having not read books from that many American authors. But im gonna go with Ernest Hemmingway.

ThomasJB Joined Sat 01/10/09 Posts: 4240	Sat 07/11/09 04:18 PM
Kurt Vonnegut

MirrorMirror Joined Fri 10/26/07 Posts: 89680	Sat 07/11/09 04:51 PM
ever, in your opinion? I'm not asking for your favorite, although I understand that will somewhat bias your opinion. I believe it is Mark Twain. Stephen King

krupa Joined Thu 07/03/08 Posts: 18651	Sat 07/11/09 05:13 PM
This is easy.... Barry Sadler...the "Casca" series....none of the other hacks even come close to the depth and detail. And no honey...Tolkien is British.

Def03 Joined Tue 01/29/08 Posts: 910	Sat 07/11/09 05:16 PM
Hugh Hefner.Oh Sorry nevermind I have to giggle Stephen King

niteclerk Joined Wed 05/13/09 Posts: 277	Sat 07/11/09 05:47 PM Edited by niteclerk on Sat 07/11/09 05:48 PM
stephen king, dean koontz, and nelson demille have caused me to lose a lot of sleep.

natattack Joined Sat 07/11/09 Posts: 10	Sun 07/12/09 12:38 AM
Stephen King. 'Nuff said.

scorpio90 Joined Sun 12/21/08 Posts: 8481	Sun 07/12/09 03:13 PM
J.D. Salinger

Unknow Joined Sat 12/15/07 Posts: 41170	Sun 07/12/09 03:21 PM
stephen king, dean koontz, and nelson demille have caused me to lose a lot of sleep. Demille's Plum Island caused me to lose a lot of sleep because it is so damn close to Long Island... I did not want to read about stuff that may go on there. That scared me more than any horror story....

scorpio90 Joined Sun 12/21/08 Posts: 8481	Sun 07/12/09 03:23 PM
Though I also think Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens is likely the best American writer, at least top 10. Just surprised that there was no mention of Salinger, Faulkner, Steinbeck and so on. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is my choice for the best American short story. Stephen King best literature? C'mon! I grew up on him but he is more b-movie, comic book territory. He gets his stories so convuluted that he's no choice but to blow up his characters' town settings. And when he attempts ventures into "real liteature" ??? Epic fail!!!

Unknow Joined Sat 12/15/07 Posts: 41170	Sun 07/12/09 03:35 PM Edited by Unknow on Sun 07/12/09 03:40 PM
Though I also think Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens is likely the best American writer, at least top 10. Just surprised that there was no mention of Salinger, Faulkner, Steinbeck and so on. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is my choice for the best American short story. Stephen King best literature? C'mon! I grew up on him but he is more b-movie, comic book territory. He gets his stories so convuluted that he's no choice but to blow up his characters' town settings. And when he attempts ventures into "real liteature" ??? Epic fail!!! I agree about your assessment of King. To put him in the same argument as Twain, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Vonnegut, Upton (or even Hemingway and Steinbeck) is not right. Personally, I do not much care for Hemingway and I've always found Steinbeck's writing dull... Salinger is an interesting case. If you go simply by output alone he cannot be part of the argument. There is no doubt of the brilliance and importance of Catcher In The Rye. However, some of it's importance might not be a good thing. Aside from the fact some have called it the beginning of the death of the English language it has an deep appeal to (how can I put this nicely?) less than the best and brightest... Oh, and one more thing. What does winning the Medal of Honor have to do with being a great writer? I fail to see a connection...

Unknow Joined Sat 12/15/07 Posts: 41170	Sun 07/12/09 03:39 PM
I remind you all again, I'm asking for the BEST American writer not your favorite.

HibiscusPlumeria Joined Fri 06/05/09 Posts: 407	Sun 07/12/09 04:27 PM
...There is one? Soooorry Mitch, I couldn't resist!

Unknow Joined Sat 12/15/07 Posts: 41170	Sun 07/12/09 04:31 PM
...There is one? Soooorry Mitch, I couldn't resist!

eileena9 Joined Fri 04/13/07 Posts: 28211	Sun 07/12/09 04:37 PM
stephen king, dean koontz, and nelson demille have caused me to lose a lot of sleep. Demille's Plum Island caused me to lose a lot of sleep because it is so damn close to Long Island... I did not want to read about stuff that may go on there. That scared me more than any horror story.... Demille is a good friend of one of my best friends....as a matter of fact, Jerry has been a character in a few of his books....but he died in the last book.