Authors I Am Not Reading...

[swampyankee]

I've been inspired (oh, I need a synonym to inspired with negative connotations...) by http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthre...he-Weird-Stuff and http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthre...ou-not-reading to start a thread about authors we are not reading.

A couple of guidelines (I hope they'll be at least vaguely honored) are:
1) Main

• "Real" authors only, i.e., ones who has been published and made significant sales.
• Fiction authors only, which, in my opinion, includes poets and playwrights.
• No "corporate" authors, like the Appleton who wrote the Tom Swift books.
• No writers known primarily for conspiracy theories, economic or political writings, or travel books. For example, no Erich von Daniken or Milton Friedman.
• No authors of business proposals, prospecti (prospectuses?), or similar advertising.
• Let's leave authors of erotica out of this.
• ...and philosophers.
• ...and cultists

I'll start with two:
Ernest Hemingway
John Ringo

[TJMac]

I can second Hemingway...

and add Stephen Baxter.

TJ

[KaiYeves]

I read two Hemingway books for school, and I'm not eager to read anything else by him, so I'll third him.

[Gillianren]

Oh, put me on the Hemingway list, too, though I might have to read one of his stories aloud later this summer, if it's on Graham's syllabus. (He's dyslexic and gets more out of the stories if they're read to him.) A very dear professor once offered a class on Faulkner and Hemingway, and I told him that I would love to take it, because I would love to take a class from him again, but he would probably expect me to read Faulkner and Hemingway.

[Noclevername]

I tried reading Ringo's There Will Be Dragons, but if the hamfisted bash-you-over-the-head with his 1950s philosophy is typical of his style, I think I'll avoid him too.

[swampyankee]

• ...and cultists

I never thought I'd be quoting myself. Alas, this forces the omission of Elron and Ayn.

[Gillianren]

I read a Rand novel once. I'm never reading any Rand again. It isn't even as though she disguises her polemics with good writing!

[Van Rijn]

As I've mentioned in other threads, I don't care for Ayn Rand's novels because I think the point of a story should be to tell a story, and she spends most of her time lecturing rather than story telling.

But I have read a number of her essays and would recommend reading at least some of them, if only to decide why you disagree with them.

[Van Rijn]

I never thought I'd be quoting myself. Alas, this forces the omission of Elron and Ayn.

Ayn Rand was not a cultist.

[Cougar]

[*]Fiction authors only, which, in my opinion, includes poets and playwrights.

I guess there's a reason for excluding non-fiction, but what about science non-fiction? There are a few I would not read. Immanuel Velikovsky, of course. But more recently, Frank Tipler. At one point in his life, he may have done good technical work in general relativity, but since then, he has become known for arguments for Christianity based on fundamental physics. Sean Carroll even wrote an article in Cosmic Variance identifying Tipler as a crackpot. I've read a lot of these non-fiction science books. Most of the Nobel prizewinners give excellent accounts of their work. Many contemporary scientists write excellent books on the current state of their science. Most science writers are quite good. I stay well away from Tipler.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Dan Brown
Stephanie Meyer
James Patterson

[SkepticJ]

But more recently, Frank Tipler. At one point in his life, he may have done good technical work in general relativity, but since then, he has become known for arguments for Christianity based on fundamental physics. Sean Carroll even wrote an article in Cosmic Variance identifying Tipler as a crackpot. I've read a lot of these non-fiction science books. Most of the Nobel prizewinners give excellent accounts of their work. Many contemporary scientists write excellent books on the current state of their science. Most science writers are quite good. I stay well away from Tipler.

I've wondered what happened to him. Usually crackpots have always been missing their marbles, and never contributed to real science.

The exceptions are fascinating.

Isaac Newton was psychotic, schizophrenic, and was into pretty occult stuff, such as: eschatology, Bible-codes, and mysticism relating to Solomon's Temple. But he was also the single most influential scientist in history.

[John Mendenhall]

Nora Roberts. But then, she may be disqualified in this thread on other grounds. Most of the stuff is thinly disguised (clad?) xxx erotica.

But she dooo sell.

Regards, Bookman John.

[Gillianren]

My psychiatrist actually recommended that I read Dan Brown. I picked up a book in the quarter rack at one of Olympia's finer bookstores (Olympia has only one chain bookstore but many privately-owned ones, most with a good selection of used books) and put it in the "to read" pile. There it has sat for years now as I continue to contemplate if Dr. Sattar really dislikes me enough to have recommended such a thing!

[starcanuck64]

I don't find him that bad, I'm reading Deception Point as my on-the-bus book. It's mindless enough that I don't become too involved and miss my stop.

[Gillianren]

I think that's the one I have, though I'd have to go look.

[starcanuck64]

I can't say you're missing much, it's escapist. You can see why his novels go to movie so easily.

[swampyankee]

Ayn Rand was not a cultist.

OK; polemicist.

[Cougar]

...Stephanie Meyer...

You know, I listened to the audio book of The Host before I knew who Stephanie Meyer was. Maybe it was a little long, but I enjoyed it. I thought it was quite imaginative.

[Noclevername]

I never thought I'd be quoting myself. Alas, this forces the omission of Elron and Ayn.

[Nitpick] L. Ron [/Nitpick]

Elron (sp?) was a Tolkien character, I believe.

[swampyankee]

[Nitpick] L. Ron [/Nitpick]

Elron (sp?) was a Tolkien character, I believe.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...lron%20hubbard

[John Mendenhall]

I've been inspired (oh, I need a synonym to inspired with negative connotations...) by http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthre...he-Weird-Stuff and http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthre...ou-not-reading to start a thread about authors we are not reading.

A couple of guidelines (I hope they'll be at least vaguely honored) are:
1) Main

• "Real" authors only, i.e., ones who has been published and made significant sales.
• Fiction authors only, which, in my opinion, includes poets and playwrights.
• No "corporate" authors, like the Appleton who wrote the Tom Swift books.
• No writers known primarily for conspiracy theories, economic or political writings, or travel books. For example, no Erich von Daniken or Milton Friedman.
• No authors of business proposals, prospecti (prospectuses?), or similar advertising.
• Let's leave authors of erotica out of this.
• ...and philosophers.
• ...and cultists

I'll start with two:
Ernest Hemingway
John Ringo

Anything from Borders. (Watch Officer: "Captain, there are ice fields ahead." Captain: "No problem. Full speed ahead!")

[Paul Beardsley]

[Nitpick] L. Ron [/Nitpick]

Elron (sp?) was a Tolkien character, I believe.

Elrond, in fact... and I think it was obvious what swampyankee was doing.

I'll have my list ready soon.

[HenrikOlsen]

Ayn Rand was not a cultist.

But was a source of cultism in others.

Sorry for the horrendous mangling of Shakespeare I did there.

[Noclevername]

Elrond, in fact... and I think it was obvious what swampyankee was doing.

What was he doing?

[Paul Beardsley]

What was he doing?

Deliberately presenting L. Ron's name as if it were Elron.

[starcanuck64]

But was a source of cultism in others.

Sorry for the horrendous mangling of Shakespeare I did there.

Can you have a cult based on extreme individualism...I always found Rand and the movement around her confusing.

[Gillianren]

They're all individuals like each other!

[HenrikOlsen]

They're all individuals like each other!

Ah, so it's because I'm not I don't like her?

[eburacum45]

...and add Stephen Baxter.

Curious; he's one of my favourites. Admittedly his characters are often underdeveloped, but his research is exemplary. On the other hand I can't say I like all of his stuff; there is a lot of it out there, some worse than others.