Greatest author of all times

[Ady Hall]

The greatest (living) Author - and considering it's an SF&F thread so I'll stick to an SF&F author - but it really has to be Joe Abercrombie. Seriously, only four books out and he's tearing up all the tired tropes and showing peeps how it should really be done.

It's Josepth all the way . . .

 

[Connavar]

The fact Stephen King is mentioned twice in this thread shows its a pointless question.

Its impossible to mention the greatest of only the ones you have read. There are many greatest at what they do.

I know writers i didnt enjoy that did have much more talent than King can ever dream of imo.

The answer just becomes your favorite storyteller,writer and not about the greatest.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

How about the tablets of stone guy.

He seems to be up there near the top.

 

[Clansman]

How about the tablets of stone guy.

He seems to be up there near the top.

He also wrote five whole books, too, but likely on cloth or hide: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

 

[ghostofcorwin]

How about the tablets of stone guy.

He seems to be up there near the top.

Yeah, he qualifies for greatest novelist all right.... Actually, they do, since there was more than one author and redactor, but what the hey.... the line between myth and plain old fantasy fiction is a narrow one....

 

[Clansman]

Yeah, he qualifies for greatest novelist all right.... Actually, they do, since there was more than one author and redactor, but what the hey.... the line between myth and plain old fantasy fiction is a narrow one....

One might wish to use a little more care in how one describes religious texts. The above quote could easily manage to insult believers of three major faith groups (Jews, Christians, and Muslims). Though you may not believe those texts, many hold to them dearly as scriptures (whether they believe them to be allegory or literally true), and writing them off as mere myths and fantasy is demeaning, not to mention undervaluing their incredible historical value, let alone any spiritual value.

You could have written what you did with a little more subtlety, and a lot more sensitivity, thus getting your point across without insulting anyone who believes in the God of Abraham.

 

[biodroid]

I think the question is really, what is the definition of a great author, what qualities , traits, style skill in English does he/she possess to claim the title of greatest author of all time. I only got a C for english in high school but I felt that if you can make me really feel for the characters and make them seem so beleivable that they might actually exist then you are a good author. I don't know what a great author writes like because as mentioned here I don't think it exists. It's a matter of opinion and perception. Some say GRRM is the greatest fantasy author of all time, I would disagree wholeheartedly, the greatest fantasy author to me could be David Gemmell or Feist or Weeks (I don't actually have one at the moment), but most of you will disagree with that statement but thats my opinion and perception.

 

[ktabic]

How about the tablets of stone guy.

Maybe it's just me, but I immediately thought Gilgamesh rather than Moses.

 

[J-WO]

You could have written what you did with a little more subtlety, and a lot more sensitivity, thus getting your point across without insulting anyone who believes in the God of Abraham.

Judge not lest ye be judged yourself.

Now where did I read that?

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Maybe it's just me, but I immediately thought Gilgamesh rather than Moses.

Er....

Being carefull here, so as not to offend anyone you understand, but Mosses wasn't the author.

 

[ktabic]

That depends on your opinion of collectively shared imaginary friends.
If, like me, you are less than convinced of the existence of said shared imaginary friend, then that leaves only one author. Moses. And it's not a novel, it's more of a self-help book.

 

[Althain's Warden]

I like your post ktabic Very amusing, i won't post my own opinions on said collectively shared imaginary friends because i suspect my opinion would offend some people of a religious nature, wouldn't want to fall afoul of the DREADED moderators
As for the greatest author of all time i agree with the many that have said, largely a pointless question. It's so vague and broad as to be nothing more than a popularity contest, (which Tolkien would clearly win ! lol )
Just my opinion

 

[ghostofcorwin]

One might wish to use a little more care in how one describes religious texts. The above quote could easily manage to insult believers of three major faith groups (Jews, Christians, and Muslims). Though you may not believe those texts, many hold to them dearly as scriptures (whether they believe them to be allegory or literally true), and writing them off as mere myths and fantasy is demeaning, not to mention undervaluing their incredible historical value, let alone any spiritual value.

You could have written what you did with a little more subtlety, and a lot more sensitivity, thus getting your point across without insulting anyone who believes in the God of Abraham.

If one proffers religious texts in a "greatest author" thread, one should expect some mild debate, or even a chuckle and a wink. If that is offensive to you, you've got very thin skin indeed. To indicate that one doesn't believe in a particular religious text and assesses it as myth is a fair and legitimate opinion. Just as someone saying they feel it is the literal and inspired voice of God is a fair opinion. I think a line would be crossed if someone was attacked or name-called for holding their opinion, which I certainly didn't do. I added my "wink" because I knew that calling the Torah a novel would be a tiny bit edgy. Frankly, suggesting that the Torah was the greatest book might actually be more offensive to the other faiths than calling them all myths... something to think about...

 

[Clansman]

If one proffers religious texts in a "greatest author" thread, one should expect some mild debate, or even a chuckle and a wink. If that is offensive to you, you've got very thin skin indeed. To indicate that one doesn't believe in a particular religious text and assesses it as myth is a fair and legitimate opinion. Just as someone saying they feel it is the literal and inspired voice of God is a fair opinion. I think a line would be crossed if someone was attacked or name-called for holding their opinion, which I certainly didn't do. I added my "wink" because I knew that calling the Torah a novel would be a tiny bit edgy. Frankly, suggesting that the Torah was the greatest book might actually be more offensive to the other faiths than calling them all myths... something to think about...

Hey, never said that I was insulted. I just said that others might be if religious texts are referred to as myths and fantasies without any qualification. I simply submit that it was possible to say what you did with slightly more respect for those who believe in those texts, and that was my only point. I also didn't intend to suggest that the Torah was the greatest. I was responding in jest to TEIN's comment about the stone tablets, noting that Moses used other media.

Now we have a nice big messy misunderstanding. Sorry if I am guilty of line-crossing myself.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled debate on the undebate-able: the greatest author of all time.

 

[ghostofcorwin]

Hey, never said that I was insulted. I just said that others might be if religious texts are referred to as myths and fantasies without any qualification. I simply submit that it was possible to say what you did with slightly more respect for those who believe in those texts, and that was my only point. I also didn't intend to suggest that the Torah was the greatest. I was responding in jest to TEIN's comment about the stone tablets, noting that Moses used other media.

Now we have a nice big messy misunderstanding. Sorry if I am guilty of line-crossing myself.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled debate on the undebate-able: the greatest author of all time.

Fair enough. But if you HAD to pick, who would you prefer -- Moses or Stephen King?

 

[Yahzi]

and writing them off as mere myths and fantasy is demeaning

Well, you know, they're pretty quick to write off other people's religious texts as myths and fantasy.

Sauce for the goose and all that...


As for greatest author, I would have to say Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War was perhaps the first attempt at pure factual recording of a complex political event.

Iaasic Asimov also merits a shot. Few authors have written so much, so well, on so many different topics.

And of course Shakespeare, who molded not only the English language but the plot of every sit-com of the 20th century.

 

[Clansman]

Well, you know, they're pretty quick to write off other people's religious texts as myths and fantasy.

Sauce for the goose and all that...

Who is "they"? All Jews, Christians, and Muslims? Fairly broad brush, what? Or do just mean the Pat Robertson/Osama Bin Laden types? My, but it is fun to put those two names beside each other!

Just tryin' to get along, and takin' the high road.

 

[Urien]

Back to the plot, may I suggest the odd religious thread hijack plays elsewhere? It's very interesting but not awfully relevant to the best author.

Any Hemingway fans out there? What about Tolstoy?

Earlier I mentioned King, Shakespeare and Dostoyevsky... the extended list for me would include Cormac McCarthy, Tolstoy, Steinbeck, Huxley; not however a big Joyce or Dickens fan.

 

[Bev Stayart]

William Shakespeare. He has no competition.

 

[Pyan]

I think a line would be crossed if someone was attacked or name-called for holding their opinion

Absolutely.

Debate the subject all you want - venture into ad hominem attacks, and the Wrath of the Mods will surely smite thee...