Here is a list of my personally favorite authors and books – in no specific order or preference – I just adds ’em as I thinks of ’em.
Dean Koontz: Almost anything by this amazing author is great. There are few other published authors who can craft a sentence like he can, or choose unusual words the way he does.
Stephen King: Holy Goosebumps, Batman!
Tom Clancy franchise: If you like detailed military and political stories, with an abundance of technical detail, these books are a great choice.
Robert Heinlein: One of my original heroes of sci-fi. Heinlein not only tells a great story, he incorporates much for a person to think about, and think deeply. His story STARSHIP TROOPERS delves deeply into the morass of personal morality and personal rights. I cannot recommend this author or that book highly enough.
John Ringo: Another sci-fi hero author! Ringo creates a perfect balance of character study, technology, and military action.
Ryk Spoor: Fantastic sci-fi and fantasy.
Orson Scott Card: Great stories, which delve deeply into the human psyche.
Jim C. Hines: Fun tales from unexpected and unusual viewpoints.
Jim Butcher: Wow! Holy Crap! Can this guy create amazing worlds in fantastic yarns or what? His characterizations are perfection. I await each new book with great angst.
Lee Child: The Jack Reacher series. Again, ’nuff said. The only additional comment I can make is how disappointed I was at the choice of Tom Cruise to play Jack Reacher in the movies. The movies are well done, and follow the books nicely, but when I read about Reacher I do NOT picture Tom Cruise in my mind.
Simon Green: Hilarious fantasy tales, great action, inventive and convoluted plots, surprising characters.
Roger MacBride Allen: His Ring of Charon series was wonderfully done with superb blending of characters, motivations, and action, not to mention well-thought out technologies.
Michael Crichton: Another guy who never puts out anything but top shelf writing.
Gregg Hurwitz: Recommending the ‘ORPHAN X’ series.