Underrated writers?

Many writers dont get a lot of mainstream success, but that doesnt mean they are bad. Doesnt mean they are good too.

Thomas Tyron

Went from mediocre actor to fantastic writer.

Theodore Sturgeon

He writes some of the best short fiction ever. His novel More than human is great too though short stories are easily his best.

Charles L. Grant

Anthony Burgess

This is an odd choice. Most people know him only know of him because of A Clockwork orange. I have never met anyone who knows his other work. A Clockwork orange isn't even one of his best.

Bernard Taylor

Algernon blackwood

Arthur Machen

William Hjortsberg

Shirley Jackson

Neal Stephenson

Gene Wolfe

Roger Zelanzy

Joan Samson

Roland Topor

Thomas Ligotti

Maj Sjowall

Joe R. Lansdale

I haven't read any of those authors, but my favourite author (not that he's particularly underrated, but I haven't met many people who know of him) is George R R Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Best series I've ever read.

Stephen King

Michael Crichton.

Maybe C.S. Lewis, but I'm leaning more towards John Tolkien.

How is George Martin underrated? I'd say the Song of Ice and Fire series is very well known and respected; keep in mind it's even getting it's own HBO adaptation.

Well then, how many people have heard of Alastair Reynolds? He's a talented space opera authour who weaves in fascinating scientific principles and always has an amazing twist for his books.

I'd also like to mention Matthew Stover for his brilliant Cain series that is a mix of sci-fi & fantasy, and Patrick Rothfuss for The Name of the Wind which is also absurdly good.

Stephen King

Michael Crichton.

Maybe C.S. Lewis, but I'm leaning more towards John Tolkien.

thattotally

All those writers are pretty well known, though I think people dont appreciate how good of a writer Stephen King is. His book On Writing is the best book ever written about writing. Michael Crichton can be good, but some of his books like Next are terrible.

Thomas LigottiFilm-Guy

Dean Koontz is definitely underrated.

The man gets BS hate because people just want to go "oh Stephen King is better", yet Odd Thomas is easily the best book I have ever read. Phantoms was also great up untill the monsters origins are revealed.

Dean Koontz is definitely underrated.

The man gets BS hate because people just want to go "oh Stephen King is better", yet Odd Thomas is easily the best book I have ever read. Phantoms was also great up untill the monsters origins are revealed.

LostProphetFLCL

I like Odd Thomas too, but everything else of his I have read is really bad for the most part. His stories tend to have really one dimensional characters. Stephen king is definitely better:P

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]Thomas LigottiDEVILinIRON

Thomas Ligotti's books are tough to get a hold of. They also tend to pretty pretty expensive. I have a book of short stories by him that cost me 50$. It was worth it though. He reminds me of H.P Lovecraft but I think Ligotti is a much better writer.

Dean Koontz is definitely underrated.

The man gets BS hate because people just want to go "oh Stephen King is better", yet Odd Thomas is easily the best book I have ever read. Phantoms was also great up untill the monsters origins are revealed.

LostProphetFLCL

Dean Koontz is definitely underrated.

The man gets BS hate because people just want to go "oh Stephen King is better", yet Odd Thomas is easily the best book I have ever read. Phantoms was also great up untill the monsters origins are revealed.

LostProphetFLCL

Well, Stephen King is better, but the Dean Koontz hate is justified. He has more flaws as a writer than I can even count.

I mean, Odd Thomas was a decent story, but it pretty much showcases one of DK's biggest flaws: too many of his characters have no flaws. Odd Thomas is one of them.

Dean Koontz's writing is also full of purple prose. I kid you not, he actually wrote this sentence: "She was inexpressibly grateful that God had combed them out of the tangle of humanity and braided them together in marriage." That sentence is embarrassing and would never be written by an author that knows anything about good prose.

Add to that all of Dean Koontz's gag inducing "cutesy" dialogue and his writing starts to become downright painful to read through.

[QUOTE="LostProphetFLCL"]

Dean Koontz is definitely underrated.

The man gets BS hate because people just want to go "oh Stephen King is better", yet Odd Thomas is easily the best book I have ever read. Phantoms was also great up untill the monsters origins are revealed.

Film-Guy

I like Odd Thomas too, but everything else of his I have read is really bad for the most part. His stories tend to have really one dimensional characters. Stephen king is definitely better:P

Odd Thomas is actually pretty much a one-dimensional character. He has no real character flaws, which is a big no-no.

That book's cool concept is pretty much what saved it and I bet that Stephen King could have wrote a better book given the same idea.