Your favourite author?

At this moment, at any rate. "Favourite ________" always change with time but I'm curious, right now who's writing do you like the most and why?

Personally I'd have to say John Scalzi. Lately I've been in a real sic-fi mood (replayed Mass Effect, can't wait for Star Wars VII and bring on the No Man's Sky!) so his books have been great, especially taking into consideration his humour, which makes me laugh at least once every few pages, and has me smiling like an idiot more often than not.

So what do you guys say? :)

Alive: Thomas Pynchon
Dead: F. Scott Fitzgerald

The god of writing, the only person that can get me excited enough to buy a book on release.

Right now I'd have to say Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files. Can't really put my finger on the "why" but he always leaves me thinking "Can't wait to read his next book!" and there's not many writers (even some who are arguably more talented than him) who do that for me.

I'm not much of a book reader but if I had to choose I might say Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Eric Arthur Blair... by miles.

Mark Twain/Jane Austen are still my favs. in terms of modern writing, I enjoy David McCollough quite a bit.

Bill Gunston

A popular 1940's artist "Andrew Loomis" who produced several art instruction books . He explains complex idea's in simple ways.

As well as sharing all of this information: seeing his art-work is a joy.

Jesus, not one of you coincided with anybody else... that's interesting :p

Favorite based on nostalgia is Michael Crighton

Edith Wharton is another favorite

I don't really have one overarching favorite. I like Dan Abnett and all of his sci-fi and fantasy, especially his Warhammer 40k stuff. I like Tom Clancy because of the level of realism and thrills associated with his novels. Vince Flynn -- may he rest in peace -- was another great author of military thrillers. Daniel Silva is good. I liked David Gemmell for his historical fiction. Robert Harris also wrote some fantastic historical fiction about Rome. James Rollins writes excellent, intelligent thrillers. George R. R. Martin for obvious reasons. Patrick Rothfuss writes AMAZING fantasy books, as well.

That's about all I can think of for favorite authors.

Leo Tolstoy- A Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright and philosopher.

Peter F Hamilton. Brilliant Sci-Fi and Space Opera books.

Sir Isaac Newton. He wrote the Mathematical Principals of Natural Philosophy.

That work is one of the main reasons scientific knowledge is as advanced as it is.