It's subjective based on tastes. I mean if reading is mainly about entertainment, if that's what entertains them the most, then I can see why they say she's the best writer, but I've also never met writers who will have this debate because it's a hard profession unto itself and most authors respect each other give or a take a few bad apples.
@@kgal1298 obviously it’s subjective but it’s also possible to enjoy someone’s work and acknowledge that their writing is not that great. Even objectively her actual writing is not that impressive, people enjoy the world and the characters
My two are RF Kuang and NK Jemisin. Even when they don't necessarily hit 100% for me, I can still see the merit and strength in what they're doing. I didn't love Jemisin's Great Cities series, but I could appreciate the craft. I also think they're doing interesting things in the space which I really respect.
i would agree if not for the fact that he struggles to write women well in my opinion. The Nickel Boys and Underground Railroad are haunting, exquisite reads.
@@Morfeusm Ward is easy to get into - Salvage the Bones or Sing Unburied Sing are two of her novels and Men We Reaped is a memoir of sorts. Keegan writes very short beautifully written novels/ novellas but they are very accessible Anna Burns’ novel Milkman is great but it is a stream of consciousness novel set in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles.” Fosse is a Norwegian writer who also writes in stream of consciousness. Erdrich is an Native American author who writes books set on/near reservations among Native American people. The Round House and Love Medicine are easily accessible. Percival Everett is a satirical novelist. His novel The Trees is great and his novel Erasure was made into a movie out now called American Fiction
I love Maggie Stiefvater writing, I know that her books are not for everyone but her writing is so good. Even when I don't really love the story I still have to read it, her prose is perfect. But last year I read a book from Ocean Vuong and felt it in my soul.
Coming back to comment Anthony Doerr again. Cloud Cuckoo Land is a Masterpiece. And I haven’t had a book in the over 2 years since I’ve read it top it in my mind and I’ve read something like 500 books since then and I’m still warm and fuzzy thinking about that book.
My favorite writer right now is Claire North, but she’s not super popular. I also think RF Kuang, Alejandro Zambra, and NK Jemison all are among the best currently writing. Edit: I’m just happy no one said Stephen King
i would probably have expected someone to say rick riordan in terms of his storytelling and, dare i say, cultural impact. also a little surprised samantha shannon wasn’t mentioned, i know a lot of people in the bookish community who adore her books
For me it is Ocean Vuong or Tracy Deonn. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is by far my favorite book of all time, and the Legendborn series started my love for fantasy
I read a lot of romance so I would say Abby Jimenez especially her more recent work, Lisa Kleypas because she actually does historical research, ditto Beverly Jenkins, and Sierra Simone because of her existential themes plus romance plus erotica.
Ta-Nehisi Coates (fiction or nonfiction, he just keeps getting better), RF Kuang (and I haven't read the Poppy War Trilogy yet), Brit Bennett, Sally Rooney. Want to read a few of the folks mentioned here though including Ms. Shannon soon.
Jess, so glad to hear that you are willing to try the Liveship Traders trilogy after struggling with Fitz's character in the Farseer Trilogy. I really hope you like it. Also understand how the first trilogy can be a slog, especially if you don't care for Fitz. You are stuck in his POV the whole time.
Alice Munro. Canadian Superstar Author, and Nobel Laureate in Literature. This woman can do more world-building in three sentences, than most authors can do with 3 paragraphs. She primarily writes short-stories, and her ability to write an interesting story about every day occurrences, such that with a few words changed, she could publish them about today is phenomenal!! She’s such a keen observer of the human race. Love this question because it reminded me I have a few Munro’s that I’ve never read before :)
Louise Erdrich, Percival Everett, James McBride, Walter Mosley, Tananarive Due, Ken Liu, Christopher Ruocchio, John Gwynne, and Claire Keegan. These authors are just killing it!!!
I will say R. F. Kuang has my heart, but I still think she has so much room for growth. So she’s one of my favorites and one of the bests and so talented, but I also don’t think I can quite say that she is the best yet, you know?
saara el-arifi is definitely up there for me. also tamsyn muir. both have written the most amazing, mindblowing series that i can never stop thinking about. i also agree with the people who said nk jemisin and andrew joseph white. i def need to read more nk jemisin, i was so blown away by the broken earth trilogy.
Of course this is very subjective and there are many authors that I have not read yet that I want to try. But I will say Robin Hobb (Realm of the Elderlings) and NK Jemisin (Broken Earth Trilogy). They have both written intricately crafted series with wonderful themes and complex characters. I have also enjoyed reading their books sooo much and will reread. Their stories, writing, and characters will stay with me the rest of my days.
For me so many authors aren't appreciated. So many struggle to get seen. It's a shame. I do what I can to help authors. Write reviews. Talk about underrated books I enjoyed or am looking forward to reading. For me, I personally don't have any desire to read anything CoHo or SJM. The writing styles don't sound for me. I've heard endless reasons people love their work but it's those exact reasons that I know they're not for me. It's great you asked the public. Glad more unique names came up. Currently enjoying the storytelling of Mark J Engels, Amanda Auler, Luis Falcao De Magalhaes, & Moriah Chavis.
Carmen Maria Machado Sayaka Murata Stephen King Fredrik Backman Agustina Bazterrica Bora Chung (all of the translated authors include their translators as well)😊
The way it took me a second to figure out Sarah Janet was SJM😂😂😂 I've only recently gotten back into reading and I'm in my SJM era AT THE MOMENT, I by no means think she has the best writing objectively and I don't have enough experience to give my opinion lol, after I finish CC3 I'm going to start reading the Cosmere, I tend to read all of an author's works at a time so it takes me a while to figure out which authors I like
I love Neil Gaiman but he doesn't publish books often enough, unfortunately. I think the best authors for me currently are R.F. Kuang, V.E. Schwab and Brandon Sanderson 🥰
Best currently writing authors? Off the top of my head I'd say David Mitchell, N.K. Jemisin, and Becky Chambers. Open to suggestions for other great authors, though!
I’m surprised no one mentioned Leigh Bardugo. She’s not for me but people ride or die for her grishaverse books. Some of my faves that didn’t get mentioned - Maggie O’Farell and Carmen Maria Machado
I’d say yes to Rebecca Ross. Her other duology, Elements of Cadence is just as enchanting, if not more, than Divine Rivals. She did publish other works before but I have not check them out yet. Other authors coming to mind (difficult to choose one!) are: Robin Hobb, Kazuo Ishiguro, N.K Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse and Naomi Novik. There are probably others I’m forgetting… I agree with the comment on Melina Marchetta! Also love Nina Lacour’s YA simple and beautiful prose. I think GRR Martin also has a really good and effective writing style. Maybe more on the storytelling side, but while being simple enough, he still creates a very well woven world and characters work, very tight and compelling writing to me.
I think I’ve gotta go ML Wang. The Sword of Kaigen was a fantastic book that I had to get a pretty cover for. And Blood over bright haven hit-not a huge fan of how it’s printed like physically on the page though. I want to try their backlog but there are already so many books to read.
Sally Rooney’s writing reminds me of the ‘The Cat Sat on the Mat’ books that children read when they’re just learning to put basic words into a sentence. Akwaeke Emezi would have my vote.
Fonda Lee and Suzanna Clark Based off my favorite reads from 2023 (Piranesi and Untethered Sky) and I'm going off quality not how prolific they are with their writing
Okay I cheated a little bit and waited until you listed some of the names that came up a lot but the 2 names that I thought of immediately were T Kingfisher and NK Jemisin!
I'm primarily a genre reader (fantasy, science fiction and romance) and I read adult, YA and middle grade. Best writing today, in my opinion? Can't limit it to one, so: Tananarive Due, Shannon Chakraborty, James S.A. Corey, Brian Vaughan, Jessica Townsend. (Honorable mention to Martha Wells, Juliet Marillier, and Kelley Armstrong).
Me just really starting to get back into reading and having read none of these authors. Also, me being the person who doesn't follow trends. I guess I'll get around to these writers eventually.😂
I would tentatively say Neil Gaiman, just cause some of his books are my favourite. I'd recommend Anansi Boys as his best (except Good Omens, but he only half wrote that) I need to read more though. It's hard to say who the best author is cause I tend to love individual books/series not the author, like I love The Martian it's one of my favourite books of all time, but I'm struggling to get through Project Hail Mary.
Other than Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross wrote the River Enchanted and a Fire Endless. My vote would be R.F Kuang, Joe Abercrombie, N.K Jamison for fantasy writers and Silvia Moreno Garcia for Gothic Horror.
A name I haven’t heard, but one I’ll nominate is Nghi Vo, particularly in her novellas. I haven’t read Divine Rivals yet, but Rebecca Ross’s prose in A River Enchanted was lovely. (I haven’t picked up the sequel because I found the main romance annoying-the female character constantly calling the male character her “old menace” got on my nerves.)
Well I feel like it’s so hard to say because I haven’t read every writer currently publishing work 😅 and I am crap at determining favorites about anything. I really enjoy: Louise Erdrich, Maggie Stiefvater (really just the Raven Cycle is all I’ve read), Bryan Washington, Ocean Vuong. Idk idk
My favorite author currently writing is probably Rick Riordan, but if we're talking who's the best strictly on quality of writing, I'd like to suggest Andrew Joseph White.
I wouldn't agree with about 90% of the ones you read off but it doesn't surprise me that they were the ones mentioned, my votes would be M.L. Wang, N.K. Jemisin, Lorraine Heath, Jacqueline Carey, Cherie Dimaline, Stacy Reid, Bethany Bennett, Jessie Mihalik and then my brain blanks out :P lol. It doesn't help that most of my fave authors have passed away or just haven't put out anything new in a few years.
I feel like this one is so hard for me because I don't really enjoy books for thier good writing - I'm more of a storytelling girlie! (Also I haven't read any of the authors on this list yet, but both R.F. Kuang and N.K. Jeminson are on my list for this year, as I own multiple books by each of them.) But from my list last year, Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage and Zoulfa Katouh's As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow were probably the best written (and maybe that's taking into account the storytelling, too).
I haven't tried RF Kuang so can't comment there. I agree with Chakraborty but I just didn't click with both books I've tried reading by her. Absolutely agree on NK Jemisin and ML Wang. I can definitely see Robin Hobbs but gonna say she is the reverse of Sanderson FOR ME. Excellent writing but I did not care for the storytelling. Oh forgot about Madeline Miller! Loved Achilles, was bored with Circe but really want to give it another try cause the time I read it was not conducive to reading.
N.K. Jemisin, Susana Clarke, China Mieville, Ted Chiang for SFF. For general fiction I am not sure, I am very confused by people winning prizes nowadays. K. Ishiguro is up there for sure but all people I was very impressed by their writing skills lately are kind of dead now or are hit and miss.
My personal favorite is Ken Liu, but I can’t make an objective statement. Maybe Kristen Hannah comes closest due to her consistent high quality and mass appeal. I have to imagine the best writing would be in the literary fiction sphere which i rarely read.
Rebecca Ross is a good writer, and seems cool, however her recent books are with SMP and so there is a boycott(marketing from what I gathered) because there was a lot of anti Muslim and Arab hate that hasn’t been addressed. She does have other works that aren’t published under SMP like a River Enchanted which I heard is good
Rose Apothecary! Anyway. N. K. Jemisin. Oh and Jenn Lyons, Arkady Martine. Maybe not in writing style so much as just the entire craft altogether. Talia Hibbert's pretty great too. Ted Chiang is just. I. He's brilliant. Definitely not Brando Sando sorry not sorry. Gotta admit, I haven't read that many books lately where I've been like _oh my lorde the Writing!_ (as in style, not craft)
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