I don't do enough of these things on book topics, so I thought I come up with something that celebrates my favorite hobby. Today is Top 5 Favorite Current Authors. This is authors who are currently publishing books. It is also my favorites, not necessarily the best (although I'd like to think I have a pretty good eye for good prose)...
5) Chuck Palahniuk
Best know for Fight Club, Palahniuk has a way of writing about the disgusting in a very frank way. Haunted has a short story in it that actually made me vomit a little in my mouth. As gross and vulgar as Palahniuk can be, he is also a great story teller, a brilliant satirist, and an intriguing social commentator. His books aren't always easy to digest, but they are well written and highlight aspects of humanity we aren't always willing to look at.
4) Michael Chabon
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is one of my all time favorite novels. I remember getting to the last few pages and feeling depressed that the book would soon be over and the characters would no longer be in my life. Chabon paints wonderful characters that draw you into the stories he is telling. He's probably the most highly acclaimed author on my list. Can't wait to read the new book he has coming out later this year.
3) Dan Simmons
Chabon may be the most acclaimed, but I think Simmons is the most talented. Simmons has written at least one novel in every conceivable book genre except Romance and nails every single one of them. I can't imagine his publisher is happy with this, but he does it so well and is able to keep his own voice so strong that he carries a large audience with him no matter the genre. His most famous work is probably the Hyperion sci-fi novels, but he started with horror (Song of Kali is a horror masterpiece) and has written hard boiled PI (Hardcase), crime thriller (Darwin's Blade) and historical fiction (The Crook Factory).
2) Nick Hornby
I relate to Nick Hornby's work more then any other piece of literature. High Fidelity is easily my favorite novel of all time. I've read it at least three times and can never get enough. I feel like Hornby writes me better then I can do myself. His books aren't pieces of art, they aren't the best prose I've ever seen, they don't make deep social commentary. There is just something about his sensibilities that I love and am drawn to. His characters and their dilemmas feel real, not a construct of plot or commentary and I really enjoy that.
1) Chuck Klosterman
Klosterman makes me think. Both his fiction and his essays are written from a point of view that questions our way of thought. He uses pop culture to make points about how we relate as a society and question how we think as a people. And, he does it all without taking himself or his work seriously. I love Klosterman because I walk away from his writing with a good laugh and a deep thought to carry around.
Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Franzen, Joe Nesbo, Jeffrey Eugenides,
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