I agree with you about authors that blab.

There are some good suggestions on the favorite authors thread for this group so rather than repeat and copy I'll ask for more direction for the next answerer. Do you prefer fantasy and magic to hard tech? Humor or serious, smaller scale or epic?

If you have a favorite movie it may well be based on a novel or inspired by an author so that may be a starting point.

I am a Trekkie; my favorite is DS-9.

I am n-o-t into Harry Potter.

I don't need to be scared to death. I read at night, and I want to be able to sleep when it's time.

I liked the show Dead Like Me, but I tried reading the book, and I could n-o-t get into it.

Does that help anyone?

Thank you very much.

Nancie

Hi Nancie--

I'm teaching a science fiction class this semester. We just finished reading Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow. He is edgy and creative. He has a short story in a recent issue od Forbes magazine. We are about to read Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood--beautifully written.

Yea that helps, some of the Trek novels are pretty good and they are mostly light and easy reads. You might try a Trek author.

Alan Dean Foster's one of the writers that started doing adaptations and went on to be a "real" author. He's kept his reader friendly sensibilities but he may not be dark enough for a DS9 fan.

For fantasy you might try "Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West ". It was a popular novel, you can still find . The plot moves and the themes are interesting.

hi Nancie,

You might try Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere". It's a great story, can be a light read just for entertainment, or you can really delve into it for much more meaning.

"Stardust" is another great story, and it's been made into a movie as well - just came out not too long ago.

You might try books by Kevin J. Anderson. He writes pretty good Space Opera. Elizabeth Moon also writes some good stuff, as does David Drake and Catherine. Finally, I really like Peter F. Hamilton's stuff, but he might fall into the blah blah blah category for you...

Jk rowlings books really caught me but you have to be able to at least get past the first three chapters in the first book and from there your in to it..at least thats what i tell everyone i know and they do it and they realize that its hard but after you get past the first few chapters you love the books

Garth nix is also a good writer At least his Abhorsen trilogy is im trying to get into "marrow days" series but cant... reallly

Philip Pullman is also a really great writer, at least his first book in "his dark materials" trilogy was good the 2nd and third was really hard for me to finnish but i did...ive read this trilogy twice and im working on the third time around before the movie comes out...

hope i helped...