2007 Authors Poll

[Scheherazade]

Please vote for the authors you would like to read during 2007 here by November 30th.

You can vote for more than one author.

(Please note that only those members with 50+ posts can vote)


Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strugatski)

Viktor Pelevin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Pelevin)

John Updike (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Updike)

Salman Rushdie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_rushdie)

Gunter Grass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunter_Grass)

Cormac McCarthy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormac_McCarthy)

David Lodge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lodge_%28author%29)

Truman Capote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_capote)

Jeffrey Eugenides (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Eugenides)

Kurt Vonnegut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut)

Oscar Wilde (http://www.online-literature.com/wilde/)*

Mihail Bulgakov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihail_Bulgakov)

DH Lawrence (http://www.online-literature.com/dh_lawrence/)*

Edith Wharton (http://www.online-literature.com/wharton/)*

Milan Kundera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Kundera)

Joseph Heller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller)

Henry Rider Haggard (http://www.online-literature.com/h-rider-haggard/)*

Ovid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid)

Philip Roth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Roth)

John Irving (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Irving)

Henry James (http://www.online-literature.com/henry_james/)*

Angela Carter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Carter)

Ian McEwan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_mcewan)

HP Lovecraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hp_lovecraft)

Terry Pratchett (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchet)

George Bernard Shaw (http://www.online-literature.com/george_bernard_shaw/)*

Stella Gibbons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Gibbons)

* = Available on the Forum.


Book Club Procedures (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=57103#post57103)

[Nightshade]

hummm could we really cheeky ans ask for a link about each author?:D:brow:

[Taliesin]

How come it so that quite a number of people have voted already? How much do they know about the authors above? Do they really know about all of them to make a good and fair decision so soon? Do they really know all of these authors or have checked those they don't in Wikipedia or in net?
Somehow we doubt it.
Don't just leave an author voteless because you have never heard of him/her. Perhaps he or she has written masterpieces but you won't vote for him/her because you haven't heard of him/her.
We make a suggestion.
Let's tell people about what these authors are and what they have written so that people could be a bit more knowing in their decisions, OK?
So.

The Strugatski brothers are the peak of Soviet Russian science fiction. We seriously dooubt whether they have been bettered. (people have been discussing about the Russian scifi between two beliefs: The Strugatskis are the fathers of us all/ We have started to overcome them.) And Soviet Russian scifi is a literature room about as big as angloamerican scifi. Compare the scale in your mind. If you have at least little interest in sci-fi,(and you don't have to. Strugatskis are universal literature) then Strugatskis are in the level or higher than, say, Simak, Dick, Le Guin, Asimov and the other famous names of angloamerican science fiction.
They are good, and yet different from angloamerican sci-fi.
We strongly recommend them.

[Scheherazade]

hummm could we really cheeky ans ask for a link about each author?:D:brow:Yes, you could! :D

It's a great idea, Night. Actually last night/this morning when I posted the poll, I thought of doing it but felt too lazy and sleepy :blush:


Don't just leave an author voteless because you have never heard of him/her. Perhaps he or she has written masterpieces but you won't vote for him/her because you haven't heard of him/her.
We make a suggestion.
Let's tell people about what these authors are and what they have written so that people could be a bit more knowing in their decisions, OK?
Personally speaking, I was doing a little reading on the authors as they were nominated and I have an idea about which books I would like to read next year so voted for authors of those mainly.


However, I think it is a good idea to give some background information on more obscure authors. Please feel free to post on the authors of your choice and campaign! :D

[papayahed]

How come it so that quite a number of people have voted already? How much do they know about the authors above? Do they really know about all of them to make a good and fair decision so soon? Do they really know all of these authors or have checked those they don't in Wikipedia or in net?
Somehow we doubt it.
Don't just leave an author voteless because you have never heard of him/her. Perhaps he or she has written masterpieces but you won't vote for him/her because you haven't heard of him/her.
We make a suggestion.
Let's tell people about what these authors are and what they have written so that people could be a bit more knowing in their decisions, OK?
So.

The Strugatski brothers are the peak of Soviet Russian science fiction. We seriously dooubt whether they have been bettered. (people have been discussing about the Russian scifi between two beliefs: The Strugatskis are the fathers of us all/ We have started to overcome them.) And Soviet Russian scifi is a literature room about as big as angloamerican scifi. Compare the scale in your mind. If you have at least little interest in sci-fi,(and you don't have to. Strugatskis are universal literature) then Strugatskis are in the level or higher than, say, Simak, Dick, Le Guin, Asimov and the other famous names of angloamerican science fiction.
They are good, and yet different from angloamerican sci-fi.
We strongly recommend them.

You've convinced me!

And have shamed me into researching the rest of the authors I haven't heard of, I have a month for this, but if I miss this poll too I'm not gonna be happy!

[Scheherazade]

You've convinced me!

And have shamed me into researching the rest of the authors I haven't heard of, I have a month for this, but if I miss this poll too I'm not gonna be happy!There are quick links to the authors nominated in my first post if that makes things easier for you.

And you have two months to vote!

[Pensive]

How come it so that quite a number of people have voted already? How much do they know about the authors above? Do they really know about all of them to make a good and fair decision so soon? Do they really know all of these authors or have checked those they don't in Wikipedia or in net?
Somehow we doubt it.
Don't just leave an author voteless because you have never heard of him/her. Perhaps he or she has written masterpieces but you won't vote for him/her because you haven't heard of him/her.
We make a suggestion.
Let's tell people about what these authors are and what they have written so that people could be a bit more knowing in their decisions, OK?
So.
I don't think so that it take much time to search for some authors on net. Oh well, that's another thing if you start reading their details. And most of the authors like John Updike, George Bernard Shaw, Terry Pratchett, DH Lawrance, Salman Rushdie and Oscar Wilde, are the one's most of us already know about a bit.

But that's certainly a good idea if the nominator provide a basic information of his/her nomination, so we wouldn't have to search at wikipedia and other sources on net.

As for my nomination, John Updike, I will say that he seems like a good author. (I have got The Centaur at home.) Mostly, his works are based on fantasy and he has published poetry, literary critisism and some other children books as well such as Rabbit novels.

[grace86]

Well I am glad we can vote for quite a few. Some of the authors I have around here waiting to be read so I will have to vote for them, and others (I already researched during nominations) sound so good!

I will post some information about the authors I nominated a little later.

[Virgil]

Since I picked Cormac MaCarthy, and perhaps most have not heard of him, here's a blurb from Wiki encyclopedia:


Cormac McCarthy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Cormac McCarthy

Born: July 20, 1933
Providence, Rhode Island
Occupation(s): Writer,Playwright
Genre(s): Literature
Magnum opus: Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West, The Border Trilogy
Influences: Herman Melville,William Faulkner
Website: Official Website
For the musician Cormac McCarthy, see Cormac McCarthy (musician).

Cormac McCarthy is an American novelist, author of nine Southern Gothic and Western novels. He lives in the Tesuque area of Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Jennifer Winkley and their son John.

Literary critic Harold Bloom has named him as one of the four major American novelists of his time, along with Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, and Philip Roth. He is frequently compared by modern reviewers to William Faulkner and, less often, Herman Melville.
You can read the rest of it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormac_McCarthy

I consider him at the top of the American novelists writing today.

[Scheherazade]

Please note that the first post in the thread includes quick links to the author bios included in the poll.

[Virgil]

Oh, sorry Scher. I didn't realize. And i bet most people aren't clicking the link.

[Scheherazade]

Oh, sorry Scher. I didn't realize. Nothing to apologise for. :)


And i bet most people aren't clicking the link....which is why I inserted a reminder :)

[Scheherazade]

The result as it stands at the moment:

Oscar Wilde* 7

D.H. Lawrence* 7

Milan Kundera 7

John Updike 6

Edith Wharton* 6

John Irving 6

Henry James* 6

George Bernard Shaw* 6

Truman Capote 5

Ovid 5

Ian McEwan 5

Salman Rushdie 4

Gunter Grass 4

Jeffrey Eugenides 4

Kurt Vonnegut 4

Mihail Bulgakov 4

H.P Lovecraft 4

Cormac McCarthy 3

Joseph Heller 3

Angela Carter 3

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 2

Viktor Pelevin 2

David Lodge 2

Henry Rider Haggard* 2

Philip Roth 2

Terry Pratchett 2

Stella Gibbons 1


The first 12 authors will be included in our 2007 reading list.

[superunknown]

What if there's a tie? For example, right now Rushdie, Grass, Eugenides, Vonnegut, and Bulgakov are all tied for 12th place.

[allyne_93]

Rushdie is the best

[Scheherazade]

What if there's a tie? For example, right now Rushdie, Grass, Eugenides, Vonnegut, and Bulgakov are all tied for 12th place.If there is a tie, we flip a coin or have a draw...

However, since it is very early days yet, it is unlikely that we will end up having a tie (the poll does not close till November 30th).

[Scheherazade]

The results as they stand at the moment:

Oscar Wilde* 9

Milan Kundera 9

John Updike 7

D.H. Lawrence* 7

John Irving 7

Truman Capote 6

Jeffrey Eugenides 6

Kurt Vonnegut 6

Edith Wharton* 6

Henry James* 6

Ian McEwan 6

George Bernard Shaw* 6
----------------------------------------------------------------
Salman Rushdie 5

Gunter Grass 5

Mihail Bulgakov 5

Ovid 5

David Lodge 4

Angela Carter 4

H.P Lovecraft 4

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 3

Viktor Pelevin 3

Cormac McCarthy 3

Joseph Heller 3

Philip Roth 3

Terry Pratchett 3

Henry Rider Haggard* 2

Stella Gibbons 2



Anyone who wants to vote for Philip Roth and Angela Carter??? :D

[superunknown]

Come on, one (maybe two?) more for Bulgakov.

[bazarov]

Come on, one (maybe two?) more for Bulgakov.

Go Bulgakov!

[papayahed]

ok, so here's my problem: So far it seems like it would be interesting to read each author I've looked up, at this rate I'll be voting for all of them!!

[Scheherazade]

ok, so here's my problem: So far it seems like it would be interesting to read each author I've looked up, at this rate I'll be voting for all of them!!How about voting for the 12 authors you would like to read most! :D

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 11

D.H. Lawrence* 9

Milan Kundera 9

George Bernard Shaw* 9

John Updike 8

Edith Wharton* 8

John Irving 8

Henry James* 8

Salman Rushdie 7

Truman Capote 7

Kurt Vonnegut 7

Ian McEwan 7

__________________________________________________ _______________

Gunter Grass 6

Jeffrey Eugenides 6

Mihail Bulgakov 6

David Lodge 5

Ovid 5

H.P Lovecraft 5

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 4

Joseph Heller 4

Angela Carter 4

Terry Pratchett 4

Viktor Pelevin 3

Cormac McCarthy 3

Henry Rider Haggard* 3

Philip Roth 3

Stella Gibbons 3

[Virgil]

Scher, what does the * next to some of the names mean?

[grace86]

Virgil - it means that the text is available here on litnet.

[Virgil]

Oh, Thank you Grace.

[Jay]

Oh come on people, no one else up for Angela Carter?

[Nossa]

Oscar Wilde all the way...lol

[papayahed]

How about voting for the 12 authors you would like to read most! :D

hmmmmm... That may just be crazy enough to work!!

[cuppajoe_9]

I'm particularly interested in reading one of Wilde's plays that I believe is called Vera, or The Nihilists. There was an excerpt from it on my English final exam, and it was amazing. LitNet doesn't seem to have it, unfortunately.

[Taliesin]

Viktor Pelevin.
What can we say about his novels?
We have heard the following adjectives being used about them: postmodern, postsoviet, zen-buddhist, emptiness, ironic, humorous and worried. Worried about what is happening to Russia today. But on the same time, they are really good to read.
We once spoke about his "Buddha's little finger" (aka "Tšapajev and Pustota" aka "The Clay Machine-Gun") in the Review a Book topic.

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showpost.php?p=125903&postcount=164


We will quote the parts that we put in there in this topic too.

So we'll do a not-very-accurate-and-translated-besides quote from discussion of two stoned drug-addicts (we are not doing drug-propaganda, and neither is Pelevin, but it is just an example), starting with the problem where the kef comes from(did a dictionary search in english, and it was the only word that came up, means the pleasure coming from drugs, We think):


-Inside us is the kef of the whole world. When you eat something or consume something, then you release a part of it. There is no kef in drugs, it is just powder or mushrooms. It is like the key to a safe. Understand?
-a small pause
-"listen", started Shurik now, but is there a lot of kef in there
-"infinitely much", said Volodin authoritatively, "Infinetely and unimagenably much, and there is that kind that you couldn't taste in your life"
-"Oh... so you have a safe inside and in that safe there is kef?"
-"Basically yes"
-"But if i could get that safe and open it?"
-"Why not?"
-"But how?"
-"You need to dedicate your whole life to it. Why do you think people go to monastery and live all their life there? Think that they just beat their heads against the floor? They really get some awesome kef there and like that, like what you cannot get in a thousand pounds. And always, do you understand? Morning, noon, evening. Some even in sleep"
-But from what do they get that kef? How is it called?
-In many ways. Basically, you could call it compassion. Or love.
-"Whose love?"
-"Just love. When you feel it, then you won't think of where it comes from or why. You won't think at all.

/We are cutting some text out of here, because we don't want to type that much/


"Listen, Volodin, are you speaking seriously about it?"
"About what?"
"Well, about that that you can have kef for your whole life. So that you would always be stoned?
"I didn't say that for life. There are other terms"
"You yourself said that there is kef all the time.
"I haven't said that neither"
"What did you say then"
"I didn't say "all the time", said Volodin " I said, "forever". Keep your ears open."
"But what is the difference?"
"The difference is that, that where the kef begins, there is no time."
"What is there, then?"
"Compassion"
"And what else"
"Nothing"
"I don't get it," said Shurik, "Does it, like, hang in emptyness, that compassion?"
"There is no emptyness either"
"What is there, then?"
"I said it before, compassion."
"Again i don't get it"
"Don't worry," said Volodin, "When you could understand that so easily, half the Moscow would kef for free"

On the same subject again:


"You need to understand the main thing," said Volodin "And i don't know how to explain... Do you remember, we spoke about the inner prosecutor?"
"I remember. He's the guy who stops you when you go too far. Like Raskolnikov, who killed the old lady. The guy thought that his inner lawyer will talk him out of it but it went the other way.
"Exactly. But who do you think the inner prosecutor is?"
Shurik started thinking
"Don't know.. Well, it is me. A part if me. Who else?"
"But the inner lawyer who will talk you out of it?"
"Again me, i guess. Though it seems quite strange - that i will open a case for myself and talk myself out of it"
"There is nothing strange about it. That's how it always is. Now imagine that your inner prosecutor has confined you, all your inner lawyers have failed and you are sitting in your own inner prison. Now imagine that there is someone fourth, who won't confine anyone, who cannot be called neither prosecutor, lawyer, nor for the guy for whom the lawyer works for. Who had never ever any case on him - i mean he is not a criminal nor an ordinary guy nor copper."
"OK. I imagined."
"Well, the fourth person is the one, for whom is the forever kef. And he needs nothing to be explained to him about it, do you understand?"
"And who is the fourth?"
"Noone"
"Can one see him anyhow?"
"No"
"Well, perhaps he can't be seen, but can he be felt?"
"No"
"Well, then he doesn't exist at all"
"Actually, if you want to know," said Volodin, "those prosecutors and lawyers do not exist. And even you don't. If there is anyone at all, then it is him"

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 13

George Bernard Shaw* 12

D.H. Lawrence* 10

John Updike 9

Truman Capote 9

Milan Kundera 9

John Irving 9

Henry James* 9

Salman Rushdie 8

Mihail Bulgakov 8

Edith Wharton* 8
__________________________________________________ ____

Gunter Grass 7

Jeffrey Eugenides 7

Kurt Vonnegut 7

Ian McEwan 7

David Lodge 6

Ovid 6

H.P Lovecraft 6

Philip Roth 5

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 4

Cormac McCarthy 4

Joseph Heller 4

Angela Carter 4

Terry Pratchett 4

Viktor Pelevin 3

Henry Rider Haggard* 3

Stella Gibbons 3


The 12th place is tied between the authors who has 7 votes each!

[bazarov]

Bulgakov Bulgakov Bulgakov!!!

[Virgil]

So does that mean we have to pick one of the authors tied with seven votes? Let's pick McEwan.

[Scheherazade]

The poll is open for another month so the result might be quite different from how things stand at the moment.

[superunknown]

Go Bulgakov!

[superunknown]

So does that mean we have to pick one of the authors tied with seven votes? Let's pick McEwan.
Nuh uh! Vonnegut!

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 18

George Bernard Shaw* 14

Truman Capote 12

D.H. Lawrence* 12

John Irving 11

Salman Rushdie 10

Kurt Vonnegut 10

H.P Lovecraft 10

John Updike 9

Gunter Grass 9

Jeffrey Eugenides 9

Edith Wharton* 9

Milan Kundera 9

Ovid 9

Henry James* 9
__________________________________________________ _______

Mihail Bulgakov 8

Ian McEwan 8

David Lodge 6

Philip Roth 6

Angela Carter 6

Joseph Heller 5

Terry Pratchett 5

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 4

Cormac McCarthy 4

Henry Rider Haggard* 4

Viktor Pelevin 3

Stella Gibbons 3


As the poll stands at the moment, only four of the authors with 9 votes will be included in next year's reading list.

[bazarov]

2 more for Bulgakov, come on!!

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 20

George Bernard Shaw* 15

Truman Capote 13

D.H. Lawrence* 13

John Irving 12

Salman Rushdie 11

Kurt Vonnegut 11

Edith Wharton* 11

H.P Lovecraft 11

John Updike 10

Ovid 10

Gunter Grass 9

Jeffrey Eugenides 9

Milan Kundera 9

Henry James* 9
__________________________________________________ ____

Mihail Bulgakov 8

Ian McEwan 8

David Lodge 6

Philip Roth 6

Angela Carter 6

Cormac McCarthy 5

Joseph Heller 5

Henry Rider Haggard* 5

Terry Pratchett 5

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 4

Viktor Pelevin 3

Stella Gibbons 3

We still need more votes to break the tie for the last place! :eek:

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 21

George Bernard Shaw* 16

Truman Capote 14

D.H. Lawrence* 14

Kurt Vonnegut 12

Edith Wharton* 12

John Irving 12

H.P Lovecraft 12

John Updike 11

Salman Rushdie 11

Jeffrey Eugenides 11

Ovid 11

Henry James* 11
_____________________________________________

Gunter Grass 10

Mihail Bulgakov 10

Milan Kundera 10

Ian McEwan 9

David Lodge 7

Philip Roth 7

Cormac McCarthy 6

Joseph Heller 6

Angela Carter 6

Terry Pratchett 6

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 5

Henry Rider Haggard* 5

Viktor Pelevin 3


Going once...

[Nightshade]

hold it a minute Irving doesnt he write those massive 800 page monstrocityies like a until I find you?

*gulp*

[Idril]

hold it a minute Irving doesnt he write those massive 800 page monstrocityies like a until I find you?

*gulp*

Not all his books are that long, I mean, they aren't short either but I would hope that if Irving is picked, Until I Find You wouldn't be the book we'd pick to read.

[freespiritjill]

George Bernard Shaw definitely

[aeroport]

Come on, folks! Wilde AND Shaw?! I don't know about this...

[Scheherazade]

Going twice...

Oscar Wilde* 22

George Bernard Shaw* 17

Truman Capote 14

D.H. Lawrence* 14

Kurt Vonnegut 13

H.P Lovecraft 13

Salman Rushdie 12

Edith Wharton* 12

John Irving 12

John Updike 11

Jeffrey Eugenides 11

Mihail Bulgakov 11

Milan Kundera 11

Ovid 11

Henry James* 11
__________________________________________________ ____-

Gunter Grass 10

Ian McEwan 9

David Lodge 7

Philip Roth 7

Terry Pratchett 7

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 6

Cormac McCarthy 6

Joseph Heller 6

Angela Carter 6

Henry Rider Haggard* 5

Viktor Pelevin 4

Stella Gibbons 3


Only three of the authors with 11 votes will go through!

[Scheherazade]

Oscar Wilde* 22

George Bernard Shaw* 17

Truman Capote 14

D.H. Lawrence* 14

Salman Rushdie 13

Kurt Vonnegut 13

John Irving 13

H.P Lovecraft 13

John Updike 12

Mihail Bulgakov 12

Edith Wharton* 12

Milan Kundera 12
________________________________________

Jeffrey Eugenides 11

Ovid 11

Henry James* 11

Gunter Grass 10

Ian McEwan 9

Cormac McCarthy 7

David Lodge 7

Philip Roth 7

Terry Pratchett 7

Arkadi and Boriss Strugatski 6

Joseph Heller 6

Angela Carter 6

Henry Rider Haggard* 5

Viktor Pelevin 4

Stella Gibbons 3


Finally we have the top 12? Still 5 hours to go...

:D

[papayahed]

NOOOOOOOOO! How did Eugenides miss the cut?????? Awww Crud!

[Virgil]

And Henry James! I wanted Henry James.

[Scheherazade]

Still, 2007's list is very different from 2006's. I am really looking forward to trying some of these authors for the first time.

Thanks everyone for your nominations and votes! :)

[aeroport]

And Henry James! I wanted Henry James.

One sympathizes...

[Nightshade]

Still, 2007's list is very different from 2006's. I am really looking forward to trying some of these authors for the first time.


it is :nod: usually I recognise all the names :goof:

[Scheherazade]

One sympathizes...Agreed. Was really looking forward to reading something by James but I am glad at least Edith Wharton has made the cut. I really enjoyed her Age of Innocence.

[aeroport]

Agreed. Was really looking forward to reading something by James but I am glad at least Edith Wharton has made the cut. I really enjoyed her Age of Innocence.

I have been wanting to read her for while now. I will be glad, I think, to find an excuse to make time. :)

[NickAdams]

Which author is being read in July?

[gent258]

Invisible Manby Ralph Ellison has always been one of my favorites.

The book list lacks diversity.

[Virgil]

Invisible Manby Ralph Ellison has always been one of my favorites.

The book list lacks diversity.

I too like Invisible Man. But this is how the vote turned out.

[NickAdams]

Invisible Manby Ralph Ellison has always been one of my favorites.

The book list lacks diversity.


I too like Invisible Man. But this is how the vote turned out.

I just nominated Invisible Man for the forth of July read.