My Top 15 Favorite Male Authors

For a time I had a nagging suspicion that many of the authors I read are mostly female. And while I don't believe any gender in particular has better knack for writing better I thought I would recognize male authors that in particular have touched me, despite the uneven ratio. This is a celebration to all these male authors that have come and gone in my life. You are incredible and if anything I am indebted to you. Keep on writing!

1. Tom Pollock
2. Tom Becker
3. J. Gabriel Gates
4. Oscar Wilde
5. Steven L. Shrewsbury
6. Jeff Neal
7. Eion Colfer
8. Chuck Wending
9. John Hart
10. Matt Haig
11. Peter V. Brett
12. J. D. Salinger
13. Khaled Hosseini
14. Nicholas Sparks
15. Paulo Coelho

Tom Pollock: Tom Pollock is incredible! Actually when I first came across his book, The City's Son, the first in the Skyscraper Throne I was perturbed. I wasn't quite sure what I was reading. Precisely because he used a literary device not commonly used in books, at least, not this prominently. You can imagine my reaction. First I was speechless, then I was confused, but then I rationalized that it was extraordinary, it just wasn't something I was used to. It was something not seen before.

At the time in 2012, I was envisioning the thoughts and movements of buildings and inanimate objects. As you can tell, all this sounds crazy on paper but it is true. You have to read his writing, particularly The City's Son to understand it. And truly Tom Pollock is remarkable as is his writing, especially as it is those that are vastly original that truly end up being the most interesting.

Tom Becker: Funny. Tom Becker was an author I came across by mere chance. One day I was at the library and I looked at a book called Darkside. My interest was incited due to its cover looking like something out of the Tales from the Darkside movies/TV series and the Tales from The Crypt movies/TV series.

I guess I liked that and afterwards from the premise, I was further taken in. Once I read I got a look into a darker side to London, England. Writing was rich from characters and universe development. Not to mention Tom Becker knows how to skillfully move words in an exquisite manner. Reading his books reminds me of all the times I have fallen in love with great books. Those where you can tell the author has a natural talent for writing as if they were meant to be writers and nothing else. My only sadness is I wonder if he is known enough? I sincerely hope so because truthfully I feel with every fiber of my being that he is one of the greatest writers in the universe. Genre be damned.

J. Gabriel Gates: Ironically, I wasn't expecting much with The Sleepwalkers. While I was excited for it and intrigued by the premise I wasn't sure it was going to be anything mind-blowing. Mostly because a lot of Horror I have read has not been all that noteworthy. I was wrong with The Sleepwalkers. 

From the first moment I read it, I was like. Wow, I was so wrong. Good thing, I am not embarrassed to admit I can be wrong. 

Oscar Wilde: For a few years, I encountered Oscar Wilde getting quoted by Cassandra Clare in her The Mortal Instruments series but never put much thought in it besides the fact I really thought he was witty and insightful. 

Only to years later watch Dorian Gray a movie based off The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Interestingly enough this is the only full-length novel by him.

Steven L. Shrewsbury: My discovery of Steven L. Shrewsbury all began out of my involvement with small press publisher, Seventh Star Press. To this day, I only hold well-wishes toward Seventh Star Press. Other than having introduced me to Steven L. Shrewsbury they have also introduced me to two other skilled female writers, Jacker Gamber and J.L. Mulvihill.

But back to Steven L. Shrewsbury. He was something particularly interesting. He could write about fierce warriors that seemed as in the flesh. I was in love that someone's writing could do this. And while a lot of Steven L. Shrewsbury's work contains profanity I was surprised I could suspend my adverse reaction to it. I think I chalk it up to given what Steven L. Shrewsbury is doing with his writing, the profanity, at time becomes necessary so that when it comes it doesn't feel completely unwarranted.

Jeff Neal: Gosh! Jeff Neal's book Awful, Ohio is perhaps the one and only most bizarre book I have ever read. Beating even Tom Pollock's The City's Son. Yet, I loved it! 

It's remarkable. Nothing in this world comes close to it. His book shows that you don't have to be a small press published author or even a big house published author. Natural writing talent outs. Wherever it may be.

Eoin Colfer: I used to have a wonderful middle school teacher and I believe she knew or may have liked the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. And while I knew her I never read the series, one day years later I decided to begin the series just to see what all the stir was about and it was wonderful! 

I love the main character of the series who some would likely see as a villain, the Science Fiction elements, and the great story pacing. In addition, Eoin Colfer knows how to write brand-new story situations for his characters with each book. The icing on the cake was when I found out much later that he was a U2 fan.

Chuck Wending: Chuck Wending was an author that I passionately pursued out of the review recommendation from a fellow book blogger called Stefan from over at Civilian Reader. Honest. I read a review of his and later proceeded to buy a copy of Chuck Wendig's Double Dead off of Amazon.com.

The rest is history. I find it funny that like with Steven L. Shrewsbury, Chuck Wending also uses profanity and while I don't like hearing profanity I still appreciate his work. 

John Hart: My introduction to John Hart all happened thanks to the help of Goodreads. I entered a giveaway on there and I won John Hart's book The Last Child. I was worried I would not like his book since I am not much for mystery thrillers but I was dead-wrong. I loved it. His writing was emotional but insightful.

Matt Haig: My love of Matt Haig's writing all began through an online book blog tour. I was simply browsing one day and his book called to me. Once I won his book in a giveaway and read his work I was certain he would be an author that would remain in my memory for as long as I lived. My recommendation? The Radleys. 

Peter V. Brett: All I can say is the way Peter V. Brett writes, a lot, of his books could be either movies or TV series. His is high fidelity Fantasy. 

J.D. Salinger: Reading Catcher in the Rye was an eye-opening experience. It was through this book I learned that I wasn't the only one who had these thoughts. I only wish more books could be this important as a whole in Literature.

Khaled Hosseini: It's impossible to understand how school often produced some of my most favorite authors. Like with J.D. Salinger, Khaled Hosseini is another author. 

Things like A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner make you realize that this whole world is vast and what you may worry about is nothing in comparison to the pain others may suffer. Khaled Hosseini is remarkable precisely because he writes about such sensitive topics but with finesse and beauty.

Nicholas Sparks: Coincidentally, I had watched The Notebook and A Walk to Remember way before I knew who Nicholas Sparks was. And The Notebook and A Walk to Remember are both movies to this day I hold close to my heart, but it wasn't years and years later until I would watch another Nicholas Sparks involved movie named The Last Song and would finally noticed that this movie too was based off a book by Nicholas Sparks. Seeing this I finally read The Last Song in book form and I was converted. I became a Nicholas Sparks fan!

Paulo Coelho: Paulo Coelho is self-explainable. I am drawn naturally to Philosophy since a young age and if you take a closer look Paulo Coelho's writing has this spilling from its every pore and I drink from it like my thirst could never be quenched.