Jose Saramago has some great books that really explore the human condition.
this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2024
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Marilynne Robinson! "Housekeeping," "Gilead," absolutely stunning writer.
Jim Butcher. He sits firmly and unapologetically in his fantasy niche, so if that's not your thing you may be disappointed, but the man writes good dialogue and he can turn a phrase.
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Dan Abnett. Eisenhorn, Gaunt, and Bequin. I understand that the setting doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone, but the way he writes prose is beautiful in my opinion. And he writes excellent characters.
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Australian author Peter Corris. Over 40 years or so, he wrote a lot of Australian non-fiction, including a ~~n auto~~ biography of eye surgeon Fred Hollows, many Australian fiction books including The Winning Side (personally I think this is/should be a classic of Australian literature); and the Cliff Hardy series of Sydney-noir detective books.
Edit: thanks to those that corrected me
Roger Zelazny. Even though he started in the sixties, he was active through the 70s, 80s, and early 90s until his death. Fantastic world building and characters that feel very much like real people.
Lots of great sf/fantasy authors mentioned already, including some I'd argue for as great writers regardless of genre (Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, N. K. Jemisin).
I have three more to suggest in this genre and from this period:
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C. J. Cherryh (Cyteen, Foreigner series, lots more) uses the lens of alien societies -- just different enough from ours -- to make us look critically at the structure of our own;
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Sheri S. Tepper (Grass, Raising the Stones, The Gate to Women's Country) carries one or another of the dark currents underlying our culture to its horrifying conclusion, and shows us what we get;
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Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan saga) gives us a hilarious and improbable hero who utterly transcends his disabilities, in the end perfectly embodying what it seems he could never hope to be.
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Agree with plenty of the ones mentioned here, like: Stephenson, Egan and Murakami.
A very observant author is Peter Carey.
His wonderful book, Bliss was written in 1981 and felt like someone in 2010 looking back at the debauched mid 80s. Amazing foresight.
Sarah Waters
Anyone mentioned John Boyne yet?
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was really a YA book, but some of his other stuff is world class. A Ladder to the Sky, Heart's Invisible Furies etc
Oh, and for funny books, Tom Sharpe of course
Roddy Doyle. Written as mainly dialogue, but with fabulous world building. Many of his books were made into movies, but they are more well known in Ireland than elsewhere. The commitments found international success. Plot wise, theyβre not ground breaking, itβs his creation of characters and tackling some tough subjects.
Zadie smith. Again, slice of life, but with more of a point.
Dan brown, but only for energising thriller mysteries.