The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides brought a modern edge to old-school mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. One of the reasons for its success is the way Michaelides wears his love for Christie and other classic mystery writers…
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides brought a modern edge to old-school mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. One of the reasons for its success is the way Michaelides wears his love for Christie and other classic mystery writers…
Charles Bukowski is both fringe and mainstream, underground and establishment. Bukowski’s vulgar, autobiographical writing—fueled by alcohol—can be off-putting, but his work occupies a unique place in the literary firmament. Considered one of the leading writers of the Dirty Realism movement,…
Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series is a space opera—a genre defined by interplanetary or interstellar civilizations and, yes, an operatic tone of epic deeds—that stresses both the space and the opera in equal measure. Brown’s main cast are young and…
James Patterson is one of the biggest selling authors of all time. He’s sold more than 300 million books worldwide, including 84 million in just the past decade. That’s also landed him at the top of the list of wealthiest…
Isaac Asimov is one of the most influential science fiction writers of all time. He was also a prolific writer of science books aimed at non-scientists, mysteries, and many other subjects. Few writers have been as productive as Asimov was…
Andy Weir’s 2014 novel The Martian didn’t seem destined for success at first. Weir originally self-published the story on his personal blog, then placed it for sale as an eBook for 99 cents. But sales were so strong—the book sold…
Raymond Chandler is the quintessential American writer. Born in 1888, Chandler always loved writing, but failed to make an impression as a journalist. He abandoned any dream of the hobby when a fellow writer he considered more talented committed what…
Jack London’s 1903 novel The Call of the Wild is a staple of American literature. It’s a novel many people encounter in their youth, and it leaves a lasting impression as London explores his favorite theme: The tension between man…
George R.R. Martin’s unfinished epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is probably the second-most famous fantasy book series in history after The Lord of the Rings. Where Tolkien’s classic established the modern form of the genre, Martin’s…
Kurt Vonnegut was a writer who employed a simple, straightforward style to complex issues of existence, technology, and morality. Like Ernest Hemingway, this approach was shaped by his experience as a journalist. But where Hemingway delved inward, struggling with his…