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If you could bring back one Author?
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Wes, Moderator
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Mar 29, 2010 12:35PM
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Wouldn't it be interesting to find out what C.S. Lewis had to say to us today? He would be one of my choices. His writing always challenges a person to look at themselves in a very deep way, besides being enjoyable to read.
Definitely Robert. E. Howard. (1906-1936). Dead far too soon at age 30. Put out a tremendous amount of great material in his short writing career. The world will never know what it missed, what could have been, how he would have developed. Just a Texan whose mind created such wonderful alternate worlds. Nobody has done it better.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E...
I would bring back Jules Verne. He was so ahead of his time when he was writing. I can't help but wonder what he would see in store for us in the future. Plus he's one of my favourite authors.
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wow interesting guy I just read his wiki... crazy death... must have really loved his mom
Hi Wes,Yes, he was one of the most interesting authors. A passion for writing and a very physical man who grew up in rough times. He reminds me of Jack London or Hemingway in his combination of the physicalness of life and writing. Yet the former placed their stories in present day (for the most part), while Robert placed his in the past at first, and later in a mythical past of his own creation.
It sure seems that so many of the great writers end their life with suicide, yet he was particularly young when he did it. I take some consolation in that he is appreciated and read today, and I believe his work will survive into the future. He showed the way for heroic fantasy fiction (along with Tolkien), which others have built upon over the decades. I personally prefer Howard's worlds to Tolkien's -- his characters are much more individualistic, more barbaric, and quite real.
Also, he did more than heroic fantasy writing, including poetry, western, and supernatural, which few people know of it seems. He was part of Lovecraft's circle of writers and they communicated via letters back in the 20's and 30's.
Wildside Press is putting out a 10 volume set of all of Howard's Weird Tales writings, which I am enjoying. They are up to Volume 9. Here is a link to Wildside Press books matching Robert E. Howard.
http://www.wildsidepress.com/search.a...
And here is my librarything collection of Robert. The 'Weird Works' collection is toward the bottom of the page.
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/s...
-Shawn
interesting thread Wes...im gonna say i would bring back Jane Austen or the Brontes so they could contnue to give me unrealistic expectations in love! or maybe Roald Dahl...arghhh i cant decide!
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lol... wow that's funny and true at the same time. I wonder how many women waited for the perfect moment only to never find it because it is a myth written in an Austin book?
For me, I would have wished Naguib Mahfouz to come back from the dead and continue writing. He is my favorite Arabic writer, and especially that in his last years he had started writing what can be considered a new genre of literature : rewriting his own dreams in an artistic, symbolic and mythical way full of meanings and philosophising about the struggles of mankind, life and death. The dreams already written are numbered in hundreds, some were published in 2004 under the title "Dreams of Convalescence" or just "The Dreams"
I think I'd bring back Mark Twain. He would have a lot of interesting things to say about current politics, I would think.
Thanks for letting me know of Naguib Mahfouz. I had not heard of him before. But his wiki was interesting.
Wes wrote: "Lushbug wrote: " to give me unrealistic expectations in love! i>I wonder how many women waited for the perfect moment only to never find it be..."
A lot i imagine...! thats why jane austen rip of books are still so popular. I think more sequels have been written of her books than any other?
shakespeare would be good to resurrect-he would probably end up being employed by the bbc to do screenplays-some sort of dry tragi-comedy set in grimy london!! i can just picture it
I would probably resurrect H.G Wells. No, wait, Shakespeare. How about both?
I would bring back Thorne Smith. His books make me laugh out loud! If I could bring back another, it would be Heinlein.
At first I considered Adolf Hitler but I doubt he would be able to evaluate the past 65 years anywhere near rationally, heh heh. Winston Churchill would do a better job but could he restrain his crowing over the demise of the USSR & pronouncing new predictions against the intentions of the Russians (and the Chinese) but it would be interesting to see his views of America's ever expanding empire & the rise of China & India. Likewise Mao and Ghandi. Abe Lincoln, Theodore Rooseveldt & JFK might have some interesting views on the State of the Union. I shall vote for George Orwell instead. Great essayist who predicted much of today's society in the way of gov't control of the individual. But then so did Ayn Rand & Aldous Huxley. Hmmm? Perhaps Mark Twain would be the best choise after all?
Mounir wrote: "For me, I would have wished Naguib Mahfouz to come back from the dead and continue writing. He is my favorite Arabic writer, and especially that in his last years he had started writing what can be..."I'm always looking for authors from around the world, and your mention of Naguib Mahfouz intrigues me. I brought up a list of his books, but it's so long I don't know where to start! Could you suggest a book that would be a good start and give me a picture of him as a writer?
I'd love to have a drink with Hemingway I'd love to have a cup of tea with Virginia Woolf
I'd love to read modern books by Elizabeth Goudge - what would she write to replace 'White Witch'?
I'd say, maybe Sylvia Plath, Federico Garcia Lorca or Robert Lowell. All poets, and three of my very favorites, all died awfully young, particularly Plath and Lorca (at age thirty and thirty-eight).
Heinlein. Or maybe Oscar Wilde! He deserves to be alive today and would fit right in!
Barbara wrote: "Wouldn't it be interesting to find out what C.S. Lewis had to say to us today? He would be one of my choices. His writing always challenges a person to look at themselves in a very deep way, beside..."Great choice! I am a huge C.S. Lewis fan.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Steinbeck, Charlotte Brontë, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, and the list goes on and on and on! I do not think I could choose just one. They are all so fantastic and their work gets better with every read.
Jason wrote: "I'd love to have a drink with Hemingway I'd love to have a cup of tea with Virginia Woolf"
A drink with Hemingway - that would be fantastic!
Wes wrote: "Shawn wrote: "Definitely Robert. E. Howard. (1906-1936). Dead far too soon at age 30. Put out a tremendous amount of great material in his short writing career. The world will never know what it ..."Wes wrote: "Shawn wrote: "Definitely Robert. E. Howard. (1906-1936). Dead far too soon at age 30. Put out a tremendous amount of great material in his short writing career. The world will never know what it ..."
There is a great little film from 1996 starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Renee Zellweger called "The Whole Wide World" about Howard. Check it out.
I'd say Cervantes, John Milton, Dante not necessarily in that order.I read Paradise Lost this year and it blew me away
The Inferno is close and Don Quixote is my favorite book ever.
Emily Bronte. In spite of her shyness, she was so insightful and skilled at character development. She might even like the world better today: She'd have a lot more options and maybe, instead of supporting her ne'er de well brother, she'd get to do some things for herself and write some more books.
Debbie wrote: "Wes wrote: "Shawn wrote: "Definitely Robert. E. Howard. (1906-1936). Dead far too soon at age 30. Put out a tremendous amount of great material in his short writing career. The world will never k..."I love that film, Debbie!! Of course, I love D'Onofrio. I bought Conan the Barbarian because of it, but it's still on my tbr pile.
It's got to be Thomas Hardy for me. Every book is a real treat to be savoured!
Barbara wrote: "Wouldn't it be interesting to find out what C.S. Lewis had to say to us today? He would be one of my choices. His writing always challenges a person to look at themselves in a very deep way, beside..."What a great choice. I felt his reading challenged the mind, and helped put your veiws in a different perspective.
Lushbug wrote: "interesting thread Wes...im gonna say i would bring back Jane Austen or the Brontes so they could contnue to give me unrealistic expectations in love! or maybe Roald Dahl...arghhh i cant decide!"I love Jane Austen but, oddly enough, I always viewed her books as a sly and witty poke at the overblown romance and gothic novels of the day - I never thought of them as romantic novels in and of themselve. I may have to reassess my opinion. But I'd still love to have a cup of tea with her and get her opinion on all her recent copiers - I bet she'd have some very witty and, judging from her letters, slightly catty insights on it all.
I also think Oscar Wilde would be great fun to have over for a chat.
Oh, and maybe round out the group with Dorothy Parker. Now that's what I would call a party!
Maxine wrote: "Lushbug wrote: "interesting thread Wes...im gonna say i would bring back Jane Austen or the Brontes so they could contnue to give me unrealistic expectations in love! or maybe Roald Dahl...arghhh i..."Maxine, when you get this party together, let me know and I'll bring Thorne Smith with me. ;-)
I know my mother would say Emily Dickinson.
