tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post3411753285455340706..comments2024-03-28T12:01:31.049-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: Whose Skills?Jim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-75692629193920593502011-03-27T17:36:54.821-04:002011-03-27T17:36:54.821-04:00To Write,
Excellent choices. There is surprising...To Write,<br /> <br />Excellent choices. There is surprisingly little overlap between responders. I wonder if current literature will someday be regarded as par of a "golden age" of fiction.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-86631783754465927542011-03-27T02:54:50.822-04:002011-03-27T02:54:50.822-04:001. Ruth Rendell for plot
2. P. D. James for lean, ...1. Ruth Rendell for plot<br />2. P. D. James for lean, clean sentences<br />3. A. S. Byatt for plot (and brilliance)<br />4. Clyde Edgerton for Southern storytelling and for evoking tears and guffaws simultaneouslyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-82625068956393546682011-03-25T11:32:49.451-04:002011-03-25T11:32:49.451-04:00It's hard to choose only four.It's hard to choose only four.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-26014572033043990432011-03-25T10:37:39.192-04:002011-03-25T10:37:39.192-04:001. Evan Hunter (a.k.a. Ed McBain) for both dialogu...1. Evan Hunter (a.k.a. Ed McBain) for both dialogue and characterizations.<br /><br />2. Raymond Chandler for his prose-poetry. (And dialogue. And characterizations.)<br /><br />3. Ross Macdonald for his plotting skills. (And prose-poetry. And characterizations.)<br /><br />4. William Faulkner for his stylistic experimentation and because when he was at his best, he could do it all. (At his worst, he was insufferably tedious.)<br /><br />Others I admire for various reasons I won't list include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pat Conroy, Bernard Malamud, Carl Hiaasen, John Dickson Carr and, when he didn't overdo showing off his lexical skills, Anthony Burgess.Barry Erganghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04305184548497082776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-47561476095527256122011-03-25T09:35:53.679-04:002011-03-25T09:35:53.679-04:001. Larry McMurty. Wonderful dialogue, and great ch...1. Larry McMurty. Wonderful dialogue, and great characterization. <br />2. David Morrell, top of the thriller writers.<br />3. Tim Dorsey, I giggle when I pick up a new Serge Storms adventure.<br />4. John Sanford, his Prey series continues to excel. Sometimes characters burn themselves out. Spenser did for me. Reacher is still at the top of his game.<br />You beat me to Dutch Leonard, love everything he has ever written.The Warblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08201302873964632786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-61012311080808144502011-03-25T09:06:08.219-04:002011-03-25T09:06:08.219-04:00Great choices, E.B. You couldn't make a mistak...Great choices, E.B. You couldn't make a mistake with any of your last candidates and sadly angels do not take bribes.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-59795032806898216682011-03-25T07:03:22.399-04:002011-03-25T07:03:22.399-04:00Heaven calls? And there is an angel of writing? Bl...Heaven calls? And there is an angel of writing? Blow me down.<br /><br />1. Robert Parker-because he was frugal with words and he wrote amazing dialogue.<br />2. Dorothy Cannell for her word smithing.<br />3. Katy Munger, who not only writes beautifully, but also conceives fresh premises for her work. She now writes a "dead detective" series under the name Chaz McGee.<br /><br />That last one was hard. I debated among Martha Grimes, Ian Rankin, Deborah Crombie, Sue Ann Jaffarian, and Peter Robinson. I'd like more skill wishes fulfilled.<br /><br />Angels don't take bribes, do they?E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.com