Authors > W Authors

Advantages: An original writer of imaginative and gripping science fiction.
Disadvantages: Perhaps a little dated now.

John Wyndham is a British science fiction writer, who started writing in the thirties, but his best known works were written in the 1950s. As a result, much of his fiction is tinged with echoes from the cold war and can seem dated. However, his sheer imagination, brilliant descriptive writing and believable characters make him a must read author, even today. Most people have heard of The Day of the Triffids, as it has been reworked for film and ...
...slightly less famous books such as Chocky and The Kraken Awakes are just as entertaining and highly readable. The Day of the Triffids begins with one of the best openings to a story I have ever read. The story opens in a hospital, the day after a spectacular firework display caused by thousands of meteorites, which the whole world watched. Except that is for Masen, who is initially very miffed at missing the show. He is in hospital, after having ... Read review

Advantages: dark, eerie settings, very dark (so dark that I mentioned it twice!)
Disadvantages: limited characterisation, the ends are often obvious

Howard’s Phillips Lovecraft (HPL) was a very respected (generally) and very influential horror writer, in fact I've heard him referred to as "the most influential horror writer of the 20th century". You can find just about all you could wish to know about him at http://www.hplovecraft.com, but I'll give you a few carefully culled details here to save you looking, unless you're really interested! THE MAN HIMSELF H.P. Lovecraft was born in ...
...came from a background of relative wealth, his life was not as comfortable as his background ought to have afforded. His father, a travelling salesman, died when Howard was 8 and some years later Howard and his mother were plunged into comparative poverty through the mismanagement of their assets and were forced to move from their comparatively grand Victorian home into much more modest accommodation (read “a cramped hole”). Throughout ... Read review

Advantages: Evocative, great story lines
Disadvantages: Long wait between works!

Sarah Waters is, perhaps, one of the most intelligent and appealing writers of sapphic stories. Her real appeal lies in her ability to tell a very good tale, in wonderful detail, without becoming boring. Often, in an attempt to provide enough detail to 'paint the picture' for the reader, authors become muddled, serving only to turn the reader off. Sarah Waters doesn't forget that although the reader is keen to understand all the facets of any story, ...
...to be spoon-fed. This great approach means that the sapphic content is often subtle, sometimes only hinted at. This seems appropriate as for many people, perhaps their own sexuality is part of their make-up, rather than the reason for their existence. It's great to read work written by an author that can evoke an atomosphere and inspire emotion without going into cringeing detail. Well done Sarah, please can we have some more?? ... Read review

Advantages: Descriptive, funny, well written, quite gripping
Disadvantages: A bit silly at some points

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of a Cambridge academic and is the author of the very popular Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles, as well as the more recent Thomas Chaloner series. The Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles are set in 14th Century Cambridge and follow the adventures of a doctor who is also something of a detective. The chronicles have run to 14 volumes so far and have been very well received. The novels are very in-depth and go into a lot ...
...informative about the later era. Overall I would defintely recommend Susanna Gregory if you want an enjoyable detective mystery which is also informative about other time periods. The novels are well written, humourous and I have to say quite gripping at some points, although a bit silly in others. ... Read review

Advantages: Touching story, great characters
Disadvantages: None

Jodi Picoult Nineteen Minutes Your son says the bullying was unbearable But his revenge was murder What would you do? This statement is on the front of Nineteen Minutes, the Jodi Picoult's novel about the aftermath of a school shooting in a small town. It became her first book to debut at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. I have read quite a few of Jodi Picoult's books now and I am a big fan. I did get a bit bored with one in the middle ...
...it excuse what he did? Jodi leads us on a path that almost makes us feel sorry for the shooter but doesn't quite cross us over into forgiving him. We also get the story from the perspective of his parents, his mother in particular. I think whenever we hear about school shootings we always brand them and their parents monsters but we never really hear the parents stories and what they feel about this whole event, she humanises it and makes us think ... Read review