Best unknown /unsung author

[The Disgruntled Poet]

Please tell the world about the best unknown/unsung/ unread author that you are fond of.. try to sell some books here for that worthy individual!!

The more obscure, the better... perhaps a no-prize to the one who comes up with the most unkown (serious) suggestion.

I will start with Thomas Ligotti. (He's really not obscure enough to come close to winning my prize... sorry to start off with a bad example!) Even though he's well-known in horror circles and a little in serious critical circles, he's hardly a household word, even though he's the heir of one of the most influential horror writers of all time (Lovecraft).

Also, not that well known because he seems to write only short stories.

His stories though contain true dread though, some of the finest atmospheric and darkest ideas without much in the way of vulgarity or bloodshed. He's truly a master of suspense and the suggested (or alluded) being worse than the explicit.

He may also be somewhat obscure in mainstream circles because his books are not easy to come by-- even on the 'Net they often go for $50-$100.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes Poe, Lovecraft and the quieter side of horror, a distinctive stylist you will never forget.

[Pat]

Not truly obscure either, but...

Theodore Sturgeon (http://index.xenagia.net/display-search.phtml?key=contributor&value=Theodore+Sturgeon&sort=system). Incredibly influential among sf writers (he is cited as a major influence by Bradbury, Vonnegut, Ellison, and Delany), but not widely read by the general sf-reading public. Partly, it's because his best works are all short stories and the short story format has been dead since the 1970s (More than Human is his most highly regarded longer work). Partly, because his works tend to be introspective instead of over-the-top. Partly, because he wrote most of his stuff before sf became popular (his peak was in the 1950s). He also didn't win many awards because the awards didn't exist when he wrote his stories, though one of the major modern awards (for best short story) bears his name. He's primarily known these days for "Sturgeon's Law", which is usually slightly mangled into "90% of everything is crap".

His stories are intense little psychological dramas that use science fiction as their medium ("Bulkhead", "Microcosmic God", "Slow Sculpture", etc). They're good enough that they transcended their roots and are sometimes considered literature comparable to the stories written by O. Henry or James Joyce. Sturgeon was also writing about social issues before it became popular, including what is probably the first sf story with a sympathetic, homosexual protagonist ("World Well Lost", 1953). Of all things, he also wrote several Star Trek episodes.

-Pat

[Discord]

I'll have to go with Hugh Cook, for his Chronicles of an Age of Darkness (or Wizardwar Saga if you're in the U.S. and got the shafted versions).

He planned a SIXTY book series...but sadly stopped at ten due to disappointing sales. Each book was stand-alone however, so we get a pretty good look at where he was heading without too much disappointment that we don't hear how it all ends. Books 1, 4, and 10 are sheer awesome and the rest are not far behind. The wikipedia article on the series sums it up quite well with:

"At different times, the novels portray or allude to murder, bestiality, female circumcision, cannibalism, racism, sexism, speciesism, abortion, masturbation, mutation, incest, inbreeding, constipation, assassination, gambling, drunkenness, brawling, diarrhoea, capitalism, leprosy, castration, slavery, evolution, patricide, regicide, venereal disease, forgery, treason, dwarf tossing, torture, orgies, incontinence, suicide, disembowelment, capital and corporal punishment, drug use, religious fraud, bribery, blackmail, animal cruelty, disfigurement, infanticide, the caste system, democratic revolutionary movements, rape, theft, genocide, transvestitism, premature ejaculation, prostitution, piracy, and polygamy."

It took George R. R. Martin to supplant this guy as my favourite author. Enough said. :)

[Phantom Grunweasel]

Fantasy author K.J Parker. She writes bleak, darkly funny books. Razor-sharp dialogue, brilliantly twisted plots and characters and just this extraordinary sense of the general, mundane cussedness of everyday life. It's not grand, epic tragedy; it's just the interminable pain, confusion and messiness of business as usual.

One of my favorite passages in the Scavenger trilogy is about the leader of a group of raiders who has been ordered to torch a village. What the narrative focuses on is the practical difficulty of setting buildings on fire, especially when it's raining and half your men are off raping and looting. You feel sorry for the guy, who is after all just doing his job. There's a similar scene in the Engineer trilogy about problems executing prisoners of war (turns out you need to be extremely strong to actually cut off a man's head with one blow, and if you don't things get very messy).

I suspect that Parker hasn't gained as much attention as she deserves because she's too weird for the mainstream fantasy audience and too conventional for the alternative crowd's readership (M. John Harrison, Jeff Vandermere, Mary Gentle et al) and far too down-to-earth for either.

[The23SidedDie]

In some horror circles, Ligotti's very very far from obscure. Some 'new' writers who I am interested in:

Paul G. Tremblay - his collection Compositions for the Young and Old was just stellar.

A.M. Muffaz - a young Malaysian fantasist whose stuff can mostly be found online. She really...really needs a collection to come out. You can read "Rahim" here:

http://chizine.com/rahim.htm

Mehitobel Wilson - another writer that does a lot of short stories. But they're...insanely good. I get writerly-jealous and readerly-happy every time I read one.

[Pat]

Mehitobel Wilson - another writer that does a lot of short stories. But they're...insanely good. I get writerly-jealous and readerly-happy every time I read one.
I like short stories. I haven't been following the online phenomenon, but it would be nice if the format made a comeback. It forces conciseness and focus. Too many books these days are bloated monstrosities, the spawn of a word processor and the failure to self-edit away the crapulence.

[mcrow]

He's very new, has only one book out and writes niche stuff but:

Kim Paffenroth is quite good if you like Zombie Horror.

Dying to Live (http://www.zombiescribe.com/dyingtolive.htm)is a great novel.

[David Goodner]

P. N. Elrod (http://www.vampwriter.com/) isn't really all that obscure, but I like her, so I'll mention her. The Vampire Files is good noir vampire detective fiction. I think she's a little easy on her vampires in terms of the trauma of becoming an undead predator, but other than that, the books are good.

For the western fans, particularly those who like old-school westerns instead of all this post-Lonesome Dove stuff, I might suggest the works of John S. McCord (http://home.flash.net/~jomccord/), who is a pretty cool guy. I met him at a writer's conference once and won one of his books as a door prize (Wyoming Giant). Then I had to go find the rest of the series because it's pretty good.

David G.

[rainmaker]

Martha Wells is a fantasy writer whose work I really enjoy. Her third novel, The Death of the Necromancer, was nominated for the Nebula award in 1998, but she seems to be below most people's radar. She's particularly good at settings and culture, yet she never does "infodump" that derails the story. Her main characters are strong and not boringly perfect; for example, Nicholas in DotN is a criminal.

A number of her books are set in a fantasy-analogue-European country called Ile-Rien: The Element of Fire, The Death of the Necromancer, and the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, which is The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods. She also has two stand-alone novels, City of Bones and Wheel of the Infinite.

WotI is one of my very favorite books, with a setting inspired by Angkor Wat and a lot of (fantasy) religious overtones: the main female character is a priestess, the main male character is from another culture with a completely different approach to religion. In addition to the adventure, the different points of view are extremely well done (and entertaining).

[AlHazred]

Not obscure in some circles, but plenty of times I get blank looks when I mention them as "favorite authors of mine."

Jack Vance
R. A. Lafferty

I think they're two of the most highly underrated authors of all time.

[Seroster]

WotI is one of my very favorite books, with a setting inspired by Angkor Wat and a lot of (fantasy) religious overtones: the main female character is a priestess, the main male character is from another culture with a completely different approach to religion. In addition to the adventure, the different points of view are extremely well done (and entertaining).

Without wanting to give too much away, though, I thought the plot of Wheel of the Infinite was weak. Characters and culture were really good - maybe I should give it a re-read.

City of Bones was the first book of hers I read, and probably my second favourite - I reserve that for The Death of the Necromancer. The Element of Fire might as well be stand-alone, and


Clearly Wheel of the Infinite is in the same "multiverse" as City of Bones.

[rainmaker]

I'll admit that the "plot" of Wheel of the Infinite, especially its resolution, is the weakest part of the book. But I enjoy the characters and setting so much that I can overlook it.

I agree that The Death of the Necromancer is her best book. I am really fond of the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy as well, though. And after your comment I need to go re-read City of Bones. :)

[Jessica Taylor]

I read a book called The Tresspassers by Herb Weisman. I couldn't put the thing down and just kept reading. This was over 20 years ago. Only once did I see the book again in a second hand bookshop and yet when I tried to find it online, I could find other books by that name, but not that one. It is a really good book.

[Pilgrim]

Completely second the recommendation on Martha Wells. I love Death of the Necromancer.

I suspect my choices aren't obscure enough, but ...

PC Hodgell, particularly God Stalk.

Peter Watts with the Rifters Trilogy - Starfish, Maelstrom,
Behemoth (marketed as Behemoth: B-Max and Behemoth: Seppuku)and the stand alone piece, Blindsight.

Ken Macleod, with the Fall Quartet, Engines of Light Series, Newton's Wake, Learning the World: A Novel of First Contact and The Execution Channel.

[Tim Kirk]

Manly Wade Wellman.

His folktale retelling mixed with heroic protagonists dealing with the supernatural are short, but very uniquely voiced.

His three main recurring heroes were:


Silver John aka John the Balladeer; Judge Pursuivant, and John Thunstone.

[drnuncheon]

Barry Hughart, for Bridge of Birds - one of my favorite books of all time.

[Seroster]

Barry Hughart, for Bridge of Birds - one of my favorite books of all time.

It's absolutely fantastic. :)

[Xanador]

I'll second P.C. Hodgell and Manly Wade Wellman.
To add to the list-

Paul Edwin Zimmer-MZB's brother, he only wrote four novels that I know of. The quality varies, I think he was trying for a more commercial style on his last novel, but King Chondo's Ride is one of my all time favorites.

Paul O. Williams- I haven't read them all but The Pelbar Cycle is a different take on post-apocalyptic.

[Rolzup]

I think that I've got the most obscure author to recommend; he's only got one book.

John Boston, author of Naked Came the Sasquatch.

Published by TSR many years ago, this wasn't a gaming tie-in of any sort. Instead, it's just one of the best and funniest books that I've ever read. Half horror, half action, half comedy...too few books have actually made me laugh out loud, and this one does so at many points.

[AlHazred]

Paul O. Williams- I haven't read them all but The Pelbar Cycle is a different take on post-apocalyptic.I don't know, I first read them as a teenager and loved them; when I reread them a few years ago, I had to cringe at some of the heavyhanded bits.

[InfernalTeddy]

Stephen Donaldson, who out here in germany is very obscure...

[MonsterMash]

Two that aren't necessarily that obscure, but that may not have been read that widely by younger fans:

John Brunner

Olaf Stapledon

[Fritzef]

These also fall into the 'mostly forgotten but good' category:

Avram Davidson, especially for The Phoenix in the Mirror, a hypnotic historical fantasy based on medieval legends that the poet Virgil was a magician. The setting is ancient Rome reinterpreted through medieval Italy. Magic is pleasingly low-powered and difficult--Virgil spends much of the book collecting the materials needed to create a magical mirror that can be used precisely once.

Hal Clement, especially for Mission of Gravity, an adventure story on a high-gravity planet with the hero being a native who rather resembles a terrestrial insect.