Julio Cortazar "The Simultaneous Writer"
Strengths: Metaphor, Imagery, Technique

I am so glad that God stuck me in "Contemporary Latin American Literature" for the sake of this author. He is by far my favorite. His short stories are brilliant and multi-interpretational, but the work that convinced me that he is possibly the best writer that ever lived is "Hopscotch." This novel is experimental (I have a blurb on it in "rants"), odd in every way. To begin, it's scitzy; it's sometimes a novel and sometimes a poem, and even occasionally an article. The metaphor is more powerful, vivid, and altogether visually true than 90% of the poetry I've read. The novel is a masterpiece of tone, though the plot is convolutedly straightforward and the characters are not the most lovable. Not to mention, you aren't allowed to read the chapters in chronological order; rather, you must skip from 1 to 2 to 179 to 134, then to 3, etc. The first 54 are in order, but interspersed with additional chapters. I found it fascinating.
Official website: (the closest I could find)

Michael R. Joens "Marine turned Cartoonist turned Historical Fiction Writer"
Strengths: Characterization, Metaphor, Imagery, Cohesiveness, Fluid Style, Research

His series "Twilight of the Gods" is a masterpiece of metaphor by way of magic. I'd classify it as Historical Fantasy, as it contains magic as an element of plot, and occurs circa A.D. 450. His characters will leave you wishing you could kill, marry, or befriend them. (there are no neutral or faceless characters) I can't tell you how perfect his descriptions are; his imagery is topped by none. I can't think of a way he needs to improve; his writing is very well-rounded and fluid.
Official website: MRJ

Tad Williams "The Great Storyteller"
Strengths: Imagery, Technique, Cohesiveness, Fluid Style, Characterization, Innovation of Plot, Imagination

I loved him for his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, was awed by his ten-page list of characters, all well-developed. No one, and I do mean NO one, can match this guy for characterization. Admittedly, the aformentioned series was a little weak in plot, but his characters, setting, imagery, creatures, and unique concepts more than made up for that! The Otherland series I keep getting lost in, and haven't yet finished the first book, but his latest shows that he has ameliorated his work by about a 1000% (yeah, thousand). I read a chapter from "War of the Flowers" (it was posted on his website) and was so impatient that I bought the book in HARDCOVER. Me. Paying about five times what I usually pay for a book... Furthermore, it completely exceeded all my lofty expectations. Now I can add plot to the list of categories in which he is brilliant. And I thought his characterization couldn't be improved, but I was wrong! I'm so psyched for his next novel. His only flaw is that he is a very slow writer--. and I am a very impatient person.
Official website: TW

Francine Rivers "The Bible in other Words"
Strengths: Metaphor, Fluid Style, Characterization, Imagery, Cohesiveness

Read "The Last Sin Eater"; the book as a whole is a metaphor for Jesus, based on a Highlands superstition. No one can match this woman for bringing biblical truths to the reader in such a way that if the reader doesn't know the Bible, they'll have no idea. She's a midnight sower-- you won't know the seeds are there until they sprout. Her characterization is only topped by Tad Williams, and then barely.
Official website: FR

Piers Anthony
Strengths: Imagination, Metaphor, Characterization, Cohesiveness, Technique, Innovation of Plot

"The Sardonic, Compassionate Atheist"

You know him for the Xanth series, but in my opinion, it is by far his least important set of works. If you have a philosophical mind, or simply enjoy having your mind stretched, I screamingly recommend you drive 90 mph or a comparable km/h to the nearest book store and search frenetically for his 'Incarnations of Immortality' series, and buy the parts you can find, and continue your wild and passionate search until you find all of them. I read them out of order, with long spaces between, because they are hard to find; this is not the route to take. I plan to wait a few years and read them in order, and I am certain they will have improved greatly from following Anthony's structure. But this is how much I wanted the final book: I bought it NEW! (I am religiously opposed to buying books new, partly because they lack the old book smell, and partly because I like paying little and getting lots) You won't see the end coming, though you think you do. (of course, I didn't see the end of ''The 6th Sense'' coming...) Also excellent is his collaboration with Julie Brady, ''Dream A Little Dream.'' I just finished my third reading of that. Oh, and his two-volume bio is excellent, especially if you are an aspiring writer. It's encouraging, discouraging, and realistic.
Official website: PA

Joseph Bentz "Thought to Reality"
Strengths: Fluid Style, Innovation of Plot, Imagery, Cohesiveness

Admittedly I've only read one of his novels, "Song of Fire," but I assure you, there is enough power in that one novel to establish him as one of the best writers I've read. "Song of Fire" took my breath so often it is a wonder I never passed out while reading it. Oh, it is a poem of a novel! I wish I could shrink it, wrap it in glass, and wear it everywhere as a reminder of what true beauty is. I will not explain anything. This novel must be allowed to wash in gentle waves over one's consciousness.
Official website: JB

Anne McCaffery "The Widest-Ranging Imagination"
Strengths: Plot, Imagination

This woman is best known for her 'Pern' series, but like Piers Anthony, is her least worthy work. I'm sure there are many who disagree with me, but I simply didn't find much interest in the series, and I love Dragons. However, her 'Acorna' and 'Freedom' series are quite fascinating and unique. The 'Acorna' series follows an orphan of a peaceloving race of humanoid unicorns, and their reaction to the attack of a race whose young feeds off of pain. The 'Freedom' series follows a group of humans and humanoids who are left to colonize a planet following Earth's near-total destruction. I've also read 'Nimisha's Ship,' a wonderful stand-alone novel with possibly Anne's best characterization, and 'The Girl Who Heard Dragons,' a collection of short stories. I enjoyed her Rowan series, but it wasn't very focused, compared to her other novels. The 'Freedom' series is my favorite.
Official website: AM

Alexandra Ripley 'The Power of History and Reality'
Strengths: Research, Fluid Style, Characterization

Alexandra Ripley is by far the best female writer I have ever read, the best at writing historical fiction, and one of the greatest characterizers. (hah, coinage!) This woman spends years researching the era of each novel, plunging deep into the culture and bringing it to life. The first novel of hers that I read was 'Scarlett' the semi-authorized sequel to 'Gone with the Wind'. I say 'semi-' because the estate authorized it, but Margaret Mitchell's wish was for it to remain unfinished. I guess her nephews figured, hey, she's dead, who cares. Anyway, I was blown away by the novel's depth of accurate detail. She picks up seamlessly in the post-war South, bringing it to life, I dare say better than GWTW did. However, what really fascinated me was how she took the story to Ireland and focused the story there. She exquisitely painted the Irish, their poverty in this time and their struggle for independence from the British. Another awesomely written post-war novel is 'From Fields of Gold,' a story about a tobacco farmer and a marriage of convenience that grows into passion; it's an amazing coming-of-age story. I've read 'Scarlett' about four times, and 'From Fields of Gold' three. It's rare indeed when you find several unconnected novels by the same author that are so full you can re-read them many times. Just glancing through 'Scarlett' gave me a strong pull to read it again now. Of course, Georgia and Ireland are two of the three places that are dearest to my heart, and I'm sure that has something to do with it. Her Charleston series is just as well-written, but I only had time to read half of the first novel before I had to return it to the Library. (greedy me overestimated how many books I could read in 2 weeks) The same happened with her Joseph of Aramathea novel, which title I've forgotten. I plan to read them when I can find them again.
Official website: none.

Douglas Adams "The Towel of Sci-fi Humor"
Strengths: Technique, Characterization, Innovation of Plot, Imagination, Humor

Laughter! Laughter! Laughter! This is someone reading a DouglasAdamsNovel. His sense of humor is unique in the sense that he makes you laugh without irony, puns, sex jokes, or crude humor. Yeah, you wonder what else makes people laugh? DouglasAdamsNovels, that's what. Okay, if you are curious, I will oblige. Slightly. With reservations, you understand.

----There was a sort of gallery structure in the roof space which held a bed and also a bathroom which, Fenchurch explained, you could actually swing a cat in. 'But,' she added, 'only if it was a reasonably patient cat and didn't mind a few nasty cracks about the head. So. Here you are.' ----

----''The story dies, Arthur. It lies down and kicks its little feet in the air and presently goes to the great golden spike in the sky, my old fruitbat.''----

----Because Ford never learned to say his original name, his father eventually died of shame, which is still a terminal disease in some parts of the Galaxy. The other kids at school nicknamed him Ix, which in the language of Betelgeuse Five translates as, ''boy who is not able satisfactorily to explain what a Hrung is, nor why it should choose to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven.''----

Okay, if that's not enough to convince you, then off to the great golden spike in the sky with you, you unhappy turtledove! Yet I must include this:

----'Oh well,' he said, and stood up.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.----

So, to sum up, read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, (all five novels) and 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency,' 'The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul,' and 'The Salmon of Doubt,' which I have not had the opportunity to read yet (I hate it when there's a novel too new for me to buy it used). Of course I have faith in Adams, though.
Official website: DA

Kelsey Pierson 'Sister Poet'
Strengths: Metaphor, Succinctness

This woman is a poet after my own heart. Her poetry sings with depth and metaphor. I have read much of her free verse, and a few of her short stories. I believe she has the potential to be the next Anne McCaffery, except she doesn't seem too interested in writing sci-fi/fantasy. Her writing style reminds me of Anne's though. It flows like cold honey, and satisfies like pizza. (Pizza satisfies me all the way when I'm in to mood for it)
Official website: KP

Roger Elwood 'Behind the Visual'
Strengths: Metaphor, Imagination, Innovation of Plot, Cohesiveness, Characterization

Elwood's 'Angelwalk' series takes you on a tour of the world from three unusual points of view: a borderline angel, uncertain whether to give his loyalty to God or Lucifer; a fallen angel, seduced and decieved by Lucifer; and a guardian angel, set on following God's purpose. He really opens your mind not only to see the power the spirit world has, but the heinous deceptive power of satan. A riviting, you're-sorry-when-it-ends novel.
Official website: RE

Michael Whelan
blah. Official website: MW

Christian Reise Lassen
blah. Official website: CRL

Allison Frink
blah. Official website: AF

Keith Parkinson
blah. Official website: KP

James Gurney
blah. Official website: JG

Lee Bogle
blah. Official website: LB

Kayomi
blah. Official website: Kayomi