Modern American author?

[Dragoon King]

Right, need help with an American Literature II assignment, and I hate fiction, so I could use some suggestions. Here's what I need:
Identify a modern American author of fiction, poetry, or drama. This person must be living.

I really don't know of any, I just took this course, well, because I'm good at it! I prefer nonfiction, especially military history, so suggest away!

[Kenshin620]

Well before this gets ugly with people bashing authors mainly because they're rich and famous for writing fiction, what genre? does it JUST have to be someone in america? or does it need to have like american values and wotnot?

[dejolly]

Tom Clancy is one that you would probably like. Another great one would be Orson Scott Card well thats my two favorite american authors. Hope this helps.

[Dragoon King]

Well before this gets ugly with people bashing authors mainly because they're rich and famous for writing fiction, what genre? does it JUST have to be someone in america? or does it need to have like american values and wotnot?

It has to be an American I guess. I don't think there is limits on genre, and please noone start bashing authors. I dislike fiction, but that don't mean it's not a viable art form. SO NO ONE FLAME, lol. Also, thanks dejolly, I think I will go with Tom Clancy, great call. Now to find out if the instructor will allow it (fingers crossed!)

[Warhorse47]

I have to agree with the vote for Tom Clancy, his books on the modern US military are first rate. Also, Clive Cussler's works on diving on shipwrecks are excellent.

[Dragoon King]

Whoo, Tom Clancy it is!

[Delta_Ice]

Alright Tom Clancy is good but his books in general are very long. If you choose him then I recommend Rainbow Six as it reads more like movie and less like a long drawn out novel. An alternative however is Clive Cussler, try reading Sahara it is similiar to the movie with some differences and will also give you a whole new appreciation for the movie.

[grotskul]

Stephen King > Tom Clancy

[dejolly]

yea in capital but the problem with king is that the builds up and creates this great story and then ether cuts it short or just petters out. Don't get me wrong i love his books just not his over all system to writing. of course if he touches it turns gold

[Dragoon King]

My buddy recommended Terry Brooks. Anyone read his work? I am gonna give Clancy a go, but might change my mind.

[Ion Raptor]

I vote Clancy, either read Rainbow Six or The Hunt for Red October.

[Four20edLogan]

Hunter S. Thompson, Period.

[Delta_Ice]

Terry Brooks is very good but if your gonna do that then i recommend either Sword of Shanarra or Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold.

[paxmiles]

Ursula K. Le Guin is american and still alive. Had some trouble finding others though because most are dead .

She's the one that wrote the Earthsea books. Wiki page is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin

-Pax

[RM-Tesla]

Tom Clancy cuz his games are pwnage ;P hahaha

[Dragoon King]

Of all the suggestions, King is the only one I've read. It's been a long time though, I used to read him and Dean Koontz a lot. I still enjoy the Dark Tower series, and Koontz's Hideaway. Still gonna give Clancy a try though.

[Avarice]

i suggest king, there's a vast variety to choose from and he is a well known writer.

[grotskul]

Hunter S. Thompson, Period.

he died a few years back... If it were dead guys allowed, I would have to vote for Philip K. Dick, but it's not dead guys.

[Dragoon King]

Ok, almost done with the paper, using Clancy. I'll post as soon as I finish, and see what you guys think.

[paxmiles]

he died a few years back... If it were dead guys allowed, I would have to vote for Philip K. Dick, but it's not dead guys.

I wanted Dr. Seuss, but she/he's dead too.
-Pax

[Dragoon King]

I wanted Dr. Seuss, but she/he's dead too.
-Pax

I love Dr. Seuss! Currently accumulating a collection for my boy. Was he American? Thought he was Swiss or from another Nordic nation?

[PrincessSophia]

Stephen King, Tom Dekker, Yann Martel ( the person who wrote Life of Pi)

and of course, Jk Rowling LOL


AND NOT, I repeat NOT Stephanie Meyers.
So I read the Twilight series just to see what's so damn good about it. My verdict is, if you want to lose at least 10 IQ points, read it. LOL

[Four20edLogan]

he died a few years back... If it were dead guys allowed, I would have to vote for Philip K. Dick, but it's not dead guys.

Thompson never died, he just shot himself in the head. I'm told he's a zombie now. Not dead, just undead.

More to the point, I may have skipped past the must be living part.

[Hypodermic]

Well, he did say he hated fiction so all good american writes are out (the ones i know, at least). Sorry, i don't read non-fiction :/

On a second topic, Stephanie Myers should be publicly painted in green fungus. 10 IQ per page, more likely. As for JKR, she's just marginally up the scale than Stephanie, IMO. So no green fungus, but we're keeping an eye on her.

[Dragoon King]

Well, here's a rough draft of Clancy. Any suggestions? Freakin crap, I hate citing sources. Anywho, here we go:




For this assignment, you will need to complete the following:
1. Identify a modern American author of fiction, poetry, or drama. This person must be living, and we should not have read anything by this person as an assignment for class.
2. Once you have chosen your writer, email his or her name to Mrs. Haggerty. If you are having difficulty coming up with someone, email Mrs. Haggerty for suggestions.
3. Write a short biography of your writer (any quoted or paraphrased material should be documented using MLA Style; I will be googling these folks, so I'll know if you've been honest!). This biography can be from 1-3 paragraphs in length.
4. Write a short defense for your writer. What makes this person a great American writer? What did he or she write that you like best of all? Why will we be reading this person 20, 30, even 50 years from now? This defense can be from 1-3 paragraphs in length.
5. End with a bibliography of this person's works.
You may organize the material I am asking for in the order you like best. You may also include pictures, links, etc...for brownie points.
Attach this assignment as a file.

Tom Clancy was born in 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland. A lifelong military enthusiast, he turned his attention to writing literature after he failed to pass the vision exam required by the U.S. military. Until the writing of his first novel, The Hunt for Red October in 1984, he was an insurance broker. Ten of his books have been New York Times best-sellers. In 1996 he founded Red Storm Entertainment to develop and market videogames based on his novels. Often called the father of the techno-thriller, he also writes military non-fiction.
So why is Clancy one of my favorite authors? Because when it comes to modern military fiction, few can match him. Some call his works long-winded and boring, but for someone interested in the topics of military technology, suspense, and action, Clancy is a master. Many of his works have also been translated into other formats, such as film and video games. This fact alone dictates he will continue to remain successful. The films Patriot Games, The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger, and Patriot Games all did very well at the box office. The video game series of Splinter Cell , Rainbow Six, and Ghost Recon all received critical acclaim, and I still play them regularly. His works are so realistic and well-researched some are used in U.S. military academies. He is the master of the military thriller. Will he be popular in 20, 30, or 50 years from now? Yes. There will always be those people, who like me, love reading about spies with high tech gadgets and weaponry, highly trained groups of soldiers who overcome impossible odds with not only their rifles but their wits, and so forth. Ian Fleming is still popular, and I don’t think Clancy’s works will fade away. In my opinion, his first novel, The Hunt for Red October, is still one of my favorites.
Bibliography:
Series
Jack Ryan
1. Patriot Games (1987)
2. Clear and Present Danger (1989)
3. The Hunt for Red October (1984)
4. Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988)
5. The Sum of All Fears (1991)
6. Debt of Honor (1994)
7. Executive Orders (1996)
8. Without Remorse (1993)
9. Rainbow Six (1997)
10. The Bear and the Dragon (2000)
11. Red Rabbit (2002)
The Teeth of the Tiger (2003)




Power Plays
1. Politika (1997) (with Martin H Greenberg)
2. Ruthless.Com (1998) (with Martin H Greenberg)
3. Shadow Watch (1999) (with Martin H Greenberg)
4. Bio-Strike (2000) (with Martin H Greenberg)
5. Cold War (2001) (with Jerome Preisler)
6. Cutting Edge (2002) (with Jerome Preisler)
7. Zero Hour (2003) (with Martin H Greenberg and Jerome Preisler)
8. Wild Card (2004) (with Jerome Preisler)



Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (with David Michaels)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2004)
Operation Barracuda (2005)
Checkmate (2006)
Fallout (2007)
Conviction (2009)
Endgame (Splinter Cell) (2009)



Tom Clancy's Endwar (with David Michaels)
1. Tom Clancy's Endwar #1 (2008)


Novels
Red Storm Rising (1986) (with Larry Bond)
SSN (1996) (with Martin H Greenberg)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (2008) (with David Michaels)
Tom Clancy's HAWX (2009) (with David Michaels)


Series contributed to
Tom Clancy's Op-Center
1. Op-Center (1995) (with Steve Pieczenik)
2. Mirror Image (1995) (with Steve Pieczenik and Jeff Rovin)
3. Games of State (1996) (with Steve Pieczenik)
4. Acts of War (1996) (with Steve Pieczenik)
5. Balance of Power (1998) (with Unknown)
6. State of Siege (1999) (with Steve Pieczenik and Jeff Rovin)
7. Divide and Conquer (2000) (with Steve Pieczenik and Jeff Rovin)
8. Line of Control (2001) (with Jeff Rovin)
9. Mission of Honor (2002) (with Jeff Rovin)
10. Sea of Fire (2003) (with Jeff Rovin)
11. Call to Treason (2004) (with Steve Pieczenik and Jeff Rovin)
12. War of Eagles (2005) (with Steve Pieczenik and Jeff Rovin)




Net Force
1. Net Force (1998) (with Steve Perry and Steve Pieczenik)
2. Hidden Agendas (1999) (with Steve Pieczenik)
3. Night Moves (1999) (with Steve Pieczenik)
4. Breaking Point (2000) (with Steve Perry and Steve Pieczenik)
5. Point of Impact (2001) (with Steve Perry and Steve Pieczenik)
6. Cybernation (2001) (with Steve Perry and Steve Pieczenik)
7. State of War (2003) (with Steve Perry)
8. Changing of the Guard (2003) (with Steve Perry and Larry Segriff)
9. Springboard (2005) (with Steve Perry and Larry Segriff)
10. The Archimedes Effect (2006) (with Steve Perry and Larry Segriff)




Net Force Explorers
1. Virtual Vandals (1998) (with Diane Duane)
2. The Deadliest Game (1998) (with Bill McCay)
3. One Is the Loneliest Number (1999) (with Diane Duane and Steve Pieczenik)
4. The Ultimate Escape (1999) (with Steve Pieczenik)
5. The Great Race (1999) (with Bill McCay)
6. End Game (1998) (with Diane Duane)
7. Cyberspy (1999) (with Bill McCay)
8. Shadow of Honor (2000) (with Mel Odom)
9. Private Lives (2000) (with Bill McCay)
10. Safe House (2000) (with Diane Duane)
11. Gameprey (2000) (with Mel Odom)
12. Duel Identity (2000) (with Bill McCay)
13. Deathworld (2000) (with Diane Duane)
14. High Wire (2001) (with Mel Odom)
15. Cold Case (2001) (with Bill McCay)
16. Runaways (2001) (with Diane Duane)





Non fiction series
Commanders
Into the Storm: A Study in Command (1997) (with General Fred Franks)
Every Man a Tiger (1999) (with General Charles Horner)
Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces (2002) (with General Carl Stiner)
Battle Ready (2004) (with General Tony Zinni)


Non fiction
Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship (1993)
Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment (1994)
Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing (1995)
Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (1996)
Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force (1997)
Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier (1999)
Special Ops (2000)
War in the Boats: My World War II Submarine Battles (2004) (with William J Ruhe)

"Tom Clancy." 2010. Biography.com. 16 Mar 2010, 04:27
http://www.biography.com/articles/Tom-Clancy-9542178.
"Tom Clancy." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 16 Mar. 2010
http://www.encylopedia.com
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/tom-clancy/