Are there any good contemporary authors?

[Lithium]

I've Shakespeare and Emily Bronte. Their novels were very good, but I would like to know if there is a modern day equivalent to them.

[Cookiesandcream]

Yes there are very good writers but I'm not completely sure what you mean by "equivalent" because literature now and then have progressed and I wouldn't say for the better or for the worse. The style of writing is very different if we were to compare it. Even the styles of Shakespeare and Emily Bronte are different. But one of my favourite contemporary writers today is Haruki Murakami who is a Japanese author. Some of my favourite works of his are Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

[angelicagapit]

Yes there are very good writers but I'm not completely sure what you mean by "equivalent" because literature now and then have progressed and I wouldn't say for the better or for the worse. The style of writing is very different if we were to compare it. Even the styles of Shakespeare and Emily Bronte are different. But one of my favourite contemporary writers today is Haruki Murakami who is a Japanese author. Some of my favourite works of his are Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

I've heard so much about Haruki Murakami. I've actually never read any of his books, but I know about his works and the effect they have on young adults. I know about Norwegian Wood and it does seem like a very interesting story. I know his way of writing is different from other writers, and he really writes his books in a completely different perspective. He actually gives his readers the challenge of thinking.

[basmae]

You could try AC Grayling.  He writes a lot of philosophical books if you're interested.  Really great stuff about a whole bunch of topics.

[g2narat]

I'm a bit confused as to what you would call equivalent to those authors. If you are talking about works that have potential to become classics then there are tons. They are very different from Shakespeare though. Neil Gaiman might be considered easy to read, but if you really try to digest his works I think most of his works are brilliant. So for me, I would say that he is in a way an equivalent to the authors you mentioned.

[Rani]

There are tons of great contemporary authors and those whose books are considered modern classics. My favorite author is Margaret Atwood because her novels are extremely well-written and thought provoking. From her bibliography, I would recommend 'Cat's Eye', 'Alias Grace', 'The Handmaid's Tale', and 'Oryx and Crake'.

Another up and coming author is Zadie Smith, whose first novel 'White Teeth' is absolutely wonderful and I am looking forward to reading her fourth novel N-W. Another great novelist, whose books I am a fan of is A.S. Byatt. I really enjoyed 'Possession' and 'The Children's Book'. There was a film adaptation of 'Possession' with Gwenyth Paltrow but I don't think it does the novel justice, just avoid it. I hope this brief list helps. Good luck.

[Nicholls]

I've heard so much about Haruki Murakami. I've actually never read any of his books, but I know about his works and the effect they have on young adults. I know about Norwegian Wood and it does seem like a very interesting story. I know his way of writing is different from other writers, and he really writes his books in a completely different perspective. He actually gives his readers the challenge of thinking.

Yeah, I agree. His works seem truly challenging. My sister is a big Murakami fan and she has so many of his books. I tried reading one once, the Kafka on the Shore. I barely understood it. I think it's very weird, though very interesting. Months after finishing it, I'm afraid I still haven't fully grasped the real meaning of the book.

By the way, in contemporaries, Chuck Palahniuk would be on my list. He seems eccentric to me, and I know that it gives him the edge in his works. The first book I've read from him was Damned, a hilarious, yet quite meaningful, parody on Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.