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I have been trying to compile a list of my top 10 books but have been struggling. So in the meantime I decided to produce a list of my favourite authors.

Even that ran into trouble when it became clear that there are two distinct group, so I ended up with two lists.

My list of authors is distinct from my (eventual) list of favourite books - to be in the authors list requires repeat success, while a book can be a one-off. Clive Barker is not in my favourite authors list, despite his undoubted talent, but will be in the top 10 books,with Weaveworld. Interestingly Barker himself observed that Weaveworld is a book he could not write now - it isn't what he is about these days.

So the authors are my guiding lights for fiction - if they release a new novel, I will read it. They are my trusted friends, my old mistresses, my favourite pub.

General Fiction

• Kate Atkinson


• Iain Banks


• Julian Barnes


• William Boyd


• Jasper Fforde


• Howard Jacobson


• Ian McEwan

Science Fiction

• Neal Asher


• Isaac Asimov


• Iain M Banks


• Arthur C Clarke


• Michael Marshall Smith


• Alastair Reynolds


• Dan Simmons

Feel free to post your own lists in the comments, or trackback to your blog. Also I realise I should have a list for Classics but I have not read nearly enough to form any kind of decision.