A late reply, but it was nice to see Greenleaf mentioned in a
top five. His Tanner series seems consistently
high-level.
Jeff
Kevin Burton Smith wrote:
>
> Gee, I'm not sure how I could list just five authors
that blew me
> away. Of course, Hammett, Chandler and Macdonald and
MacDonald would
> be on it. But that almost goes without
saying.
>
> So here's five that nobody else, as far as I know,
have bothered to
> list. Just to skewer the results a bit. Authors that
blew me away on
> first readings.
>
> Michael Collins
> Stephen Greenleaf
> Neil Albert
> Norbert Davis
> Bill Pronzini
>
> Not that they've all been consistently rewarding
(although, mostly,
> they have), and at least in Davis' case, it's been
damn hard to find
> his stuff. Part of the problem with this list is
that it takes into
> account not just the quality of the book, but the
circumstances in
> which you've read it. How can you rush out and buy
all the works of a
> first-time novelist? Or an obscure pulpster whose
works are
> justifiably affordable only to collectors? And if a
boxload of an
> author's books is dumped on you, are you reading
them because they're
> there, or because the first so impressed
you?
>
> Anyway, I'll gladly post the results of the list on
my site, once
> it's compiled, if it's okay with folks here. And,
speaking of my
> site, I spent yesterday trying to dig up info on
FALLEN ANGELS (see
> what ya started, Eddie?).
>
> A first whack at an entry is now up on my site,
at
>
http://www.colba.net/~kvnsmith/thrillingdetective/eyes/fallen.html
.
> If anyone can fill in any blanks, it'll be much
appreciated.
>
> Oh, and if it's the end of the world as we know it,
I feel fine.
>
> Top of the world, Ma!
>
> Kevin
>
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