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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 13, 2018 22:10:23 GMT -5
25 CREATIVE WRITERS The written word is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, and over the centuries many authors have contributed to the medium, some lasted a generation, others stood the rest of time. In this list we take a look back at some of the most creative contributors to the medium Note that we are focusing on the written word, so screen writers and playwrights will not count. Sorry Arthur Miller and William Shakespeare, but that's another list. We're also excluding authors that primarily wrote non-fiction, or whose work is largely derivative- so the guy who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies won't be included either. However- we're defining the written word as any medium that is meant to be read as its primary medium, rather than watched on a screen or acted on a stage- so comic book and manga writers are fair game for this list Let's get started!
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 17:13:23 GMT -5
25) Stan LeeNow I know what you're thinking- he created comics books, not novels, what gives? Well let's be realistic here- comic books are just as valid a part of the world of the written as much as novels are, and some have gone on to have just as great impacts on society as the most acclaimed novels. With that in mind, we start this list with the man who more or less gave us most of Marvel's most iconic characters- Stan Lee. Spider-Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Black Panther, the X-Men- all owe their existence to Stan Lee. Not to mention, Lee had a significant role in the creation of Ant-Man, Iron Man and Thor. While there were others, it was Lee who has become synonymous with Marvel itself; so much so that even into today, he has the honor of a cameo in every Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 17:19:08 GMT -5
24) Theodor Geisel, AKA Dr. SeussArguably one of the most iconic children's book authors of the 20th century, Dr. Seuss is practically the embodiment of creativity itself. From his whimsical use of words and poetry to his outlandish characters and settings, Dr. Suess practically reinvented children's literature with his first book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street. But it was The Cat and The Hat that became his most famous work, and even into the 21st century children everywhere get great enjoyment out of Dr. Seuss' works.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 17:29:52 GMT -5
23) Charles Lutwidge Dodgson... AKA Lewis CarrollThe man who made Literary nonsense popular... no, really, the genre is called literary nonsense. Lewis Carroll gave us Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass in the 19th century... and even today are still some of the most beloved pieces of literature. His follow-up work, The Hunting of the Snark, though reaction was mixed from critics, became enormously popular with the general public, so much so it was reprinted 17 times between 1876 and 1908. He proved to also be a brilliant mathematician, producing several works that contributed significantly to mathematics. A brilliant writer who conquered both left-brained and right-brained thinking.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 17:43:45 GMT -5
22) J.R.R. TolkienThe man who gave us The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while he did not create the fantasy genre, today he is popularly regarded as the father of the high fantasy genre, with many works having owed their existence or inspiration to Tolkien. Indeed, while he did not invent fantasy, it can be said that his works were instrumental in causing a surge in popularity of the genre, and even all these decades later- his books are still popular. It is unfortunate though, that his son Christopher is not fond of the Peter Jackson movies inspired by the books, going on record to say that "They gutted the book, making an action film for 15 to 25-year-olds."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 17:49:59 GMT -5
21) Eiichiro OdaTime for manga to get a chance to shine. Oda is for the most part only known for one work, but it is one of the most famous and longest running mangas in history- One Piece. What's amazing about One Piece is how the world is able to go off in all sorts of directions, and yet Oda is able to link it all together in a way that makes sense, and even the strangest aspects have some sort of basis that inspired them. It's not an easy feat, to keep the same story going for 20 years, and yet Oda has said he does not plan to end the series any time soon, and has at least ten years worth of material in store for us.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 18:14:24 GMT -5
20) Isaac AsimovOne of the most prolific Science Fiction Writers of the 20th Century, Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books. Among his greatest contributions to the genre were the Three Laws of Robotics; which dictate how robots are supposed to behave, and have gone on to influence many works of science fiction. His 1964 novelette Nightfall is considered by many to be the greatest short science fiction story in history.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 18:29:35 GMT -5
19) Dante AlighieriOne of the most important writers of the middle ages, Dante is widely credited as being one of the most instrumental authors of Italian literature. But he is most famous for his masterpiece The Divine Comedy; in particular, it's first part, Inferno. Dante's Inferno established the vision of hell which many other western works have taken inspiration from, but it is the creativity of Dante that shines here. Rather than just writing of souls tortured for their sins, Dante brilliantly uses the setting and establishes the different poetic justices which befall those who commit particular sins. The lustful, forever thrown about by the winds of a violent storm, "as the lovers drifted into self-indulgence and were carried sway by their passions, so now they drift for ever. The bright, voluptuous sin is now seen as it is – a howling darkness of helpless discomfort." The murderers are forever submerged in a river of boiling blood and fire, "as they wallowed in blood during their lives, so they are immersed in the boiling blood forever, each according to the degree of his guilt." The fortune tellers, forced to walk with their heads on backwards, "Thus, those who sought to penetrate the future cannot even see in front of themselves; they attempted to move themselves forward in time, so must they go backwards through all eternity; and as the arts of sorcery are a distortion of God's law, so are their bodies distorted in Hell." (Quotes come from literary analysts of the work, rather than the work itself). Though his trips through purgatory and heaven are not as famous, they are nonetheless just as brilliant and to this day The Divine Comedy proves to be one of the most creatively thought out, and brilliant works of literature
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 18:36:28 GMT -5
18) Charles DickensRegarded as the greatest writer of the Victorian era, Dickens produced some of the most significant works which to this day, still stand the test of time. A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are some of his highly regarded works. His brilliant use of characters, often for the purpose of social commentary, have been influential even into the modern day; A Christmas Carol in particular having been adapted countless times.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 18:49:30 GMT -5
17) Edgar Allan PoeOne of the most influential writers of American Literature, Poe is best known for his works in the Macabre and of mystery, with many works such as The Raven becoming iconic, and others still becoming very influential. Though not quite as fantastical as fantasy writers, Poe still brilliantly explored all sorts of worlds through his words. From the mourning man being taunted by a bird in The Raven, to Montresor's quest for revenge in The Cask of Amontillado, to a murderer's insistence on his sanity in The Tell Tale Heart, and even the halls of Prince Prospero's abbey in The Masque of the Red Death, Poe tells us tales of the macabre in ways that unnerve some even to this day. He is even credited with pioneering the detective fiction genre. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, even once said that without the influence of Poe's works, he probably would not have created Sherlock Holmes.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 18:57:59 GMT -5
16) Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThough to be fair to the Englishman, Doyle himself was not lacking either. Of his four novels and more than fifty short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, some of them are of the most highly regarded works in the genre, and are considered important to crime fiction as a whole. His role in the development of the genre is undeniable, and even today his characters and works are still adapted.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 19:19:23 GMT -5
15) Stephen KingWhat Edgar Allan Poe was in the 1800s, King is in the 20th and 21st centuries. Described by many as the "king of horror" his works go in many directions and he really knows how to make the supernatural terrifying in what is otherwise a normal world. From The Langoliers to The Mist, King never tells the same story twice. Though some tropes are definitely present, each story is able to go off in a direction independent of the others.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 19:26:30 GMT -5
14) Hans Christian AndersenIf one name should be synonymous with Fairy Tales, its Andersen. The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina and many others owe their existence to Andersen. Each story creatively goes off in its own direction. Sometimes a cautionary tale, other times to teach a lesson. Regardless, many of the stories we knew as children owe their existence to Andersen. (and before you point it out- the Brothers Grimm only compiled the tales, they didn't actually write them)
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 19:35:35 GMT -5
13) R.L. StineIf you enjoyed horror as a tween or teen in the 90s, then this man needs no introduction. For everyone else- he is one of the most prolific and creative horror writers of modern day. At his peak he was writing one book every two weeks, and his works number in the hundreds. Tropes aside, his stories stand out for going in all sorts of directions, taking the tried and true elements and putting them in new situations. Stephen King may be the King of Horror, but Stine isn't too far behind.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 19:43:38 GMT -5
12) J.K. RowlingCreator of the Harry Potter series, despite having ended in 2007, even over a decade later they still remain highly acclaimed and noteworthy among children's literature. This brilliantly structured world started as a single book, and grew into seven, inspiring a whole generation of children, and even spawning one of the most successful movie franchises to date. Although wizards and magic are nothing new, Rowling takes these time tested elements and turns them into something original.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 19:57:07 GMT -5
11) C.S. LewisCreator of The Chronicles of Narnia among other works, Lewis was a close friend of fellow writer J.R.R. Tolkien. Like Tolkien, Lewis didn't just write a story- he brought his worlds to life, sometimes in a series, sometimes in single entries. Indeed, even decades later his works are still enjoyed by the current generation, and will continue to be read for years to come.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 20:23:31 GMT -5
10) Jules VerneA major contributor to French literature, he is famous for, among other works, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. Although the premise of these three works alone can be argued to be similar, they each stand out and shine on their own, and to this day are highly regarded works of fiction. Indeed, so substantial was his contribution to literature, he is often credited as one of the fathers of Science Fiction
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 20:33:29 GMT -5
9) Eric Arthur Blair... AKA George OrwellA brilliant novelist whose work was noted for its commentary on injustice and totalitarianism, Orwell is remembered even today for how his stories can be interpreted as metaphorical... or even a warning. Animal Farm tells the story of farm animals who overthrow their human owners, only to fall victim to a situation that can be interpreted as an allegory for the rise of the Soviet Union. And perhaps his definitive work Nineteen Eighty Four, the dystopian novel which we see what happens when big brother watches and controls our every movement. A mere work of fiction... or perhaps a warning to what happens if we let the wrong people make the decisions for us? There is a reason why even today, Nineteen Eighty Four is acclaimed and cited as an important work.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 20:46:17 GMT -5
8) Herman MelvilleAlthough he was unfortunately largely forgotten during the last 30 years of his life, in time his work has come to be recognized as classics. Drawing inspiration from his time as a sailor, among other sources, some of his best works include Typee and of course, Moby-Dick. True, he did not create fantastical worlds or have enormous cultural impact- but the legacy of Moby-Dick is undeniable; with Captain Ahab being one of the most celebrated and even parodied characters of literature.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jul 14, 2018 21:05:04 GMT -5
7) Abraham "Bram" StokerThough he wrote a number of works, one stands out as iconic among the rest- Dracula. Building upon the existing legends of vampires that already existed in Europe, Stoker turned them into one of the most celebrated novels in history and created one of the literary canon's most iconic monsters. Retold and parodied time and time again, Dracula is regarded as the "Bible" of vampire lore, and even by today's standards... if you take a step back and put yourself into the mindset of an 1897 reader who knows nothing about Dracula, then it can still be considered rather scary
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