Overrated and Underrated authors

Has anyone done this yet, if so I'm sorry if I trod on your toes, but -

Name a writer you believe is overrated. A writer you believe has too much press, publiciity and books published and who you think isn't as good as people may claim they are.

And then in the same breath, can you name a writer you believe is underrated. That they don't get hyped enough, that they are great writers and that they seem to be over looked by people.

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As an example, I can point out that I tried to read Wizard First Rule by Terry Goodkind and couldn't make it past page 50 because the style and writing was so terrible it make me want to burn the book. If you can't keep your audience after page 50 there's something seriously wrong with you.

In that same breath, I like reading Michelle West's stories because the writing flows well, the ideas are interesting and you feel pathos for the characters.

Stephanie Meyer. Her writing is mostly sub par and the moments where you think "that was inspired" are few and far between.

Brandon Sanderson. He is definitely under rated. He has sort of been branded with the 'that guy who is finishing the wheel of time series' badge, but his own stuff is pretty incredible. Not only is he well written but the worlds and magic systems he invents tend to be incredibly unique in a genre where pretty much everything is recycled.

I don't know if anyone talks about him anymore (I remember past years of NaNo where there'd be threads dedicated to how not good this guy was), but Christopher Paolini. He managed to get a movie, so I think he counts. I've recently come across people who liked his books (like my last boyfriend, guess it was for the best) and I can't really figure why. It's such a bland, boring, and unimaginative combination of previous stories. Lately I tried rereading the first chapter again and then just stopped. (If the narrator is going to keeping referring to somebody's name and vague actions, please stop trying to be mysterious and just explain who he is.)

I don't really think I need to keep talking with him since I'm pretty sure most of the people on this website who have read any of what he's written already know he's not much good. That and I'll get riled up and get the urse to just start rambling about the guy.

As for underrated? I guess I'd say Clive Barker? He's not an author you hear about a lot, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, just gently. I've been reading his Abarat series and have loved how bizarre and unusual the scenes and people he's created are. That might be part of why he's not particularly well known. They're so bizarre that they put some people off. (I've kind of bad at this, aren't I?) Anyway, as someone who loves things strange and on the surreal side, I think he's pretty terrific.

Overrated? J. R. R. Tolkien. *coughs* Erm, I'd probably say Robert Jordan. I just didn't like much of anything about Wheel of Time. Usually I can find *something* I like in these big name fantasy series - or else there is a huge hatebase, as with Paolini and Meyert - but Jordan is pretty universally liked, and I just can't stay awake through his books.

Underrated? Tough, tough, tough. Guy Gavriel Kay comes to mind. I think when it comes to Fantasy Counterpart Cultures, you're not going to find anyone who does it better. And I think he's a great writer. I might go for the personal favourite, Catherynne M. Valente, since she sort of falls between the cracks. Not weird enough to get grouped in with China Mieville and his sort, not safe enough to get grouped in with Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, etc. Sort of falls between a couple of subgenres, so I don't see her name brought up very often.

Ursula Le Guin, I just did not get the feel of the story or the characters. Gene Wolfe I found his books to be written well but the narrative did not back it up. Dan Brown was just ridiculous as I don't think he described what his characters looked liked for half the book in the Da Vinci Code. Never did pick up any of his other things.

Glenda Larke is one of the most underrated authors, she gets nominated and recognised for awards but very few have heard of her. Her books do move very fast. Tad Williams is rated high but should be rated way higher, purely for his Memory Sorrow and Thorn series as well as ShadowMarch. A very new author, who is one to watch out for as he has written 3 very good books already is Mark Charan Newton. I can see his series getting a cult following.

Jodi Picoult... ah but she's not fantasy dangit. Just the first word that comes to my head when I hear overrated writer. Hm. I find many of the 'greats' of fantasy, Tolkein included, fail to live up to their expectations or are outright boring. But that's because I'm not a fan of epic plots. I like the microcosm. Character interaction, personal goals, stuff. I love great world-building but you can build an interesting magical world without having it threated by the Big Bad so it can be rescued by the Hero.

Most underrated? Er. It's mostly children's lit, but Diana Wynne Jones. If there were more fantasy writers like her in the adult section of the market... I'd be very happy. I also like Scott Lynch, for purely entertaining writing. I suspect his series will all go down hill from the first book, but the first book is good enough that maybe it won't matter.

I'll second Stephenie Meyer as overrated. The Twilight series just should not be as popular and successful as it is. The fact that they're actually making a movie out of the last book boggles the mind. My sisters love the series, despite my attempts to point out some of the awful elements in it, like a paedophile werewolf and an abusive stalker vampire boyfriend.

Underrated ... not much of a fantasy writer, but Nancy Springer. Her Enola Holmes series is one of my all time favourites, but hardly anyone seems to have heard of it. She wrote the canon Holmesian characters so well that I could easily believe her books were canon, and they were so clever they had me practically applauding at times. She did a couple of Arthurian books as well that I intend to read as soon as I can.

Agree on Goodkind. I liked the first couple books, but got tired of the formulaic approach to sequels. The entire series seems to lack cohesion.

I also think Eddings and McCaffrey are overrated. I read the Elenium and didn't like Sparhawk. The only time I even cared was when his squire died. And what was with that god helping him out? I read the first couple Pern novels, but they did nothing for me. The whole thing with the "thread" was just boring. If you're going to have an inanimate main antagonist, the protagonists and other antagonists better be damned interesting. They weren't.

For underrated, I'd have to save Dave Duncan. I certainly don't see him getting enough love on these boards. His "A Man of His Word" series is one of my favorites.

Overrated: I'll agree on Meyer (would everyone just stop talking about Twilight already?) and Paolini (nobody would have cared if he was some 40-year-old guy living in his mom's basement...). To a much (much, much) lesser degree... Neil Gaiman. I actually like his books. They're good. It's just... everyone I've heard talks about him like "OMG he's Neil Gaiman" and... I really don't think his books are that good. I haven't found very many people to agree with me on this...

Underrated: Absolutely, positively, totally Diana Wynne Jones. She wrote a lot of stuff, and some of it was okay, and a lot of if it was totally brilliant. She wrote some amazing children's literature, but unfortunately it's not as widely known as it should be... (I do tend to discover, however, that if I meet someone who I think is pretty awesome, there's a greater probability that they grew up reading her books. =] )

Overrated: agree on Robert Jordan, but I'm still trudging through his books... the Eye of the World had so many cliches and ripped out thing from LOTR that I was going "really??" every ten pages. But it's enjoyable. Maybe it's because I hadn't read any "classic" fantasy in a while and I needed a fix, so I can overlook those things...
Other overrated people: Larry Niven (I read his first Ringworld novel and it sucked).

Underrated: I would say Guy Gavriel Kay. His Sarantine Mosaic was awesome. Also, Stephen Lawhead. No book made my cry like the Song of Albion trilogy. 15 years after reading it, I still remember most of it and how I felt at the end. No other book had that effect on me.

To whoever said Ursula LeGuin was overrated, I guess you're talking about her EarthSea books, right? Because The Disposessed and The Left Hand of Darkness are two of the best books I've read, period.

Obviously Meyer and Paolini, to the point that I use their books to get better. Meyer teaches me grammar (oh the fragments and seas of commas) and Paolini teaches me plot (Eragon Sporking FTW!). However, I'd really have to second the David Eddings. My mom loved them as a child, and I read them and thought they were pretty cool, but in hindsight it wasn't THAT great. And the main character had an IQ of -2!

I've desperately tried to pick up the Dragonriders of Pern several times and failed to get past the second chapter each time. My mom looks at me like I'm crazy whenever I admit it, but I just can't get into those books.

Underrated... Maybe it'd just where I am, but I'd say Jim Butcher. The guy is a freaking genius; he wrote the Codex Alera series on a dare with the basic idea of "Pokemon" and "Lost Roman Legion". You never hear anyone really talking about him. Again, this may simply be because I'm so far underground that nothing really gets through.

Moving to Fans and Critics.

For David Eggings you pretty much have to read the Belgariad and avoid the Sparrowhawk stuff, in my humble opinion. I love the Pern books, but it is a series that is hard to get into because until you get personally attached to the characters it can be dull.

Most overrated author? Charlaine Harris. The longer she writes, the worse it gets. I am seriously tempted to sell the books I have so far because I just can't stand the books now. I liked Sookie before but now she is so flatand boring.

Underrated? Brent Weeks. Love all his books, the Way of the Shadows series is awesome and I reread them all the time and I am eagerly waiting his next book in the Blinging Knife series. I love books about assassins and he managed to make the moral choices about working to kill people so interesting. Awesome.

I agree with Terry Goodkind. I could never get into his books. I tried 4 or 5 times BEFORE the Legend of the Seeker TV show, and when I liked the show, I tried again, and I just could not read Wizard's First Rule.

As for underrated, Brent Weeks. I never hear anything about him, but his Night Angel Trilogy was awesome - though I don't recommend it if you are already clinically depressed. His characters wish they were in George RR Martin's novels, because then they'd just be killed.

Overrated: Terry Pratchett.

Yeah, I said it. Honestly, when I read his stuff my mind always wanders off and thinks of other things.

Over-rated?
Tamora Pierce. She writes well, but... :/


Under-rated?
Diana Wynne Jones.
Gail Carson Levine.
Eoin Colfer (!).
Anthony Horowitz.
Helen Dunmore (I've only read her Ingo series, but not many have...).
Emily Rodda. Shannon Hale, kind of.
Alison Croggon (you almost never see her mentioned, and MAN her Pellinor series is amazing).

Over-rated:
The usual - Stephanie Meyer and Christopher Paolini. Also, L.J Smith. (The one who wrote Vampire Diaries). Sure, she's alright, but not that great.

Under-rated:
Philip Reeve. The Mortal Engines series is honestly one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read, and I'm including the Fever Crumb books in that as well. The world he has created is incredible.

Overrated: Stephenie Meyer makes my BRAIN HURT. And I know I'm going to get pilloried for this, but to be quite honest? J.K. Rowling. I enjoyed Harry Potter, I did. I like her personal story. But she is not G-d and she isn't some kind of writing oracle. She does what works for her, and she's been successful with it, and more power to her, but her way isn't the only way, and frankly, I find it simplistic sometimes.

Underrated: Laurie R. King. She writes a series on books where Sherlock Holmes has acquired a young female sidekick, but instead of being stupid and cutesy like you might imagine, it's ... amazing. The character development, the turns of phrase and the ambiance has just consistently killed me every time I open a book of hers.

Overrated: George R.R. Martin. I read through the first three books in the series and found it all way too dark and depressing. My younger brother, who typically likes the books that I do (we've read through all the Shannara books, even though they're not all that awesome. Terry Brooks should probably be listed up here too), stopped reading halfway through the second because it was just bumming him out. Obviously there are those that love him, but for me, I'm not a fan.

Underrated: Peter S. Beagle. Yes, I know he got a good run of attention for "The Last Unicorn," but all the stuff he's done besides that is just as brilliant! I could read "Tamsin" over and over again!

Well, Over-rated:
Hemingway, I'd say. He just doesn't work for me on any level, I don't find his prosa all that amazing or his stories all that deep and meaningful. Love the movies they made from his stuff, though.

Under rated:
Difficult, can I say Stephenie... honestly I can't think of a single one that I liked which didn't get his/her due recognition.