Writers' Lounge

Best Contemporary Writers That You Have to Check Out

Devising a list of the best contemporary authors is near impossible! The very term contemporary is constantly being redefined and it is also really hard to determine what a modern novel is.

But that is art for you and writers don’t have it easy either. Still, they are able to produce magnificent works of art for our reading pleasure. The stories they tell make our lives more interesting as we fall in love with the characters or relieve their adventures through their eyes.

Here are some of the current best authors that you would want to check out.

Frederic Tuten

The capability of seamlessly moving from magic realism to traditional prose is a gift that Tuten has and which is rare. He used this ability to create his modern classic “The Adventure of Mao on the Long March.” Critics described this work as too good to be true, and they are right to say it so.

Tuten also published his memoirs in 2019, called “My Young Life,” which explains him growing up in New York, but you also have to check out “The Green Hour” if you truly want to be introduced to this author.

Neil Gaiman

What is there to say about Neil Gaiman that is already not known? Gaiman is a magical artist and it is more than peculiar to see how his mind works. Actually, nobody is able to understand how it functions but the stories that come out of it are enjoyable to all age groups.

He writes books for children that adults can enjoy and adult books that are interesting to kids. He writes graphic novels and is the creator of the famed Sandman series. Start with “Neverwhere” and then keep going with “The Graveyard Book.” But if you want to laugh your head off then “Good Omens” is the best choice.

Diane Williams

There is a description of Diane Williams that says that she is a double-agent in the house of fiction. Whether this is true or not, her anthology series with all the collected stories that she published in 2018 that offer more than 800 pages of fun.

You might say that her stories evoke some type of inner life in a person. But at the same time, they are eerie and very deep on a certain level.

Definitely check her short fiction stories as they are perfect.

Brian Evenson

If you want thrill, mystery, and horror, then Brian Evenson is your guy. His work is not your typical horror quick read, it is actually scary on a whole different level. It makes you think and gets you scared out of your wits. 

For his work, Brian received the Guggenheim Fellowship and Shirley Jackson Award for his 2017 work titled “The Warren.” It is definitely something that you should put on your reading list if you are a fan of modern horror. But also be sure to check out “Fugue State” as the best introduction to Evenson’s style.