I've heard Dorothy Dunnett, Guy Gavriel Kay, Neil Gaiman, and Lois McMaster Bujold give readings of their books -- and they were all wonderful. So was Pierre Berton. And Jasper Fforde. And Gordon Dickson. And Spider Robinson (with musical interludes). And A.L. Kennedy. And Terry Pratchett.
In general, I love author readings -- probably the one I liked least was Margaret Atwood reading from The Blind Assassin: the book didn't grab me, and her flat style of speaking irritates me (heresy, I know). Neither did the only P.D. James' reading I heard really inspire me -- mostly because she cut it so short.
I remember Kathy Reichs (this was before she was famous, when she was promoting her first book) giving an absolutely fascinating slide show on forensic pathology for most of her reading -- it was great except for the parts where I had to look away for the sake of my stomach.
Isaac Asimov, from what I remember, didn't do readings; he just blethered. But that was OK, too.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-11-07 05:11 am (UTC)In general, I love author readings -- probably the one I liked least was Margaret Atwood reading from The Blind Assassin: the book didn't grab me, and her flat style of speaking irritates me (heresy, I know). Neither did the only P.D. James' reading I heard really inspire me -- mostly because she cut it so short.
I remember Kathy Reichs (this was before she was famous, when she was promoting her first book) giving an absolutely fascinating slide show on forensic pathology for most of her reading -- it was great except for the parts where I had to look away for the sake of my stomach.
Isaac Asimov, from what I remember, didn't do readings; he just blethered. But that was OK, too.