Here's a sampling of some of my favorite novels and novelists.
Poul Anderson, Harvest of Stars, The Stars Are Also Fire -- Two sweeping novels of exploration and freedom by the greatest living writer of science fiction.
Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One -- A powerful novel of individualism, with some great scenes and unforgettable characters.
Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth -- The building of a great medieval cathedral is the background of this excellent but atypical Follet novel.
Noah Gordon, The Physician -- A fine tale of one medieval Jewish man's search for medical knowledge, which takes him from Christian England to Islamic Persia.
Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress -- Winner of all the major science fiction awards, this classic novel tells of the rebellion of the Lunar colony against control from Earth. Not to be missed.
James P. Hogan, Code of the Lifemaker -- James P. Hogan is one of the best science fiction writers around, and Code of the Lifemaker is one of his finest creations.
Anne Holm, North to Freedom -- This powerful story of one young person's search for freedom, trust, and self-knowledge in war-torn Europe is an absolute gem. Originally written for young adults but well-loved by adults as well.
Victor Hugo, Ninety-Three, Les Miserables, Notre-Dame de Paris, The Toilers of the Sea, etc. -- what can I say? These are classics. (See also the Victor Hugo Fan Space for more information.)
Victor Koman, Kings of the High Frontier -- Something of a cross between Atlas Shrugged and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (with a little bit of The Fountainhead and The Man Who Sold the Moon), this fast-paced novel proves Koman is a worthy heir to Rand and Heinlein. The book won the 1997 Prometheus Award despite being available only over the Internet. Head on over to www.pulpless.com to download your copy -- you won't regret it!!
David Nevin, Dream West -- This saga of the American West is highly engrossing (long out of print, a paperback version is forthcoming in May 2000). His recent novel 1812 is also reputed to be quite good.
Ayn Rand, We The Living, Anthem, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged -- Four classic novels of individualism.
Jack Schaefer, Shane -- A powerful and heroic coming-of-age novel set in the American West. His other novels may be available through The Advanced Book Exchange.
Kay Nolte Smith, Country of the Heart, A Tale of the Wind -- The two best novels (unfortunately out of print) by a fine modern writer in the Romantic tradition. Try The Advanced Book Exchange to find them. See also the Fan Space dediccated to her on monadnock.net.
L. Neil Smith, The Probability Broach