Georgette Heyer wrote contemporary mysteries, historical romances (regency but also georgian), 'straight' historical fiction, and 'straight' contemporary novels.
Early: You folks are all insane. Simon: Well, my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.
'Objects In Space'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
flea - Jun 07, 2006 7:46:10 am PDT #568 of 28095
information libertarian
Amy - Jun 07, 2006 7:57:03 am PDT #569 of 28095
Because books.
I didn't know that about Heyer, but then I am largely Heyer-clueless. Cool. Another good example.
Ginger - Jun 07, 2006 8:03:14 am PDT #570 of 28095
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
Madeleine L'Engle also wrote great essays and memoirs.
Dana - Jun 07, 2006 8:05:02 am PDT #571 of 28095
"I'm useless alone." // "We're all useless alone. It's a good thing you're not alone."
What about someone like E.M. Forster, who wrote fiction, but also highly respected literary criticism and the like? (I want to call it meta, but that's clearly fandom's influence.)
(I also can't be bothered to page back and see if you're looking for contemporary examples.)
Calli - Jun 07, 2006 8:15:35 am PDT #572 of 28095
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs
Oscar Wilde wrote essays, plays, and poetry. W. B. Yeats wrote both poetry and plays. Saki (H. H. Munro) wrote short stories and novels (and while most his stories were basic contemporary fiction, some of them had horror and/or fantasy elements). Dorothy L. Sayers wrote mysteries, translated Dante, co-wrote a play (based on her mystery characters, so that may be more a change in format than a change in genre), and wrote essays.
Strega - Jun 07, 2006 8:23:02 am PDT #573 of 28095
Donald Westlake has written mysteries, caper novels, satire, science fiction, and apocalyptic fantasy under his own name. And then there's even more stuff he writes using a pseudonym.
Dana - Jun 07, 2006 8:23:30 am PDT #574 of 28095
"I'm useless alone." // "We're all useless alone. It's a good thing you're not alone."
Thomas Hardy (ptui!) wrote novels before publishing his poetry, which was what he'd wanted to do all along.
Ginger - Jun 07, 2006 8:24:56 am PDT #575 of 28095
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
Thomas Hardy (ptui!) wrote novels before publishing his poetry, which was what he'd wanted to do all along.
Certainly an argument for going straight to what you want to do and passing on that ugly Jude the Obscure phase.
Strix - Jun 07, 2006 8:26:54 am PDT #576 of 28095
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote plays, too.
Tolkien was a respected philology prof who wrote children's books, essays, fantasy, translations and academic writings.
Hayden - Jun 07, 2006 8:27:40 am PDT #577 of 28095
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."
I like Thomas Hardy's novels.