I would agree with your comment about State of Fear. I had the same responsd. Also one of his other books. The fact that one doesn’t like his politics doesn’t mean he is not a good storyteller.

Ayn Rand, on the other hand, was a terrible storyteller. Clive Cussler was a good storyteller but his command of language left much to desire. His son is a far better writer than he waa.

James Patterson’s stories have a sameness about them that bores me. And so on.

Literary fiction, to my mind, is best used for fore wood.