The Greatest Authors of All Time
Ever wondered who the greatest authors of all time are? We've analyzed 759 diverse book lists to create this comprehensive ranking of literary masters. Our algorithm considers several key factors to determine each author's position:
- Book Rankings: Each author's score starts with the sum of their books' rankings from our master list.
- Number of Great Books: Authors are rewarded for having multiple highly-ranked books. The more great books an author has, the higher their overall score.
- Age of Books: Older books receive a small bonus to their score, with the maximum bonus going to books over 100 years old.
This system ensures that authors with multiple enduring works are recognized, while still giving weight to the quality of individual books. The rankings are automatically calculated and updated as new lists are added to our database.
5201. Philippe J. Dubois
5202. Alain Soral
French writer, essayist and political activist, founder of the movement Égalité et Réconciliation; known for far-right political positions, antisemitic conspiracy theories and multiple convictions for hate speech and defamation.
5203. Guillaume Duval
French journalist and economist, associated with the magazine Alternatives économiques.
5204. Daniel Cohen
5205. Raphaël TORTIGNON
5206. Immanuel Wallerstein
American sociologist, economic historian, and leading developer of world-systems theory; author of The Modern World-System and director of the Fernand Braudel Center at SUNY Binghamton.
5207. HAFSA KARA MUSTAFA
5208. Steven Laureys
Belgian neurologist and professor known for research on disorders of consciousness (coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state); director of the Coma Science Group at the University of Liège and affiliated with GIGA-Consciousness.
5209. Laurent Davezies
French economist specializing in urban, regional and territorial economics and public policy.
5210. Jacques Ellul
French philosopher, sociologist, lay Christian theologian and professor, best known for his critique of modern technology and mass propaganda; author of The Technological Society and Propaganda.
5211. Cliff Sims
American author, entrepreneur, and former Trump White House aide; author of Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House (2018).
5212. john kenneth galbraith
Canadian-born American economist, public intellectual, and diplomat; longtime Harvard professor and leading Keynesian thinker; author of The Affluent Society and The New Industrial State; served as U.S. Ambassador to India (1961–1963).
5213. Tim Albert
5214. Jon Favreau
American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter best known for acting in Swingers, directing Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019), creating and showrunning the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and portraying Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
5215. Elizabeth R. Ricker
5216. Sylvie Matelly
French political scientist and commentator.
5217. Susan Cain
American author, speaker, and co-founder of Quiet Revolution, best known for the 2012 book 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking', which explores introversion and advocates for recognition of introverts' strengths.
5218. John Grisham
American novelist and former lawyer and politician, best known for bestselling legal thrillers such as A Time to Kill, The Firm, and The Pelican Brief.
5219. Johann Hari
British journalist and author (born 1979), known for his newspaper columns and books such as Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections; notable for a 2011 journalistic plagiarism and misrepresentation scandal.
5220. Shlomo Sand
Israeli historian and former professor of modern history at Tel Aviv University, best known for controversial works on Jewish historiography such as The Invention of the Jewish People, which challenges conventional narratives about Jewish national origins.
5221. Sedaris, David
American humorist, essayist, and author known for autobiographical and satirical short essays and books such as 'Naked', 'Me Talk Pretty One Day', and 'Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim'; frequent contributor to public radio and live readings.
5222. Jean Claude Bologne
5223. Michele Serros
Michele Serros was an American writer, poet, and essayist of Mexican-American/Chicana heritage, best known for her 1990s collection Chicana Falsa and for work exploring Chicana identity and popular culture.
5224. S. Nassir Ghaemi
Psychiatrist, clinician and author known for writings on mood disorders, the history of psychiatry, and the role of mental illness in leadership.
5225. Ignacio Burgoa Orihuela
Mexican jurist, constitutional law scholar, professor and author known for influential works on Mexican constitutional law.
5226. Álvaro Enrigue
Mexican novelist, short-story writer and essayist, author of novels including "Muerte súbita" (Sudden Death).
5227. Mike Sacks
American author, humor writer, and editor known for books and interviews focusing on comedy writers and the craft of humor writing.
5228. John Kenneth Turner
American journalist and author best known for the 1910 exposé 'Barbarous Mexico', which documented abuses under Porfirio Díaz and advocated for social and labor reform; associated with muckraking and progressive causes.
5229. Tim Winton
Australian novelist and short-story writer known for works set in Western Australia (including Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and The Riders); his writing often explores family, landscape and the sea.
5230. Marcus Luttrell
American former U.S. Navy SEAL and author, best known as the sole surviving member of Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan and for his memoir "Lone Survivor"; veterans' advocate and founder of the Lone Survivor Foundation.
5231. Anna Kendrick
American actress and singer. Began her career on Broadway as a child (Tony Award nomination for High Society), received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Up in the Air (2009), and is known for roles in the Pitch Perfect series, the Twilight films, and as a voice actor in Trolls.
5232. Inés Arredondo
Mexican writer best known for her short stories and essays, often exploring psychological and familial themes.
5233. Gustave Flaubert
French novelist and leading figure of literary realism, best known for Madame Bovary; noted for precise style and influence on modern prose.
5234. Brenda Lozano
Mexican novelist and short story writer known for contemporary literary fiction.
5235. Ricardo Piglia
Ricardo Piglia was an Argentine writer, literary critic, and scholar, known for his novels, short stories, and essays. A major figure in contemporary Latin American literature, his notable works include Respiración artificial and Plata quemada; he also taught and lectured internationally.
5236. Enrique Vila-Matas
Spanish novelist and essayist (born 1948) known for metafictional and experimental works that explore literary life, authorship and identity; notable books include 'Bartleby & Co.' and 'Dublinesca'.
5238. Ch. Dikkens
English novelist and social critic, author of classics such as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations (1812–1870).
5239. Lucy Worsley
British historian, author, curator and television presenter known for popular history books and BBC documentaries; former Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces.
5240. Demetri Martin
American comedian, actor, writer, cartoonist, and musician known for stand-up, his contributions to The Daily Show, and the sketch/stand-up series Important Things with Demetri Martin.
5241. Dave Eggers
American writer, editor, publisher, and philanthropist; author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and founder of McSweeney's and the 826 community writing centers.
5242. José Agustín
Mexican novelist, short-story writer and essayist, born 1944; a leading figure of the 1960s La Onda literary movement and author of the influential youth novel 'La tumba' (1964).
5243. Maurice Joly
French lawyer, satirist and political writer best known for the 1864 satirical work "The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu," a critique of Napoleon III.
5244. Wooden Leg
Oglala Lakota warrior and memoirist, remembered for his accounts of the Plains Indian Wars, including participation in conflicts of the 1870s.
5245. Paloma Gómez Borrero
Spanish journalist and writer, best known as a longtime Vatican correspondent for Spanish media.
5246. Tim J. Cornell
British classical historian and scholar of ancient Rome, specializing in the Roman Republic; author of The Beginnings of Rome and contributor/editor to works such as the Cambridge Ancient History.
5247. Chad Kultgen
American novelist best known for provocative contemporary novels such as The Average American Male and Men, Women & Children; his work frequently examines sex, relationships, and modern masculinity, and some novels have been adapted for film.
5248. Silvina Ocampo
Argentine poet, short story writer, translator and illustrator associated with surrealism and the Buenos Aires literary scene; sister of Victoria Ocampo and wife of Adolfo Bioy Casares, noted for imaginative, often fantastical short stories and children's literature.
5249. Alcoholics Anonymous
A fellowship founded in 1935 in the United States to help people recover from alcoholism; authorship is credited collectively (commonly abbreviated "AA") and the group publishes key recovery literature such as "Alcoholics Anonymous" (the Big Book).
5250. Alexander Pushkin
Russian poet, playwright, and novelist (1799–1837), widely regarded as the founder of modern Russian literature; author of Eugene Onegin, The Bronze Horseman, and numerous poems, dramas, and prose works.