The Greatest Authors of All Time
Ever wondered who the greatest authors of all time are? We've analyzed 743 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.
5451. Kaitlyn Schiess
American writer and editor who writes about Christianity, faith, culture, and gender.
5452. James R. Clapper
American intelligence official who served as U.S. Director of National Intelligence from 2010 to 2017 and held senior positions across the U.S. intelligence community.
5453. Jim Hartsell
5454. Maxime Gaget
5455. Mary Downing Hahn
American author of children's and young-adult fiction, best known for suspenseful ghost stories and historical novels such as Wait Till Helen Comes and Time for Andrew.
5456. Ben Mezrich
American author of narrative nonfiction and fiction, best known for books such as Bringing Down the House (about the MIT blackjack team) and The Accidental Billionaires (the basis for the film The Social Network).
5457. Michael Wolff
American author and journalist best known for books on media and politics, including Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House (2018).
5458. Rachel Louise Snyder
American journalist and author known for reporting and nonfiction on domestic violence and social issues; author of books including No Visible Bruises.
5459. Domenico Losurdo
Italian Marxist philosopher and historian, professor at the University of Urbino, known for works on Hegel and critiques of liberalism and Western historiography (author of 'Liberalism: A Counter-History' and other studies).
5460. Anne McCaffrey
American-born science fiction and fantasy author, best known for the Dragonriders of Pern series; prolific novelist who lived much of her life in Ireland.
5461. Edmund R. Schubert
American speculative fiction writer and editor, known for editing Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show and for his short fiction and anthology editing in science fiction and fantasy.
5462. Richard Davenport-Hines
British historian, biographer and literary critic known for works on modern British history and cultural biography.
5463. Gordon R. Dickson
Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author, best known for the Dorsai (Childe Cycle) series and novels such as The Dragon and the George.
5464. David Lipsky
American author and journalist, born 1965, known for his book-length interviews with David Foster Wallace (Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself) and for writing about science and culture, including the climate book The Parrot and the Igloo.
5465. Bernie Sanders
U.S. politician and progressive leader; longtime U.S. Senator from Vermont, former mayor of Burlington, and two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination (2016, 2020), known for advocating democratic socialism and progressive policies.
5466. Franklin Foer
American journalist and author, former editor of The New Republic, known for books including How Soccer Explains the World and World Without Mind.
5467. Iain Gately
Author of 'Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol' (2008).
5468. Adam Young
American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, founder and primary member of Owl City, best known for the 2009 hit "Fireflies."
5469. J. Michael Veron
5470. Roxana Saberi
American journalist and author, detained in Iran in 2009 on espionage charges and later released; author of the memoir 'Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran.'
5471. Boys Beach
5472. John B. Boles
American historian and author specializing in the history of the American South.
5473. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, founder of the Rajneesh movement, known for teachings on meditation and mindfulness and for controversies surrounding his commune and followers.
5474. Karan Girotra
Professor of Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD and co-author of 'The Risk-Driven Business Model'; researches business models, innovation, and operations.
5475. James Klise
5476. Kathleen Hale
British children's author and illustrator, best known as the creator of the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series.
5478. Michele Jaffe
American novelist best known for mystery, psychological suspense, and young-adult fiction.
5479. Maurice Gee
New Zealand novelist and writer for children and adults, known for works such as Under the Mountain and the novel Plumb, often exploring family and social themes.
5480. Richard Ayoade
British actor, comedian, writer, director, and television presenter, best known for playing Maurice Moss on the sitcom The IT Crowd, directing films such as Submarine, and presenting travel series including Travel Man.
5481. Jesse Andrews
American novelist and screenwriter best known for the young-adult novel Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and for writing its film adaptation; also author of Munmun and The Haters.
5482. Ruth Gilligan
Irish novelist and journalist, author of novels including 'Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan' and 'Forget'.
5483. J.L. Pawley
5484. Hubert H. Humphrey
American politician and statesman; U.S. Senator from Minnesota, Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson (1965–1969), and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1968, known for his advocacy of civil rights and liberal domestic policies.
5485. Lorne Rubenstein
Canadian golf writer and author, longtime journalist and commentator on professional golf; author of several books on golf and contributor to Canadian and international sports publications.
5486. Julian Feeld
5487. Charles MacLean
Scottish writer and whisky expert, author of books and articles on Scotch whisky.
5488. Tommy Armour
Scottish-born professional golfer, golf instructor and author best known for instructional books such as 'How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time'; nicknamed "The Silver Scot."
5489. Jackie Hill Perry
American Christian poet, spoken-word artist, hip-hop artist, author, and speaker known for her testimony on faith and sexuality and for books such as 'Gay Girl, Good God.'
5490. Julie Lythcott-Haims
American author and former Stanford University dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising, known for books on parenting and young-adult development including 'How to Raise an Adult' and the memoir 'Real American'.
5491. Julia Cameron
American author, poet, playwright, filmmaker and composer, best known for The Artist's Way, a bestselling book on creativity and creative recovery.
5492. Hugh Brewster
Canadian author of children's non-fiction, known for books about maritime history (including the Titanic) and other historical topics for young readers.
5493. Jim Palmer
American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1965 to 1984; three-time Cy Young Award winner and inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
5494. Maurice Isserman
American historian and author specializing in 20th-century U.S. political history, particularly the American left, labor, and Cold War-era movements.
5495. Nick Salvatore
American historian specializing in labor, working-class, and American left history; author of the biography 'Eugene V. Debs: Citizen and Socialist' and a longtime professor at Cornell University.
5496. Geoff Shackelford
American golf writer, blogger and commentator known for coverage and analysis of professional golf.
5497. Benjamin Madley
American historian and professor specializing in Native American history, California history, and genocide studies; author of An American Genocide.
5498. Stan Utley
American professional golf instructor and former professional golfer, widely known for expertise in short game and putting instruction.
5499. Rick Reilly
American sportswriter and author, longtime columnist for Sports Illustrated and writer for ESPN's Page 2, known for humorous and opinionated sports columns and several books.
5500. Kylie Moore-Gilbert
Australian scholar of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies who was detained in Iran from 2018 to 2020 on espionage charges and released in 2020.