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.
5752. Dashiell Hammett
American author and screenwriter, a leading figure of hard-boiled detective fiction; best known for The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, and Red Harvest. Worked as a Pinkerton detective before becoming a novelist.
5753. Simon Spotlight
Simon Spotlight is an imprint of Simon & Schuster that publishes children's and young-adult books, licensed media tie-ins, activity books, and gift titles.
5754. Cassandra Peterson
American actress and television host best known for creating and performing the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; rose to fame hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre and starred in the 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.
5755. Joe Bob Briggs
American film critic, writer, and performer best known for his comic persona Joe Bob Briggs (real name John Irving Bloom, born 1953). Known for syndicated columns and for hosting genre movie programs such as TNT's MonsterVision and Shudder's The Last Drive-In.
5756. Matt Kindt
American comic book writer, artist, and illustrator best known for creator-owned series such as Mind MGMT and Dept. H; noted for blending espionage, mystery, and experimental layouts and for work with both independent and mainstream publishers.
5757. Jeph Loeb
American comic book writer and television/film writer-producer, known for collaborations with artist Tim Sale (e.g., Batman: The Long Halloween, Superman for All Seasons) and for his work in television production and as a former head of Marvel Television.
5758. Christopher Cantwell
American television writer, producer, and comic-book writer; co-creator and writer of the TV series Halt and Catch Fire.
5759. Bill Finger
American comic-book writer, best known as the uncredited co-creator and principal early writer of Batman; contributed to the creation and naming of characters such as Robin, the Joker, Catwoman, and Commissioner Gordon and helped shape Batman's tone and mythos.
5760. Jerry Siegel
American comic book writer and editor, co-creator of Superman (with artist Joe Shuster) and a key figure in the development of the superhero genre.
5761. Ninian Smart
Scottish scholar of religious studies, a pioneer of comparative and phenomenological approaches to religion best known for articulating the 'seven dimensions' framework and for helping establish religious studies as an academic discipline.
5762. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, later known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and then Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement and ashrams in India and the United States, noted for his numerous writings and controversial communal and legal conflicts.
5763. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, founder of the Rajneesh movement, known for numerous talks and books on meditation, mysticism and human relationships; a controversial figure associated with an Oregon commune and subsequent legal issues.
5764. Victor Cheng
Management consultant and interview coach, author of 'Case Interview Secrets' and founder of CaseInterview.com.
5765. Osho
Indian mystic and spiritual teacher (born Chandra Mohan Jain), widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho. Founder of the Rajneesh movement, he led controversial communes in India and the United States and was a prolific author and speaker on meditation and spirituality.
5766. Nandan Nilekani
Indian entrepreneur and public policy leader; co-founder of Infosys, former Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) overseeing Aadhaar, author and former Chairman of Infosys (2017–2019).
5767. Osho
Indian mystic and spiritual teacher, known popularly as Osho (and formerly Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement, noted for teachings on meditation and controversial social and political activities (1931–1990).
5768. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, born Chandra Mohan Jain and widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement and author of numerous talks and writings on meditation, mysticism, and society; a controversial figure associated with an intentional community in Oregon and various legal disputes.
5769. Limmy
Scottish comedian, writer, actor and streamer, best known by the stage name Limmy for his sketch show 'Limmy's Show!' and online comedy.
5770. Robert Loren Fleming
American comic-book writer, best known for humorous work for DC Comics (notably on Ambush Bug and other comedic/satirical stories).
5771. Ramon Gener
Catalan/Spanish musician, writer and broadcaster known for popularizing opera and classical music through books and television programs.
5772. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, best known as Osho (also called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement and ashrams in India and the United States; known for teachings on meditation, mysticism, and critiques of organized religion, and for the controversies surrounding his movement.
5773. Philip M. Rosenzweig
Business author and academic affiliated with IMD (Lausanne); author of The Halo Effect and Eight Other Business Delusions, known for critiquing popular business research and management myths.
5774. John Michael Morgan
5775. Seth Godin
American author, entrepreneur, and marketing expert known for books such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, and Linchpin; founder of Yoyodyne and Squidoo; prominent blogger and public speaker.
5776. Edward Kasner
American mathematician best known for coining the term "googol" and co‑authoring the popular mathematics book "Mathematics and the Imagination" (with James R. Newman). He made contributions to differential geometry and mathematical exposition.
5777. Adam Davis
5778. Marc C. Conner
5779. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic (born Chandra Mohan Jain), widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement, author of numerous recorded discourses, and a controversial figure for his teachings and the communes established in India and the United States.
5780. Norman Lowe
British historian and author, known for works and textbooks on 20th-century international and military history and modern world history.
5781. Romain Rolland
French novelist, dramatist, essayist and pacifist, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1915; best known for the novel-cycle Jean-Christophe and for his anti-war activism and writings on music and spiritual humanism.
5782. Elmore Leonard
American novelist and screenwriter best known for crime fiction and westerns. Celebrated for sharp dialogue and morally ambiguous characters; notable works include Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Rum Punch (adapted as Jackie Brown). Many works adapted for film and television.
5783. Dark Horse Comics
American comic book and manga publisher founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson and based in Milwaukie, Oregon; known for publishing creator-owned comics and licensed properties such as Hellboy, Sin City, Aliens, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and for anthologies like Dark Horse Presents.
5784. Gary Panter
American cartoonist, illustrator, painter and designer, best known for the comic character Jimbo and for production/set design work on Pee-wee's Playhouse; influential in alternative comics and punk-influenced art.
5785. Mike Mignola
American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of Hellboy and the related Hellboy Universe (B.P.R.D., Abe Sapien). Recognized for a distinctive shadow-heavy, gothic visual style and a long career working with publishers including Dark Horse, Marvel, and DC; recipient of multiple industry awards.
5786. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, born Chandra Mohan Jain, widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later as Osho. Founder of the Rajneesh (Osho) movement and author of numerous discourses on meditation, spirituality, and philosophy; a controversial public figure associated with communes in India and the United States.
5787. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, born Chandra Mohan Jain, widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement, prolific speaker and author of spiritual discourses, and a controversial figure for his communal and legal conflicts including the Rajneeshpuram experiment in Oregon.
5788. Harvey Pekar
American comic book writer and music critic best known for his autobiographical series American Splendor; noted for collaborations with artists such as R. Crumb and David Mazzucchelli and for chronicling everyday life in Cleveland.
5789. Doug TenNapel
American cartoonist, animator, video-game designer and comic-book creator, best known for creating Earthworm Jim and the claymation game The Neverhood, and for graphic novels such as Ghostopolis.
5790. Doug TenNapel
American cartoonist, animator, video-game designer, and author/illustrator, best known as the creator of Earthworm Jim and co-creator of the claymation game The Neverhood; also author/illustrator of numerous children's books and graphic novels.
5791. Alvin Buenaventura
American gallerist, publisher, designer, and promoter of contemporary comics and illustration; founder of Buenaventura Press and Buenaventura Gallery, known for publishing and exhibiting small-press and art-comics work.
5792. Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter and manga artist, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, best known for acclaimed animated films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
5793. Daniel Clowes
American cartoonist, graphic novelist, screenwriter, and illustrator best known for the comic book series Eightball and the graphic novel Ghost World (adapted as a film).
5794. Paul Karasik
American cartoonist, editor, and teacher best known for co-adapting Paul Auster's City of Glass into a graphic novel with David Mazzucchelli; also noted for comics scholarship (e.g., the essay "How to Read Nancy"), editing, and teaching cartooning.
5795. Junji Ito
Japanese manga artist best known for horror works such as Uzumaki, Tomie, and Gyo; noted for distinctive grotesque imagery and psychological horror, influential in both Japanese and international horror media.
5796. Christopher J. Herr
5797. Robert Greenberger
American writer and editor, known for work in comic books (notably at DC Comics) and for media tie-in and reference books.
5798. Rod Reed
American football coach and former player, best known for his long association with Tennessee State University, including serving as the school's head coach.
5799. William Woolfolk
American writer best known for work in comic books, journalism, screenwriting, and novels.
5800. David Shoemaker
Contemporary philosopher specializing in moral responsibility, free will, and virtue ethics.