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.
9351. Hal Whitehead
Canadian marine mammalogist and cetacean researcher, noted for studies of sperm whale social structure, behavior and acoustics; a faculty member at Dalhousie University.
9352. Paul Carell
German writer and journalist, pen name of Paul Karl Schmidt; formerly a Nazi-era Foreign Ministry/propaganda official who after the war became a popular author of World War II histories.
9353. Mark Riebling
American author and journalist, best known for investigative works on intelligence and national security, including 'Wedge: The Secret War Between the FBI and the CIA'.
9354. Michel Chossudovsky
Canadian economist and academic, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Ottawa, founder and editor of the Centre for Research on Globalization (GlobalResearch.ca), and author of books and articles critical of globalization and U.S. foreign policy.
9355. Boris Volodarsky
Historian and intelligence analyst specializing in Soviet/Russian intelligence and security services; author of works on the KGB, GRU and espionage history.
9356. Steven E. Koonin
American theoretical physicist, academic and government science official; served as a senior science official at the U.S. Department of Energy and is an author on science and climate policy.
9357. Susannah Radstone
Academic and author specializing in memory studies, life-writing, trauma and cultural history; editor and contributor to works on cultural memory.
9358. Mindy Caliguire
9359. Daniela Augustine
9360. Rory Noland
9361. Lin Enger
American novelist and short-story writer known for contemporary and historical fiction.
9362. Wes Browne
9363. Stephen Freeman
9364. Charles C. Camosy
American theologian and ethicist, professor and author known for work on contemporary moral theology and public ethics, including discussions of abortion and social ethics.
9365. James R. Payton Jr.
9366. Nancy Kennedy
9367. Aelred of Rievaulx
12th-century English Cistercian monk and abbot of Rievaulx, notable medieval spiritual writer and hagiographer (author of works such as De spirituali amicitia).
9368. Jürgen Leonhardt
German classical philologist and professor of Latin philology, author of works on the history of the Latin language and Roman literature.
9369. John R. Franke
9370. Lisa Graham McMinn
9371. Megan Brennan
Former United States Postmaster General (2015–2020), the first woman to hold that office; longtime United States Postal Service executive.
9372. Ben Judah
British journalist and author who reports on Russia, Eastern Europe, migration and urban affairs; author of books including Fragile Empire and This Is London.
9373. grimmilshausen
German Baroque novelist best known for the picaresque novel 'Simplicius Simplicissimus', depicting experiences during the Thirty Years' War.
9374. Michael Meyen
German media and communication scholar known for work in journalism and media research.
9375. Sherry A. Rogers
American physician and author known for books and writings on environmental medicine, detoxification, allergies, and chronic illness.
9376. David V. Hicks
9377. N.T. Wright
English Anglican bishop, New Testament scholar, and theologian; former Bishop of Durham and a prolific author on the historical Jesus, Paul, and Christian theology.
9378. William P.D. Wightman
9379. Kevin Clark
9380. Susan Quinn
American biographer and journalist, author of biographies including 'Marie Curie: A Life'.
9381. Vijay Eswaran
Malaysian entrepreneur and author, founder and executive chairman of the QI Group (a business group with interests in direct selling, media and property), and a philanthropist.
9383. Bastian Obermayer
German investigative journalist for Süddeutsche Zeitung, known for breaking the Panama Papers story with colleague Frederik Obermaier; co-author of the book on the Panama Papers and part of the international team that won awards including the 2017 Pulitzer Prize (as part of the ICIJ reporting collaboration).
9384. Joseph C. Jenkins
9385. E.W. Bovill
9386. Tunbridge Laura
British musicologist and academic specializing in nineteenth-century music, song cycles, and performance history.
9387. Linda Woodhead
British sociologist of religion and academic. Professor of Contemporary Religion at King's College London, researcher on religion and society, author of works including 'Christianity: A Very Short Introduction', and former director of the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme.
9388. M.R. O'Connor
9389. Jens O. Parsson
9390. Giorgio de Santillana
Italian-American historian of science and MIT professor, known for scholarship on Galileo and for co-authoring the mytho-astronomy work 'Hamlet's Mill'.
9391. Heiko A. Oberman
Dutch historian and scholar of late medieval and Reformation history, best known for work on Martin Luther and the theological/intellectual context of the Reformation.
9392. Wolfgang Schäuble
German politician (Christian Democratic Union, CDU). Long-serving member of the Bundestag (first elected 1972). Held posts including Federal Minister of the Interior (1989–1991, 2005–2009), CDU party chairman (1998–2000), Federal Minister of Finance (2009–2017), and President of the Bundestag (2017–2021).
9393. Christian Williams
9394. Raymond Francis
British actor active in the mid-20th century, known for his work in British television and film.
9395. Nick Santora
American television writer, producer, and novelist; known for work as a writer/producer on Prison Break and as the creator/executive producer of the CBS series Scorpion.
9396. Henry Kuttner
American author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror; noted for influential short fiction in the Golden Age of SF and frequent collaborations with his wife C. L. Moore, often publishing under pseudonyms such as Lewis Padgett and Lawrence O'Donnell.
9397. Joan Garry
American nonprofit consultant, speaker, and author who focuses on nonprofit leadership and management.
9398. Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
American historian of Russia, longtime professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the widely used textbook 'A History of Russia.'
9399. Miriam Lancewood
New Zealand author, survivalist and television personality known for writing and presenting about off-grid living, wilderness survival and raising a family in remote environments.
9400. Włodzimierz Borodziej
Polish historian and author specializing in 20th-century history, particularly World War II and Polish–German relations; academic affiliated with Polish universities.