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.
3651. Leo Tolstoj
Russian novelist, short-story writer, playwright and philosopher, best known for the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina; a leading figure in realist literature and later in moral, religious and political thought (advocated Christian anarchism and pacifism).
3652. Daniel Gottlieb
American jazz drummer, best known as a founding member of the Pat Metheny Group and for his work with groups such as Steps Ahead as well as extensive session and live performance work.
3653. हजारी प्रसाद द्विवेदी
Prominent Hindi writer, scholar, literary historian and critic known for essays, novels, cultural history and work on Sanskrit and Hindi literature.
3654. David Wallechinsky
American author and popular historian best known for reference works such as The Complete Book of the Olympics and The People's Almanac, focusing on Olympic history, trivia and compilations.
3655. Osho
Indian mystic and spiritual teacher known as Osho (formerly Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), founder of the Rajneesh movement; influential and controversial for his teachings, writings, meditation techniques and the Rajneeshpuram commune.
3656. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh (Osho) movement, known for his talks on meditation and controversial leadership of the Rajneeshpuram community in the United States.
3657. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, best known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement and communes, noted for his teachings on meditation and controversial social and legal disputes in India and the United States.
3658. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, commonly known as Osho (also Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement, known for his teachings on meditation, tantra, and critique of organized religion; a controversial public figure who established ashrams in India and the United States.
3659. M.K. Gupta
3660. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, known publicly as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement and the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon; influential and controversial for his teachings on meditation, sexuality, and social issues.
3661. Brian L. Weiss
American psychiatrist, hypnotherapist, and author best known for his work on past-life regression and his book "Many Lives, Many Masters."
3662. Bhaskar Ghose
Indian civil servant and author, known for his work in public administration and broadcasting.
3663. M.K. Kaw
3664. Pavan K. Varma
Indian diplomat, writer and politician, known for books and essays on culture, literature and Indian politics.
3665. T.S.R. Subramanian
Indian civil servant and senior government official (commonly published as T.S.R. Subramanian).
3666. Vivek Kaul
Indian financial journalist and author known for writing about finance, the economy, and markets.
3667. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic (1931–1990), known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement and author of numerous works on meditation and spirituality.
3668. Ken Ludwig
American playwright and theatre director, best known for comic plays and musicals such as Lend Me a Tenor and Crazy for You.
3669. John W. Foreman
3670. Berkery
3671. Lawrence G. McDonald
American finance author and former Lehman Brothers executive, known for the book "A Colossal Failure of Common Sense" about the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the 2008 financial crisis.
3672. Edward de Bono
Maltese physician, psychologist, author and consultant best known for developing the concept of "lateral thinking" and the "Six Thinking Hats" method; prolific writer on creativity, thinking skills and innovation.
3673. Brian Klemmer
3674. Ramachandra Guha
Indian historian, writer, and public intellectual known for works on modern Indian history, environmental history, and biographies, including 'India After Gandhi.'
3675. C.K. Prahalad
Indian management scholar and business thinker, professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, known for work on core competencies (with Gary Hamel) and for 'The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid'.
3676. Ruchir Sharma
Indian-born investor, financier and author known for books on global economics and emerging markets (e.g., Breakout Nations; The Rise and Fall of Nations). Former chief global strategist and head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
3677. Tom Stafford
British cognitive psychologist and science writer, co-author of the book 'Mind Hacks', and known for science communication and blogging; has been affiliated with the University of Sheffield.
3678. Derren Brown
English mentalist, illusionist, hypnotist, author and television personality known for stage shows and TV specials that combine magic, suggestion, psychology and misdirection; author of books including Tricks of the Mind.
3679. Richard Wiseman
British psychologist, author, and public science communicator known for research on luck, decision making, misconceptions, and the psychology of paranormal beliefs; author of popular science books such as The Luck Factor and 59 Seconds and a professor formerly holding the chair in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
3680. Edwin F. Bryant
American scholar of religion and Indology, known for work on Hinduism, Sanskrit, and Yoga; author of translations and commentaries such as on the Yoga Sūtras and studies of Vedic and classical Indian traditions.
3681. Ashutosh Varshney
Indian political scientist and professor at Brown University, known for research on ethnic conflict, communal violence, and democracy; author of Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India.
3682. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, known as Osho (also Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement, noted for his prolific talks on meditation and controversial communal experiments, including ashrams in Pune, India and Rajneeshpuram in Oregon, USA.
3683. Osho
Indian mystic, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. Born Chandra Mohan Jain, he was also known as Rajneesh and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh before adopting the name Osho; known for his teachings on meditation and controversial activities surrounding the Rajneeshpuram commune in the United States.
3684. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, widely known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement, noted for teachings on meditation, mysticism and controversial social and sexual views, and for communities in Pune (India) and Rajneeshpuram (Oregon, USA).
3685. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Indian philosopher, scholar and statesman; leading interpreter of Advaita Vedanta, prominent teacher and author of works on Indian philosophy; served as India's first Vice-President (1952–1962) and second President (1962–1967).
3686. Heinrich Päs
German theoretical physicist known for work in neutrino physics and phenomenology of physics beyond the Standard Model.
3687. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, founder of the Rajneesh movement, widely known as Osho; prolific author of discourses on meditation, religion and philosophy, and a controversial public figure associated with communes in India and the United States.
3688. Amritlal Nagar
Prominent Indian Hindi-language novelist, short story writer, playwright and critic, influential in 20th-century Hindi literature.
3689. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, better known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho; founder of the Rajneesh movement, known for his teachings on meditation and mysticism and for the controversial Rajneeshpuram community in the United States.
3690. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, founder of the Rajneesh movement (also known as the Osho movement). Noted for his discourses on meditation, spirituality, and social issues; founded an ashram in Pune and the Rajneeshpuram community in Oregon. A controversial figure due to his unorthodox teachings and the legal and political conflicts surrounding his movement.
3691. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic (best known as Osho, formerly Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), founder of the Rajneesh movement, known for his writings and talks blending Eastern mysticism and Western psychology and for establishing ashrams in India and the United States.
3692. Osho
Indian mystic and spiritual teacher, founder of the Rajneesh movement, originally known as Chandra Mohan Jain and later as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and Osho; prolific author and speaker of spiritual discourses and a controversial public figure.
3693. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic (1931–1990), founder of the Rajneesh movement; led an ashram in Pune and the controversial Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon; prolific author of discourses on meditation, spirituality, and social criticism.
3694. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, born Chandra Mohan Jain; known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and later Osho. Founder of the Rajneesh movement, author of many spiritual works, associated with meditation techniques and the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon; a controversial figure involved in legal and social disputes.
3695. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, founder of the Rajneesh (Osho) movement, known for his teachings on meditation and sexuality and for the controversial Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon.
3696. Osho
Indian mystic and spiritual teacher, widely known as Osho (formerly Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement and author of numerous books of talks and essays; led ashrams in India and an intentional community in Oregon, USA, and was a controversial public figure.
3697. Chinmayananda
Indian Hindu spiritual leader and teacher of Advaita Vedanta; founder of the Chinmaya Mission; known for popularizing Vedantic teachings through lectures, books, and study centers worldwide.
3698. Vālmīki
Ancient Indian sage and poet traditionally credited as the author of the Sanskrit epic the Rāmāyaṇa; revered as the 'Adi Kavi' (first poet) in the Sanskrit literary tradition.
3699. Jeremy Whitley
American comic book writer, best known as the creator and writer of the independent series Princeless.
3700. Kelly Thompson
American comic-book writer and editor, known for work on licensed and mainstream comics (including IDW's Jem and the Holograms and various Marvel projects).