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.
3851. Jonathan Tropper
American novelist, screenwriter, and producer, best known for novels such as "This Is Where I Leave You" which was adapted into a feature film.
3852. Mary Beth Keane
American novelist, author of the novel 'Ask Again, Yes'.
3853. Jonathan Franzen
American novelist and essayist, author of The Corrections (National Book Award, 2001) and Freedom; known for realist novels that examine family, society, and environmental themes.
3854. Kristin Hannah
American novelist of contemporary and historical fiction, best known for bestsellers such as The Nightingale and Firefly Lane.
3855. A.J. Cronin
Scottish physician and novelist best known for works such as The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom; his writing highlighted medical and social issues and many novels were adapted for film and television.
3856. Elizabeth von Arnim
English novelist and memoirist (1866–1941), best known for Elizabeth and Her German Garden and The Enchanted April; noted for witty, semi-autobiographical social comedies.
3857. Jennifer Lynn Barnes
American author of young-adult and middle-grade mystery/thriller novels, known for series such as The Naturals and The Inheritance Games.
3858. E.M. Forster
English novelist, short story writer and essayist, best known for A Room with a View, Howards End and A Passage to India; associated with the Bloomsbury Group and noted for explorations of class, humanism and personal relationships.
3859. Robertson Davies
Canadian novelist, playwright, critic and journalist, best known for the Deptford Trilogy (Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders) and for his long tenure as Master of Massey College at the University of Toronto.
3860. Catherine O'Flynn
British novelist and short-story writer, best known for her debut novel What Was Lost (published 2007).
3861. Lola Lafon
French novelist and writer, author of works including 'The Little Communist Who Never Smiled' (La petite communiste qui ne souriait jamais).
3862. Angela Marsons
British crime-fiction author best known for the DCI Kim Stone series of detective novels.
3863. Алексей Васильев
3864. Jennifer Hillier
American author of psychological thrillers and crime fiction, best known for the novel Jar of Hearts and other suspense novels.
3865. Taffy Brodesser-Akner
American journalist and novelist, known for long-form magazine profiles and her debut novel 'Fleishman Is in Trouble'.
3866. John Hart
American novelist who writes crime, mystery, and suspense fiction.
3867. Anne Berest
French writer, novelist, playwright and screenwriter, known for works exploring family history and Jewish identity such as La Carte Postale and the biography Gabriële (co-written with her sister Claire Berest).
3868. Scarlett Thomas
British novelist and academic known for metafictional works blending philosophy and science; author of novels including The End of Mr. Y, PopCo, and The Seed Collectors.
3869. Eka Kurniawan
Indonesian novelist and short story writer (born 1975), known for works blending magical realism and social commentary such as "Beauty Is a Wound" and "Man Tiger."
3870. Lucy Foley
British author of contemporary suspense and historical novels, known for titles including The Hunting Party, The Guest List, and The Paris Apartment.
3871. Екатерина Шульман
Russian political scientist, public intellectual and commentator known for analysis of Russian politics and public policy; active in media and academia.
3872. Robert Galbraith
Pen name of author J. K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling), used to publish the Cormoran Strike crime novels; the pseudonym was publicly revealed in 2013.
3873. Fannie Flagg
American author, humorist, actress and comedian best known for the novel "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" (1987), which was adapted into the 1991 film "Fried Green Tomatoes."
3875. Shirley Jackson
American novelist and short-story writer best known for the short story "The Lottery" (1948) and the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" (1959); noted for psychological horror, gothic themes, and examinations of domestic life.
3876. Guy de Maupassant
French novelist and short story writer, noted as a master of the short story in the realist and naturalist traditions; author of works including "Boule de Suif" and "Bel-Ami".
3877. Amy Tan
American novelist and writer best known for The Joy Luck Club (1989) and for fiction exploring Chinese-American families, memory, and mother–daughter relationships.
3878. Sarah Penner
American author best known for the bestselling debut novel The Lost Apothecary (2021); a writer of historical/mystery fiction and a former finance professional.
3879. Sujata Massey
British-born American author of crime and historical mystery novels, best known for the Rei Shimura and Perveen Mistry series.
3880. Erin Morgenstern
American novelist and visual artist, best known for the fantasy novels The Night Circus (2011) and The Starless Sea (2019), noted for lyrical prose and magical-realism elements.
3881. Suzanne Young
American author of young-adult fiction, best known for The Program series and other YA novels.
3882. Pip Williams
Australian author of historical fiction, best known for the novel 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' (2020). Former editor and copywriter; her work often explores language, history and women's lives.
3883. Oyinkan Braithwaite
Nigerian novelist and short story writer, best known for her debut novel My Sister, the Serial Killer (2018).
3884. Elizabeth Strout
American novelist and short-story writer, best known for Olive Kitteridge (winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction); author of Amy and Isabelle, The Burgess Boys, and My Name Is Lucy Barton.
3885. Guillermo Arriaga
Mexican novelist, screenwriter and film director best known for writing the screenplays for Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel; also a novelist and filmmaker.
3886. Андрей Макаревич
Советско-российский рок-музыкант, певец и автор песен; основатель и лидер группы «Машина времени», также композитор, телеведущий и актёр.
3887. Kate Atkinson
British novelist and short-story writer, born 1951, best known for novels such as Behind the Scenes at the Museum, the Jackson Brodie series (beginning with Case Histories), and Life After Life.
3888. Joanne Harris
British author (born 1964) best known for the novel 'Chocolat' (1999). Writes across literary fiction, crime, fantasy and children's fiction, often blending folklore, food and magical-realism elements.
3889. Sayaka Murata
Japanese novelist and short-story writer best known for the novel "Convenience Store Woman" (Konbini Ningen). Her work frequently examines social norms, nonconformity, and alienation.
3890. M.L. Rio
Author known as M.L. Rio, best known for the novel If We Were Villains, a literary mystery set among students at a conservatory. Publishes under the initials M.L. Rio.
3891. C.A. Wittman
3892. Catherine Lloyd
3893. A.S. Byatt
English novelist, short-story writer, poet and literary critic, best known for the novel Possession (1990), which won the Booker Prize.
3894. Winifred Watson
English novelist best known for the 1938 comic novel 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.'
3895. Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Writer and playwright born in France (1960), known for novels, plays and short stories that often explore philosophical and religious themes; author of works such as Le Visiteur and La Part de l'autre.
3896. Julie Otsuka
American novelist and short-story writer of Japanese descent, best known for When the Emperor Was Divine (2002) and The Buddha in the Attic (2011), which explore Japanese American experiences and internment.
3897. Stefanie Caponi
3898. Fernanda Melchor
Fernanda Melchor (born 1982) is a Mexican novelist and journalist, best known for the novel Temporada de huracanes (Hurricane Season). Her work is noted for its gritty realism and exploration of social violence.
3899. Justine Cowan
3900. Rachel Caine
American novelist (pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad) best known for urban fantasy and young-adult series such as The Morganville Vampires, The Great Library trilogy, and the Weather Warden novels.