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.
3901. Virginie Despentes
Virginie Despentes is a French novelist, essayist, and filmmaker, best known for the provocative novel and film Baise-Moi, the essay King Kong Theory, and the Vernon Subutex trilogy; her work addresses sex, violence, punk culture and feminist themes.
3902. Anne-Sophie Brasme
French novelist best known for her debut novel "Respire" (published in English as "Breathe").
3903. Marla Cilley
American author and home-organization consultant best known as the "FlyLady," founder of the FlyLady system and website promoting routines and decluttering methods for household management; author and speaker on cleaning and organization.
3904. Лена Николенко
3905. Kristin Newman
3906. Åsa Ericsdotter
3907. Kevin Nguyen
3908. Jacqueline Susann
American novelist and former actress, best known for the bestselling 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls; one of the most commercially successful authors of the 1960s and early 1970s.
3909. Waris Dirie
Somali-born model, author and human rights activist best known for her autobiography "Desert Flower" and her work campaigning against female genital mutilation; served as a UN special ambassador for the elimination of FGM.
3910. Mary Karr
American poet and memoirist, author of the bestselling memoirs The Liars' Club, Cherry, and Lit; known for revitalizing the confessional memoir and for her work as a creative-writing teacher.
3911. Дж.Д. Карр
American author of detective fiction, best known for locked-room and "impossible crime" mysteries; creator of Dr. Gideon Fell and (under the pen name Carter Dickson) Inspector Henry Merrivale.
3912. John Dickson Carr
American author of detective fiction, renowned for his locked-room and impossible-crime mysteries; also published under the pseudonym Carter Dickson and created detectives Dr. Gideon Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale.
3913. John Boyne
Irish novelist and children's author best known for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas; writes literary and historical fiction for adults and young readers.
3914. Elfriede Jelinek
Austrian novelist and playwright born in 1946, known for provocative, experimental works addressing feminism, sexuality and social critique. Awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature. Notable works include the novel The Piano Teacher and the play Lust.
3915. Bernhard Schlink
German novelist, jurist, and academic best known for the novel "The Reader" (Der Vorleser). His work often addresses memory, guilt, and legal and ethical questions.
3916. Christiane V. Felscherinow
German woman known for her 1970s heroin addiction and prostitution as a teenager; her experiences were documented in the bestselling 1978 book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (published in English as Christiane F.).
3917. Ali Smith
Scottish novelist, short-story writer, playwright and academic (born 1962). Author of Hotel World, The Accidental, How to Be Both and the Seasonal quartet (Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer). Known for formal experimentation and topical engagement with art and politics.
3918. David Foenkinos
French novelist, playwright and screenwriter, born 1974; author of novels including La délicatesse and Charlotte; several of his works have been adapted for film.
3919. Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Contemporary Russian novelist, short-story writer and scriptwriter known for works that explore moral and social issues in Soviet and post‑Soviet life; author of notable novels including Sonechka and Daniel Stein, Interpreter.
3920. Riku Onda
Japanese novelist known for contemporary and mystery fiction.
3921. Sasha Sokolov
Russian-language novelist and short-story writer, prominent figure of late 20th-century Russian émigré literature; best known for the novel "A School for Fools."
3923. Anthony Horowitz
English novelist and screenwriter, best known for the Alex Rider young-adult spy series and the Diamond Brothers detective series; also writes crime fiction for adults and scripts for television and film.
3924. Liv Strömquist
Swedish cartoonist, graphic novelist and cultural commentator known for feminist, political and historical comic essays and satirical strips addressing gender, culture and society.
3925. W. Somerset Maugham
English playwright, novelist and short-story writer, widely read in the early 20th century; best known for Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence and The Razor's Edge, noted for clear prose and insight into human nature.
3926. Claire Douglas
British author of psychological thrillers and domestic-suspense novels.
3927. Roz Watkins
British crime novelist known for writing contemporary detective fiction.
3928. Domenico Starnone
Italian novelist and screenwriter, born in 1943, known for novels and screenplays exploring family life and contemporary Italian society (author of works including Lacci).
3929. Julie Murphy
American author of young adult and middle-grade fiction, best known for Side Effects May Vary, Dumplin', and Ramona Blue; often writes about body positivity and LGBTQ+ themes.
3930. Juan Gabriel Vásquez
Colombian novelist, essayist and journalist, author of novels including The Sound of Things Falling (El ruido de las cosas al caer), often writing about memory, violence and history.
3931. Seraphina Nova Glass
3932. Robert Thorogood
British screenwriter and novelist, best known as the creator of the BBC crime drama series Death in Paradise.
3933. Michel Bussi
French novelist and professor of geography, best known for bestselling crime thrillers and psychological novels such as Un avion sans elle (After the Crash) and Nymphéas noirs (Black Water Lilies), often set in Normandy.
3934. Симона Сент-Джеймс
Canadian author of mystery, suspense and gothic fiction, known for novels that blend historical and contemporary settings with supernatural elements (e.g., The Haunting of Maddy Clare, The Sun Down Motel).
3935. Sharon J. Bolton
British crime and thriller novelist, author of the Lacey Flint series and several standalone psychological thrillers, often publishing under the name S. J. Bolton.
3936. Patricia Highsmith
American novelist and short story writer best known for psychological thrillers and crime fiction, creator of Tom Ripley (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and author of Strangers on a Train; noted for dark, morally ambiguous character studies.
3937. Christoffer Holst
3938. Rebecca Makkai
American novelist and short-story writer, author of The Great Believers (2018) and The Hundred-Year House (2014). Her work often explores memory, community, and loss and has received multiple awards and nominations.
3939. Meg Wolitzer
American novelist and educator, author of novels including The Interestings and The Wife, known for fiction that explores family, gender and social dynamics.
3940. Jesmyn Ward
American novelist, memoirist, and professor; two-time National Book Award winner for Fiction (Salvage the Bones, Sing, Unburied, Sing), author of the memoir Men We Reaped, and a 2017 MacArthur Fellow.
3941. Kate Morton
Australian novelist best known for historical fiction and family-saga mysteries, including The House at Riverton (her debut) and The Forgotten Garden; a writer of international bestselling novels.
3942. Sarah Waters
Welsh novelist known for historical fiction often featuring lesbian protagonists; notable works include Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith, and The Night Watch.
3943. Pierre Lemaitre
French novelist and screenwriter, best known for crime fiction (the Camille Verhœven novels, including 'Irène' and 'Alex') and for winning the Prix Goncourt in 2013 for the historical novel 'Au revoir là-haut'.
3944. Noah Hawley
American novelist, screenwriter, and television producer best known as the creator/showrunner of the FX series Fargo and Legion and the author of several novels.
3945. Ashley Winstead
3946. Javier Castillo
Spanish novelist known for psychological thrillers and crime novels, author of titles including 'El día que se perdió la cordura' and 'La chica de nieve'.
3947. Karin Slaughter
American crime writer best known for the Grant County and Will Trent thriller series; noted for gritty, character-driven policing and forensic procedural novels and multiple bestsellers.
3948. S.E. Hinton
American author of young adult fiction, best known for The Outsiders (published as S.E. Hinton), which she wrote as a teenager. Other notable works include That Was Then, This Is Now; Rumble Fish; and Tex.
3949. Lisa Barr
3950. Emily M. Danforth
American novelist, author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Plain Bad Heroines, known for fiction that explores LGBTQ themes.