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Greatest fiction writers (all time)

A ranking of fiction writers – authors who write novels, poems, short stories, and other fiction works of literature.

Person:
Gender:
Loc:
Age:
Stan Lee
1

Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber, December 28, 1922) is an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, media producer, television host, actor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. In collaboration with several...
10
10
as comic book writer
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Frank Miller
1

Frank Miller
Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American writer, artist, and film director best known for his dark comic book stories and graphic novels such as Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300. H...
10
10
as comic book writer
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Arthur C. Clarke
1

Arthur C. Clarke
Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction writer, science writer and futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. He is perhaps mo...
10
10
as novelist
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Clifford D. Simak
1

Clifford D. Simak
Clifford Donald Simak (August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He was honored by fans with three Hugo Awards and by colleagues with one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him...
10
10
as novelist
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Charles Dickens
5

Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.
9.2
9.2
as novelist
from 5 votes
Discuss [-]
J. R. R. Tolkien
6

J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor who is best known as the author of the classic high-fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings,...
9
9
as novelist
from 6 votes
Discuss [-]
Matsuo Bashō
7

Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉, 1644 – 1694), born 松尾 金作, then Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa (松尾 忠右衛門 宗房), was a poet of the Edo period in Japan. Many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. Bashō was introduced to poetry y...
9
9
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Isaac Asimov
8

Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov (born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov; circa January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science bo...
8.8
8.8
as novelist
from 6 votes
Discuss [-]
James Patterson
9

James Patterson
James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. He is largely known for his novels about fictional psychologist Alex Cross, the protagonist of the Alex Cross series. Patterson also wrote the Michael Bennett, W...
8.8
8.8
as novelist
from 5 votes
Discuss [-]
Stephen King
10

Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been ada...
8.8
8.8
as novelist
from 8 votes
Discuss [-]
Charles Bukowski
11

Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski (born Heinrich Karl Bukowski; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-born American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of...
8.7
8.7
as novelist
from 3 votes
Discuss [multi]
George R. R. Martin
12

George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), often referred to as GRRM, is an American novelist and short story writer in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, a screenwriter, and tele...
8.5
8.5
as novelist
from 2 votes
Discuss [-]
William Shakespeare
13

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of around 38...
8.3
8.3
as poet
from 16 votes
Discuss [-]
Marcel Proust
14

Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental novel À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; earlier translate...
8.2
8.2
as novelist
from 5 votes
Discuss [-]
Timothy Zhan
15

Timothy Zhan
Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known for the Thrawn series of Star Wars novels, and has published several other series of science fiction and fantasy novels, in ad...
8
8
as novelist
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Stephen Duck
15

Stephen Duck
Stephen Duck (c. 1705 – 1756) was an English poet whose career reflected both the Augustan era's interest in "naturals" (natural geniuses) and its resistance to classlessness.
8
8
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Viggo Mortensen
15

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. (October 20, 1958) is a Danish American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of t...
8
8
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Todd McFarlane
15

Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian cartoonist, artist, writer, designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane becam...
8
8
as comic book writer
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Michael Madsen
19

Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen (born September 25, 1958) is an American actor, poet and photographer. He has appeared in more than 150 films, including Reservoir Dogs, Thelma & Louise, Wyatt Earp, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, Species, Kill Bi...
7
7
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Jim Morrison
19

Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer songwriter, and poet best remembered as the lead singer of The Doors.
7
7
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
Sion Sono
19

Sion Sono
Sion Sono (born December 18, 1961) is a Japanese filmmaker, author and poet.
7
7
as poet
from 1 vote
Discuss [-]
J. K. Rowling
22

J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling (born 31 July 1965), pen names J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, is a British novelist best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series – the best-selling book series in history and the basis for a...
6.8
6.8
as novelist
from 12 votes
Discuss [-]
Philip K. Dick
23

Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and philosopher whose published works mainly belong to the genre of science fiction. Dick explored philosophical, socio...
6.3
6.3
as novelist
from 3 votes
Discuss [-]
Info: The persons listed below are officially not in the ranking; they're candidates that don't have the minimum number of votes (1) to officially be in yet. They're listed by the number of votes, not by the rating. Click any item to cast your vote.
Frank Herbert
candidate

Frank Herbert
Frank Patrick Herbert, Jr. (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction writer best known for the novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for science fiction, he was also a newspaper journ...
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
William Shatner
candidate

William Shatner
William "Bill" Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor, singer, author, producer, director, spokesman, and comedian. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, Captain of the...
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
Bruce Campbell
candidate

Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American film and television actor, director, writer, producer and author. As a cult film actor, Campbell is best known for his role as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's hit Evil Dead seri...
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
Woody Allen
candidate

Woody Allen

(1935)
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg, December 1, 1935) is an American actor, writer, director, comedian and playwright, whose career spans more than 50 years.
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
Gene Hackman
candidate

Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American actor and novelist. In a career spanning five decades, Hackman has been nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two for best actor in The French Connection and...
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
Jim Webb
candidate

Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States Senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense, congressional staffer, and Ma...
0
0
as novelist
from 0 votes
Discuss [-]
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