Are you looking for a list of famous authors to know the best current authors? Or maybe you just want to know who is the best author in the world? Whatever your reason is for looking for book authors’ names, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s learn from the best authors of all time and their books. We’re sharing with you the list of authors and their books with inspiring stories of how they started. Eager to know which author has sold the most books or who is the best author of all time? Stick with us till the very end of our exclusive 2024 authors’ names list of famous fiction writers.
List of Top 10 Best Fiction Authors and Their Famous Books
Are you ready to discover the names of the top authors? Well, then, let’s take a look at the most famous book authors. You might already know some of them, but we’re spilling the beans on the particulars!
John Green
John Green is a renowned American author, best known for his popular novels The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Both books have been adapted into successful movies.
Notable Achievements
John Green won several awards, including the Michael L. Printz Award, the Edger Award, and the Goodreads Choice Award. John became the most famous writer soon after his first book came out and has held the spot ever since.
Author Journey
John Green worked as a hospital clerk before deciding to pursue a career in writing. Despite being bullied in school, he completed a double graduation in Religious Studies and English Language from Kenyon College in 2000.
John Green's Best-selling Books
John Green is known for his following masterpieces:
- Looking for Alaska (2005)
- An Abundance of Katherines (2006)
- Paper Towns (2008)
- Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances (2008)
- The Fault in Our Stars
- Turtles All the Way Down (2017)
Activities & Interests
John Green has several interests besides writing. He has a strong presence on YouTube and has also worked for radio. Apart from that, he’s actively involved in fundraising and charity and provides coaching to new writers.
J.K Rowling
J.K. Rowling is a renowned British novelist known for her internationally successful series, Harry Potter. With over 500 million copies sold internationally, the popularity of the Harry Potter series is remarkable. The book has been translated into over 70 languages, further highlighting its global appeal.
J.K Rowling's Notable Achievements
J.K. Rowling has won numerous awards for Harry Potter, including Book of the Year in 2000 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She’s also received awards from other countries for her contribution to children’s literature.
Author Journey
J.K. Rowling demonstrated her writing skills from a young age, having written her first book at age six. She wrote another short story at 11. She loved reading, which resulted in her boasting an expansive collection of books.
J.K Rowling's Best-selling Books
J.K. Rowling’s The Cuckoo’s Calling was a bestselling book in 2013, alongside her popular Harry Potter series. It’s remarkable to note that multiple publishers initially turned down the Harry Potter series, but J.K Rowling refused to give up. She kept refining her work until she became the best selling fiction author of all time.
Activities & Interests
This author shares Stephen King’s love for music, playing electric guitar, and actively participating in politics.
Stephen King
Stephen King is a popular American author known for his horror stories and supernatural fiction. He’s written over a hundred short stories and is considered one of the greatest authors of our time.
Notable Achievements
Stephen King has won several writing awards, including the 2004 award for his contributions to the book industry and the Fantasy Life Achievement Award.
Author Journey
Stephen King’s childhood love for horror novels urged him to write articles and short stories. His traumatic experiences as a child inspired him to write intense novels. In 1970, he received his degree in English language from the University of Maine.
Stephen King's Best-selling Books
When it comes to horror fiction, few authors are as prolific as Stephen King. Some of his most famous works include It, The Shining, and The Stand. These books have been adapted into movies, which is a clear indication of their widespread appeal.
Activities & Interests
Stephen King is also a music lover who assisted Michael Jackson in creating his music videos. He spends 4 to 6 hours daily on writing and reading, emphasizing the need for daily practice and dedication to becoming an accomplished writer.
John Grisham
John Grisham is a famous American lawyer and novelist known for his thrilling books. He’s sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Notable Achievements
He has won the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, the Galaxy British Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harper Lee Prize, and the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction for his book ‘Sycamore Row’.
Author Journey
This American novelist grew up in Mississippi and wanted to be a baseball player as a child. He changed three colleges before obtaining a law degree. He also worked as a missionary in Brazil.
Best-selling Books
- A Time for Mercy series
- The Testament
- The Firm
- The Broker
- The Client and The Chamber
Activities & Interests
John Grisham, a law graduate with a keen interest in criminal justice, is an active member of the Innocence Project and is involved in politics. He channels his passion by writing books mostly on law and crime.
James Patterson
James Patterson is known for selling millions of books and being America’s highest-paid author. Patterson also promotes reading and supports universities and bookstores with millions of dollars in donations and scholarships.
Notable Achievements
James Patterson has received the Literarian Award, Edgar Award, International Thriller of the Year award, BCA Mystery Guild’s Thriller of the Year, and the Children’s Choice Book Award for Author of the Year.
Author Journey
Patterson earned degrees in English from Manhattan College and Vanderbilt University and worked in advertising before retiring in 1996 to focus on writing.
Best-selling Books
James Patterson has written over 200 novels, with more than 114 becoming New York Times bestsellers, including Women’s Murder Club, Alex Cross, and Michael Bennett.
Activities & Interests
Apart from reading and writing, James Patterson also enjoys playing golf with his friends.
Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-American in his late fifties. He spent his childhood in France and Iran and is currently a member of the United Nations and the goodwill ambassador for UNHCR. In 2003, he returned to Afghanistan after living in the USA.
Author Journey
Khaled Hosseini lived a simple life in Afghanistan until he left due to ongoing wars and losing family and friends. He later became a physician before pursuing a career as an author.
Best-selling Books
Hosseini’s notable works include The Kite Runner (2003), which was adapted into a movie, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And The Mountains Echoed.
R.L. Stine
R.L. Stine is an American novelist famous for writing horror fiction for kids. He’s sold over 400 million copies worldwide and is known for series like Goosebumps and Fear Street.
Notable Achievements
R.L. Stine, who is the most famous author of all time as per the Guinness Book of World Records, has won the Kids’ Choice Award, the Thriller Writers of America Silver Bullet Award, the Horror Writers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and many others.
Author Journey
He found his love for writing at nine with a typewriter from his house’s attic. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in English and became a full-time author after moving to New York.
Best-selling Books
Goosebumps series:
- Night of the Living Dummy
- Monster Blood
- Attack of the Jack o’ Lanterns
- Say Cheese and Die
- Stay Out of the Basement
- Be Careful What You Wish For
Fear Street series:
- The New Girl
- Don’t Stay Up Late
- The Best Friend
- College Weekends
Alice Walker
Alice Walker is a 75-year-old African American social activist, poet, and novelist. She’s published 12 novels, 17 short story collections, and numerous poems and essays.
Notable Achievements
Alice Walker was the first black American female author to bag the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She also received the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983, the O. Henry Award in 1985, the Candace Award, the Lillian Smith Award, the Domestic Human Rights Award from Global Exchange in 2007, and the Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association in 1997.
Author Journey
Alice Walker started school at 4, but at 8, an eye injury left her blind in one eye. After treatment, she spent her time reading and writing. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1965 as valedictorian.
Best-selling Books
Alice Walker’s famous book, The Color Purple, tackled sensitive topics like sexism and racism and was adapted into a movie. Her life experiences inspire Walker’s writing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the world's wealthiest writer?
Rowling, J.K. With a $1 billion net worth, British novelist Joanne Rowling, better known by her pen name J.K. Rowling, is the wealthiest writer in the world.
Who is the world's most famous living author?
Stephen King is a well-known American novelist, popular among book readers for his fiction writing.
Who is the world's best-selling author?
Agatha Christie is the most successful fiction author of all time, with over two billion copies of her books sold. Only the Bible and Shakespeare’s works have sold more.
