famous star trek writers

The best writers of "Star Trek"

1. Ronald D. Moore

• Additional Crew

2. Ira Steven Behr

• Script and Continuity Department

3. René Echevarria

4. peter allan fields.

5. Melinda M. Snodgrass

6. michael taylor, 7. robert hewitt wolfe, 8. bradley thompson, 9. david weddle, 10. michael piller.

11. Jerome Bixby

12. paul schneider, 13. jeri taylor.

14. Brannon Braga

15. Naren Shankar

16. Gene Roddenberry

17. Gene L. Coon

• Make-Up Department

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The 15 Best Star Trek Books Ever Written

Like all our favorite franchises, "Star Trek" is a multimedia phenomenon. Today's kids grow up in a world full of TV series, movies, comics, games, and, of course, tie-in novels. "Star Trek" novels are notable because they're non-canon by default, and that's allowed their writers to go ham while exploring strange new worlds. Some of these earliest tie-in writers went on to become science fiction titans, and sometimes those titans like to return for more Trekkie fun.

"Trek" books are also a unique part of the fandom experience. "Star Trek: The New Voyages" was a licensed, two-book anthology, printed in the late '70s and curated from fanfiction. Wilder still, in 1985, writer Della Van Hise saw her "Star Trek" novel "Killing Time" published and recalled for an edited reprint as longtime fans realized their beloved slash fiction pairing of Kirk and Spock was no longer hiding in the shadows. It's a goofy testament to how fans helped "Star Trek" thrive in the first place, and today, these tie-in novels are still great comfort food. These are 15 of the best that I've found, read, and loved over the years.

A Stitch in Time by Andrew Robinson

Elim Garak isn't special to "Star Trek" fans alone. He's also part of actor  Andrew Robinson in a unique way. The charming-yet-wily Cardassian tailor (and spy) called Deep Space Nine his home, but Garak's too big a personality to be contained by its steel corridors (or with a word from Dr. Bashir, his unlikely best friend.) Robinson grew him that way from the start, creating an in-character diary to guide him through Garak's behavior. Garak's diary, however, took on a life of its own as Robinson made readings from it part of his convention appearances. Eventually, Robinson was coaxed into turning it into a novel.

"A Stitch in Time" is epistolary, presented as a series of letters sent by Garak to Dr. Bashir in the wake of the Dominion War. Contained within are fragments of Garak's childhood, memories of a long-ago love, and preparations for the future. The greatest compliment I can offer is that every word drips with Robinson's genteel drawl. No one else could have written this novel, and it's the perfect love letter from an actor to the character he brought to life.

Imzadi by Peter David

"Imzadi" was rereleased in 2003, packaged with its sequel and listed as "Imzadi Forever." By all accounts, the follow-up is a fine tale, but I haven't read it. My recommendation is for the original 1992 release, which I eagerly bought in hardcover. Like another upcoming Peter David selection, "Imzadi" has a complicated timeline, but the emotional thread and David's clean prose make the plot easy to follow.

The word "imzadi" is first used in "Encounter at Farpoint," telepathically sent to Riker by Troi. However, it's author Peter David who expands on the power of the Betazed term for "beloved." The word refers not to a teen's first love but to something richer and deeper. The novel explores Riker's and Troi's early relationship through the lens of a distant, alternate future in which Troi is dead, and Riker is a bitter old cuss. Obviously, nobody wants a future like this one, but the Guardian of Forever, that magical archway from classic "Star Trek," has our backs. The return of this sentient space rock is always a selling point, but the story also has all the political twists and turns a Trekkie could want.

How Much for Just the Planet? by John M. Ford

John M. Ford was one of the best, most underrated writers of the modern era. Until recently, almost all of his work had fallen out of print with his death in 2006. Most of his catalog is still pretty hard to find and requires trawling used bookstores with an eye for treasure. Unfortunately, that includes 1987's "How Much for Just the Planet?" It's Ford's second "Star Trek" novel, and it's a "Dr. Strangelove" -style artifact of perfect absurdity.

"How Much for Just the Planet?" is a surreal sci-fi mélange: Take the crew of the Enterprise, pit them against opportunistic Klingons, and add a previously undiscovered planet full of untouched dilithium. Then, mix in a troupe of truly incomprehensible, goofball aliens, slap everybody in a hotel (with a golf course — it's a plot point), and make them play in a "Squid Game"-style competition that focuses on heists and ballroom dancing instead of murder. The goal is friendship and having some good laughs along the way.

Spock Must Die! by James Blish

The first original "Star Trek" novel is still a good read and a great place to get some context for the ways "Trek" fiction has evolved. "Spock Must Die!" feels fresher than its 1970 print date in many places, but bear in mind, it plays with some "exotic sexuality" tropes regarding Spock. Yeah, he was definitely the unlikely sex symbol of original "Star Trek," but Blish's prose occasionally takes that to a funky place.

Otherwise, this book does introduce some neat concepts way before later "Star Trek" wore them out. The evil clone plot line is a groaner staple now, but Blish's novel twists it up with some unsettling fridge logic questions about how the transporter room could work with some mad science drive. From there, the science is pretty pulpy, but the high-stakes thrills leading up to the title drop — a Spock does have to die — make for a nice, cozy ride through an earlier science fiction era.

Q-Squared by Peter David

Like most "Star Trek” tie-ins, "Q-Squared" isn't canon, but it's close enough to an assumed truth that fans have kind of adopted it anyway. It's a three-lane timeline pileup, and this time, it is a little confusing. It makes sense for there to be some confusion over what the hell is going on because this book brings in John de Lancie's omnipotent trickster, Q . And it's not a Q story unless everyone (including Picard) asks, "What the hell is going on?" at least once.

In this case, what the hell is going on is a tantrum thrown by a young Q whom "Trek" fans know as Trelane, the Squire of Gothos. A longtime "Star Trek" favorite, Trelane was a quirky, omnipotent brat that futzed around with Kirk and his buddies until his family pulled him in line at the end of the episode . David's novel draws on the fan-inspired retcon that this classic character is actually a Q ( a speculation John de Lancie also shares ) and ties it all together in a messy bow. It doesn't always make sense, especially the semi-metaphorical sword fight finale. Still, it's a great trip through the fringes of the Continuum.

Spock's World by Diane Duane

Author Diane Duane is a modern treasure. Her "Young Wizards" fantasy series remains one of the best ways to hook a kid on the dreams hidden inside books. Still writing and still a part of fandom today, she also wrote 1988's "Spock's World," one of the first and best books to dig into the social intricacies and history of Vulcan.

The framing narrative deals with a fledgling separatist movement working to pull Vulcan out of the Federation, and it provides a chance for Spock and his family to take the spotlight. It's a great political yarn, and it pulls on some threads from classic "Trek" episodes, most notably "Amok Time." However, the real meat here is the intricate world building with lingering glimpses of major moments in Vulcan history. It's a great reminder that what makes "Star Trek" so special are the worlds it explores. Although "Spock's World" is not canon, Duane's graceful creation continues to influence other "Star Trek" creators .

The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

With the debut of every new "Star Trek" TV series, you can rest assured that a swath of new tie-in novels are in the works. Obviously, the tie-in tradition continued with "Picard." The first novel based on Jean-Luc's solo outing was published within a month of the show's premiere. "The Last Best Hope" is a prequel to " Picard ," and it does a solid job of fleshing out a number of connections that the first season didn't get a chance to work on.

Though a lot of the novel is devoted to Raffi , the troubled intelligence officer we grow to love on the show, it's the glimpses of Romulan culture that stand out. The religious order introduced in the show, the Qowat Milat , are in sharp focus here and help round out the childhood of Elnor , our orphaned Romulan Legolas. "The Last Best Hope" has another trait that may make it attractive to fans of the show: Until "Picard" contradicts it, this book is currently as close to actual canon as a "Star Trek" novel can be.

Star Trek: The Eugenics War by Greg Cox

It's easier to refer to this bulk recommendation as "The Khan Trilogy." The first two novels are formally titled "The Eugenics War: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh" ( volumes one and two , respectively), and the third is "To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh." The trilogy is two parts covert war thriller and one part survivalist nightmare. All together, it pieces together the complete life of one of the mightiest (and bare-chestiest) foes in "Star Trek" history .

"The Eugenics War" is a look inside the doomed effort to prevent that legendary conflict from ever happening. As mentioned in the classic episode "Space Seed," eugenicist science created a social schism the likes of which Marvel's Magneto barely dreamed of. The effort to stop Khan from dominating Earth fails, but infighting eventually drives the tyrant into exile. The events of "Space Seed" happen after the first two books, and the final novel sees Khan struggle to survive on Ceti Alpha V , the sandy death-world we discover in "The Wrath of Khan," surrounded by loyalists and scarce resources. Great stuff.

The Final Reflection by John M. Ford

My prior John M. Ford recommendation may have the spotlight, but don't pass up "The Final Reflection" if you can find it. While not as richly built as Diane Duane's "Spock's World," Ford's book treats Klingons with such detail and complexity that it went on to affect later portrayals of the proud warrior race. It's a book that's occasionally lauded as a "Star Trek" novel that stands on its own as a great work of science fiction, which is a backhanded compliment that ignores the love and passion of "Trek" writers. Nevertheless, that is an accurate assessment here.

The focus of the book is on Klingon Captain Krenn, whose decades-long effort to prevent his own people from destroying the Federation remains a secret until he pens his own chronicle of events. During his career, Krenn flickers in and out of the lives of the characters we know, with special emphasis placed on his encounter with Spock as a child. There's some hefty focus on Klingon stratagems in the early part of the novel, which can be daunting for the reader, but the journey is worth it.

Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh

"Fallen Heroes" is a sentimental choice. It's one of my gruesome comfort food books. Pairing the horrific invasion of DS9 with a time-shifted mystery, the novel puts Quark and Odo together as ad hoc detectives trying to stop the massacre of their friends from happening. It's not a perfect tale, and, coming back to it later, it misses some character tone due to how early in the show's airing it was published. Still, it's a good yarn from a time when we were starved for stories that put our best frenemies together.

Author Dafydd ab Hugh has a gift for crunchy, visceral action sequences, and that got him a pretty decent gig writing "Doom" tie-ins in the '90s. It's best to go in with the reminder that, according to the classic "Star Trek” fiction trope, our heroes will be alright by the end, but there's some gnarly road before this book gets there. "Fallen Heroes," like many older tie-in novels, is easily found used.

Q-In-Law by Peter David

Peter David gets on this list three times because, along with his clean prose and keen understanding of the franchise, he also understands what a fan would kill to see. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great recurring characters, and two fan favorites take the spotlight in "Q-In Law." The omnipotent Q is a guaranteed good time, but adding Deanna Troi's dramatic mother Lwaxana to the mix makes for a salty popcorn festival.

The premise is simple: Noticing that the Enterprise is ready to host a wedding, Q shows up with mischief on his mind. Lwaxana arrives for the diplomatic event, and Q picks up on the Betazed noble's talent for chaos. However, for once in his life, Q gets more than he bargained for when he flirts with Lwaxana. Somewhere in the mayhem, Worf notes the crew might as well sell tickets to watch it all fall apart. I recommend tracking down the audiobook . It's narrated by John de Lancie and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Q and Lwaxana themselves), and they happily go all in on the verbal sparring.

Prime Directive by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

The Prime Directive is one of the few immutable tenets of the "Star Trek” universe. However, Starfleet General Order 1 is not without its flaws. To wit, no Starfleet command or crew is to interfere with the development of an alien society. It's a Cold War product that was designed by minds worried about escalation and accidental destruction. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' "Prime Directive," published in 1990, digs into what happens when that order is disobeyed.

In both the original series and the movies, Kirk and his crew rarely receive lasting consequences for their actions. This novel sets about dismantling that trope. Kirk, in charge of observing Talin IV, a world on the cusp of first contact, seems to accidentally violate the Prime Directive. Worse, his mistake devastates the developing Talin society. From Kirk to Uhura, the command crew of the Enterprise see their careers ended for their failure. The bulk of the novel is the long process of the crew (who have either resigned, been demoted to ensign, or court-martialed) seeking out what actually went wrong on Talin IV. The answers are complex, and the ethical questions are thought-provoking.

Sarek by A.C. Crispin

Author A.C. Crispin was a key figure in not only helping readers understand that tie-in novels shouldn't be dismissed as "amateur" content but also in protecting other writers from being scammed. Her talents as a writer provided light but intricate stories. "Sarek" (not to be confused with the phenomenal "Next Generation" episode of the same name ) is a rich look at one of "Star Trek's" most complicated figures .

"Sarek" is a political thriller tempered by Sarek's sometimes cold Vulcan discipline. A veiled threat from an unknown alien race aims to unbalance the core of the Federation. Balanced against these high stakes is the famed Vulcan ambassador's wife's illness. Amanda Grayson 's humanity helped both Sarek and Spock bridge their two worlds. However, her impending loss threatens to undo the peace father and son forged years ago. In the book, Amanda's journal provides empathetic glimpses inside Sarek's life. "Sarek" is a novel as crucial as "Spock's World" for fans of the iconic Vulcans.

Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan

Uhura 's popularity was a big deal for television back when "Star Trek" first came on the air. Unfortunately, moments in which she took the lead were all too rare. By 1985, Uhura was still a supporting character on screen, but now, she had a couple of novels that gave her some more in-depth attention. "Uhura's Song" is the best and, frankly, the weirdest slice of fanfic-style glory to make it to the printed page.

Long ago, Uhura made friends with a woman named Sunfall of Ennien, a diplomat from the planet Eaiaou, whose love of dance and song outlived her when a deadly pandemic decimated her world. However, there's a clue in the songs Sunfall taught Uhura that might help end the pandemic before it wipes out the whole planet. This is where I have to warn you that this strange and lovely novel is basically "Warrior Cats” in space. Yes, the people of Eaiaou are cat people — with emphasis on the cat side of that equation. Shut up! It's awesome!

Metamorphosis by Jean Lorrah

This last pick is going to be a divisive one. Jean Lorrah 's "Metamorphosis" is a chunky book that lags in a few places, but it does two things well enough to get a sentimental recommendation: First, though non-canon, the book picks up after "Measure of a Man," the "Next Generation" episode that gave Data legal protection as a sentient lifeform and explores the ethical aftermath in a way that's catnip to me. Second, the novel makes the acerbic Dr. Pulaski somewhat likable and empathetic. Now, that's an achievement!

Although there's a handful of plot threads going on in this large, lumpy novel, the biggest one is Data's temporary tenure as what he's wanted to become all along — a fleshy human (with all that entails). As anyone who rolls out of bed to the symphony of their bones cracking could tell the android, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Still, he persists in a weird kind of hero's journey, and although everything is set back to baseline by the end, the trip is one of a kind.

List of Star Trek: The Original Series writers

This is a list of writers for the original Star Trek television series sorted by the amount of episodes written. Collaborations are marked with dashes. (-) Contributions, pseudonyms and episode numbers are noted in parenthesis.

• 1 13 episodes
• 2 12 episodes
• 3 10 episodes
• 4 4 episodes
• 5 3 episodes
• 6 2 episodes
• 7 1 episode

13 episodes [ ]

• "Arena" (S01E18) (Teleplay)
• "Space Seed" (S01E22) (Teleplay - with Carey Wilber)
• "A Taste of Armageddon" (S01E23) (Teleplay - with Robert Hamner)
• "The Devil in the Dark" (S01E25)
• "Errand of Mercy" (S01E26)
• "The Apple" (S02E05) (Teleplay - with Max Ehrlich)
• "Metamorphosis" (S02E09)
• "A Piece of the Action" (S02E17) (Teleplay - with David P. Harmon)
• "Bread and Circuses" (S02E25) - with Gene Roddenberry
• "Spock's Brain" (S03E01) (as Lee Cronin)
• "Spectre of the Gun" (S03E06) (as Lee Cronin)
• "Wink of an Eye" (S03E11) (Story, as Lee Cronin)
• "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (S03E15) (Story, as Lee Cronin)

12 episodes [ ]

• "Charlie X" (S01E02) (Story)
• "Mudd's Women" (S01E06) (Story)
• "The Menagerie, Part I" (S01E11)
• "The Menagerie, Part II" (S01E12)
• "The Return of the Archons" (S01E21) (Story)
• "A Private Little War" (S02E19) (Teleplay)
• "The Omega Glory" (S02E23)
• "Bread and Circuses" (S02E25) - with Gene L. Coon
• "Assignment: Earth" (S02E26) (Story - with Art Wallace)
• "The Savage Curtain" (S03E22) (Teleplay - with Arthur Heinemann) / (Story)
• "Turnabout Intruder" (S03E24) (Story)

10 episodes [ ]

• "Charlie X" (S01E02) (Teleplay)
• "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (S01E19)
• "This Side of Paradise" (S01E24) (Teleplay) / (Story - with Jerry Sohl)
• "Journey to Babel" (S02E10)
• "Friday's Child" (S02E11)
• "By Any Other Name" (S02E22) (Teleplay - with Jerome Bixby)
• "The Ultimate Computer" (S02E24) (Teleplay)
• "The Enterprise Incident" (S03E02)
• "That Which Survives" (S03E17) (Story, as Michael Richards)
• "The Way to Eden" (S03E20) (Story, as Michael Richards - with Arthur Heinemann)

4 episodes [ ]

• "The Changeling" (S02E03)
• "Patterns of Force" (S02E21)
• "Elaan of Troyius" (S03E13)
• "That Which Survives" (S03E17) (Teleplay)
• "Mirror, Mirror" (S02E04)
• "By Any Other Name" (S02E22) (Teleplay - with D. C. Fontana) / (Story)
• "Day of the Dove" (S03E07)
• "Requiem for Methuselah" (S03E19)

3 episodes [ ]

• "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" (S01E07)
• "Catspaw" (S02E07)
• "Wolf in the Fold" (S02E14)
• "The Corbomite Maneuver" (S01E10)
• "This Side of Paradise" (S01E24) (Story, as Nathan Butler - with D. C. Fontana)
• "Whom Gods Destroy" (S03E14) (Story - with Lee Erwin)
• "The Galileo Seven" (S01E16) (Teleplay - with S. Bar-David) / (Story)
• "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" (S03E15) (Teleplay)
• "The Cloud Minders" (S03E21) (Story - with David Gerrold)
• "The Gamesters of Triskelion" (S02E16)
• "The Paradise Syndrome" (S03E03)
• "The Cloud Minders" (S03E21) (Teleplay)
• "Wink of an Eye" (S03E11) (Teleplay)
• "The Way to Eden" (S03E20) (Teleplay) / (Story - with D. C. Fontana)
• "The Savage Curtain" (S03E22) (Teleplay - with Gene Roddenberry)

2 episodes [ ]

• "Mudd's Women" (S01E06) (Teleplay)
• "I, Mudd" (S02E08)
• "Dagger of the Mind" (S01E09)
• "The Galileo Seven" (S01E16) (Teleplay - with Oliver Crawford)
• "Balance of Terror" (S01E14)
• "The Squire of Gothos" (S01E17)
• "Shore Leave" (S01E15)
• "Amok Time" (S02E01)
• "Court Martial" (S01E20) (Teleplay - with Don M. Mankiewicz)
• "Operation: Annihilate!" (S01E29)
• "The Deadly Years" (S02E12)
• "A Piece of the Action" (S02E17) (Teleplay - with Gene L. Coon) / (Story)
• "Obsession" (S02E13)
• "Assignment: Earth" (S02E26) (Teleplay) / (Story - with Gene Roddenberry)
• "The Trouble with Tribbles" (S02E15)
• "The Cloud Minders" (S03E21) (Story - with Oliver Crawford)
• "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" (S03E05)
• "All Our Yesterdays" (S03E23)

1 episode [ ]

• George Clayton Johnson - "The Man Trap" (S01E01)
• Samuel A. Peeples - "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (S01E03)
• John D. F. Black - "The Naked Time" (S01E04)
• Richard Matheson - "The Enemy Within" (S01E05)
• Adrian Spies - "Miri" (S01E08)
• Barry Trivers - "The Conscience of the King" (S01E13)
• Fredric Brown - "Arena" (S01E18) (Story)
• Don M. Mankiewicz - "Court Martial" (S01E20) (Teleplay - with Steven W. Carabatsos) / (Story)
• Boris Sobelman - "The Return of the Archons" (S01E21) (Teleplay)
• Carey Wilber - "Space Seed" (S01E22) (Teleplay - with Gene L. Coon) / (Story)
• Robert Hamner - "A Taste of Armageddon" (S01E23) (Teleplay - with Gene L. Coon) / (Story)
• Don Ingalls - "The Alternative Factor" (S01E27)
• Harlan Ellison - "The City on the Edge of Forever" (S01E28)
• Gilbert Ralston - "Who Mourns for Adonais?" (S02E02)
• Max Ehrlich - "The Apple" (S02E05) (Teleplay - with Gene L. Coon( / (Story)
• Norman Spinrad - "The Doomsday Machine" (S02E06)
• Robert Sabaroff - "The Immunity Syndrome" (S02E18)
• Jud Crucis - "A Private Little War" (S02E19) (Story)
• John Kingsbridge - "Return to Tomorrow" (S02E20)
• Laurence N. Wolfe - "The Ultimate Computer" (S02E24) (Story)
• Edward J. Lakso - "And the Children Shall Lead" (S03E04)
• Rik Vollaerts - "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" (S03E08)
• Judy Burns & Chet Richards - "The Tholian Web" (S03E09)
• Meyer Dolinsky - "Plato's Stepchildren" (S03E10)
• Joyce Muskat - "The Empath" (S03E12)
• Lee Erwin - "Whom Gods Destroy" (S03E14) (Teleplay) / (Story - with Jerry Sohl)
• George F. Slavin & Stanley Adams - "The Mark of Gideon" (S03E16)
• Jeremy Tarcher & Shari Lewis - "The Lights of Zetar" (S03E18)
• Arthur Singer - "Turnabout Intruder" (S03E24) (Teleplay)

Harlan Ellison wrote Star Trek’s greatest episode. He hated it.

The famously cantankerous science-fiction legend died this week. The story of “City on the Edge of Forever” represents his career in miniature.

by Keith Phipps

Harlan Ellison, the legendary, legendarily irascible speculative fiction writer who died this week at age 84 , wrote the greatest episode of Star Trek ever made. And he hated it.

“The City on the Edge of Forever” aired on April 6, 1967, late in the original series’ first season , and won acclaim for capturing everything Star Trek could do at its best while suggesting weighty themes and emotional depths only hinted at in previous episodes. It won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama on Television. Ellison accepted both. Neither salved his bitterness that the episode had been rewritten.

At the Hugos he dedicated the award to “the memory of the script they butchered, and in respect to those parts of it that had the vitality to shine through the evisceration.” “The City on the Edge of Forever” that aired may have been praised by virtually everyone who saw it, but it wasn’t his “City on the Edge of Forever,” and a compromised triumph was no triumph at all for Ellison. Ellison would spend the next several decades being publicly aggrieved by “City on the Edge of Forever.”

Was the reaction overkill? Of course. Overkill was part of Ellison’s persona. He held grudges. He deployed lawsuits liberally, sometimes successfully. (He’s now acknowledged in the credits of The Terminator thanks to one such suit.) He boasted of assaulting his publisher in the ’80s . And many never looked at him the same way after he groped author Connie Willis at the Hugos in 2006, for which he apologized — then grew angry when the apology wasn’t immediately accepted.

Ellison was famous for his contributions to science fiction and American literature, which extend well beyond his Star Trek script. But he was also famous for his grievances. The story of “The City on the Edge of Forever” represents that duality in miniature, and helps explain what made him both a beloved and divisive figure.

Star Trek ’s best episode is credited to Harlan Ellison alone. It was a lie he would not let stand.

Here’s the version of “The City on the Edge of Forever” that’s been seen by countless viewers since 1967: After administering a small dose of a dangerous drug to Lt. Sulu (George Takei), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) accidentally administers a massive dose to his own abdomen after getting knocked about when the Enterprise hits some interference from a strange time distortion.

Driven temporarily mad, McCoy beams down to the nearest planet, home to the Guardian of Forever, a talking portal that allows visitors to travel through time and space. When McCoy uses it to travel back to Depression-era New York, the Enterprise ’s landing party learns their ship has disappeared. Whatever McCoy has done has distorted history in such a way that the universe as they know it has ceased to exist.

Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) give chase, in time learning that McCoy has changed time by saving the life of Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), the near-saintly proprietor of a soup kitchen. If allowed to live, her idealistic message of pacifism and tolerance will delay the United States’ entry into World War II, allowing Hitler to develop the atomic bomb, win the war, and dominate the Earth — shutting the door on the hopeful future imagined throughout the series.

And so, as Spock says twice in the episode — first as a question then as a statement arrived at through cold, hard logic — Edith Keeler must die. The only problem: Kirk has fallen in love with her and isn’t sure he can bring himself to let her die. But, after reuniting with McCoy, he does just that, stopping the doctor from saving Edith from a truck that strikes her down in the street.

Many elements contribute to the episode’s greatness. The Guardian’s planet is an eerie, dreamlike place, one that inspires Kirk to comment, with understated poetic flair, “These ruins stretch to the horizon.” Journeyman director Joseph Pevney wisely lets the atmosphere, both of the alien world and 1930s New York, do a lot of the work.

Then there’s Shatner, who, often justifiably, gets a lot of flak for laying it on thick, but his performance here is measured. His love for Edith feels real, far removed from the flings seen in previous episodes. So does his heartbreak.

Yet much of the brilliance can be traced back to the script. Star Trek had raised philosophical issues before, but few as thorny as whether taking one life can be justified in the name of a greater good. And not just any life: Kirk falls for Edith because she’s virtuous and beautiful and finds him charming, sure, but also because she’s the living embodiment of the utopian principles he’s sworn to uphold as a member of Starfleet.

She believes in humanity’s potential to overcome hatred and selfishness, in the possibility of the better future in which Kirk lives. But to make that future possible, he has to let her die. She has the right message at the wrong time. It’s a Kobayashi Maru scenario in the form of a tragic romance.

It’s a near-perfect episode of television, recognized as such from the moment it aired. The credits bore only one name: Harlan Ellison.

Ellison knew it was a lie. He’d seen the script through several drafts, only to have it reworked, at Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s insistence, by D.C. Fontana, Gene Coon, Steven W. Carabatsos, and Roddenberry himself. Ellison asked his name be taken off, but backed down. It would be the last time he backed down on this matter.

Most writers would sit back, take the praise, and keep quiet about the sausage-making process. Ellison wasn’t most writers, telling anyone who’d listen what had happened to his script, all the alterations and adjustments that made it lesser than the version he’d dreamed up. In 1975, during a short-lived rapprochement with Roddenberry, Ellison published the original version in his collection Six Science Fiction Plays , allowing the curious to compare and contrast the version they knew with the version that might have been.

Ellison’s version shares much of the filmed version’s bone structure. The time travel, Edith Keeler, the central moral question are all there. But it also contains a murderous drug-dealing crew member (an element Roddenberry found out of sync with his vision of an idealized future and a squeaky clean Starfleet), alternate-universe space pirates summoned into existence by the altering of time, 9-foot aliens (who would become the much more budget-friendly talking portal), and a World War I veteran named Trooper.

Most significantly, at the climactic moment, Kirk can’t bring himself to let Edith die. It’s Spock who makes the choice. Ellison saw Kirk as a man who, at a critical juncture, couldn’t let the love of his life die to save the universe. Roddenberry thought otherwise. The question of which feels truer to Kirk, and to Trek , serves as a litmus test for fans of the show.

Without Ellison’s talent and imagination, “The City on the Edge of Forever” wouldn’t have existed. Applying the butterfly effect to its absence — appropriate, given the episode’s plot — the Star Trek we know today wouldn’t have been possible without the ripples of complexity and moral ambiguity Ellison helped introduce to the series. (Not that Ellison had anything nice to say about the later series.)

But Ellison, whose early history includes multiple stories of running away from home, could seemingly never live comfortably in any world, even a world he helped create, be it Star Trek or the larger world of speculative fiction, which he helped shape with his work and his championing of other writers. Because Ellison could always imagine a better world, one in which “The City on the Edge of Forever” aired without evisceration, one in which the same sort of piggish shortsightedness that led to that evisceration wasn’t allowed to run rampant in so many aspects of life, one in which everyone finally saw he was right.

Reflecting on “The City on the Edge of Forever” years later, Ellison wrote, “The solitary creator, dreaming his or her dream, unaided, seems to me to be the only artist we can trust.” Ellison did a lot of that sort of dreaming. Sometimes the dreams went astray.

Ellison always had to have the last word. And then he’d just keep talking.

Ellison’s adventures in the TV trade — there would be more, and more frustrations — prompted him to write about television for the Los Angeles Free Press, unsparing observations collected in the influential 1970 book The Glass Teat and its sequel, The Other Glass Teat . It also assured he’d keep prose as his primary profession, helping to shepherd and elevate the literary careers of others.

The landmark collection Dangerous Visions , a collection of stories from science fiction stars and stars-to-be, appeared the same year as “The City on the Edge of Forever.” Again, Dangerous Visions followed in 1972. (A long-promised third volume never arrived.) He mentored Octavia Butler and others. He wrote. And wrote. And wrote. In a 2013 interview with the Guardian , Ellison put his tally at around 1,800 short stories, novellas, essays, and scripts. Today, “The City on the Edge of Forever,” both the filmed teleplay and Ellison’s original drafts, represent only a tiny fraction of his output and influence.

But even with his version of “The City on the Edge of Forever” available for the world to read, the matter felt unsettled for Ellison. It didn’t help that Roddenberry was out there telling his version of the story, claiming that Ellison’s script was filled with budget-breaking elements and that he had Commander Scotty dealing drugs.

Ellison knew better. The pirates were added at Roddenberry’s insistence and Scotty never dealt drugs in any drafts. He didn’t even appear in any drafts. Then there was all that money others were making from the episode, money that seemed never to find its way to Ellison.

This would not stand. So in 1995, four years after Roddenberry’s death, Ellison published “The City on the Edge of Forever” again, this time as a standalone book titled The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay . The book includes two treatments for the episode; Ellison’s final draft of the screenplay; testimonials from Fontana, Kelley, Nimoy, and others; and a new introduction from Ellison designed to set the record straight.

The opening sets the tone:

“Speak no ill of the dead? Oh, really? Then let’s forget about a true introductory essay to this book. Let’s give a pass to setting the record straight. Let’s just shrug and say, ah, what the hell, it’s been more than thirty years and the bullshit has been slathered on with a trowel for so damned long, and so many greedy little pig-snouts have made so much money off those lies, and so many inimical forces continue to dip their pig-snouts in that Star Trek trough of bullshit that no one wants to hear your miserable bleats of “unfair! unfair” … that it ain’t worth the price of admission, Ellison.”

And so it goes for 90 profane, repetitive, discursive, hilarious, pitiless, insightful pages. It’s, in its own way, classic Ellison, who turned interviews into monologues. Smart interviewers generally knew to get out of his way and just let him talk. In the end, Ellison always had the last word. And then he just kept talking.

Ellison was sometimes too much, and too much in ways that are hard to excuse; offenses committed out of an excess of passion are still offenses. But, oh, that passion. Ellison simply had to fight back against every perceived slight and loss. He even had to fight back against any wins that weren’t on his own terms. He left behind miles of scorched earth and a towering body of work. He reshaped science fiction and changed the way his readers looked at the world. It wasn’t enough. Nothing ever was.

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List of Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers

List of every famous television writer who has written for Star Trek: The Next Generation, listed alphabetically with photos when available. List includes anyone who was or is on the writing staff for Star Trek: The Next Generation . Staff writers as well as guest writers for Star Trek: The Next Generation are included when available, along with more information about each Star Trek: The Next Generation writer. If you're an aspiring writer and a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, then this writing staff from Star Trek: The Next Generation should be studied closely.

This list contains writers like James Caan and Gene Roddenberry.

This list helps answer the question, “Who wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation?”

Adam Belanoff

Brannon Braga

Burton armus, d. c. fontana, david bennett carren, david bischoff, david kemper, deborah dean davis.

Diane Duane

Edithe swensen.

Eric A. Stillwell

Frank abatemarco, fred bronson.

Gene Roddenberry

Grant rosenberg, gregory w. amos, hannah louise shearer.

Hans Beimler

Herbert wright, hilary bader.

Ira Steven Behr

J. larry carroll, jack b. sowards, jacqueline zambrano.

• Dig Deeper... Actors You May Not Have Realized Are Republican
• And Deeper... Full Cast of The Godfather Actors/Actresses
• # 163 of 227 on The Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World

Jeri Taylor

Joe menosky.

Joseph Stefano

Katharyn powers, lee sheldon, leonard mlodinow.

Marc Scott Zicree

Maurice hurley.

Melinda M. Snodgrass

Michael baron.

Michael I. Wagner

Michael Piller

Michael Reaves

Morgan Gendel

Naren Shankar

Pamela Douglas

Peter allan fields.

Peter S. Beagle

Philip LaZebnik

R. g. jarvis, ralph phillips, rené echevarria, richard manning.

Rick Berman

Robert Hewitt Wolfe

Robert lewin, ron wilkerson.

Ronald D. Moore

Sally caves, sandy fries.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek Franchise
• Star Trek Universe

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The great tv writers: gene roddenberry.

By Martin Keady · June 16, 2020

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer and creator of the original Star Trek television series, and its first spin-off The Next Generation . Suffice it to say, he was one of the most successful writers of his day.

I’m not a Trekkie myself, so the first time that I heard the name “Gene Roddenberry” was in Frasier , specifically the episode “Star Mitzvah”, whose title is a clue to the fact that it is something of a homage to Star Trek , the legendary sci-fi show that Roddenberry had created.  

In “Star Mitzvah”, Frasier is due to attend his son Freddie’s bar mitzvah and wants to pay tribute to him in Hebrew. However, because he himself is not Jewish (Freddie is Jewish through his mother, Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith), Frasier enlists the help of Noel, a devout Trekkie, to teach him the Hebrew he needs. Unfortunately, because Frasier does not hold up his end of the bargain – namely securing the autograph of an actor who had appeared in one of the numerous spin-offs from Star Trek – Noel decides to wreak a terrible revenge by teaching him Klingon instead of Hebrew. In typical Frasierian fashion, Noel learns all too late that Frasier has made amends by buying him a wig that Joan Collins had worn during a guest appearance in the original Star Trek series. He tries to warn Frasier before he gives his speech, leading to this marvellous exchange with Roz (Frasier’s producer, who Noel is in love with):  

“Noel: I’ve got to call him before he delivers his speech.

    Roz: You taught him dirty words in Hebrew, didn’t you?

   Noel: Uh, not quite.   They’re the same words, but they’re in Klingon.

Roz: From Star Trek?   That’s not even real.

Noel: It’s the fastest growing language on the planet!   This is what you people don’t understand. [becoming passionate] A man named Gene Roddenberry had a vision…

    Roz: CALL HIM!”

Star Mitzvah is one of the few truly great Frasier episodes in the show’s three-season-long decline between Niles and Daphne finally getting together (which robbed Frasier of much of its comic tension) and the triumphant last season that gave the show the send-off it deserved. And this exchange between Noel and Roz is the best example of how, throughout the entire 11 seasons of Frasier , the greatest sitcom ever frequently referred to and often even paid tribute to Star Trek , a TV series from the 1960s that did not run for nearly as long but none the less exerted an even greater cultural influence. Noel is right: Gene Roddenberry did indeed have a “vision” when he created Star Trek . In fact, for many Trekkies (and even the odd non-Trekkie such as myself), he is the man who put the “vision” – in the sense of having a grand idea or view – in television.  

As Noel and every other self-respecting Trekkie surely knows, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (to give the great man his full name) was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1921, but his family soon moved to Los Angeles, where his father worked as a policeman. It is telling that Roddenberry’s own father was literally a figure of authority (exactly like Frasier’s father, who was another policeman), as this may have planted the seed early on in his mind about the literally singular importance of a commander or leader. Indeed, he himself evolved into such a commanding, authoritative presence when he became a pilot in the US Army Air Forces and flew nearly 90 combat missions during WWII.  

Roddenberry continued to fly after the war, working as a commercial pilot for Pan Am, until he suffered his third plane crash (following two during the war) when his plane came down in the Syrian desert during a long-haul flight. Although he personally was not responsible and indeed actually dragged some passengers to safety from the wreckage, several people were killed and the experience seems to have ended his flying career. Instead, having become the rarest of pilots – one who survives a hat-trick of crashes – he appears to have decided that from then on he would soar imaginatively rather than physically, by pursuing his long-held ambition to become a writer.  

First, however, he had to continue making a living and so he literally followed in his father’s footsteps and became a police officer in Los Angeles. Fortunately, although he began in the traffic division, helping to oversee LA’s network of super-highways, Roddenberry was soon transferred to “The Newspaper Unit”. Although this sounds like the title of a James Ellroy novel (a spin-off from LA Confidential , perhaps), it was in fact the public information – or publicity – division of the LA police, probably the first of its kind in the world but entirely fitting for a city in which everyone was involved in generating (or preventing) publicity of some kind.  

Roddenberry was extremely fortunate, because his stint in the public information division not only enabled him to become a speechwriter for the Chief of Police (again, only in Los Angeles would the chief of police have had a speechwriter at this time) but it literally brought him into contact with the new and burgeoning medium of the day – television. As TV began to boom in US in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with mass ownership of TV sets, cop shows soon became one of its staples and consequently various production companies and directors began approaching the LAPD for assistance, to ensure the verisimilitude of their product. As a result, Roddenberry first became a technical adviser to these companies and directors, on shows such as Mr. District Attorney (a TV version of an already popular radio drama), then a contributing scriptwriter (initially writing under the alias of “Robert Wesley”) and finally a full-blown television writer. In the end, because he was increasingly unable to perform the two very different jobs of policeman and TV scriptwriter, he finally quit the police in 1956 and became a full-time writer.  

It would be an entire decade before Star Trek first hit the TV screens of America and in that time Roddenberry, like so many of the great TV writers who were to follow him, wrote for numerous television programmes of wildly varying quality. His military experience proved invaluable on his first major job, writing for The West Point Story , a “title-story” (i.e. the title is the story) about the famous military academy, and even this early on his career he was obviously prolific, as he apparently wrote about a third of all the scripts for the show during its two-season run. However, many of the other programmes that he wrote for throughout the first half of the 1960s, from Hawaii Passage (a drama set on a cruise ship) to Have Gun – Will Travel (a Western drama), were not nearly as successful. Nevertheless, the money was good, even if the shows themselves often were not.  

Roddenberry finally got the chance to create his own show and draw on his own experience as both a former pilot and a former policeman in 1963, when he created The Lieutenant , a series about a young officer of that rank who is assigned his first command at the height of the Cold War, when Americans genuinely feared that a Soviet attack or even invasion was imminent. It was not a big hit – in fact, it was cancelled after just one series – but it was none the less invaluable. First, it proved to Roddenberry that he could create his own series (however short-lived); secondly, it allowed him to examine the idea of command or leadership that had been so important to him throughout his whole life, from being the son of a policeman to commanding men in the air and on the ground; and, finally, at around this time he also came up with the idea that would change both his own life and the still-new medium that he was writing in. That idea, of course, was for a show called Star Trek .  

The genesis of Star Trek can be traced back through Roddenberry’s earlier television writing, even on shows that never actually made it to the small screen. Before he had begun work on The Lieutenant , he had seen a film, Master of the World (1961), which was based on a classic Jules Verne novel, about an airship that had travelled around the globe, and had thought that it could provide the basis for a television series. The idea came to nothing originally, but after The Lieutenant was cancelled, partly because Roddenberry had run into difficulties when writing a script about racial tensions in the military, he returned to it. However, rather than keep the idea earthbound, as it were, he decided to take it into space – literally. So, in 1964 he wrote a pitch or outline document and registered his idea with the Writers Guild of America. Before he had even written a pilot or spec script, he called the show Star Trek , and with that two-word title he effectively created a television series that would not only outgrow television and indeed other story-telling media (particularly cinema) but expand into and directly influence the wider culture, both in America and around the world, in a way that Roddenberry himself surely could never have imagined.

As is often the case with any kind of trek or journey, the first few steps on Roddenberry’s quest to create Star Trek were faltering, to say the least. He shopped the idea and the outline around various studios and production companies, and even had to shelve it briefly while he worked on other shows, but finally it found a home at NBC, one of the three main US TV networks. The first ever episode was broadcast on 8 September 1966, but just as Roddenberry had struggled to sell the show in the first place, now it struggled to find an audience. Ratings were low initially and barely recovered during the first series. Nevertheless, despite the widespread belief that the original Star Trek television series was cancelled virtually immediately, it ran for three series and nearly 80 episodes, which would be a good run now in the 21 st century but was exceptionally long for a non-hit series in the 1960s. However, despite this investment by the network, Star Trek failed to capture a widespread audience and it was finally cancelled in 1968.

There are many theories, especially among Trekkies themselves, as to why Star Trek enjoyed its spectacular, indeed unprecedented, rebirth after the relative failure of the original series. The most popular is that the first ever moon landing in 1969, which was broadcast live around the world and remains even today arguably the single greatest and most important broadcast in the history of television, stimulated an appetite for science fiction in general and for stories about space travel in particular that had never existed before. If that was the case, the fact that actual manned space travel did not go any further than the moon and has still not done so today, more than a half-century on, may have created an appetite for something that could only be sated by art or entertainment, rather than reality itself, and Star Trek effectively filled that void.

Another theory is that although the initial audiences for Star Trek were relatively small, the members of those audiences were devoted to the show in a way that had not really been seen before, and arguably has never been seen since, or at least not until the development of social media in the early 21 st century. Throughout its initial three-season run, Star Trek was in perpetual danger of being cancelled, but one of the reasons why it survived was that both individual fans and fan groups organised letter-writing campaigns to NBC demanding that the show continue. That devotion to the show led to avid fans of the series, such as Frasier’s Noel more than thirty years later, being called “Trekkies”, which was originally regarded as a put-down but soon became a badge of honour.

Whatever the actual reason for it, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that after the original series was cancelled repeats or re-runs of Star Trek began to attract far bigger audiences than had ever been the case when the series was first shown. Those repeats or re-runs led, in turn, to fans’ conventions and other events that celebrated the original show, and throughout the 1970s Star Trek became one of the most widely syndicated TV shows around the world. Overseas audiences, who were largely unaware that the show had supposedly been a flop in America the first time around, added to the burgeoning US audiences. Finally, by the time that the extraordinary success of Star Wars (1977) officially ushered in “The Age of Sci-Fi” (the cultural moment that we are still living in today and conceivably will be for the rest of human existence), the old TV show whose title sounded very similar to Star Wars – Star Trek – was becoming a fully-fledged cultural phenomenon.  

While all this was going on throughout the 1970s, Roddenberry himself was experiencing an extremely difficult decade. Having risen relatively quickly from being a humble police officer to a seemingly successful television writer and producer, he then experienced a downturn after the original run of Star Trek was deemed a failure. Even as the show he had created was being broadcast to more and more nations and ever bigger audiences around the world, he himself was reduced to writing “sexploitation” movies, such as Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), for Roger Vadim, the French film producer and self-styled “discoverer” of Brigitte Bardot. Later still, he was reduced still further to paid appearance at Star Trek fans’ conventions, of the kind so brilliantly parodied in various episodes of Frasier , particularly in the superb episode, The Show Must Go Off , in season eight, when British acting veteran Derek Jacobi plays a classical actor reduced to playing a cyborg on a Star Trek- type TV series.  

Fortunately for Roddenberry and his creation, the ever-growing interest in Star Trek around the world was finally and financially realised right at the end of the 1970s when, in the wake of Star Wars , the first ever Star Trek film (which was simply called Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) was released in December 1979. Consequently, more than a decade after the original TV series had been cancelled, Star Trek began a new journey, one that has proved to be infinitely more enduring and more successful than its first attempt at a trek or quest. And such has been the success of the Star Trek franchise (no other word will do to convey the numerous films, TV sequels, merchandising items and every other conceivable product related to the original idea and title) that it can now legitimately lay claim to being the single-most successful television series – at least in financial terms – ever made.  

Gene Roddenberry died in 1991 from heart difficulties, but by that point it could truthfully be said that he had lived out the Vulcan maxim that arguably his greatest character, Dr Spock, had made almost a universal greeting back on Planet Earth: “Live Long And Prosper”. The military and then commercial pilot who had somehow survived three plane crashes ultimately survived the initial commercial “crash” of his most beloved creation, Star Trek , and lived long enough to see it “prosper” and eventually make him very prosperous indeed. Even more remarkably, after his death he effectively embarked on his own actual and personal Star Trek , as some of his ashes were stored, sealed and put aboard first the Space Shuttle and then other manned and unmanned space flights. And even if those missions ultimately failed to reach the deep space that Roddenberry had so beautifully and vividly dreamed of, the man himself would surely have realised that his original vision – “To Boldly Go Where No Man Had Gone Before” – had finally made him The Writer Who Boldly Went Where No Writer Had Gone Before.  

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50 Years and Counting: 'Star Trek' Writers Explain Its Serious Staying Power

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The starship Enterprise first hit television screens on Sept. 8, 1966. Since then, it's become a global phenomenon, spanning 700-plus individual episodes of television and more than dozen feature films, including this year's "Star Trek Beyond."

There are events going on all over the globe to commemorate the anniversary, and a brand-new box set of remastered episodes on Blu-ray with every adventure of the original crew from screens big and small.

What is it that's given "Star Trek" its remarkable staying power? That's the question we put to David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana, two writers who have helped bring "Star Trek" to life over the years.

"The stories still ring true, even now," Fontana told us. She was one of the first writers to work on the original "Star Trek" series and wrote the pilot for "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It was the message "Star Trek" had that she felt gave it staying power.

"You sit down and you watch one and you get the message from the middle of the story, the one we were hiding behind science fiction, whether it was about feminism or racism or, you know, the Vietnam War, which nobody else could talk about but we could under the guise of science fiction," Fontana said.

Of course, "Star Trek" has made waves for many, including aliens, women and blacks, from the beginning. It even featured one of TV's first interracial kisses — between William Shatner's Captain Kirk and Nichelle Nichols' Lieutenant Uhura.

Writer David Gerrold was in college when "Star Trek" premiered on television, and he instantly began sending pitches for episodes into the studio. He's perhaps most famous as the writer who brought us the furry Tribbles and their love of the advanced space-grain quadrotriticale in the original series episode " The Trouble with Tribbles ."

Over the phone, he told us that the success of "Star Trek" can be attributed to three things. The first part was that the show was fun. The second part was that it presents a "positive vision of the future where we're all thriving and working on interesting challenges."

He insisted that the third part of the franchise's longevity, however, isn't immediately obvious. "[The show] says that everybody's included; we're all going to be a part of the future. Nobody's being left out," Gerrold noted.

"In the past, television as a medium tended to erase," Gerrold elaborated. "Originally it erased blacks and Asians, and when they were included, it erased gay people. It didn't recognize the contributions that women make. And, so, 'Star Trek' was saying, look, here's women captains and black people and Asian people and now we have gay people and Klingons. So, it didn't matter who you were, 'Star Trek' says, you're part of this. And that's very important to the little kid watching TV at home wondering if he's going to be a part of the future."

Over the years, "Star Trek" has boldly offered a vision of the future that audiences have been able to look up to. With a new series called "Star Trek: Discovery" helmed by Bryan Fuller coming in January 2017, fans can only hope that "Star Trek" lasts another 50 years and beyond.

Triticale, the Earthly ancestor of the Tribble's favorite quadrotriticale, is a real hybrid of wheat and rye first bred in labs in the late 19th century in Scotland and Sweden. That doesn't stop Ensign Chekov from insisting it was a Russian invention.

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

The Best Star Trek Books (for the 50th Anniversary)

Kristen McQuinn

Kristen McQuinn is a medievalist who dreams of reading more, writing more, and traveling more while being the best single mama by choice she possibly can be. By day, she can be found working with English teachers at the University of Phoenix, where she also teaches the occasional class on mythology, Shakespeare, or Brit lit. Sometimes she updates even her own blog. Follow her on Twitter: @KristenMcQuinn  or www.hergraceslibrary.com .  Twitter: @KristenMcQuinn

View All posts by Kristen McQuinn

I have a confession to make. I am a hard core, died in the wool, unapologetic Trekkie. These are the best Star Trek books that bridged my love of the show and reading. 

I can’t remember a time when Star Trek wasn’t a part of my life. This year is the 50th anniversary of the series, which aired for the first time on September 8, 1966, so there are a LOT of people who can probably say they also grew up with it. I grew up watching episodes of The Original Series in syndication. I was nine when The Next Generation began, and I never missed a single episode. To this day, I can tell you what season an episode is from based just on the style of the uniform Captain Picard is wearing. I even have a sizable amount of memory devoted to being able to tell which episode is playing, complete with episode title and full plot synopsis, based on a five second clip. I can do the same with Voyager . Try not to be jealous. I have seen every episode of Deep Space Nine as well, although I came to its fandom later, so I didn’t devote as much time to my rabid fanaticism and, alas, can’t tell you quite as much about it. I’ve since decided that further study is required! The Dominion War was crazy, y’all!

I might joke about being a nerdy Trekkie, but truthfully, the Star Trek fan base is one of its greatest strengths. The Original Series was a relatively unsuccessful show in its initial airing, but eventually we got The Next Generation approved, and that lasted seven seasons. Scientists who are also Trekkies were inspired to make things like cell phones, laptops, tablets, and Skype based on things they saw on various episodes of the show. And we howled and initiated a massive letter writing campaign that resulted in us talking NASA into naming a shuttle after our starship. They say it is named after an aircraft carrier. Uh-huh. Sure it is. We all know better.

Star Trek is pretty unusual in that it is very supportive of fan-driven creative works as well. Many other fandoms are indifferent to fan creations, or worse, actively discourage them, citing legalese bullshit. Star Trek, on the other hand, has always actively encouraged fandom. In addition to the usual fanfiction and such surrounding any kind of fandom, there have been many official contests sanctioned by The Powers That Be (TPTB), much to the delight of the fans. Fan artists competed for the chance to design the starship Titan , William Riker’s ship when he left the Enterprise to take on his own command. Other fan artists also create the Ships of the Line calendar each year. There are fan films, some of them rivaling the quality of actual episodes, in my opinion. We’ve gotten multiple fanfiction contests in the form of the Strange New Worlds anthologies, comprised entirely of amateur short stories written by fans. I don’t know of any other fandom that allows its fans to do that in an official capacity. TPTB let us play in the sandbox with their characters and don’t make fun of us for wanting to. They let us have fun. We get to explore other stories that weren’t done on the screen. Basically, the Star Trek TPTB rock.

Naturally, my love of all things Trek extends to the novel franchise as well. Many of the best Star Trek books go into depth with a variety of social issues, just as the episodes do, and many go in entirely new directions. As with all publishing, Star Trek isn’t immune from needing a huge injection of diversity in their ranks, as their authors are incredibly white and male in general. There are a few women writing Trek novels, but generally speaking, sci-fi, including Star Trek, is really whitewashed. Maybe, hopefully, we will see an increase in both women and people of color writing in the genre. Honestly, come on, TPTB. Get with it. It would be in the finest tradition of the Federation to embrace diversity a lot more.

The Best Star Trek Books

This is by no means a comprehensive list of Star Trek books. There are hundreds of novels and I wish I could just put them all here. But I can’t, so instead I listed a few of the best Star Trek books from each series that I personally like for one reason or another. I truly hope you enjoy it. Want to revel a bit more in Star Trek bookishness? Check out our post on the best literary Star Trek moments !

Read long and prosper, friends!

Nonfiction Star Trek Books

Federation: the first 150 years , david a. goodman.

This is the history of the first 150 years of the United Federation of Planets. 

The Star Trek Encyclopedia , Michael and Denise Okuda

A newly revised, 2-book set is to be released on October 18, 2016 with about 300 pages of new and expanded entries, up to and including Into Darkness . YES.

The Star Trek Cookbook , Ethan Phillips and William J. Birnes

Some genuinely great recipes, many volunteered from the cast and crew themselves, and doctored up to sound more Trekish. Jeri Ryan’s wild mushroom soup is one of my very favorite recipes ever now and I make it often.

Living with Star Trek: American Culture and the Star Trek Universe , Lincoln Geraghty

A great discussion on the influence of Star Trek on American society at various levels.

The Physics of Star Trek , Lawrence Krauss

Real science, by a real scientist! 

The Best Star Trek Books: The Original Series

Star trek: the classic episodes (barnes and noble classics edition).

A very pretty hardbound book which includes several novelizations of the most popular episodes of The Original Series , including “The Menagerie,” “A Taste of Armageddon,” “The City on the Edge of Forever,” and “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

Star Trek Academy: Collision Course , William Shatner

I’m a huge sucker for back stories. This novel shows us the backstory of how Kirk and Spock met and became friends at Starfleet Academy.

The Kobayashi Maru , Julia Ecklar

Back stories! Dreaded no-win scenarios! Sign me up.

Black Fire , Sonni Cooper

Spock turns into some kind of space pirate. It’s fun, just go with it.

Shadow Lord , Lawrence Yep

Sulu is the star! 

The Best Star Trek Books: The Next Generation

Gulliver’s fugitives , keith sharee.

A  lost Earth colony where imagination and freedom of thought are crimes. Pairs well with modern American politics…

Imzadi , Peter David

One of my all time favorite Trek novels ever OMG. Riker and Troi’s entire back story, and you know I love me a good back story! Plus, Peter David is considered one of the greats of Trek authors. His novels are universally funny, action packed, and always amazing. 

The Death of Princes , John Peel

I’m also a sucker for books about diseases and plagues. This is disease and violations of the Prime Directive all in one book.

Double Helix six-book miniseries, John Gregory Betancourt, Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Diane Carey, John Vorholt, Peter David, and Michael Jan Friedman & Christie Golden

This miniseries that incorporates back stories AND disease things rings all my bells!

Section 31: Rogue , Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin

Even Starfleet has its dark underbelly.

Articles of the Federation , Keith R.A. DeCandido

A novel that highlights the politics and administration of the Federation.

Destiny trilogy, David Mack

HOLY SHIT, THE BORG AND GENOCIDAL RAGE AND JUST FUCKING READ IT!

The Sky’s the Limit anthology, ed. by Marco Palmieri

Fantastic short story collection set during the years of TNG .

The Best Star Trek Books: Deep Space Nine

Fallen heroes , daffyd ab hugh.

The first DS9 novel I ever read. It was action packed and sad and made me fall in love with the characters. This made me a DS9 fan every bit as much as the show itself.

The Lives of Dax , ed. Marco Palmieri

I may have mentioned I’m a big fan of back stories? Yeah, this gives you ALL the back stories of Dax! What’s not to love?

A Stitch in Time , Andrew J. Robinson

Elim Garak. That is all I needed to know. 

Section 31: Disavowed , David Mack

More with the seedy underside of Starfleet, plus Julian Bashir. 

The Best Star Trek Books: Voyager

Pathways and mosaic , jeri taylor.

Back stories! Pathways tells the stories of all of the Voyager crew, and Mosaic tells Captain Janeway’s story specifically. 

Seven of Nine , Christie Golden

More back story, this time on the Borg drone who Capt. Janeway liberated from the Collective and who has since become one of my very favorite characters.

Death of a Neutron Star , Eric Kotani

I liked this book because it is written by a real scientist. Eric Kotani is the pseudonym for Yoji Kando, a Japanese astrophysicist.

Distant Shores , ed. Marco Palmieri

A delightful collection of short stories set on the voyage home.

The Best Star Trek Books: Enterprise

Surak’s soul , jm dillard.

I dig the Vulcans, their logic, and their stoicism, so any book about a Vulcan having an ethical or existential crisis really lights my fire.

Star Trek Anthologies And Crossovers

Tales from the captain’s table anthology, ed. by keith r.a. decandido.

Every star system has a bar called The Captain’s Table, where the first round is paid for with a story…

Tales of the Dominion War , Keith R.A. DeCandido

A short story collection that tells the tales of the various ways in which the Dominion War impacted all the characters we’ve come to know and love, and a few we can’t stand but want to know about anyway.

Strange New Worlds volumes 1-10, plus the new one coming out for the 50th anniversary this year

These are great because fans get to write fanfiction and get published, for reals, and it’s so rad. Also, yours truly was selected to be included in the anthology for the 50th anniversary, so naturally I think that one is awesome!

Federation , Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Technically this is listed as a TNG novel, but it has Kirk and Zephram Cochrane and Picard all in one book, so I’m counting it as a crossover. And it’s everything the movie Generations should have been.

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TOME OF NERD

The 6 Best Star Trek Novels of All-Time

How did it take me this long to write a best Star Trek novels article? Don’t get me wrong, I love things like Warhammer 40 and Star Wars . But Star Trek is my bread and butter. It’s what I grew up adoring and continue to follow closely in adulthood.

So that is why Tome of Nerd felt a little incomplete without at least touching on the work of best Star Trek novels. The list below examines everything out there and tries to identify the best of everything. You will find books from almost every series and also a noteworthy spin-off. These are the best of the best and a great place to dive in for any fan of Star Trek.

And don’t forget to check out my companion articles The 7 Best Star Trek Voyager Novels and The 7 Best Star Trek DS9 Novels .

With that, take a look and enjoy!

Star Trek: Destiny by David Mack – Amazon

Star Trek: Destiny is an epic Star Trek adventure featuring the crews from The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager (with a few others thrown in). The story takes place post-Nemesis and spans the entire galaxy. The Borg have returned. A mysterious new world is discovered. And a long lost starship is found. Starring Picard, Riker, and Ezri, each crew finds themselves solving a different piece of the puzzle.

You will find Destiny on many of the best Star Trek novels lists because it’s the next great chapter after the television/film franchise. The trilogy, now collected together, touches on just about every aspect of the Star Trek universe imaginable. David Mack keeps the pace quick and jumps between the crews with skill. This is a page turner, a mystery, and an action-adventure all rolled into one. If you’re a Star Trek buff and want to start reading the book, this is the place to begin.

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson – Amazon

Plain, simple Garak. The fan favorite character returns in the post-DS9 world to reveal his secret origins. As he works to rebuild his home world, he reflects on his history. Some of the biggest Garak mysteries, such as his exile from Cardassia and how he ended up on Deep Space Nine, are revealed in A Stitch in Time .

The biggest selling point of A Stitch in Time is that it was written by Garak himself, Andrew J. Robinson. It’s no cheap cash-in. The novel is expertly written and provides a wonderful addition to Star Trek lore. This is truly a rich character piece that only adds depth to an already strong character. If something like Destiny sounds too intense, A Stitch In Time might be right up your alley. Filled with mystery and intrigue, it’s easily one of the best Star Trek novels published.

Spock’s World by Diane Duane – Amazon

A crisis on the planet Vulcan has led them to request succession from the Federation. Spock must return home, with the crew of the Enterprise, so help solve the problem. As Vulcan history and rituals are revealed, Spock must try to mend the relationship between his two worlds. Can he find a balance within himself and save the Federation?

Spock’s World might sound like a random addition to a best Star Trek novel list, but this TOS-era book is highly regarded and praised. Diane Duane delves deep into Vulcan lore. Half the book is dedicated to the history of Vulcan culture. This provides many different tales to appreciate while keeping you hooked into the main plot. It is a foundational work, to say the least. If you are a fan of Vulcans, Spock, or really any TOS-era stories, Spock’s World is a must read.

Imzadi Forever by Peter David – Amazon

When Deanna Troi dies unexpectedly, Riker sets out on a time-traveling adventure to save her life. Traveling to the past and the future, Riker is at odds with his love for Troi and his duty to Starfleet. Will he be able to save his “beloved” Imzadi?

This is a shockingly good novel. When you think about the Riker and Troi dynamic, you might not necessarily want to read an entire book (or two, as they are now collected) about their history. But Imzadi will prove you wrong. Peter David masterfully crafts a time traveling tale that spans not only the history of Troi and Riker, but many of The Next Generation crew. This is a story of love between two people, but also one of mystery, science fiction, and adventure. It has all the makings of a classic Star Trek tale. The sequel, included in Forever , throws Worf into the mix as well. There is a reason this is considered one of the best Star Trek novels. Check it out.

Q-Squared by Peter David – Amazon

Q returns, but this time he needs Picard’s help. Q-Squared brings together the worlds of TNG and TOS as Trelane hijacks the Q-Continuum. Can the Squire of Gothos be stopped? Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise must traverse the multiverse and prevent the destruction of all existence.

If there was a Hall of Fame for Trek novelists, Peter David would be a shoe-in. He does it again in Q-Squared , a story that many consider one of the best Star Trek novels ever. If you love Q, then this book is a must read. But even for those of you who are less keen on Q (heresy!), there is a lot to love. Peter David mixes in various parallel universes, some you know and some that are new, to create a fantastic adventure in the world of Star Trek. This is one of the greats that can’t be missed.

New Frontier by Peter David – Amazon

Star Trek: New Frontier introduces us to Mackenzie Calhoun, captain of the U.S.S. Excalibur. Calhoun was handpicked by Captain Picard himself to command the new vessel to address the collapse of the Thallonian Empire. Joined by some TNG favorites, like Dr. Selar and Lt. Robin Lefler, the crew begins the next great Star Trek adventure.

More in the Tome of Nerd:

• Star Trek DS9: The Complete Dominion War Guide
• The 8 Best Star Wars Canon Books
• My Journey Through the Comic Book Speculation Bubble…
• The 7 Best Star Wars Books to Start Reading Now
• Maximum Carnage: Enjoying a Classic Spider-Man Event

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Star Trek novel authors

This is a meta -category for all authors and writers of all Star Trek novels and short stories.

Script writers are currently found at Category: Writers . Literary authors in the Star Trek universe are found at Category: Authors .

All items (237)

• Dafydd ab Hugh
• Chuck Anderson
• Kevin J. Anderson
• Kem Antilles
• Nathan Archer
• Steven Barnes
• Patricia Barnes-Svarney

• M. Shayne Bell
• Christopher L. Bennett
• Ruth Berman
• John Gregory Betancourt

• Ilsa J. Bick
• Randall N. Bills
• David Bischoff
• James Blish

• Vince Bonasso

• Greg Brodeur
• Martin R. Burke
• Diane Carey

• Karen Rose Cercone
• Scott Ciencin

• Carolyn Clowes
• Theodore R. Cogswell
• Loren L. Coleman
• Michael Collins (artist)

• Melissa Crandall

• Myrna Culbreath
• Landon Cary Dalton
• Tony Daniel
• Peter David
• Keith L. Davis

• Britta Dennison
• Gene DeWeese
• Jeanne M. Dillard
• Kevin Dilmore
• Michael J. Dodge
• Charlotte Douglas
• Diane Duane
• Doranna Durgin
• Daniel Dvorkin
• David Dvorkin

• Ian Edginton
• Gordon Eklund
• Connie Faddis
• Brad Ferguson
• Kathi Ferguson

• Eloise Flood

• John M. Ford
• William R. Forstchen
• Alan Dean Foster

• Esther Friesner
• Dave Galanter
• Diana G. Gallagher
• Mark Garland
• David R. George III

• Allyn Gibson
• Marc D. Giller
• Christie Golden
• Stephen Goldin
• Christian Grainger

• Glenn Greenberg
• Robert Greenberger
• Karen Haber
• Jack C. Haldeman II
• Joe Haldeman
• Barbara Hambly
• Laurell K. Hamilton
• Glenn Hauman
• Simon Hawke

• Nina Kiriki Hoffman
• Kevin Hosey
• Bobbie Benton Hull
• Christian Humberg

• Bob Ingersoll
• Tony Isabella

• Robert T. Jeschonek
• Jim Johnson
• Kij Johnson
• Dorothy Jones
• Rudy Josephs
• Janet Kagan
• Susan Kearney
• Kevin Killiany
• James I. Kirkland
• Eric Kotani
• Dana Kramer-Rolls
• Dylan Otto Krider
• Paul Kupperberg
• J. Noah Kym
• Jeffrey Lang
• Majliss Larson

• J.A. Lawrence
• William Leisner
• S.N. Lewitt
• Jean Lorrah

• Shirley Maiewski
• T.L. Mancour
• Andy Mangels
• Jeff Mariotte
• Sondra Marshak
• Michael A. Martin
• Una McCormack
• Charles G. McGraw
• David A. McIntee
• Vonda N. McIntyre
• Guy W. McLimore, Jr.
• Victor Milan
• John Jackson Miller
• V.E. Mitchell
• Rebecca Moesta
• Steve Mollmann
• Stuart Moore
• Peter Morwood
• M.S. Murdock
• Rebecca Neason
• Kathleen O'Malley
• Jerry Oltion
• Kathy Oltion
• John J. Ordover
• Terri Osborne

• Barbara Paul

• Ted Pedersen
• Charles Pellegrino
• Bernd Perplies
• Steven Piziks

• Mack Reynolds
• Chris Roberson

• Peg Robinson

• Alara Rogers
• Aaron Rosenberg
• William Rotsler
• Paul Ruditis
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• Cory Rushton
• Kevin J. Ryan
• Pamela Sargent
• Lawrence Schoen
• Sandy Schofield
• Michael Schuster
• Melissa Scott
• Mary Scott-Wiecek

• Sarah Shaw (author)
• Robert Sheckley
• Josepha Sherman
• Jill Sherwin

• Susan Shwartz
• Robert Simpson
• Kathleen Sky
• Dean Wesley Smith

• S.P. Somtow
• Barbara Strickland
• Brad Strickland

7 sci-fi writers who should pen new ‘Star Trek’ episodes

Star trek has a long history of culling amazing episodes from established writers..

Internet Culture

Posted on Nov 3, 2015     Updated on May 27, 2021, 5:14 pm CDT

As  Star Trek  fans react to the announcement of a  new TV series for the franchise, we’re seizing the opportunity to imagine which acclaimed sci-fi writers we want in the captain’s chair.

One of our favorite things about  Star Trek , in particular the original series (TOS), is its direct connection to the culture of science fiction. Richard Matheson, Theodore Sturgeon, Harlen Ellison, Peter S. Beagle —these are just a few of the many acclaimed writers of science fiction who wrote iconic episodes for TOS and its successors over the years. Not only did TOS consistently put established and important sci-fi writers at the helm of the Enterprise, but Next Generation   springboarded the careers of a bevy of writers who went on to create over a decade of sci-fi shows on television.

So who’s next? CBS has a huge opportunity here to return to the show’s roots and invite a modern generation of sci-fi writers, both young and old, to leave their mark on the series that helped shape many of them into the writers they are today.

Here’s our wish list of writers we’d love to work on  Star Trek for a new age—hopefully inspiring a generation of new writers in their stead.

1) Connie Willis

Who better to write for the most beloved science fiction franchise than the writer who’s won more awards than any other science fiction writer in history? With her epic Doomsday  series as well as other standalone novels, Willis seamlessly merges high themes like religion and death into intricate concepts like time travel and journeys inside the mind. She’s also an expert on the genre and how to thoroughly canvass it for new ideas, which is probably why we can’t stop giving her all the Hugos and Nebulas . We can’t think of anyone better qualified to usher TV’s most iconic space opera into its new era. 

2) Andy Weir

Come on, the guy just put a man on Mars. Nothing is more Trekkie than that. The Star Trek  fandom is already cracking jokes about Weir’s  Martian  Mark Watney being a member of Star Fleet. This needs to happen.

3) John Scalzi

This one’s a no-brainer: Of course CBS should tap Scalzi , with his massive blog audience, social media reach, and string of acclaimed bestsellers including an actual work of  Star Trek   fanfiction , to write new episodes of  Star Trek. In Scalzi’s  Redshirts , the expendable, nameless crewmen of the Enterprise—actually nicknamed “redshirts” by the fandom because of their red uniforms indicating low rank on board—take control of their fates to halt their high death toll. How much would we love to see Scalzi turn this idea into actual  Star Trek  canon? Make it happen, guys.

4) N.K. Jemisin

Though Jemisin is known for her award-winning works of fantasy, she started out writing science fiction before transitioning into fantasy and has stated  that “science fiction and fantasy are pretty much equal partners to me.” Her books are brimming with realistic worldbuilding and real physical and social sciences, like her most recent dystopian repeat apocalypse-ridden Fifth Season.  Her take on her genre harkens back to classic forms of fantasy like  Gilgamesh  and  The Iliad  rather than Tolkien and his descendants—all things that make her an ideal writer to put her own unique spin on the mythology of Star Trek . She’s also been outspoken on the shortcomings of Star Trek’ s recent iterations regarding race and other forms of representation. As a writer who constantly looks father afield for tropes and influences than Euro-centric fantasy, Jemisin is the kind of writer the new millennium Star Trek  needs.

5) Cory Doctorow

Few sci-fi writers have been so closely concerned with the real-life issues that spawn the dark visions of cyberpunk dystopias as Doctorow, who made a name for himself championing Internet freedom, open source and remix culture, and Creative Commons alongside his contemporary sci-fi novels. A true futuristic visionary, Doctorow has the talent to churn out mind-bending installments of new Trek  aimed at future cyber-rebels like himself.

6) Peter David

The illustrious David has a long and formidable career of sci-fi, comics, and fantasy writing to his name, and he’s not even out of his 50s. Moreover, he’s got tons of experience writing for Star Trek : io9 called him “the undisputed master of  Star Trek  novels” thanks to his string of tie-ins for the franchise in the ’90s, including The Rift  and Izmadi , both considered must-reads by the fandom. He also has another distinction that makes him perfect for the new era of Star Trek : finally turning the long-subtextual friendship of Rictor and Shatterstar into a canonical gay relationship in his acclaimed run of X-Men . We’d love to see David getting his hands on new  Star Trek  characters and applying his new, fresh ideas to a series he’s familiar with of old.

7) Junot Diaz

This Pulitzer-winning MacArthur fellow is best known for The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , a pseudo-autobiographical literary work tinged with magical realism about a science fiction and fantasy fanboy. Diaz has always had a complex relationship with science fiction, and a keen awareness of the ways in which the genre both confronts and is limited by post-colonial power dynamics. After just missing out on a couple of epic science fiction novels from Diaz, we would rejoice if he finally got to flex his sci-fi muscles in an episode of  Star Trek . 

Honorable mentions —a few sci-fi heroes we’d love to see try their hand at Trek , though even we have to admit the odds are pretty unlikely: Margaret Atwood , Samuel Delaney, Karen Joy Fowler, Neil Gaiman , Kelly Sue DeConnick , and Dan Harmon .

Who’s on your ultimate Star Trek  wishlist?

Photo via Kanjioman /Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

*First Published: Nov 3, 2015, 11:00 am CST

Aja Romano is a geek culture reporter and fandom expert. Their reporting at the Daily Dot covered everything from Harry Potter and anime to Tumblr and Gamergate. Romano joined Vox as a staff reporter in 2016.

More From Forbes

101 famous authors and greatest writers of all time.

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Illustration of William Shakespeare.

Writers have always had the ability to shift paradigms, define eras and impact a broader society with their craft. From the philosophical musings of Plato, particularly those featuring Socrates’ thoughtful dialogues, to the classic wisdom of Aesop, who influenced fables and storytelling for generations, the art of writing has the unique power to outlive time and space, impacting readers across generations and geographies. Thanks to the masterminds putting ink to paper to tell some of the most powerful stories of human time, we are able to see the world with new eyes and find perspective and solace in our shared human experiences. In this list, I have compiled the works of the 101 greatest authors and writers of all time, celebrating their unique contributions to literature and their mastery of the written word. This list was compiled with the assistance of several librarians at Herrick Library in Holland, Michigan. A fun fact is that Holland, Michigan, partly inspired Lyman Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz .

Top Authors

The authors on this list represent a variety of time periods, capturing the evolution of storytelling and its form, from ancient to modern times. This list does not just cover fictional characters and experiences; it points to the insight of these wordsmiths, whose ideas have traveled through time and continue to challenge, disrupt and reform. Although this list spans millennia of written history, including ancient figures like Homer, classical authors like Virgil and Renaissance luminaries like William Shakespeare, modern fan-favorites like J.K. Rowling and Stephen King also made the list. Whether you are a fan of poetry, mystery, horror, romantic fiction, memoirs or autobiographies, there is a writer for every type of reader on this list of the 101 greatest authors of all time.

101. John Grisham (1955- )

John Grisham in Torino, Italy, May 2007.

American writer John Grisham is an Arkansas-born author best known for transposing his legal knowledge into written form. Before his writing career took off, Grisham practiced law for nearly a decade, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation, which gave him real-life experiences that would later inform the legal axioms in his written work. His pivot from a small-town lawyer to one of the world’s most popular novelists is as fascinating as the plots of his legal thrillers, but did not come without persistence. Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill was inspired by a real case he witnessed in a Mississippi courtroom and it would become a moment that would be a turning point in his career. The novel examined the racial tensions and justice in the American South and also analyzed themes of revenge, morality and the complex nature of the justice system. Although A Time to Kill was rejected by 28 publishers, Grisham persisted in writing and that grit paid off, leading to a well-respected career that has redefined the genre of legal fiction. Among Grisham’s most influential works are The Firm; The Pelican Brief, a political-legal thriller involving the murders of two Supreme Court justices; and The Runaway Jury . Grisham’s works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Critics should find meaningful work.” ― John Grisham

100. Danielle Steel (1947- )

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Author Danielle Steel poses for a portrait in 1997 in Los Angeles.

Born in 1947 in New York City, Danielle Steel grew up between France and the United States, where she began writing short stories and poetry as a young girl. Although Steel attended New York University for Literature and Design, she began her writing career in the 1970s, and published her first novel, Going Home , in 1973. Shortly after, her novels quickly gained massive public interest. With over 800 million copies of her books sold, Steel’s writing is characterized by its romantic depth, vivid characterizations and complicated family relationships. Her most acclaimed novels like The Gift , Kaleidoscope and Sisters, often include themes of romance, passion, loss, resilience and redemption. Steel is one of the best-selling authors of all time and in 1989, she earned a Guinness World Record for having a book on The New York Times bestsellers list for 381 consecutive weeks. Despite her commercial success, many readers don’t know that Steel still writes with a manual typewriter, a practice she finds creatively fulfilling and grounding. Although her work primarily consists of novels, she has also written poetry and children’s books. Her books are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote : “No man can take your freedom from you. They can limit your mobility, but that's about all they can do.” ― Danielle Steel .

99. Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007)

Writer Sidney Sheldon poses for a photograph during a book signing for "The Sky Is Falling" at a ... [+] Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Sidney Sheldon was born in Chicago, but began his career in Hollywood, where he initially worked on scripts for B-movies and later moved on to Broadway musicals. Although Sheldon achieved massive success in Hollywood, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer in 1947​, the script would become just one of many success stories for Sheldon. He also attained success with numerous other successful films and television shows including The Patty Duke Show , I Dream of Jeannie and Hart to Hart . After a successful stint in show business, Sheldon started writing books in the 1960s and his first novel, The Naked Face , was published in 1970 and earned him a nomination for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel. His novels, often featuring ambitious female protagonists, are known for their suspenseful and dramatic storylines. Some of his most celebrated written works include The Other Side of Midnight , Master of the Game and If Tomorrow Comes . Sheldon is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar in his lifetime. His works are available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “Life is like a novel. It's filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page.”― Sidney Sheldon .

98. Mary Augusta Ward (1851-1920)

Mrs Humphrey Ward (1851 - 1920) born Mary Augusta Arnold.

Mary Augusta Ward was a prominent British novelist and social activist whose pen name was Mrs. Humphry Ward. Her novel Robert Elsmere opened up a lot of public discussion about Christianity in Victorian society and all of its nuances. Ward was known for her deep reflection and engagement with contemporary social issues and even earned a nod of approval from Leo Toltsoy, who praised Ward for being the greatest English novelist of her time. Despite her success as a writer, Ward also advocated for education reform and founded the Passmore Edwards Settlement, a center that was founded to enrich the lives of working-class adults on evenings and weekends and to offer after-school recreation and instruction to poor children while their parents were still at work. Ward was also well-known for her stance against the Women's Suffrage Movement because she was concerned that emancipation would dilute the moral influence of women. This led her to establish the Anti-Suffrage League in 1908. The Australia-born novelist became a best-selling author and also achieved success with other books like D avid Grieve , Sir George Tressady and Helbeck of Bannisdale . Her works are available at The Kelmscott Book Shop .

Famous Quote: “Truth has never been, can never be, contained in any one creed or system.” — Mary Augusta Ward .

97. Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

Children's book author/illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel poses with models of some of the characters ... [+] he has created.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, was a La Jolla, California-born children’s author, humorist, political cartoonist and illustrator whose work has become the hallmark of children’s books. For years, his comical and highly imaginative books have created an opportunity for children to maintain their child-like wonder, while ushering an opportunity for them to experience real-life situations. Books like Oh,The Places You’ll Go!, The Cat in the Hat , Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christma s! have become staples of children’s literature, establishing a permanence and formula that is impossible to duplicate. Dr. Seuss’s playful language and memorable characters have had a lasting impact on young readers and innovative use of alliteration, rhyme and rhythm has not only entertained children but also helped them develop early literacy skills. Dr. Seuss’s books are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”― Dr. Seuss .

96. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957)

Laura Ingalls Wilder autographing a book.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, born in Pepin, Wisconsin, was an American author best known for her Little House series of children’s books. These semi-autobiographical novels loosely mirrored her childhood growing up in a pioneer family, and offered a lucid portrayal of life on the American frontier in the late 19th century. At 15 years old, Wilder began to teach, and that ushered her into writing and editing years later. She started out writing for McCall’s Magazine and Country Gentleman and she later served as the poultry editor for the St. Louis Star before becoming a home editor for the Missouri Ruralist . In her fictional writing, Wilder’s simple, yet detailed and engaging storytelling has compelled readers for years, providing an intimate look at the simplicity, hardships and joys of pioneer life. Her timeless stories of adventure, family, and perseverance continue to inspire fans of her work and remind them of the values of courage, honesty and simplicity. Wilder also wrote essays, short stories, letters and poetry. Her works are available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder .

95. John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Portrait of English preacher and writer John Bunyan.

John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the most important works in religious English literature. The Bedfordshire, England-born author, who would go on to become one of the most well-known religious writers of all time had his own fair share of suffering, much of which informed his outlook on faith and religion. Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress was written while he was imprisoned for preaching without a license. For centuries, the famous Puritan-themed book has inspired readers with its acute spiritual insight and vivid storytelling. In fact, Bunyan’s accessible and striking storytelling has ensured the book’s place as a classic, offering moral and spiritual guidance across generations. At one point The Pilgrim’s Progress was considered the second most influential religious book after the Bible . Apart from The Pilgrim’s Progress , Bunyan also wrote his spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding while he was imprisoned for 12 years. The account detailed his personal journey of faith, struggles with doubt, and a spiritual triumph which provided some insight into his personal life. Bunyan’s works are available at Moody Publishers .

Famous Quote: “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. ”― John Bunyan .

94. Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) (1832-1898)

British mathematician, author and photographer Charles Lutwidge Dogson (1832 - 1898), who wrote ... [+] several books under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll.

Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , was also a mathematician and logician, whose obsession with logic influenced his career. Carroll’s interest in logic and wordplay had a major impact in his formulaic approach to writing, making his works rich in both imaginative and intellectual content. Born in Chesire, England, the skilled mathematician had an innate skill when it came to weaving complicated mind puzzles and otherworldly narrative elements together to create fascinating stories, and this is primarily what makes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland a captivating and often mind-bending read. Apart from writing novels, Carroll was also a poet and photographer, whose other notable works include Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark . Carroll’s timeless appeal can be attributed to his ability to reconcile the interplay between reality and fantasy, coupled with logic and nonsense. His works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.”― Lewis Carroll .

93. Saint Mark the Evangelist (A.D. 12-A.D. 68)

Saint Mark the Evangelist, circa 1624-1625.

The Evangelist Mark was the author of The Gospel of Mark, the second book of the New Testament. His account is often considered to be the earliest and pithiest account of Jesus life and teachings. Mark, who was born in Cyrene of the Roman Empire, never met Jesus, but his concise and poignant storytelling about Christ has had a lasting impact on Christian theology for centuries. Written with a sense of immediacy and urgency, the Gospel of Mark captures the core of Jesus’ ministry, highlighting his miracles, parables, and the weighty sense of mission that defined his journey on earth. Mark’s writing style, while simple and unadorned, is poignant and relatable, making it accessible to a broad audience. The gospel’s influence has extended beyond religious circles and influenced Western literature, art and broader socio-cultural perceptions and interpretations of who Jesus was. His work is available at Bible Gateway .

Famous Quote : “Do not become a disciple of one who praises himself, in case you learn pride instead of humility.” — Saint Mark the Evangelist .

92. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)

Portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, born in London, England, is best known for her seminal book Frankenstein, which shattered literary boundaries and blurred the lines between gothic storytelling and science fiction. Shelley completed her first draft of Frankenstein in 1816 at only 18 years old, but it was published anonymously two years later, when she was 20. The novel is considered one of the earliest examples of science fiction because it explores creation, ambition and the ethical limits of scientific inquiry. Shelley’s imaginative vision and profound questions about the ethical roles that humans play in the world are ones that have continued to be explored by new and up-and-coming writers and thinkers. Her ability to integrate Gothic horror with philosophical questioning also made her an unforgettable figure. Her other notable work is The Modern Prometheus and her books are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” — Mary Shelley .

91. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish clergyman, satirist and poet.

Dublin-born Jonathan Swift is widely regarded as one of the greatest satirists in the English language. His works, which include the critically acclaimed Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal , were the highlights of his sharp wit, keen intellect and understanding of human nature and psychology. Swift’s writing conveyed a brilliant ability to combine biting satire with insightful social commentary to create meaningful stories that would remain classic historical relics long after his death in 1745. Swift was also involved in the political and social issues of his time. As a cleric, he held several leadership positions in the Church of Ireland, including his position as Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. His political pamphlets and essays, such as The Drapier’s Letters , played a crucial role in the Irish resistance to English economic policies. Swift’s works were not limited to prose; he was also an accomplished poet and essayist whose poems like A Description of a City Shower , proved his ability to merge satire with vivid imagery. Swift also wrote essays, and some of his work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into.” ― Jonathan Swift .

90. Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

Still portrait of Hans Christian Andersen.

Born in Odense, Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen rose from a poor background to become one of the most recognized authors of all time, whose fairy tales have enchanted children and adults alike for generations. Although he struggled early in his career, his work eventually gained recognition for its imaginative and whimsical storytelling. Andersen created memorable stories by using simplicity and charm to teach moral lessons and his fairy tales often explored themes of resilience, kindness and the triumph of good. Some of his most iconic creations include The Little Mermaid , The Ugly Duckling , The Emperor’s New Clothes and Thumbelina . Some say that glimpses of Andersen’s childhood could be found in most of his written work, and for centuries, his immortal stories have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into various forms, including ballets, plays and films. Readers of all ages, have found his work magnetic, stretching his legacy as a master storyteller from one generation of readers, old and young, to the next. Andersen’s works can be purchased from Penguin Random House.

Famous quote: “But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”― Hans Christian Andersen .

89. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Portrait of American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, born in Boston, Massachusetts, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet who was one of the most influential American thinkers of the 19th century. Emerson who was fondly called by his middle name, Waldo, was a visionary essayist, lecturer, philosopher, poet and ardent abolitionist whose intellectual leadership inspired the Transcendentalist movement and advocated for the inherent goodness of people and nature. This advocacy was so powerful that it flowed into his written work and made him stand out as a great writer, public speaker and advocate. Besides writing, Emerson used his skills as a public speaker to condemn slavery and advocate for civil right and liberty. Some of his best written works include Self-Reliance , The Over-Soul , Circles and Nature . Some of his works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson .

88. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Writer Henry David Thoreau poses for a portrait in circa 1860.

Henry David Thoreau, born in Concord, Massachusetts, was an American naturalist, essayist, poet and philosopher whose works have continued to be studied in schools and institutions of higher education for their emphasis on American and environmental thought. Like his close friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau also became a central figure in the Transcendentalist movement, and his writings began to reflect his respect for nature, his advocacy for simple living, and his commitment to social reform and civil liberty. Thoreau's commitment to his principles was demonstrated when he was jailed for refusing to pay a poll tax, which he believed supported slavery and the Mexican-American War. This act of civil disobedience inspired his famous essay Civil Disobedience . In Civil Disobedience , originally titled Resistance to Civil Government , Thoreau argues for the importance of individual conscience and the moral necessity to resist unjust laws and government actions. His essay has influenced many notable figures and movements advocating for social justice and nonviolent resistance. Thoreau’s best works include Walden, a series of 18 essays, Civil Disobedience and Walking. Some of his work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”— Henry David Thoreau .

87. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

Portrait of Louisa May Alcott.

Because Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott, was a Transcendentalist, she grew up in the company of well-known transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Thoreau, all of whom also happened to be excellent writers. In fact, Thoreau inspired quite a bit of Alcott’s work, and was one of the driving forces behind her desire to write. Although Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, she lived most of her life in Massachusetts, and that location would inspire her work. Among some of her notable books are Little Women, which was a self-directed book about her experiences growing up with her sisters and their childhood memories. Other notable books from Alcott include Good Wives and Little Men. An avid writer , Alcott also thrived in the short story form, and her success as an author afforded her the opportunity to also become a Transcendentalist and advocate for women’s rights. Her works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Louisa May Alcott .

86. J.D. Salinger (1919-2010)

J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger was born in New York City, so he knew a thing or two about good storytelling. His critically-acclaimed novel The Catcher in the Rye is considered the magnum opus of his career, and is a detailed and sincere account that explores the angst and alienation that can often come with adolescence. Before becoming a famous wrier, Salinger briefly attended New York University and Columbia University, and he served in World War II, where he participated in the D-Day invasion and witnessed the liberation of concentration camps. These experiences influenced his writing, adding depth to his portrayal of human emotions and relationships and during his time serving, Salinger wrote more than 20 short stories, which helped him to segue into full-time writing. His short stories published in magazines like The New Yorker and introduced readers to his tone. Throughout his years as an author , Salinger’s signature colloquial tone and careful analysis of the characters in his stories always guided his plots. His written work is available at Hachette Book Group .

Famous quote: “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.” ― J.D. Salinger .

85. Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

British writer and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his garden.

British writer and physician Arthur Conan Doyle, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, became known for his iconic creation of the detective Sherlock Holmes, a mystery book character who has become synonymous with stealth. Doyle was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine; he offered his medical services during the South African War and detailed his experience in his non-fiction book, The Great Boer War . Doyle’s writing, characterized by a keen attention to detail and deliberate plotting, made a lasting impact on detective-themed storytelling and secured Sherlock Holmes as a blueprint for the detective-mystery genre. Even though he created the highly logical and skeptical detective Sherlock Holmes, Doyle was a firm believer in spiritualism and became one of the leaders of the spiritualist movement following the First World War. His book The History of Spiritualism further examined the topic through a variety of essays. Apart from his detective stories, Doyle also wrote historical novels , science fiction, plays and fantasy. His works are available at Harrington Books Co .

Famous quote: “You see, but you do not observe.” — Arthur Conan Doyle .

84. Sylvia Plath ( 1932-1963)

Sylvia Plath seated in front of a bookshelf.

Sylvia Plath was an American poet and novelist known for her confessional style of writing. That confessional writing style became more widely recognized during the 1950s and 1960s, with Plath being one of its leading figures alongside poets like Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton​. Born in Boston, Plath’s work was unique for its intensity and focus on mental illness. Very often, Plath’s state of mind was expressed through her writings, and some of her best-known works include the poetry collection Ariel, Daddy, Lady Lazarus and The Bell Jar, which mirrored her own struggles with depression . Plath’s The Collected Poems , which included previously unpublished works, was posthumously published in 1981, and she received a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for the collection in 1982, making her the fourth person to receive the recognition posthumously at the time. Her works are available at HarperColins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.”― Sylvia Plath .

83. Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

Closeup candid portrait of writer Roald Dahl waving a cigarette while talking at home.

Roald Dahl’s zany and often times dark children’s books , like Matilda , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach , have been fan favorites for decades. This is partly thanks to the Wales-born writer’s penchant for the otherworldly and adventurous. Dahl, who often had views that were deemed controversial, tapped into a wide range of emotions and subjects in his works. Almost every visual adaptation of a Dahl-inspired storyline has the same element of strangeness, with larger-than-life protagonists who have a lopsided, loopy way about them. Dahl’s past as a fighter pilot in World War II and his role as a spy for the British government also partly inspired his adventurous approach to writing stories. Although he was well-known for children’s books, Dahl wasn’t just about entertaining children. His grisly-themed short stories for adults also explored the darker sides of human nature, and highlighted his versatility as a writer. Even after his death, fans remember his work for the way he reconciled the fantastical with the sinister, which has made him a notable name in history. In 2021, Forbes ranked Dahl as one of the top-earning dead celebrities, and with over 300 million copies of his works sold worldwide, Dahl’s work continues to impact literature. They are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall.”― Roald Dahl .

82. Zadie Smith (1975- )

Zadie Smith at the Cliveden Literary Festival in Windsor, England.

London-born Zadie Smith is a critically acclaimed British novelist, essayist, professor and avid reader known for her vibrant, multi-layered story structures and careful explorations of race, identity and multiculturalism. Her debut novel White Teeth caught the attention of many critics who appreciated her take on multiculturalism and identity in modern Britain and beyond. Smith’s character development in her debut book was so excellent that it prompted critics to call her a modern-day Charles Dickens. Over the course of her career, Smith’s unique insight into sensitive issues like race, identity and religion have made her a well-respected figure of the 21st century. Her intelligent analysis of the diverse, multicultural experience of life in London and beyond it has helped to frame her as a leading voice in contemporary fiction. In spite of this, Smith has developed a rather pragmatic approach to writing, arguing that the art form should not be a division of head and heart, but the useful integration of both. Other notable works from Smith include On Beauty, Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays and Feel Free. Her work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Every moment happens twice: inside and outside, and they are two different histories.”― Zadie Smith .

81. Aesop (620 B.C.-564 B.C.)

A bust of slave and story-teller Aesop (620 - 560 BC), who lived in ancient Greece and is known for ... [+] the genre of fables ascribed to him, circa 550 B.C.

Fables have been a crucial part of human storytelling for millennia, and that is partly because one of the most revered fabulists, Aesop, who is responsible for some of the most popular fables in history. The fabled ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller is known for his collection of fables, known as Aesop’s Fables , which include stories like The Tortoise and the Hare and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, which symbolize evergreen moral lessons through simple and memorable stories that have been passed on from one generation to the next. Aesop’s stories have become a cornerstone in children’s literature because of their pithy and wise observations of human nature, often featuring animals as characters with human traits and vices. These timeless stories have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into various cultural contexts, influencing folklore and storytelling traditions worldwide. While much about Aesop’s life is a mystery, his stories have had a lasting effect on Western culture and education. Aesop’s work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him.”― Aesop .

80. Ralph Waldo Ellison (1914-1994)

Novelist Ralph Ellison poses for a portrait in Harlem, New York City.

Born in Oklahoma City, Ralph Waldo Ellison, named after Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote in a way that was notable for its rich, symbolic and honest accounts of race and individuality in America. At the start of his career, Ellison moved to New York City in 1936 and lived in Harlem, hoping to be able to study sculpture. It was there that he would meet Langston Hughes, Harlem’s “unofficial diplomat” during the Depression era, and a well-respected author at the time. While in Harlem, Ellison also met influential people like Romare Bearden and Richard Wright, all of whom would become impactful in his life as an author. After serving in World War II, Ellison produced Invisible Man , which won the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction. The book was particularly celebrated for its complex storyline and thematic content​. Although he became well-known for his novel, his compiled essays and his work as a sculptor, musician, photographer and college professor earned him accolades and recognition as well. Ellison’s compiled essays included collections like Shadow and Act and Going to the Territory . Other works by Ellison include Flying Home and Other Stories and Juneteenth, which were posthumously published . Ellison’s work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Life is to be lived, not controlled, and humanity is won by continuing to play in the face of certain defeat.”― Ralph Ellison .

79. Isabel Allende (1942- )

Isabel Allende photographed in her home on February 12, 1990 in San Rafael, California.

Isabel Allende is a Lima, Peru-born author who is famous for books that mostly contain strong elements of magical realism. Her storytelling style tends to incorporate the personal with the historical, bringing Latin American culture and history to life. Some of Allende’s most famous books include City of the Beasts , The House of the Spirits and Eva Luna . Allende spent much of her childhood in Chile and various other countries because of her stepfather’s diplomatic career. Allende continues to write and has earned the respect of critics for her apt imagination and restless ambition to keep creating stories that refine wat magic realism represents. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the National Literature Prize of Chile, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Book Award for Lifetime Achievement, among others. Her books can be found at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Magical realism is a genre of literature that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy.” — Isabel Allende .

78. Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Jorge Luis Borges at the Sorbonne university in Paris, France In 1978.

Jorge Luis Borges was an imaginative poet, essayist and short story writer who skillfully crafted a career by creating complex and imaginative plots that are defined by labyrinths, mirrors and infinite libraries. The Argentina-born author has become a 20th century icon for his effective storytelling and unprecedented ability to concoct the boundaries of reality and fiction to create stories that intrigue and fascinate. As a writer, Borges has created an extensive body of work that has left its imprint on literature, primarily short stories and essays that have been drawn from the inspiration of Buenos Aires. Some of his best known works are The Library of Babel and Fictions . His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” — Jorge Luis Borges .

77. John Milton ( 1608-1674)

Engraved portrait of British poet and politician John Milton (1608 - 1674), mid 17th century.

English historian, poet and pamphleteer John Milton is considered one of the most important figures in British literature. Milton’s reputation as a great is partly because his work spanned various genres, including prose and poetry, which has offered every type of reader a plethora of options to choose from. Milton’ s Paradise Lost , published in 1667, is widely regarded as his magnum opus, consisting of ten books that were later expanded to twelve in the 1674 edition. Even though he was blind in both eyes when he created Paradise Lost , his ability to compose such complex and detailed work is a testament to his intellectual acumen. Milton was often unafraid to share his thoughts on tyrannical leadership and the state of religion, and that is primarily what made him an unforgettable writer. Other notable works from Milton include Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes. His works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” — John Milton .

76. Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison photographed in New York City in 1979.

Born in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison was a Nobel Prize-winning author whose work took readers on a deep exploration of the Black experience. Her critically acclaimed novels, such as the Pulitzer-prize winning Beloved , evocative Song of Solomon and The Bluest Eye , are honored for their poetic prose and immense emotional and cultural impact. Morrison wasn’t just a writer; she was a thought leader whose ideas remain relevant to today. Like James Baldwin, her criticism of unjust society has remained a cornerstone for conversations around race and class. In addition to novels, she wrote essays, children’s books, articles and plays that showcased her genius as a writer. Her works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” — Toni Morrison .

75. Henry James (1843-1916)

American novelist Henry James in his study.

Henry James, born in New York City, was an American-British author known for his contributions to the 20th-century novel as well as literary realism and modernism. His writing focused on his beliefs concerning the innocence and exuberance of the New World in contrast to the jadedness of the Old. His notable works include Daisy Miller , The Portrait of a Lady , The Turn of the Screw and The Wings of the Dove . James’s writing often explored the complicated nature of the human mind and social reform and revolutions, as well as social consciousness. During his time, James was regarded as a brilliant short story writer whose work frequently appeared in magazines. James also wrote poems and memoirs. His work is available at the Library of America .

Famous quote: “Try to be one of those on whom nothing is lost.” — Henry James .

74. D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

Still image of D.H. Lawrence.

David Herbert Lawrence, born in Eastwood, England, was a novelist, poet and essayist known for his controversial and unconventional storytelling, which inevitably made him one of the most influential writers in the early 20th century. His novels emphasized multiple themes, including vivid realism, sexuality and complex family dynamics. During his time, Lawrence had an uncanny ability to vividly describe human emotions and states of mind, which were both compelling and relatable to readers. Some of his best-known books include Sons and Lovers and Women in Love. The English author also wrote short stories, plays, travel books and letters. Some of his work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it.” — D.H. Lawrence .

73. Wole Soyinka (1934- )

Wole Soyinka circa 1986.

Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, political activist, poet and essayist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, becoming the first African laureate to do so. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, Soyinka grew up in an environment that was rich with the Nigerian Yoruba culture , which significantly influenced his work. He studied in Nigeria and the UK, where he attended the University of Leeds. Throughout his career, Soyinka has been a vocal critic of Nigerian dictatorships, which led to his imprisonment during the Nigerian Civil War and subsequent exile. Soyinka’s writing style is noted for its lyrical quality, which often weaves traditional African theater with Western literary forms. Some of his most influential works include Myth, Literature, and the African World; Death and the King’s Horseman ; the novel The Man Died: Prison Notes and the memoir Ake: The Years of Childhood . His works can be found at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress truth.”― Wole Soyinka .

72. Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)

Chinua Achebe.

Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, born in Ogidi, Nigeria, is considered an African icon and an ambassador for the Igbo tribe. To this day, Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is a cornerstone of modern African study and has been globally celebrated in scholarly circles for its vivid depiction of the clash between traditional African culture and colonial influences. Achebe’s work has been regarded as a central piece to modern African Literature and his lucid writing style, known for its syllogistic conjoinment of oratory, folk stories and Igbo proverbs has depicted the core of African societies. Achebe’s writing style has also been marked by its poetic, yet stark analogy of Nigerian culture and society but more specifically, the Nigerian Igbo culture. Achebe’s works extend beyond novels to essays, poetry and short stories. His books can be found at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own.” — Chinua Achebe .

71. Agatha Christie (1890-1976)

English detective novelist, Agatha Christie typing at her home, Greenway House, Devon, England ... [+] January 1946.

English writer Agatha Christie was known for her prolific creation of detective novels and the iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, who drove many of her stories. Born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller in 1890 in Torquay, England, Christie's journey from a privileged upbringing to becoming one of the best-selling authors of all time began while she was working as a nurse during World War I. Her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles , was published in 1920 and would become a stepping stone for an iconic repertoire. ​Most of Christie’s books have a similar formula that includes meticulous plotting, clever plot twists and engaging mysteries that are difficult to determine for readers until the very end of the story. With over two billion books sold worldwide, Christie’s influence on mystery is undeniable, and her works have been translated into numerous languages and adapted into various films, television series and stage plays. Some of Christie’s most influential works include Murder on the Orient Express , T he Murder of Roger Ackroyd , and And Then There Were None , which are celebrated for their complex plots and surprising resolutions. Christie’s books are available for purchase at HarperCollins Publishers

Famous quote: “A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. ― Agatha Christie .

70. Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

Franz Kafka circa 1915.

Franz Kafka, born in Prague, was a German-speaking Bohemian writer who was known for his surreal and existential approach to telling stories. Kafka’s notable books include The Metamorphosis , Letter to His Father and The Castle . His stories were often filled with themes of alienation and absurdity and he often depicted his characters as alienated people facing systemic oppression and isolation. He was one of the most prominent writers to showcase the impact of societal shunning through the lens of the shunned. Although Kafka was a talented writer who spent long nights immersed in his craft, his struggles with constant self-doubt caused him to destroy 90% of his work and much of what survived remains lost or unpublished. Other Kafka words include Contemplation and A Country Doctor. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” — Franz Kafka .

69. J.K. Rowling (1965- )

J.K. Rowling attends the European premiere of "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" at Odeon ... [+] Leicester Square on November 15, 2016 in London.

J.K. Rowling, born Joanne Rowling in Gloucestershire, England, is a British author best known for creating the globally beloved Harry Potter series. Her journey from a struggling single mother to one of the world’s most successful and influential writers is a remarkable one that has heightened the appeal of her success story. According to Rowling, she jotted down the initial idea for Harry Potter on a napkin while her train from Manchester to London was delayed for hours in 1990. According to the famous writer, she had a visceral reaction to the concept of the main character who would go on to define her career and this napkin became the starting point for her immensely popular series. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.) was published in 1997 after being rejected by numerous publishers. The book quickly became a success and has since expanded into a seven-volume series and sold over 600 million copies worldwide, inspiring a global billion-dollar media franchise. Many of Rowling fans consider Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be the unofficial eighth book in the series. Although Rowling is well known for The Harry Potter series, other books in her repertoire are Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Tales of Beedle the Bard among others . Her books are available at Bloomsbury Publishing .

Famous Quote: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” ― J.K. Rowling .

68. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

American poet Emily Dickinson.

Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson is one of America’s most important lyric poets. Dickinson was known for her unconventional approach to painting a literary picture, and even her use of punctuation marks, which was reflected in an approach to the art form which critics often defined as concise and enigmatic, has established her as a unique and quintessential American poet. Dickinson’s poetry themes often explored death, immortality and nature. Her reclusive life was always ever-so-evident in her work, which is replete with short lines, slant rhyme and enigmatic language. Some of her famous works include I’m Nobody! Who are you?, Wild Nights – Wild Nights! and Because I could not stop for Death. Even though Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems during her lifetime, fewer than a dozen of her poems appeared in print while she was alive. Apart from writing, Dickinson was also an accomplished gardener who frequently drew inspiration for her poems from the natural world she carefully tended to. Her collected works are available at the Harvard Library .

Famous quote: “Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me—The Carriage held but just Ourselves –And Immortality.” — Emily Dickinson .

67. Mark Twain ( Samuel Langhorne Clemens) (1835-1910)

Colorized portrait of American author and humorist Mark Twain, circa 1900.

American writer, humorist, educator and journalist Mark Twain has become a decades-long household name for his apt depiction of the spirit of adventure. Twain, who was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, is often called the “father of American literature.” Known for his quick wit and sharp social commentary, Twain’s impressive output includes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . Both of these books have served as a blueprint for high-spirited, adventure-loving children around the world. His works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice” — Mark Twain .

66. William Faulkner (1897-1962)

William Faulkner, circa 1935, on display at his Rowan Oak estate in Oxford, Mississippi.

Nobel Prize-winning American writer William Faulkner was well-known for his technical approach to writing and his ability to deep-dive into the human psyche with his stylistic prose. His famous novels, such as The Sound and the Fury , As I Lay Dying and Light in August, have become cornerstones of Southern Gothic literature. One distinct feature of Faulkner’s writing was his alternating exploration of thematic structure and stylistic creativity. Faulkner also wrote screenplays and short stories, and is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world... would do this, it would change the earth.”― William Faulkner .

65. T.S. Eliot (1888–1965)

T. S. Eliot inspecting manuscripts.

T.S. Eliot, born in St. Louis, was a leading playwright, poet and essayist of the 20th century. The English-American who became the leader of the modernist movement in poetry had an extensive body of work that included The Waste Land, his iconic play Murder in the Cathedral and his magnum opus Four Quartets, which are all renowned for their unorthodox, yet brilliant approach to storytelling. Eliot’s influence was palpable, so much so that in 1948, he earned a Nobel Prize for Literature. Beyond poetry, Eliot also wrote drama and was a literary critic. His work is available at Faber & Faber .

Famous quote: “Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute, there is time for decisions and revisions, which a minute will reverse.”― T.S. Eliot .

64. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

F. Scott Fitzgerald writing at a desk.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, born in St. Paul, was an American novelist, short story writer and Hollywood scriptwriter who became known for his vivid depiction of the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald is not just a famous writer, but one that is crucial to the breadth and depth of American literature and the concept of the American Dream itself. His masterpiece, The Great Gatsby , is a profound critique of the American Dream and one of the most important novels about the American ideal. Fitzgerald’s writing was often characterized by lyrical prose and tragic characters, which have made his work timeless. Other notable Fitzgerald books include Tender Is the Night and This Side of Paradise . His works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald.

63. Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

French novelist Marcel Proust (Photo by Apic/Getty Images)

Marcel Proust, born in Auteuil, near Paris, France and he is best known for his crowing glory In Search of Lost Time ( À la Recherche du Temps Perdu ). The seven-volume series were published throughout his lifetime and even after his death, and they explored themes of memory, time and art with precise depth and elegance. Proust’s psychological insight has made his work a blueprint for modern writing. More specifically, his ability to capture the nuances of memory and the fleeting nature of time has made In Search of Lost Time a classic. The seven-part novel examines the story of Proust’s life, told as a quest to find truth and meaning. In the book, Proust wrote what was reported to be the longest sentence ever published, and holds the record for doing so at a whopping 847 words.​ Proust’s work introduced the concept of involuntary memory, which is often referred to as the “Proust Effect.” This concept describes how sensory experiences, like taste or smell, can prompt suppressed memories from the past. Other notable works by Proust include Swann’s Way ( Du Côté de Chez Swann ). Proust also wrote short stories, including Les Plaisirs et les Jours, and most of his works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”— Marcel Proust .

62. Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

The French novelist Gustav Flaubert circa 1851.

Gustave Flaubert, renowned for his bourgeois-themed novel Madame Bovary , was a prominent author in the literary realism movement. It wasn’t just the themes of his work that distinguished him, but his obsessive attention to detail and pursuit of stylistic perfection which has set the high bar for other novelists, especially up-and-coming French writers. Flaubert’s candid portrayals of his characters made him a leading figure in the realist school of French literature and earned him the respect of his peers. Flaubert viewed writing as his life’s purpose, which is why he was able to create vivid characters and portray everyday life so poignantly. Although he was born in Rouen, France, Flaubert was an avid traveler who took the time to see the world outside of his comfort zone. His travel to countries like Egypt and Greece and the Middle East influenced his works, adding depth and authenticity to his descriptions, particularly in novels like Salammbô ​. Other well-known Flaubert pieces are Sentimental Education and Three Tales. His work is available at Simon& Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”― Gustav Flaubert .

61. Thomas Mann (1875-1955)

Portrait of German author Thomas Mann as he sits at his desk.

Thomas Mann was a German essayist and novelist best known for his novels Buddenbrooks , Der Tod in Venedig and Der Zauberberg, which contributed to earning him a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. Mann’s first major novel, Buddenbrooks , was inspired by his personal experiences and his family’s background as merchants in Lübeck, Germany, where he was born. Buddenbrooks played a major role in earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature, but it was his other acclaimed work, The Magic Mountain, that would make him a household name. In The Magic Mountain, Mann highlighted complex themes of time, illness and death set against the backdrop of a Swiss sanatorium, which made the book a cultural touchstone and increased Mann’s critical acclaim. Notably, in his writings, Mann also critiqued the German government in many of his writings and was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime. This led him to move to Switzerland in 1936 after he was exiled by Germany in 1933. He would later emigrate to the United States, where he lived until after World War II. His books are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil.” ― Thomas Mann .

60. J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

Image of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien in a library.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who is famously known as J. R. R. Tolkien, was a South-African-English author, poet, professor and philologist whose high-fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy became pivotal literary landmarks in his career. Tolkien’s richly constructed world of Middle-earth, complete with its own languages, histories and cultures, has had a lasting impact on the fantasy genre and pop culture. Tolkien’s imagination, as depicted through his use of mythology, detailed maps and complex characters, has set the bar high for world-building in literature. As a writer and creator, Tolkien’s expertise in language was especially evident in his invention of Elvish languages like Quenya and Sindarin, which reflected his academic background as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. His scholarly works, including his translations and studies of ancient texts such as "Beowulf," influenced his creative process and informed the depth of most of his fictional universe. Modern day filmmakers have used Tolkien’s work as a blueprint for bringing the lore of Middle-earth to the big screen. His creativity has inspired an array of adaptations, including animated films, live-action movies and numerous video games. Tolkein’s books are available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous quote: “Not all those who wander are lost.”― J.R.R. Tolkien .

59. Robert Frost (1874-1963)

American icon, poet Robert Frost.

Robert Frost, with his depiction of rural New England life, is one of America’s most celebrated poets. Frost’s simple and understated signature writing is what earned him four Pulitzer Prizes during the life of his career. Although the famous poet has been closely linked to New England, he was actually born in San Francisco, and only moved to Massachusetts at 11 after his father’s death. This move would later influence his career and reputation as a writer. Some of Frost’s prominent works include Mountain Interval , New Hampshire and A Witness Tree, all of which won Pulitzer Prizes. In addition to his literary accomplishments, Frost also had an impactful academic career that gave him the opportunity to teach at several colleges. He taught at Amherst College and also at Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, where he spent many summers teaching and mentoring young writers. Frost’s legacy extended beyond his poetry; he was invited to read a poem titled The Gift Outright at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. Frost’s work are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”― Robert Frost .

58. Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)

Author Alexandre Dumas.

Alexandre Dumas is a key author of 19th century historical adventure novels, and is well known for stories like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers . Dumas was born in Villers-Cotterêts, France, and was of mixed race. This racial ambiguity would become a sticking point in his career and something that he would address in his 1843 novel Georges . Dumas’ family background also inspired his interest in historical-based writing. His father, General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, was an army general in Napoleon’s army and one of the highest-ranking officers. It can be easy to conclude that Dumas’ interest in using historical contexts as setting for his stories were inspired by his own background. Besides novels, Dumas also wrote memoirs and plays. Some of his most notable plays include Napoléon Bonaparte and the classic story of Antony. Dumas’ works are available at Barnes and Noble .

Famous quote: “Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”― Alexandre Dumas .

57. Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852)

Illustration of Nikolai Vassilievich Gogol.

Nikolai Gogol was a Ukrainian-born novelist, humorist and dramatist whose works were pivotal in the progression and reception of European literature. His satirical works, as depicted in stories like Dead Souls , masterfully critiqued the social and political issues of 19th-century Russia. Gogol employed his sharp wit and incisive observations on society to analyze issues of the corruption, greed and moral decay that were prevalent in 19th century Russian society. Other works like The Nose and The Overcoat depicted him as a versatile writer capable of employing creative techniques to make difficult topics more digestible for readers, and this solidified his credibility and earned him a reputation as an innovative writer. Gogol’s sharp intellect, coupled with his command of prose made him a well-respected writer whose influence continues to be relevant in Russian literature. His books can be found at Barnes & Noble .

Famous quote: “Always think of what is useful and not what is beautiful. Beauty will come of its own accord.”― Nikolai Gogol .

56. Haruki Murakami (1949- )

Haruki Murakami arrives at the "Princesa de Asturias" Awards at Teatro Campoamor on October 20, 2023 ... [+] in Asturias, Spain.

Haruki Murakami’s writing style is characterized by reflective and introspection. The contemporary Japanese author has gained a global following for the unique combination of surrealism and melancholy that he brings to his books. Born in Kyoto, his body of work includes novels, essays and short stories, and his books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Some of his famous pieces include Norwegian Wood, 1Q84 and Kafka on the Shore, which earned him the World Fantasy Award in 2006. Murakami’s work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “We’re both looking at the same moon, in the same world. We’re connected to reality by the same line. All I have to do is quietly draw it towards me.” — Haruki Murakami .

55. Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)

Writer Kurt Vonnegut at home on April 12, 1972 in New York City.

Kurt Vonnegut was an author and short-story writer who was renowned for his wry, satirical novels, including The Sirens of Titan and Slaughterhouse-Five , a war-themed novel that was interspersed with cultural references that enriched its satirical edge. During his lifetime, Vonnegut shared that his work was influenced by George Orwell, Mark Twain and James Joyce, among others, and it is easy to see why. Apart from his unique and often bleakly humorous style, Vonnegut’s works frequently feature recurring themes such as the folly of war, the randomness of the universe, and the illusion of free will, especially in issues like death and life. The Indianapolis-born writer was also known for using the phrase ““And so it goes...” to illustrate the unavoidable finality of death. In his novel Cat’s Cradle , Vonnegut challenged the dangers of scientific advancement without moral oversight, while Player Piano — a book that seemed ahead of its time — discusses the economic hardship that can happen when human jobs becoming replaced by automated systems. A little known fact about Vonnegut’s humanitarian and scientific skepticism was the fact that he was a prisoner of war during World War II, and this influenced some of the angst in his writing, especially in Slaughterhouse-Five . Vonnegut’s works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “And so it goes...”― Kurt Vonnegut .

54. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Portrait Robert Louis Stevenson, 19th century English poet and novelist.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s writings were not just memorable, they had a life-like manner to them. Perhaps this was because of his superior writing skills, but notable classics like Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , which explored the duality of human nature, and Kidnapped , a historical adventure story set in Scotland, have made the Scotland-born essayist and poet a relevant figure even today. His evergreen insight into psychology is still resonant and impactful, offering timeless reflections on the human mind and the complex nature of morality and identity. A little known fact about Stevenson is his struggle with chronic health issues throughout his life, which influenced his writing style and themes. Regardless of his frail health, Stevenson traveled extensively, drawing inspiration from his journeys to places like the South Pacific, which influenced works such as In the South Seas . Although Stevenson’s father wanted him to pursue a career path in engineering, his decision to put pen to paper instead have earned him a distinguished place in literary history. Stevenson’s works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.”― Robert Louis Stevenson .

53. George Orwell (1903-1950)

Still image of Eric Arthur Blair also known as George Orwell.

George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair in India, was an English novelist, journalist and essayist best known for his wildly successful novels 1984 and Animal Farm . Orwell’s writing was known for its conciseness, clarity and political insight. He was also famous for his critique of totalitarianism and used his writing to advocate for democratic socialism. His commitment to social justice was not just evident in his fictional writing; it also came alive in his essays, journalism and memoirs. Orwell’s experiences in the Spanish Civil War, documented in his autobiographical account, Homage to Catalonia , and his insight into the lives of the poor in Down and Out in Paris and London , were a part of his advocacy as a storyteller who was committed to exposing social injustice. In essays like Shooting an Elephant and Politics and the English Language, Orwell proved that he could tackle complex political and social issues in a straightforward way that was also not trite. His ability to interweave personal experience with broader social commentary has left a lasting impression, not just on literature, but on global political thought. His works can be found at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” — George Orwell .

52. David Foster Wallace (1962-2008)

Close-up shot of Author David Foster Wallace.

Before becoming a renowned writer, David Foster Wallace was a competitive junior tennis player whose love for the sport often found its way into his writing, providing rich metaphors and insights into human behavior and competition​. The New York-born author completed his undergraduate degree at Amherst College, where he majored in English and philosophy. He was working towards his masters degree when his acclaimed debut novel, The Broom of the System was published . Other notable works from Wallace include Infinite Jest and short storie s like A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again and Consider the Lobster, and Other Essays. Wallace’s writing is known for its signature use of by its use of extensive footnotes and endnotes, which provide additional commentary and tangential information, providing depth and context to his readers. This distinctive style has captivated readers and set his work apart from that of other contemporary writers. Wallace struggled with mental health throughout his career and this influenced a lot of his writing. At the time of his death in 2008, Wallace was working on a novel titled The Pale King . This unfinished manuscript was posthumously published in 2011 and received critical acclaim.. Wallace’s works are available at Hachette Book Group .

Famous quote: “The so-called “psychotically depressed” person who tries to kill herself doesn’t do so out of quote “hopelessness” or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom Its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames. And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling ‘Don’t!’ and ‘Hang on!’, can understand the jump. Not really. You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.”― David Foster Wallace .

51. Edith Wharton (1862-1937)

Edith Wharton

American novelist and poet Edith Wharton was born in New York City into a well-established family. Her childhood was characterized by the finest luxuries that money could afford. Years later, this upbringing would inspire her writing because she later became well-known for her incisive portrayals of the American upper class. Her notable works, including The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth and Ethan Frome examined themes of social change, class and the often noisy bothers of social expectations. Wharton was also a prominent voice in World War I and was living as an expatriate in France when the war broke out. As opposed to leaving the country and returning to comfort in America, Wharton to chose to stay and write extensively about the events that unraveled during that period, and she has become one of the most prominent storytellers of that era because of her grit and dedication during that time. Wharton’s elegant writing style and observant social commentary have her a notable author, and her ability to capture the nuances of social interactions and the tensions between individual desires has made her work timeless. Wharton’s works are available through Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Silence may be as variously shaded as speech.” — Edith Wharton .

50 . James Baldwin (1924-1987)

American Writer James Baldwin in Paris.

James Baldwin, born in Harlem, New York City, was a significant voice in American literature and a powerful advocate for civil rights. Known for his honest opinions on themes of race, sexuality and identity, Baldwin’s writing style often combined his personal experiences with poignant social critique in a way that was both provocative and intelligent. His most influential works include Go Tell It on the Mountain , Giovanni’s Room and The Fire Next Time . Although he was primarily a novelist and essayist, Baldwin’s written work is comprised of many genres, including novels, short stories, essays, songs, children’s literature, poetry and drama. His works can be found at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin .

49. Voltaire (1694-1778)

Engraved portrait of Voltaire by Nicholas de Largilliere.

Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet in Paris, was an Enlightenment writer and philosopher. His razor-sharp intellect and advocacy of civil liberties set him apart in his time. His writing career began early, and his unique interest in satire brought him both recognition and controversy. His satirical novella Candide , a scathing critique of optimism and organized religion, remains relevant today for its incisive commentary on human suffering and the foolishness of naive idealism. His other well-known work, Lettres Philosophiques, is an essay-style series that provides a unique insight into Voltaire's experiences in Britain. In addition to books, Voltaire also wrote poems, plays and polemics, each with its own unique perspective. This diversity in his work is a testament to his wide-ranging intellect and interests. His works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth.” — Voltaire.

48. Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

A portrait of poet, author, playwright and Harlem Renaissance leader Langston Hughes, New York, New ... [+] York, February 1959.

Langston Hughes was an important American poet, novelist, social activist, playwright and columnist from Joplin, Missouri, whose work spanned various genres, including poetry, short stories, novels and plays. Hughes was also influential during the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s that celebrated African American cultural expressions and became a period that was renowned for its flourishing artistic, literary and intellectual achievements. This celebration of African American culture enriched the literary and artistic landscape of the time. Apart from leading the Harlem Renaissance movement, Hughes was also one of the creators of the literary genre known as jazz poetry, a rich form of literature that captures the core of jazz music and is illustrated by its jazz-like rhythm and focus on jazz music or musicians as its main elements. Born in 1902, Hughes’ writing frequently focused on the lives of Black Americans, their struggles, and their joys, marked by a sense of social justice and a celebration of Blackness. Some of his most notable works include The Weary Blues, Harlem , The Ways of White Folks and The Big Sea . His works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”― Langston Hughes .

47. John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

John Steinbeck holds a press conference after being awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature.

The working-class life is one that can seem so mundane and ordinary, yet John Steinbeck, born in Salinas, California, created a niche in literature for his honest and empathetic portrayal of working-class life. The Nobel Prize-winning American author knew that the average reader was a working-class member of society and he created characters to cater to that niche. His notable works include The Grapes of Wrath , The Pearl and East of Eden . A majority of Steinbeck’s writing is marked by its social consciousness and humanism. Steinback also wrote poems, plays and short stories. His work. is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “ I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession.” — John Steinbeck .

46. Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov in Montreux, Switzerland, circa 1965.

Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov is best known for his novel Lolita , a controversial yet masterfully written story about warped obsession and how depraved the human mind can become. Nabokov’s writing was always characterized by its poetic flow, intricate language, literary allusions and narrative structure. Nabokov dabbled in a lot of different types of writing, including poetry, science writing, translations and autobiographies. His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Human life is but a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece”― Vladimir Nabokov .

45. Albert Camus (1913-1960)

French writer Albert Camus poses for a portrait in Paris following the announcement of his being ... [+] awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.

French-Algerian novelist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus was a true literary powerhouse, whose skill for the written word also earned him the titles of journalist, playwright, novelist and essayist. As a leader of the existentialism movement, Camus became best known for his novels The Stranger , The Plague and his philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus . His writings frequently addressed themes of justice, rebellion and otherness. His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” ― Albert Camus .

44. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Friedrich Nietzsche was a Röcke, Germany-born philosopher whose provocative ideas and radical critiques of morality, religion and contemporary culture left an impact on intellectual history. Nietzsche was best known for his declaration that “God is dead” and his exploration of the concept of the Übermensch, with Nietzsche arguing that the Übermensch would transcend conventional Christian morality. His work addressed the human psyche, challenging traditional notions of truth, and frequently critiquing both traditional and modern values. His notable works, including Thus Spoke Zarathustra , The Birth of Tragedy , Beyond Good and Evil and The Genealogy of Morals , which offer a three-dimensional approach into the questions that lay the foundations for Western thought. Nietzsche’s work has influenced generations of theologians, philosophers, psychologists, poets, novelists, and playwrights. Apart from his philosophical influence, Nietzsche’s life was also marked by intense personal struggles like debilitating migraines and deteriorating eyesight, which forced him to retire from his professorship at a relatively young age. Interestingly, Nietzsche was also a composer, having created several musical pieces that reflected his complex and introspective worldview. His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”― Friedrich Nietzsche .

43. Hermann Hesse (1877-1962)

German-born novelist Hermann Hesse, circa 1945.

Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist and painter whose writing emphasized the importance of identity and non-conformity. The Calw, Germany-born writer is famous for books like Siddhartha , Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game. Hesse’s written pieces often went beyond the surface of exploring trite self-discovery and explored more complex issues like spirituality and self-actualization. As a true intellectual himself, many of Hessse’s characters also mimicked his sharp mind. Besides books, Hesse also wrote essays, short-stories and poems. His work is available at Macmillan Publishers .

Famous quote: “I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” — Hermann Hesse .

42. Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014)

Colombian writer and Nobel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez poses for a portrait on September 11, ... [+] 1990 in Paris.

Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian novelist and Nobel laureate, is one of the most prominent authors of the 20th century and one of the greatest Latin American writers in history. Born in Aracataca, his magical realism-themed novels, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, which earned him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, and Love in the Time of Cholera, are just two pieces in her reportoire that have given him worldwide critical acclaim. He was primarily known for his short story expertise and his books can be found at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous quote: “What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.” — Gabriel García Márquez .

41. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

British author Thomas Hardy.

Stinsford, England-born Thomas Hardy was an novelist and poet who crafted a niche in his depictions of rural life and the struggles of ordinary, working-class people. His major works, including Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd , were pieces that centered themselves on themes of fate, suffering and the limitations of social class and structure. Hardy’s writing was always rich and textured, and his ability to capture the beauty and harshness of rural England made his work all the more appreciated. Hardy’s works are available through Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “A strong woman who recklessly throws away her strength is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.”― Thomas Hardy.

40. Margaret Atwood (1939- )

Margaret Atwood in Paris, 2014.

Margaret Atwood, a prolific Canadian poet and writer, is celebrated for her speculative fiction and mostly dystopian storylines. Her best-known work is top dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale , which has become a symbol of feminist resistance and has also been adapted for TV for its powerful storytelling. With over 50 books written, Atwood’s writing, which also includes essays and poetry, is marked by its incisive social commentary and imaginative scope. Atwood’s work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “ Storytelling is a very old human skill that gives us an evolutionary advantage. If you can tell young people how you kill an emu, acted out in song or dance, or that Uncle George was eaten by a croc over there, don't go there to swim, then those young people don't have to find out by trial and error.” - Margaret Atwood .

39. James Joyce (1882-1941)

James Joyce

Short story aficionado James Joyce is a prolific name in modernist literature and a name that resonates with many. His groundbreaking works, including Ulysses , A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Dubliners , are acclaimed for their experimental techniques and close examination of the human psyche. The Dublin-born author refined his skill not only as a master storyteller but also as a credible designer of fictional characters that are deeply relatable. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” — James Joyce .

38. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Edgar Allan Poe in a 19th century print.

Mystery and macabre guru Edgar Allan Poe was an American short-story writer, literary critic, poet and editor whose Gothic-themed writing caught the world’s attention. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Poe is best known for his macabre-inclined stories like The Tell-Tale Heart , The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher. In his personal life, Poe lived a troubled life that was rife with controversy and alleged alcoholism, which sometimes seemed to inspire his written work and its concise literary precision. Poe’s work can be found at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.”― Edgar Allan Poe .

37. Herbert George Wells (1866-1946)

Herbert George Wells

Born in Bromley, England, Herbert George Wells is often regarded as the father of science fiction. His classic novels , such as The War of the Worlds , The Time Machine and The Invisible Man have inspired countless adaptations and continue to influence the literary landscape for emerging writers. Although Wells’ background as a child did not expose him to a lot of opportunities, his curiosity for learning helped to lay the foundation for his scholarly pursuits and, eventually, his writing career. He is often regarded as the leading literary spokesman for liberal optimism and much of his writing often analyzes themes of social justice and scientific ethics. His work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “ If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” — H.G. Wells .

36. Walt Whitman ( 1819-1892)

Walt Whitman in Camden, New Jersey, circa 1891.

Walt Whitman, born in West Hills, New York, is considered one of America’s most influential poets. At the age of 12, he had finished his formal education and taught himself how to read by visiting museums in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and frequently visiting the library. Whitman’s poetry was also a mold-breaker. It defied norms and conventional poetic writing forms, later earning him recognition as a trailblazer. This approach to writing was evident in the critically-acclaimed collection, Leaves of Grass , which celebrated democracy and nature with its free-verse style and caught the attention of readers, especially European readers. The collection went through nine editions throughout Whitman’s lifetime, each edition expanding and refining his vision of the American experience and becoming one of his most acclaimed projects. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Resist much, obey little.” — Walt Whitman .

35. Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

American poet and author Maya Angelou gestures while speaking during an interview at her home.

Actress, activist, memoirist and poet Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, was an American poet and civil rights activist whose literary acumen left a major imprint, not just on literature but on society. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which explore her childhood, early adult experiences, and rise to prominence. Angelou’s writing abandoned the trite for the raw, uncomfortable and challenging, often offering an unflinching honesty that made her writing both evocative and poignant. Her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , published in 1969, brought her international acclaim and recognition as a powerful advocate for Black women. Her poetry collections, such as And Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman, also earned her critical acclaim. Her works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “ You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise.” — Maya Angelou .

34. Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)

Illustrated image of English novelist Charlotte Brontë, seated with a small book in hand.

Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, England, to an Anglican clergyman father and a stay-at-home mother. She is best known for her novel Jane Eyre , a groundbreaking work in the development of the novel form and in the portrayal of the inner life of a woman, much of which mimicked her childhood and adulthood. Initially published under the name Currer Bell, Jane Eyre was a massive success and is regarded as a seminal English classic. Brontë’s writing had an intense emotional gravity to it and an acute attention to detail in its characters. Her work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “I am no bird, and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.” — Charlotte Brontë .

33. George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) (1819-1880)

English novelist Mary Anne Evans, who wrote under the nom de plume of George Eliot (1819 - 1880), ... [+] pictured at the age of 30, circa 1849.

George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, was an English author who was well-respected for detailed and psychologically nuanced novels. Through her writing, she invented and later developed the method of psychological analysis, a form that was not used at the time. Born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, Evans grew up in a rural environment that influenced her later works. Her keen observations of village life, combined with her deep intellectual pursuits, allowed her to create some of the most enduring and insightful works of the 19th century. Some of her most significant works include The Mill on the Floss , Adam Bede and Silas Marner . Her work is available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.” — George Eliot .

32. Joseph Conrad ( 1857-1924)

Black and white portrait of Joseph Conrad.

Joseph Conrad, born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, was a Polish-British short story writer and novelist who achieved a lot of recognition for notable bodies of work like Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, which focus on themes of colonialism, morality and angst. Conrad was born in Berdychiv, which was previously part of the Russian Empire at the time, and is now in Ukraine. His rich command of prose and ability to tell memorable stories in a way that felt personal to every reader who picked up his work were also a signature traits of his work. Conrad frequently examined themes of moral complexity and loneliness against the backdrop of the sea, and this was inspired by his days as a sailor. As a writer, Conrad had complex skill and striking insight into the human mind and its approach to the concept of good and evil. Conrad’s books are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Those who read me know my conviction that the world, the temporal world, rests on a few very simple ideas; so simple that they must be as old as the hills. It rests, notably, among others, on the idea of Fidelity.”― Joseph Conrad .

31. C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

Irish-born academic, writer and Christian apologist Clive Staples Lewis.

C.S Lewis, born Clive Staples Lewis in Belfast, Ireland, was a well-respected British writer, scholar, and theologian whose paradigm-shifting works have impacted both literature and global Christian thought. He is best known for his beloved children's series, The Chronicles of Narnia , a series of seven fantasy novels that have enchanted readers for generations, as well as his significant contributions to Christian apologetics and his scholarly works on medieval and Renaissance literature. Despite his broad intellectual pursuits, Lewis always remained humble, and this quality endeared him to readers and colleagues. Lewis’ works are available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” — C.S. Lewis .

30. Joseph Heller (1923-1999)

American author Joseph Heller sits at a desk in his home, East Hampton, Long Island, New York, 1984. ... [+]

Joseph Heller, born in Brooklyn, was another master of satire and dark comedy. His satirical novel Catch-22 became one of the most important books in the 20th century and even in pop-culture. Thanks to his sharp sense of humor, biting satire and apt narration, Heller positioned himself as one of America’s greats after Catch-22 . Other notable works by Heller include Something Happened and Good as Gold. He also wrote plays, screenplays and autobiographical works. His play We Bombed in New Haven critiques the Vietnam War, and his autobiography Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here is a memoir about his life and career. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”― Joseph Heller .

29. Stephen King (1947- )

Stephen King

Stephen King, famously known as the king of horror, was born in Portland, Maine, and is one of the most successful authors of contemporary times. King’s contributions to the horror genre as well as his extensive body of work, which spans novels, short stories, essays and screenplays, have made him a household name and an icon in popular culture. With over 60 novels and 200 short stories to his name, King’s ability to mix the gory supernatural with the everyday has thrilled and scared readers for decades. Some of his notable works include Carrie, Salem’s Lot and The Shining among others. King has written non-fiction, screenplays, and even columns and his work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”― Stephen King .

28. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1977- )

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian writer on the sidelines of a museum opening.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born in Enugu, Nigeria, is a critically acclaimed Nigerian writer known for her novels, poems, short stories and essays that explore themes of identity, race, migration, gender and the Nigerian postcolonial experience. In 1997, after initially studying medicine in Nsukka, Adichie decided to emigrate to the United States to pursue further education, which led to a change in her career trajectory. She completed her undergraduate studies in communication and political science at Eastern Connecticut State University, graduating with a B.A. in 2001 before later earning a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University. Adichie would later study African history at Yale University, and this would inform a lot of her written work. Adichie’s powerful storytelling and intelligent storytelling have made her a global voice in literature. Some of Adichie’s best work includes her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, as well as Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah, which received numerous accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 2014. Her TED Talk, We Should All Be Feminists , has also been widely influential, leading to a book of the same name that has inspired discussions on feminism worldwide. Adichie’s works continue to resonate deeply with readers around the globe, addressing contemporary issues with nuance and depth. Her works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations.”― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie .

27. Alice Walker (1944- )

American author and poet Alice Walker.

Alice Walker is an American novelist, poet, and activist known for her powerful exploration of race, gender and social issues. Born in 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker grew up as the youngest of eight children in a family of sharecroppers, and a BB gun accident at the age eight left her blind in one eye. After the accident, her mother gave her a typewriter, allowing her to write instead of doing chores. Her upbringing in the racially segregated South has influenced her work, and her writing vividly depicts Black life, offering readers insights into the experiences and struggles that define the Black community. In 1983, The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award; it was adapted into a film in 1985. Walker has also been honored with the Lillian Smith Award and the Mahmoud Darwish Literary Prize for Fiction. Other notable works by Walker include Meridian, The Third Life of Grange Copeland and Possessing the Secret of Joy . Her work is available at HarperCollins Publishers .

Famous Quote: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.”― Alice Walker .

26. Salman Rushdie (1947-)

Salman Rushdie receives the 2023 Peace Prize of the German book trade association at Paulskirche ... [+] church on October 22, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)

Indian-born British-American professor and writer Salman Rushdie began his writing career as an ad copywriter, but later decided to start writing books. His first novel, Grimus, was published in 1975 and went relatively unnoticed, but his second novel, Midnight’s Children, in 1981, catapulted him to literary stardom. The novel won the Booker Prize and was later awarded the Booker of Bookers for the best novel to have won the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. But Rushdie’s literary rise would later be clouded with a lot of controversy. In his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, he triggered outrage among some Muslims for his portrayal of the prophet Muhammad. The book’s release led to widespread protests, bans in several countries, and, most notably, a fatwa calling for his assassination issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989. The fatwa forced Rushdie into hiding under police protection for many years, significantly impacting his personal and professional life. Rushdie, nevertheless, continued to be a target. During a 2022 speaking engagement in Chautauqua, New York, Rushdie was brutally stabbed while on stage, effectively blinding him in his right eye and causing him permanent nerve damage. The attack inspired his memoir, Knife . Rushdie is still alive and continues to write. Most of Rushdie’s writing style is steeped in magical allegory and fantasy, and his work is available at Penguin .

Famous Quote: What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”― Salman Rushdie .

25. Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964)

Photo of American writer Flannery O'Connor.

An extraordinary ability to coordinate the grotesque and the profound to create unsettling and insightful stories defines Flannery O'Connor’s legacy. The Southern Gothic fiction guru was born in Savannah, Georgia, to a devout Catholic family, and this background would later significantly impact her writing. Many of O’Connor’s novels are centered around questions of morality and redemption through a religious lens. Some of O’Connor’s most notable works include A Good Man Is Hard to Find , Wise Blood, and Everything That Rises Must Converge . The Southern writer wrote novels and is renowned for her short stories, considered some of the best in American literature. At some point in her life, O’Connor also considered a career as a cartoonist but did not fully pursue that career track. Despite her short life, O’Connor’s works continue to resonate with readers for portraying the complex nature of faith and humanity. Her stories remain important for those seeking to understand the darker yet redeemable aspects of humans.

Famous quote: “I don't deserve any credit for turning the other cheek, as my tongue is always in it.” ― Flannery O’Connor .

24. Herman Melville (1819-1891)

Painting of Herman Melville by Joseph Eaton.

Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer and poet known for his deep and dark storylines that explored themes of fate and free will. The New York City-born writer grew up in a family that faced financial difficulties after his father’s death, prompting him to work various jobs. Melville attended the Albany Academy but left to work as a clerk, a teacher and eventually a sailor on whaling ships. These experiences particularly influenced his literary work, including being a sailor, which provided him with maritime experiences that would inspire much of his writing. His complex approach to the art of plotting, his symbolic depth, and his exploration of existential undertones characterize Melville’s writing style. His ancestors were among the Scottish and Dutch settlers of New York who played significant roles in the American Revolution and the competitive commercial and political arenas of the emerging nation. His grandfather, Major Thomas Melville, participated in the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and later became an importer in New York. Some of Herman Melville’s most influential works include Moby-Dick , Bartleby, the Scrivener and Billy Budd, Sailor , which was published posthumously in 1924. Melville’s books are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”― Herman Melville .

23. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci by Lattanzio Querena.

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath whose primary interests included painting, sculpture, music, mathematics and literature. While he is primarily known as an artist and scientist, his literary contributions, including his notebooks filled with observations, sketches and musings, have also had a significant impact on the evolution of art and science for centuries. Leonardo ’s notebooks, such as the Codex Atlanticus and the Codex Leicester , reveal his incisive insights into anatomy, engineering and hydraulics. His meticulous records and innovative ideas have inspired generations of scientists and artists. Some of Vinci’s written works are available in places like the Louvre, the Biblioteca Nacional de España, and Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, to name a few, but Vinci is primarily known for creating The Last Supper and his magnum opus, Mona Lisa. Leonardo’s holistic approach to artistic design and expression embodied the Renaissance humanist ideal and influenced public thought through its enduring relevance in both the arts and sciences, making him a classic icon.

Famous quote: “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” ― Leonardo da Vinci .

22. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Photo of Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde sitting down.

Irish poet Oscar Wilde was a playwright, lecturer and novelist whose writing can be defined as witty and flamboyant. The Dublin-born writer became renowned for notable works like The Picture of Dorian Gray , The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husban d. Wilde’s enduring popularity can be credited to his precise exploration of aestheticism and ability to harmonize humor with social critiques, which allowed him to expose Victorian society’s specific hypocrisies and superficialities. Wilde was also a well-respected person in the Aesthetic Movement, which advocated art for art’s sake and emphasized beauty and sensory experiences over moral or narrative content. Despite facing personal and legal challenges, including a highly publicized trial and imprisonment for his homosexuality, Wilde’s legacy is defined by his literary brilliance and his aphoristic wit. His essays, such as The Critic as Artist and The Soul of Man under Socialism , also showed his intellectual depth and advocacy for individuality and artistic freedom, much of which was inspired by his extensive education at Trinity College, Dublin, Magdalen College and Oxford. His works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde .

21. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe circa 1800.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director and critic who is famous for his work on Faust, a Tragedy, a dramatic two-part play that is considered one of the finest works of German literature. Goethe’s contributions to literature, philosophy and science have made him a focal figure in European intellectual history, and the Frankfurt-born luminary is considered one of the greatest German literary figures of the modern era. Beyond Faust , Goethe’s also gained acclaim for works such as The Sorrows of Young Werther , which is credited with launching the Sturm und Drang literary movement, and Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship , which became a center piece in the development of the Bildungsroman genre. Goethe’s poetry, including collections like West-östlicher Divan , showcases his wide-ranging palette and his engagement with diverse cultures and philosophies. His scientific work, particularly in the fields of botany and optics, demonstrated his holistic approach to understanding nature, culminating in influential texts like Metamorphosis of Plants and his theories on color, which he detailed in Theory of Colours . As a statesman, Goethe played an active role in the cultural and political life of Weimar, contributing to the Weimar Classicism movement alongside his friend Friedrich Schiller. His intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary approach made him a polymath, deeply influencing the Romantic movement and shaping modern thought in both the humanities and sciences. Goethe’s legacy endures not only in his literary masterpieces but also in his profound impact on the intellectual and cultural developments of his time. Goethe’s works can be found at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe .

20. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Colorized photograph of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, late 1800s.

Born in Portland, Maine, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet, professor and translator who is considered the most popular American poet in the 19th century. Longfellow’s early life and education gave him a solid foundation for his career and the intellectual acuity to compose the lyrical poetry that he did. After graduating from the Portland Academy, Longfellow studied at Bowdoin College, where he later became a professor upon his return from Europe, where he became proficient in Romance and Germanic languages. Longfellow was always skilled in translation. During his time in Europe, he honed his skills by immersing himself in various languages and literature that influenced his work. Some of his most famous works are The Song of Hiawatha, Evangeline , Tales of a Wayside Inn and Paul Revere’s Ride. Many of Longfellow’s poems were quite introspective, offering readers insight into human nature and all of its intricacies. As an educator, Longfellow was also a professor at Harvard College, where he influenced generations of students with his passion for literature and languages. Although Longfellow was primarily a poet, his impact on American literature extends beyond his poetry. He was instrumental in popularizing European literature in the United States through his translations of works like Dante’s Divine Comedy and he also wrote novels. His works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow .

19. Jules Verne (1828-1905)

Colorized photo of Jules Verne (1828-1905), French writer. (Photo by Boyer/Roger Viollet via Getty ... [+] Images)

France-born author Jules Verne is often regarded as one of the fathers of science fiction because of his sharp imagination and thorough research, which brought to life classics like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days . His stories often focus on adventure, exploration and the possibilities of science, which reflected the technological advancements of his era. Verne did not always aspire to be a writer, and his father initially wanted him to become a lawyer, but when those plans failed, he worked at the Paris stock exchange before becoming a writer. Verne’s thorough descriptions of submarines, space travel and airships were visionary and inspired a generation of many scientists and inventors who also had an interest in writing. Apart from writing novels, Verne was also a playwright and poet, and despite early rejections and financial struggles, Verne’s determination made him one of the best-selling authors of all time, with his works translated into many languages and adapted into films, TV shows and theater. Verne’s books are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.”― Jules Verne .

18. William Blake (1757-1827)

William Blake

William Blake was a London-born author who is considered one of the best English writers and painters of all time. Some of his well-respected works include Poetical Sketches, S ongs of Innocence, Songs of Experience and Visions of the Daughters of Albion. Apart from his work as an author, Blake was an engraver, artist, poet and visionary whose art was informed by his spiritual worldviews, and although he was not a was a religious seeker, he believed in the movement. During his lifetime, Blake’s work was often underestimated because his views and poetic style seemed to be ahead of his time, and also because he was regarded as being somewhat mentally unwell, because of behavior that would be thought of as only slightly eccentric today. Regardless, Blake would later become appreciated for his creativity and the philosophical tangents that guided his work. Blake’s works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”― William Blake .

17. John Donne (1572-1631)

John Donne circa 1610.

John Donne was not just fascinating as a poet. His life was a colorful adventure that often seeped into his poems, which are considered landmark feats of language. Donne was born into a Roman Catholic family in London at a time when practicing Catholicism was illegal in England and despite of his impressive education at Oxford and Cambridge, he could not get a degree because, as a Catholic, he refused to take the Oath of allegiance to queen Elizabeth. Donne endured significant poverty for a major part of his lifetime and this led him to pour all of his energy and resources into writing about theology, canon law, anti-Catholic polemics and love poems. Donne’s poetic style, which had a lot of depth and intellectual rigor, was ahead of its time and not widely recognized during his life. In fact, his works Songs and Sonnets, Holy Sonnets and Anniversaries were all published after his death. His works are available at Canon Press .

Famous quote: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”― John Donne .

16. Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra circa 1590.

Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright and poet best known for his classic Don Quixote , often considered the first modern novel in history. Many critics consider Cervantes to be a contemporary of Shakespeare and this title holds even more meaning since the literary giants died within a day of each other in April of 1616. Born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, Cervantes’ life had all of the elements of a good movie: adventure, action, hardship and eventual success. He served as a soldier and was severely wounded at the Battle of Lepanto, losing the use of his left hand. In 1575, he was captured by Barbary pirates and spent five years as a slave in Algiers before being ransomed and returning to Spain where he would spend 25 years before finally striking gold with Don Quixote. His final novel Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda , was published posthumously in 1616. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “The truth may be stretched thin, but it never breaks, and it always surfaces above lies, as oil floats on water.”― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra .

15. Elena Ferrante (1943-)

Some of the books of Elena Ferrante at Piu Libri Piu Liberi Publishing Fair on December 6, 2017 in ... [+] Rome.

Elena Ferrante is the pseudonym of the Italian author known for L’amica Geniale , Delia’s Elevator and the Neapolitan Novels, a four-part series of fiction that has made her a leading, yet mysterious voice in modern-day fictional writing. Despite the worldwide acclaim of her work, Ferrante’s true identity is still a mystery and this has added to the intrigue and speculation surrounding her. The mysterious New York Times bestselling author has communicated through her publisher stating that anonymity is important for her writing process, allowing her to focus solely on her work without public scrutiny. Apart from novels, Ferrante has published several essays and interviews where she discusses her approach to writing and her views on literature and society, providing rare insights into her creative mind. Her writing has showcased her psychological insight, complex characters and exploration of friendship, identity and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. Despite the speculation and attempts to uncover her identity, Ferrante has successfully maintained her privacy, letting her work speak for itself. In 2016, Time m agazine named Ferrante one of the 100 most influential people. Her books are available at Europa Editions .

Famous quote: “Words: with them you can do and undo as you please.”― Elena Ferrante .

14. Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

Dante Alighieri circa early 14th Century.

Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, politician and author who is regarded as one of the greatest poets of all time and his magnum opus, The Divine Comedy, was the primary piece that gained him a lot of popularity . A little-known fact about Dante is that he was heavily involved in the politics of Florence, which led to his exile. This exile influenced a lot of his writing, particularly in The Divine Comedy , in which he depicts his political enemies suffering in hell. Dante also wrote in the vernacular Italian rather than Latin, which helped standardize the Italian language and shape the cultural and literary landscape of Italy. Dante also authored several other important works such as De Monarchia , a treatise on secular and religious power, and Vita Nuova , which explores his idealized love for Beatrice Portinari and his poetic development. Alighieri’s writings also cover a wide range of topics, from ethics and politics to metaphysics. His writing also reflected a deep engagement with the philosophical and theological debates of his time, blending his political views with his spiritual and intellectual interests.​ His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”― Dante Alighieri .

13. Plato (428-7 B.C.E - 348-7 B.C.E.)

Head of Plato circa B.C. 428 - B.C. 248.

Plato was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, one of the most influential philosophers in Western history and a leader of Claslassical Antiquity. Aside from his contributions to philosophy, Plato founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the Western world, writing extensively on a variety of subjects, including politics, ethics and metaphysics. Most of his works often featured Socratic dialogues, a method of questioning designed to inspire critical thinking. His dialogues, such as The Republic , Phaedo and Symposium did not only examine political theory but also discussed the nature of reality, knowledge and the ideal state. Plato is often credited for the development of the Theory of Forms, a concept that proposes non-material abstract forms, or ideas, as the most accurate reality. This theory has had a lasting impact on subsequent philosophical thought. Also, his work Timaeus is one of the earliest detailed accounts of the natural world which combined philosophy and proto-science. Plato was heavily involved in politics extended beyond his theoretical writings because he intended to implement his philosophical ideas in the political realm, particularly in Syracuse, although these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and led to his temporary imprisonment. His works are available at Hackett Publishing .

Famous quote: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”― Plato .

12. Sophocles (496 BCE- 406)

Sophocles was a Colonus-born playwright who was one of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. Sophocles is best known for Ajax, Oedipus Rex and Antigone. He served as a general in the Athenian military and was active in public service, which influenced his writings on justice and themes of duty in his plays. Sophocles was immenseley talented, which led him to win reportedly winning 24 out of 30 dramatic competitions he entered. Sophocles was also a pioneer in stagecraft, introducing innovations such as the use of a third actor , scene painting, and stage machinery to create more elaborate and visually striking productions. His emphasis on character development and psychological depth marked a significant advancement in the art of storytelling and Greek theater. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.”― Sophocles .

11. François Rabelais (Approximately 1483–94- 1553)

Poet Francois Rabelais. Canvas from a anonymous French painter. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images)

François Rabelais was a French Renaissance writer and an avid traveler who is famed for his series of masterpieces called Gargantua and Pantagruel , which were published between 1532 and 1564. What many people don't know is that Rabelais was also a physician and a monk before he turned to writing. His works were often satirical and critical of the Church and society, which led to them being condemned by the Sorbonne, France’s prestigious institute for culture and academics. Rabelais’s background in medicine significantly influenced his writing, infusing his work with detailed anatomical and medical knowledge, often used to humorous effect. Rabelais was also known for his advocacy for education, echoing the intellectual spirit of the Renaissance. He promoted the idea that humans should be educated broadly in arts and sciences to develop fully. His works are available at Delphi Classics .

Famous quote: “there are more fools than wise men in all societies, and the larger party always gains the upper hand”― François Rabelais .

10. Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

Geoffrey Chaucer circa 1342-1400.

Geoffrey Chaucer is often hailed as the father of English literature, but a lesser-known fact is that Chaucer was also a diplomat and a civil servant, and this had a major impact on his life as a literary icon. Chaucer was born in London, but he traveled extensively across Europe, and like many writers, his travels influenced his literary works. His exposure to travel also inspired him to become fluent in several languages, including French, Italian and Latin, which added depth to his writing. Some of Chaucer’s notable works include The Canterbury Tales , which is considered one of the greatest poetic works in English. Chaucer’s career in public service was also impactful. As a civil servant, he held various positions, including courtier, diplomat and Member of Parliament, and many of his leadership roles gave him insight into the lives of ordinary people, much of which he vividly portrayed in his characters. His diplomatic missions took him to Italy, where he encountered the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, profoundly influencing his own literary style and themes. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained”― Geoffrey Chaucer .

9. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

Virginia Woolf, circa 1902.

This list would be incomplete without Virginia Woolf. Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London, and devoted an enormous part of her career to becoming a major figure in the modernist literary movement. Her stream-of-consciousness writing style as exemplified in iconic bodies of work like Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse prove that Woolf was in a league of her own. The themes in her writing often included identity, time and the complexity of the human nature. Apart from novels, Woolf also explored essays, literary history, biographical writing and women’s issues. Woolf tragically died by suicide in 1941. Before her death, she founded her own publishing company, Hogarth Press, in 1917, but her work is available at Penguin Random House .

Famous quote: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” — Virginia Woolf .

8. Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881)

Fyodor Dostoevsky, circa 1865.

Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, born in Moscow, had an approach to writing that stood out for its psychological penetration and exploration of darker themes. The short story expert had a list of impressive and critically acclaimed works, including Crime and Punishment , The Brothers Karamazov, The Possessed and The Idiot, all of which explored the human soul and moral dilemmas. Dostoevsky suffered from epilepsy throughout his life, which he uses as a source of inspiration for his writing by frequently depicting characters with epilepsy, and exploring the associated mental and emotional struggles that came with the condition. Outside of fiction, Dostoevsky often wrote extensiovely in letters and diaries about the anxiety that his epileptic seizures caused. After suffering successive seizures that resulted in three pulmonary hemorrhages, Dostoevsky passed away in 1881. During his lifetime as a writer, his writing style employed the use of gothic elements, chaotic storytelling and freeform storytelling. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky .

7. Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Illustration of British novelist Charles Dickens sitting in his study in Gads Hill near Rochester, ... [+] Kent, England, circa 1860.

After his interest in theater waned, Charles Dickens pivoted careers and chose to become a writer. It would be a decision that would earn him recognition as one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. Known for his vivid characters and memorable depictions of social class, injustice and hierarchy, the Portsmouth, England-born journalist’s ability to create a broad array of characters is nothing like any other writer on this list. Some classics that Dickens wrote include A Tale of Two Cities , Great Expectations and the world-renowned Oliver Twist . His works often highlighted the plight of the poor and critiqued the class system. Dickens also wrote plays and engaged in journalism and travel writing. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” — Charles Dickens .

6. Jane Austen (1775-1817)

Illustrated portrait of Jane Austen.

Jane Austen, born in Steventon, England, is famous not just for her iconic books Pride and Prejudice , Emma and Sense and Sensibility ; she was also one of the trailblazers of the British novel. Her approach to the development of modern characters and her ability to make ordinary people extraordinary are what made her writing so popular and widely read. Austen’s contributions were not just to British writing alone but to the entire global landscape of emerging writers, past and present. Her writing offered doses of wit and acute commentary on societal issues like class and social status. Austen’s writing has been regarded as fundamentally grounded in burlesque, parody and free indirect speech. Her work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.” — Jane Austen.

5. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway , born in Oak Park, Illinois, was a prolific figure in American literature and a brilliant writer, hunter, sailor, former spy and explorer. He became known for his larger-than-life persona and distinctive writing style, which was marked by economical prose. Hemingway’s literary career was as adventurous as his personal life, and his works have always been a topic of discussion in literary circles and popular culture. Hemingway’s personal life, which influenced his writing, was as dramatic as his fiction. As an avid adventurer, he traveled extensively, engaging in big-game hunting in Africa, bullfighting in Spain and deep-sea fishing in the Caribbean. Some of his most notable works include For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea , which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953. Although he is best known for his fiction and non-fiction novels and short stories, he also wrote in other genres. His works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway .

4. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Writer Leo Tolstoy sitting at desk in his study.

Leo Tolstoy’s strength as a writer came alive through his exploration of philosophical themes and analysis. Born in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia, Tolstoy is best known for his iconic novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina . Most of his writing showcases his mastery of realistic fiction and ability to create out-of-the-box plots. As a well-respected figure in Russian literature, Tolstoy’s literary influence extends beyond his novels to his essays on religion, non-violence and education. His work is available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous quote: “Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.” — Leo Tolstoy .

3. Virgil (70 BCE- 19 BCE)

Detail of a mosaic of Virgil.

Virgil, born Publius Vergilius Maro, is known as one of the most well-respected poets of ancient Rome. Despite his humble beginnings, Virgil received an excellent education in Cremona, Milan, and finally Rome, where he studied rhetoric, medicine and astronomy before focusing on philosophy and poetry. Virgil is renowned as one of ancient Rome's greatest poets and his most notable works include The Eclogues , The Georgics and The Aeneid , which stands out as a monumental epic that weaves together the journey of the Trojan hero Aeneas with themes of fate, duty and heroism, ultimately glorifying Rome and Emperor Augustus. Despite his illustrious career, Virgil struggled with health issues and led a reclusive life. His philosophical leanings towards Epicureanism subtly influenced his literary themes. Virgil died before he could complete The Aeneid to his satisfaction and requested that the work be destroyed on his deathbed, a wish that Augustus famously overruled. Virgil's influence endured through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which made his legacy even stronger as an oundational figure in Western literature​. Virgil’s works are available at Simon & Schuster .

Famous Quote: “ Audaces fortuna iuvat (latin)- Fortune favors the bold.”― Virgil .

2. Homer (Around 8th century BC)

A colorized engraving of Homer with eyes superimposed.

Homer, the quintessential ancient Greek poet, is credited with composing The Iliad and The Odyssey , two legendary poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature and the Western literary tradition. The Iliad focuses on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles during the last year of the Trojan War, emphasizing themes of heroism, glory and the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey follows the challenging ten-year journey of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. A major part of Homer’s mystique lies in the fact that very little is known about the Greek author’s life and most of his background is shrouded in mystique and mystery, it is generally believed he lived around the 8th or 9th century B.C. Multiple cities, including Smyrna, Chios and Ios, claim to be Homer’s birthplace, but that has been speculative. Homer is also one of the most influential authors in the widest sense, because of the two epics that he created that provided the basis of Greek education and culture throughout the Classical age. Homer’s works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “Out of sight,out of mind”― Homer .

1. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Colorized illustration (after a John Cochran print) of English playwright William Shakespeare.

There are a select few names that remain ever-present in history and never fade into the background. Names like Jesus Christ, The Beatles and Michael Jackson have a permanent presence on the world’s collective memory, and William Shakespeare falls into that timeless category as well. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. His works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets and several narrative poems, all of which have had a permanent impact on literature and theater globally. Shakespeare’s repertoire does not only conform to a specific era, but has an such as enduring appeal that is relevant in works like Hamlet , Romeo and Juliet , Othello , King Lear and Macbeth continue to be performed and studied in institutions worldwide. Although Shakespeare’s early works were mainly comedies and histories, he is best known for his tragedies, which were written between 1601 and 1608 and explored complex themes of betrayal, love, ambition and the supernatural. His last plays, often categorized as romances or tragicomedies, include The Tempest , The Winter’s Tale and Cymbeline . A lesser-known fact about Shakespeare is that he was also a businessman and a shareholder in the Globe Theatre. His works are available at Penguin Random House .

Famous Quote: “We know what we are, but not what we may be.”― William Shakespeare .

Bottom Line

This list highlights 101 wordsmoths across history, eras and time, from William Shakespeare and Jane Austen to George Orwell and García Márquez. It celebrates their undeniable and untainted contributions to human thought, covering various genres and reminding readers not just of their ageless legacies, but their quintessential impact.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who are top famous romance novelists.

Jane Austen is one of the most well-respected romance novelists , celebrated for her keen social commentary and timeless love stories. Austen's works are renowned for their insight into  romantic relationships and the societal norms of 19th-century England.

Danielle Steel is a best-selling author in the romance genre, with over 190 books to her name. Steel's ability to market stories that are relatable and compelling has made her a modern-day fan-favorite in the genre.

Who Are Notable Female Authors?

Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize-winning author known for her impactful writings which explore race and impact. Her novels, such as Beloved and The Bluest Eye , explore the African American experience with depth and serious reflection.

Virginia Woolf is a key figure in modernist literature, known for her innovative narrative techniques and exploration of the inner lives of her characters. Her seminal works, including Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse , have influenced generations of writers and readers. 

Who Are Notable Black Authors?

Maya Angelou was a poet, memoirist and civil rights activist who autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings provided a seminal text into the exploration of identity, racism and resilience. Angelou's lyrical prose and powerful storytelling have left an incredible mark on literature and continue to inspire readers all over the world.

James Baldwin  was an influential writer and social critic whose writings honestly addressed the complex themes of race, sexuality and identity. His novels, which include Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni's Room are celebrated for their eloquence and emotional depth. 

Who Are The Best 20th Century Novelists?

F. Scott Fitzgerald is best known for his novel The Great Gatsby , an important 20th century story about the American Dream gone awry. Fitzgerald's fictional, yet candid review of wealth, love and social change in the Jazz Age has made him a defining voice of 20th-century American literature.

George Orwell , author of 1984 and Animal Farm , is known for his acute critiques of totalitarianism and his honest criticism of social justice issues. Orwell's works are noted for their clarity, wit and relevance, making him one of the most important writers of the 20th century.

Who Are The Best 19th Century Novelists?

Charles Dickens is one of the most recognized writers of the 19th century who was known for his vivid characters and social commentary. Stories like A Tale of Two Cities , Great Expectations and Oliver Twist highlight Dickens' ability to combine compelling narratives with critiques of Victorian society.

Leo Tolstoy , the Russian novelist, is celebrated for his epic works War and Peace and Anna Karenina . Tolstoy's exploration of human experience, history, and morality in his novels has made him a cornerstone of world literature.

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Star trek fans with big pockets can now buy captain sulu’s excelsior.

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Star Trek's Mr. Sulu History In TOS, Movies & Beyond Explained

Wesley crusher's safe house & star trek: tos connection explained, mark harmon returns to acting 3 years after leaving ncis in new movie set images.

• Own a piece of Star Trek history with Captain Sulu's USS Excelsior for sale by Heritage Auctions starting at $40,000.
• The Excelsior is one of nearly 600 items up for sale, including Kirk's green uniform, and Carrie Fisher's metal bikini from Star Wars.
• The July auction also features iconic artwork from Star Trek like Bob Peak's original poster for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

This month, fans of Star Trek have a chance to buy the USS Excelsior, commanded by Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), provided that they have big pockets. The USS Excelsior debuted in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , hailed as the " great experiment ", but proved to be no match for the USS Enterprise. Years later, Sulu transferred from the Enterprise to the Excelsior, commanding the iconic starship in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Star Trek 's Excelsior-class starships became the gold standard for Starfleet in the late 23rd century, carrying over into Star Trek: The Next Generation 's 24th century.

Now, Heritage Auctions are putting Captain Sulu's USS Excelsior up for sale as part of their July Entertainment Auction, running between the 25th and 26th of this month. Listed with a starting bid of $40,000, the USS Excelsior, built by Greg Jein for use in Star Trek: Voyager , season 3, episode 2, "Flashback" is one of almost 600 items up for sale from Star Trek , Star Wars , and more. Other Star Trek items on sale in the July Entertainment Auction include Bob Peak's final movie artwork for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , and Captain Kirk's green uniform . Read Heritage Auctions ' statement below, and peruse the collection here .

"The July 25-26 event, now open for bidding, is a blast into hyperspace featuring beloved starships, iconic costumes and important artwork from the worlds of Star Trek and Star Wars , as well as the films that influenced those franchises and the entertainment inspired by them. Among the auction’s nearly 600 offerings, collectors will find a Y-wing starfighter that helped take down the Death Star in 1977’s Star Wars , the USS Excelsior that crashed Star Trek: Voyager ’s “Flashback,” Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s early production script for their trip into 2001: A Space Odyssey and John Alvin’s original concept art for the Blade Runner poster. Here, too, is the costume with which Carrie Fisher had a love-hate relationship: the skimpy metal bikini Princess Leia wore as Jabba the Hutt’s slave in Return of the Jedi ."

Since his introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series, Hikaru Sulu has had a long and varied career in the franchise, appearing in many projects.

Why Captain Sulu’s Excelsior Returned In Star Trek: Voyager

The USS Excelsior that's up for sale at Heritage Auctions was built by Greg Jein for use in Star Trek: Voyager 's contribution to the franchise's 30th anniversary celebrations. In Voyager season 3, episode 2, "Flashback", Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) participated in a mind meld with Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ), who took her back in time to the USS Excelsior. As Janeway and Tuvok try to get to the bottom of Tuvok's deteriorating mental state, they are thrown into the climactic events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

With Star Trek 's 60th anniversary only a few years away, it feels apt that this piece of franchise history is now up for sale. 30 years after the Excelsior was rebuilt to celebrate Star Trek 's first three decades, the franchise is in rude health. Like Sulu before her, Janeway is still a beloved character, thanks to her resurgence in Star Trek: Prodigy . By acquiring the USS Excelsior prop, a lucky fan - in more ways than one, given the price - could own a starship that bridges two classic Star Trek eras.

Source: Heritage Auctions

Star Trek: The Original Series

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Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

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Published Mar 10, 2023

Celebrating Star Trek's Women Writers

From The Original Series to Lower Decks, these women have helped shape canon for the better.

StarTrek.com

Star Trek has a history of not only highlighting powerful women on-screen, but featuring them behind-the-scenes as well. Going as far back as Star Trek : The Original Series , each series has featured women as episode writers, which was a striking move for a 1960s show. As the franchise continued to grow throughout the years, more women joined the Star Trek writing family, bringing us stories of humanity, hope, and heartbreak.

We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite episodes written by women, starting with The Original Series and going all the way forward to Star Trek: Lower Decks . These stories have touched our hearts and changed Star Trek ’s canon for the better. Celebrate the history of women behind the camera by tuning in to these iconic episodes.

Star Trek : The Original Series

D.c. fontana , writer, "journey to babel".

We’ve written about how much we love this episode before, but we consider it so important that it made this list too. D.C. Fontana changed our view of Vulcan by introducing Spock’s parents in this episode packed full of intrigue. As the Enterprise transports ambassadors, including Spock’s father Ambassador Sarek, to an important diplomatic meeting, a murder occurs and Sarek falls gravely ill. Fontana develops Spock’s character beautifully as he considers the needs of the many versus the needs of the few (a long time before Wrath of Khan ), and we can’t get enough of the family dynamics at play in the episode.

Jean Lisette Aroeste , writer, "Is There No Truth in Beauty?"

Another popular episode from The Original Series, this episode follows psychologist Miranda Jones as she and the Enterprise travel with Medusan ambassador Kollos to his ship. The episode has plenty of action, but is perhaps most famous for summarizing Vulcan philosophy in a beautiful fashion that rings true today. There is infinite diversity in infinite combinations, and writer Jean Lisette Aroeste crafted the running theme of diversity in its infinite beauty perfectly.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Melinda m. snodgrass , writer, "the measure of a man".

One of the best The Next Generation episodes (and so important that we included it in our Picard watch guide ), "The Measure of a Man" questioned Data’s personhood. Picard stood strong for his crewmember’s agency, even as Riker is forced into the uncomfortable position of having to argue against it. Melinda M. Snodgrass crafted an introspective episode that forced the crew of the Enterprise to examine what makes someone human, and in turn gave us one of the best episodes of television.

Jeri Taylor , writer, "The Drumhead"

Picard faces a miscarriage of justice by a corrupt Starfleet admiral in this episode that defined him as a character. Picard believes that justice should be carried out in a rational, collected fashion, even as Admiral Satie accuses him of crimes he did not commit after defending a crewman from accusations of sabotage. Jeri Taylor gets to the heart of what makes Picard an admirable captain and a good man in this classic episode.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

D.c. fontana , writer, "dax".

Taking up the pen again, Fontana wrote this episode which questions whether Jadzia Dax is guilty of crimes committed by the Dax symbiont while she was not the symbiont’s host. Questions of what makes someone culpable abound, as do plenty of twists and a surprising last minute play. One of the only episodes Fontana penned for DS9, this one is a good one to check out, especially if you’re a fan of legal intrigue.

Jane Espenson , writer, "Accession"

Written by Jane Espenson, who’d go on to pen episodes of other popular genre shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Once Upon a Time , this episode explores the culture of Bajor and their caste system. Sisko must take a stand to ensure that the freedoms of the Bajoran people aren’t infringed upon. While not often found on the average Deep Space Nine top 10 episodes list, “Accession” is an important episode for characters like Kira, and a great way to check out the early work of one of television’s most famous sci-fi writers.

Star Trek: Voyager

Jeri taylor , writer, "coda" nancy malone , director, "coda".

Janeway is struggling to survive as an entity wants to feed on her body in this decidedly creepy story, written by Jeri Taylor and directed by Nancy Malone. This episode follows Janeway’s struggle after she “dies,” and even includes her seeing what she assumes is the spirit of her father. If you need a scary tale to celebrate Halloween, you can’t go wrong with this, and if you’re looking for a good episode, Jeri Taylor rarely lets us down.

Phyllis Strong , co-writer, "Author, Author"

The Doctor’s humanity and agency take center stage in “Author, Author,” co-written by Phyllis Strong. The Doctor wants to publish a novel when he returns to Earth, but the publishers refuse to recognize him as the copyright owner since he is not human. The crew of Voyager rallies behind him, establishing his personhood. One of the best Voyager episodes, Strong also co-wrote several episodes in the series’ final season.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Judith reeves-stevens , co-writer, "terra prime".

The conclusion of a two-part episode, with a story and teleplay co-written by Judith Reeves-Stevens, saw Tucker and T’Pol facing a horrifying situation — a baby created from their genes being used as proof for why humans and other alien species should never have children. While the terrorists are stopped and the day is saved, their baby dies. It’s a heartbreaking narrative that shows the power of Star Trek to break our hearts as well as show viewers the best, and worst, of humanity.

Phyllis Strong , writer, "Regeneration"

The Borg make their first appearance in the Enterprise timeline in an episode by Phyllis Strong. The episode features the crew trying to rescue missing researchers, and ends with the tease that the Borg have sent a message to their hive in the Delta Quadrant. The Borg have always been a terrifying part of Star Trek canon, and this is another fascinating addition to their lore.

Star Trek: Discovery

Bo yeon kim and erika lippoldt , writers, "through the valley of shadows".

As Burnham wrestles with new discoveries, Pike faces a glimpse of the future in the penultimate episode of Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery . Seeing his own future, Pike opts to choose the good of the many over his own future, establishing himself as one of the greatest Starfleet captains. The episode was written by Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt, the writing team behind many of Discovery ’s episodes, and it gives us an emotional look at Pike, who became a fan-favorite during the course of the season.

Michelle Paradise , writer, "That Hope Is You, Part 2"

The third season of Star Trek: Discovery traveled to an unknown future where the status quo as we know it was out of balance. Burnham and the crew of the Discovery helped bring hope to the Federation and to a galaxy stricken by loss, and the finale cemented that hopeful message. Written by showrunner Michelle Paradise, this action-packed episode showcased the Discovery crew at their best and set up a whole new galaxy of adventures. Let’s fly, indeed.

Star Trek: Picard

Kirsten beyer , writer, "stardust city rag".

startrek.com

Kirsten Beyer brought Seven of Nine into a new era with “Stardust City Rag.” Seven has clearly been through so much in the time between Voyager and Picard , and we get a glimpse of that in the painful opening scene. Perhaps more important is the emotional conversation she has with Picard towards the end of the episode, where she asks him if he ever felt like he fully regained his humanity following assimilation. The commentary on their shared trauma is powerful.

Samantha Humphrey , co-writer, "Nepenthe"

Samantha Humphrey, alongside showrunner Michael Chabon, wrote the reunion between Picard, Riker, and Troi. This powerful episode showed how far all three characters have come since their TNG days. As Riker and Troi remind Picard of the man he once was, Humphrey also sent off fan-favorite Hugh in a heroic blaze of glory. Fans adored the episode for all the beautiful moments of healing and the heartbreak that came alongside it.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Ann kim , writer, "moist vessel".

In Lower Decks ’ fourth episode, Mariner, Tendi, and Captain Freeman take the spotlight. Freeman wants Mariner off the ship, and she thinks a promotion is just the way to do it; however, when the ship is in danger, mother and daughter must work together to save the Cerritos . Meanwhile, Tendi struggles with feeling unliked after she accidentally interrupts a fellow crewman’s ascension ceremony. With plenty of jokes and Easter eggs, as well as a koala who carries the universe on its back, this episode is an excellent addition to the series.

This article was originally published on March 17, 2020.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+, Star Trek: Picard will also stream on Prime Video outside of the US and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 are also available on the Pluto TV Star Trek channel in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Discovery is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Star Trek: Lower Decks streams exclusively in the United States and Latin America on Paramount+. The series is distributed concurrently by Paramount Group Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, India, and more, and in Canada on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Additional international availability to be announced at a later date.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Star Trek's Second Most Famous Vulcan Is Always Heard And Never Seen

Posted: July 4, 2024 | Last updated: July 4, 2024

Star Trek’s Second Most Famous Vulcan Is Always Heard And Never Seen

Everybody knows that the most famous Vulcan in Star Trek history is Mr. Spock, thanks in large part to the perfect performance from Leonard Nimoy. The Next Generation didn’t have a Vulcan in the main cast, but many fans of that show consider Dr. Selar as their favorite member of that logic-loving race. What is incredible about her popularity is that Selar only appeared onscreen in one episode, but her character was kept alive thanks to numerous name drops and even a starring role in a hit series of Star Trek books.

The Schizoid Man

Considering that she only appeared in a single episode, you might need a refresher on who Selar is. She is a doctor who works alongside Beverly Crusher in sickbay, and she is played by fan-favorite Trek actor Suzie Plakson.

The TNG episode “The Schizoid Man” was the first appearance of this Vulcan (she examined the cranky cyberneticist Dr. Graves while he was still alive) and Plakson’s first appearance in the franchise, but it most certainly wouldn’t be her last.

She Almost Dated Worf

After “The Schizoid Man,” Selar never appeared onscreen again. That wasn’t the original plan for her character, though. Writer Tracy Tormé wanted this Vulcan to have a relationship with Worf, but had to ditch those plans when the writing staff developed K’Ehleyr, the half-Klingon, half-human ambassador who would go on to become the mother of Worf’s child.

In a fun twist, Selar actor Suzie Plakson ended up playing K’Ehleyr in three episodes before her character was killed, leaving Worf to become the worst single father in the galaxy. It is perhaps because of the actor taking on this new role that we never saw her Vulcan doctor onscreen again.

Weirdly enough, though, the show constantly name-dropped her character into the final season, and she was very nearly referenced in the series finale.

Selar Name-Dropped

One example of Dr. Selar being referenced is in the episode “Tapestry,” where we hear that she is treating those wounded by the same Lenarian assault that nearly killed Captain Picard. In “Suspicions,” Dr. Crusher tries to get Guinan to see Selar for a tennis elbow treatment, but Guinan explains she is very picky about her doctors.

Later, Selar helps scan the body of Ned Quint in “Sub Rosa” (the episode where Crusher falls in love with a ghost), and Crusher wanted to consult with her in “Genesis” but ended up getting attacked by a de-evolved (yes, more than usual) Mr. Worf.

Again, these were just name drops and not appearances, but Selar was important enough to even be referenced in alternate realities, including the one in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and in the warp bubble pocket universe of “Remember Me.”

Speaking of alternate realities, if a line hadn’t been cut, then Selar would have been referenced in the series finale “All Good Things” in the anti-time past created by the mysterious anti-time anomaly.

Selar Off Screen

Dr. Selar also had the honor of being chosen as a main character by prolific Star Trek author Peter David for his New Frontier books. The gimmick of that popular series was that it followed the adventures of a new starship, the USS Excalibur, whose crew was a mix of original characters and returning favorites.

Selar is the chief medical officer, and she works with TNG cameo characters like Commander Shelby and Robin Lefler, each of whom is now a main character.

When comparing Selar and Spock, it’s interesting to note that she has remained so popular despite only appearing in a single episode. Nimoy’s Vulcan appeared throughout The Original Series, in all six of that era’s films, and even appeared in TNG as well as the first two reboot movies.

He’s the character’s most famous Vulcan, but to this writer, the second-most famous will always be Selar, the wonderful Suzie Plakson character that the writers just couldn’t stop obsessing over.

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Michael Giacchino Remixed His Music With Beach Vibes and It’s Pure Magic

Composer Michael Giacchino already has one of the most impressive resumes in recent history, but with his latest release, he may have just topped it all. Though Giacchino first became known for his work on Lost , he’s also composed scores for Spider-Man, Thor, The Batman, The Incredibles, Star Trek, Star Wars, Mission Impossibl e, and many, many more . All of which are fantastic, but movie music has a very specific vibe . Now, Giacchino has taken many of those scores and made them perfect for summer lounging. And it’s incredible.

The project is called Exotic Themes for the Silver Screen – Volume 1  and it’s now available for preorder on both LP and CD from Mutant. Truly though, to understand what’s happening here, it’s better to let the music do the talking. Here’s one of Giacchino’s most famous tracks, “Enterprising Young Men” from J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek , done in the Exotic Themes style.

Isn’t that, quite possibly, the coolest thing you’ve ever heard? Don’t you just want to sit by the pool or on the beach, have a drink with an umbrella coming out of it, and listen to this on repeat? That was the point.

“This album was inspired by the work of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny,” Giacchino said in a press release. “What would they do with the Star Trek  theme? Or video games like  Medal of Honor ? It was a way for me to play in that world I loved so much growing up. I thought it would be fun to create a fantasy world, where this album was recorded back in 1967 and then lost, only to resurface today.”

And that’s just one of the many, many tracks. Here’s the album cover followed by full tracklisting.

• Primordial Forest ( The Lost World Jurassic Park )
• Medal of Honor
• Bristow and Bristow ( Alias )
• Secret Weapons Over Normandy
• The Incredibles Suite
• Take a Hike ( Lost )
• Life and Death ( Lost )
• Space Mountain
• The Family Stone Waltz ( The Family Stone )
• Le Festin ( Ratatouille )
• Ratatouille
• ROAR! ( Cloverfield )
• Casa Cristo ( Speed Racer )
• Land of the Lost
• Enterprising Young Men ( Star Trek )
• Married Life ( Up )
• LAX ( Lost )
• The Turbomater ( Cars 2 )
• A Man, A Plan, A Code, Dubai ( Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol )
• Monte Carlo
• Super 8 Suite

You almost forget Giacchino did many of those, but he did, and it’s awesome. Plus, it’s just Volume 1 . Does that mean we could hear Jyn Erso’s theme like this? Spider-Man’s? We certainly hope so.

The album will be released on all streaming platforms, digital retailers, and available for pre-order at independent record stores on July 26. But, if you can’t wait that long, you can listen to “LAX ” from Lost and “Married Life” from Up on Spotify at those links.

And head over to Made By Mutant to preorder the album, CD, and even some limited edition merch. If you’re looking for us, we’ll be listening to these tracks on repeat.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest  Marvel ,  Star Wars , and  Star Trek  releases, what’s next for the  DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of  Doctor Who .

Lost Michael Giacchino movie soundtracks Music Pixar Star Trek Star Wars

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