# Authors whose first book was their best book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830 "2009-03-09T13:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/21 "2009-03-09T16:03:05Z")
Fredrick Exley: _A Fan’s Notes_. Kingsley Amis sort of counts. He’d published books of verse, but _Lucky Jim_ was his first and best novel. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/22 "2009-03-09T16:06:23Z")
> [@Night\_so\_be\_it](#): > > Walt Whitman - Leaves of Grass Technically, his only book, and there were multiple different editions; most people read later editions, not the first one. Helen Hooven Santmyer – **. . . And Ladies of the Club.** Big best seller. She published a couple more, to lesser effect. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/23 "2009-03-09T16:06:33Z")
If we discount works of verse, the Erica Jong definitely counts. “Fear of Flying” was a daring novel and gave us the expression “zipless fuck.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/24 "2009-03-09T16:47:59Z")
William Gibson – **Neuromancer**. Alexi Panshin – **Rite of Passage** (possibly – he had two other books out the same year). William M. Miller, Jr. – **A Canticle for Lebowitz** (he did write a second novel which was eventually published). Maureen McHugh – **China Mountain Zhang** David R. Palmer – **Emergence** (he, too, had an obscure second novel published). Pauline Ashwell’s **Unwillingly to Earth** ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/25 "2009-03-09T16:48:31Z")
Barry Hughart - _Bridge of Birds_, at least by reputation. I’ve not read either of the sequels, so I can’t say for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/26 "2009-03-09T17:10:39Z")
> [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](#): > > Donna Tartt, _The Secret History_. I actually typed that and discarded it. Glad you agree. \*The Little Friend \*was so long awaited, but just didn’t live up. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/27 "2009-03-09T17:30:36Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Stephen R Boyett. Yes, he only wrote two, but he still qualifies… I disagree. As much as I liked _Ariel_, I thought _The Architect of Sleep_ was a better book. I just wish he could’ve released the sequel. Hell, I just want to know what was going to happen. According to his website, there will be a sequel to _Ariel_, released sometime this year, called _Elegy Beach_. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/28 "2009-03-09T17:31:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > David R. Palmer – **Emergence** (he, too, had an obscure second novel published). I absolutely loved that book- it’s a shame that we’ll never hear more of Candy. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/29 "2009-03-09T18:34:15Z")
Just popping in with some food for thought. I live with a novelist (as yet not published), and the first book to get published may well not be the first book he’s written. So perhaps, in some cases, subsequent books were actually earlier (maybe re-tooled) efforts that saw print only because of a successful first publication. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/30 "2009-03-09T18:43:11Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Wasn’t Peyton Place \*\*Grace Metalious’ \*\*first and only book? No. From wikipedia: “Her other novels, all of which sold well but never achieved the same success as her first, were Return to Peyton Place (1959), The Tight White Collar (1961) and No Adam in Eden.(1963)” It’s still debatable as to whether it counts for this thread, depending on if you think the book is any good in the first place. (I’ve actually read it, it’s pretty much as bad as the critics said it was.) Was “Dracula” the first book by Bram Stoker? I know he wrote several other books, none of which ever came close to matching this one, but I’m not sure it was his first novel. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/31 "2009-03-09T19:21:27Z")
No, Stoker had several novels before **Dracula**. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/32 "2009-03-09T19:25:06Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > No. > > From wikipedia: “Her other novels, all of which sold well but never achieved the same success as her first, were Return to Peyton Place (1959), The Tight White Collar (1961) and No Adam in Eden.(1963)” > > It’s still debatable as to whether it counts for this thread, depending on if you think the book is any good in the first place. (I’ve actually read it, it’s pretty much as bad as the critics said it was.) > Was “Dracula” the first book by Bram Stoker? I know he wrote several other books, none of which ever came close to matching this one, but I’m not sure it was his first novel. I know some folks who re-read that book regularly, warts and all - kind of like Valley of the Dolls… Oh well - at least I made one OP-correct contribution to this post…☹ ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/33 "2009-03-09T21:34:27Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I disagree. As much as I liked _Ariel_, I thought _The Architect of Sleep_ was a better book. I just wish he could’ve released the sequel. Hell, I just want to know what was going to happen. > > According to his website, there will be a sequel to _Ariel_, released sometime this year, called _Elegy Beach_. I read both and found Ariel engrossing…I actually felt like someone kicked me in the stomach when one of the main characters died. The Architect of Sleep was far too, pardon the expression, dreamlike for me to care about the main character. Thanks for the news about Elegy Beach, although I’ll believe it when I see it on the bookshelves. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/34 "2009-03-09T21:51:01Z")
> [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](#): > > Donna Tartt, _The Secret History_. I haven’t read this one…does it have an ending, unlike The Little Friend? That’d be an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/35 "2009-03-09T23:17:08Z")
Is it just my perception, or do first books tend to be long, with more description and background than really necessary? Are new authors more resistant to editors’ attempts to tighten up their works? ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/36 "2009-03-10T02:19:05Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I disagree. As much as I liked _Ariel_, I thought _The Architect of Sleep_ was a better book. I just wish he could’ve released the sequel. Hell, I just want to know what was going to happen. > > According to his website, there will be a sequel to _Ariel_, released sometime this year, called _Elegy Beach_. Whoa - get out! Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/37 "2009-03-10T02:21:52Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I haven’t read this one…does it have an ending, unlike The Little Friend? That’d be an improvement. I actually came here to post Donna Tartt. I absolutely loved Secret History, it’s in my Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time. Not number 1 or anything, but definitely in the top 10! It does have a wonderful, slow burn ending. The whole book is gothic and overwrought in a chilly prep school way, but I mean that in the most positive sense. Oh - and for us Ariel lovers - [Nov 3 2009.](http://www.amazon.com/Elegy-Beach-Steven-R-Boyett/dp/0441017959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236651565&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830/38 "2009-03-10T03:10:59Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > many would say that _Catcher in the Rye_ is J.D. Salinger’s best, although I think it pales in comparison to his [other books](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Salinger#Books)… Pales? Really? I’d have to disagree. Although some of those other books are interesting, \*Catcher \*is still the only I would recommend anybody actually read. The others seem rather dated and altogether unnecessary for any modern reader. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-whose-first-book-was-their-best-book/488830.md?page=1)