James Michener
Rod Serling , He was only in his 50’s and just helped adapt the screenplay for Planet of the Apes. I can only imagine the wild and creative films he could have penned. He wrote great stories while being limited in time and subject as he wrote for TV. Twilight Zone and Night Gallery are great but I can’t help but think what stories he would have written if he wasn’t censored or limited to a half hour or hour show.
Jimmy
Dick, of course.
Chaucer… finish the Canterbury Tales.
John Keats.
I love Victoria Holt! I didn’ tknow she wrote biographies under a different name. Heh. I will check her other work out.
And I second Lovecraft.
Forgot…John Bellairs. (Though Brad Strickland is doing a fine job carrying on with the Lewis Barnavelt books.)
Asimov.
500 books was not enough.