# Famous authors who only wrote one great book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587 "2005-06-16T18:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/41 "2005-06-17T18:14:13Z")
Ah, what’s a literary thread without someone coming in to crap on Hemingway, even if it’s got nothing to do with the topic. Really, though, I’m surprised with how much trouble I’m having coming up with candidates. Given how hard it is to write one great book, I’m in awe of all the people coming to mind who wrote two or more. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/42 "2005-06-17T18:17:45Z")
Norman Mailer - A River Runs Through It and Other Stories. - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/43 "2005-06-17T18:21:43Z")
“Peter Pan” By James Barrie. There is a sequel called “Peter Pan In Kenington Park” Not very good. Richard Adams. I liked almost everything Richard Adams wrote. But if someone who had just read Watership Down tried reading Shardik expecting More Of The Same, it would be very jarring to say the least. Peter Beagle. I guess I’m one of the few who likes everything he wrote. L. Frank Baum. IMHO I think that Baum is a victim of sequelitis, where the sequel is never as popular as the original. I personally think all 14 Oz books are great. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/44 "2005-06-17T18:21:47Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > Norman Mailer - A River Runs Through It and Other Stories. Of course, I meant Norman Maclean! :smack: - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/45 "2005-06-17T18:30:26Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > Of course, I meant Norman Maclean! :smack: > > - Peter Wiggen Although the thought of Mailer writing _A River Runs Through It_ will have a smile on my face for the rest of the afternoon. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/46 "2005-06-17T20:49:33Z")
Jonathan Larson is only known for writing RENT, though some consider his first work “tick…tick…BOOM” to be better. And Neil Patrick Harris is making his Europeon debut in the show’s Europeon debut as I type. Yes, Doogie Howser MD has become a damn good song and dance man. Who Knew? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/47 "2005-06-17T23:44:53Z")
> [@Rube E. Tewesday](#): > > Ah, what’s a literary thread without someone coming in to crap on Hemingway, even if it’s got nothing to do with the topic. > > Really, though, I’m surprised with how much trouble I’m having coming up with candidates. Given how hard it is to write one great book, I’m in awe of all the people coming to mind who wrote two or more. Hm, what author of more than one book only had ONE good book… Hemmingway had more than one book My point was that nothing he wrote is good in my opinion, therefore he doesnt even qualify for the thread by having one tolerable book. This IS an opinion thread. Seems pretty on topic for me. :smack: And besides, there are many authors who wrote several good books. Many people seem to like Stephen King … or Barbara Cortland … or even H. P. Lovecraft. Ihappen to like many different genres of literature. I like Stephen King, but not everything he wrote, I like Lois McMaster Bujold, but not every book she wrote, I like Thomas Costain, but not every book he wrote. I think you will find a surprising number of Pratchett and Doug Adams fans here…but I dont like everything they have written [I liked the original Hitchikers Guide, but thought the rest of the books were pretty much stretching it, same with Piers Anthony’s Xanth series] ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/48 "2005-06-18T02:51:49Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Jonathan Larson is only known for writing RENT, though some consider his first work “tick…tick…BOOM” to be better. And Neil Patrick Harris is making his Europeon debut in the show’s Europeon debut as I type. Yes, Doogie Howser MD has become a damn good song and dance man. Who Knew? With Jonathan Larson, IMO, it’s difficult to say whether or not he counts in this thread. He might’ve continued his string of successes if he hadn’t keeled over just before RENT debuted. The rest of the authors suggested seem more like the “one hit wonders” of the literary world. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/49 "2005-06-18T02:58:43Z")
Neil Gaiman. **American Gods** is one of the best books I’ve read this year, which surprised me because everything else of his I’ve read (or attempted to read) is deadly boring. Yes, including the parts of **Good Omens** that he wrote. (now, the other half of the book is funny). I’d also violently disagree with the inclusion of “Don Quixote”. This thread is supposed to be about singular **good** books not 800 pages of idiot gets drunk, does something stupid, offends someone, is rescued by friend, gets drunk, does something stupid, offends someone, rescued by friend, gets drunk, does something stupid… ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/50 "2005-06-18T11:45:55Z")
Erich Maria Remarque’s _All Quiet on the Western Front_. He wrote several more books, but none ever approached the popularity or the quality of his famous work. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/51 "2005-06-18T12:07:00Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Hm, what author of more than one book only had ONE good book… > > Hemmingway had more than one book > > My point was that nothing he wrote is good in my opinion, therefore he doesnt even qualify for the thread by having one tolerable book. This IS an opinion thread. Seems pretty on topic for me. > > :smack: > > ] My last word on the topic: people who can’t spell “Hemingway” are unlikley to be very profound Hemingway critics. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/52 "2005-06-18T12:11:20Z")
> [@Priam](#): > > With Jonathan Larson, IMO, it’s difficult to say whether or not he counts in this thread. He might’ve continued his string of successes if he hadn’t keeled over just before RENT debuted. The rest of the authors suggested seem more like the “one hit wonders” of the literary world. There’s the other side of that coin: Would RENT have been such a success had Larson not keeled over? The NYC success has not translated in other countries, and it will be interesting to see how the movie does. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/53 "2005-06-18T13:36:01Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Madeleine L’Engle actually wrote a couple different series about the characters in _A Wrinkle in Time_ and their children. She’s also written a few books on faith. Several interlocking series of YA novels, in fact, and I’d put her non-fiction as dealing with spirituality rather than faith per se; you do not have to be an Episcopalian or even a Christian to find it beneficial. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/54 "2005-06-18T14:11:36Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Neil Gaiman. **American Gods** is one of the best books I’ve read this year, which surprised me because everything else of his I’ve read (or attempted to read) is deadly boring. Yes, including the parts of **Good Omens** that he wrote. (now, the other half of the book is funny). If you’re including the _Sandman_ comic books in this estimation, I doubt you’ll find anything close to a majority who agree with your view. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/55 "2005-06-18T14:32:32Z")
Does anybody read any Aldous Huxley besides **Brave New World**? It’s one of my favorite books, hands down, and has led me to try Crome Yellow and Eyeless in Gaza, both of which bored me to tears. For such a [prolific writer](http://somaweb.org/w/huxworks.html), especially essayist, **Brave New World** will probably be his entire legacy. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/56 "2005-06-18T17:05:42Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > Of course, I meant Norman Maclean! :smack: > > - Peter Wiggen Maclean also wrote [Young Men and Fire](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0226500616/qid=1119114954/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-3596597-4697422?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), about the Mann Gulch fire. While it may not have been quite as successful as _A River Runs Through It_ it did win the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1992, and is very well regarded. His son, John, wrote a book called [Fire on the Mountain](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743410386/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/103-3596597-4697422?v=glance&s=books&st=*) about an eerily similar firefighting tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/57 "2005-06-18T20:08:35Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Does anybody read any Aldous Huxley besides **Brave New World**? It’s one of my favorite books, hands down, and has led me to try Crome Yellow and Eyeless in Gaza, both of which bored me to tears. For such a [prolific writer](http://somaweb.org/w/huxworks.html), especially essayist, **Brave New World** will probably be his entire legacy. He did write [The Doors of Perception](http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/lsd/doors.htm) which is at least somewhat known and read. I think it was also somewhat influential, but it was way before my time. Also, it’s not a book, it’s more a long essay, so it might not count at all. But when I think of Huxley, I immediately think of both \*\*Brave New World \*\* and **The Doors of Perception**. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/58 "2005-06-18T20:27:51Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > _A Confederacy of Dunces_–John Kennedy Toole I thought this was his only book, and that it wasn’t actually published until after he died. Did he write anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/59 "2005-06-18T20:43:07Z")
> [@Sam Lowry](#): > > He did write [The Doors of Perception](http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/lsd/doors.htm) which is at least somewhat known and read. I think it was also somewhat influential, but it was way before my time. Indeed, one pretty notable rock band took its name from that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587/60 "2005-06-18T20:46:50Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Does anybody read any Aldous Huxley besides **Brave New World**? I think Point Counter Point is also highly regarded. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-authors-who-only-wrote-one-great-book/308587.md?page=4)