# Who Are the Least Prolific Best Selling Authors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563 "2016-02-19T16:38:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/1 "2016-02-19T16:38:07Z")
With the passing of Harper Lee, I’m struck that both she and Margaret Mitchell only wrote one popular book each. But, boy, what a book! Margaret Mitchell has a short story called [Lost Laysen](http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Laysen-Margaret-Mitchell/dp/0684837684), but it wasn’t published until 1996. Harper Lee, of course, wrote _Go Set A Watchman_, but I don’t think it’s as popular and well -regarded as her other novel. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/2 "2016-02-19T16:55:53Z")
Grace Metalious, **Peyton Place** ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/3 "2016-02-19T17:05:59Z")
J. D. Salinger only published one novel, although he had several novellas and a couple of dozen short stories. Sylvia Plath’s only novel was _The Bell Jar_. Ditto with Emily Bronte and _Wuthering Heights_ (which actually wasn’t even originally published under her name. They were both known as poets. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/4 "2016-02-19T17:12:45Z")
Scott Smith wrote A Simple Plan (great book and great movie) in 1993. He wrote The Ruins (Good book, never saw movie) in 2006. Both best sellers. And, that’s it. Two best sellers in over 20 years, and no other books. ---
**Author:** ![Richey84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Richey84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richey84)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/5 "2016-02-19T17:13:02Z")
Ralph Ellison’s only published novel during his lifetime was _Invisible Man_. He published a book of essays called _Shadow and Act_ and _Going to the Territory_ but no further fiction while he was alive. He spent the rest of his life composing his second novel but it was unfinished when he died. A couple posthumous editions of it have been published. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/6 "2016-02-19T17:23:42Z")
John Kennedy Toole only wrote _ **A Confederacy of Dunces** _, and then killed himself. It wasn’t even published until his mom championed the manuscript. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/7 "2016-02-19T17:25:47Z")
Joseph Heller? Although he had medical issues. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/8 "2016-02-19T17:53:01Z")
Heller wrote slowly, but he did publish seven novels, some of which hit the best seller list. He also, surprisingly, wrote an episode of **McHale’s Navy**. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/9 "2016-02-19T17:58:44Z")
I remembered another one…[Stieg Larsson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stieg_Larsson). His three novels were published after his death. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/10 "2016-02-19T18:13:33Z")
Patrick Rothfuss wrote highly regarded “The Name of the Wind” in 2007, followed it up, very slowly, with “The Wise Man’s Fear” in 2011, and is now giving George R. R. Martin a run for his money in the “most time until the next sequel” competition. He seems to have written very little else. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/11 "2016-02-19T18:17:59Z")
Katherine Dunn has only published three novels, the last of which was _Geek Love_ in 1989. She has reportedly been working on her fourth novel for the past 20+ years. According to her wikipedia article, she has published articles and stories in various newspapers and magazines, and she apparently does a lot of writing about boxing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/12 "2016-02-19T18:21:35Z")
Susanna Clarke is essentially known for her one novel, _Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell_, although she’s also written a handful of short stories. Andy Weir’s only published work is his novel _The Martian_. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/13 "2016-02-19T18:36:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Andy Weir’s only published work is his novel _The Martian_. Yeah, but he’s still around and is likely to write more. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/14 "2016-02-19T19:00:29Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Heller wrote slowly, but he did publish seven novels, some of which hit the best seller list. He also, surprisingly, wrote an episode of **McHale’s Navy**. :eek: Did not know that about McHale’s Navy, I have to say I love Catch-22 but found his other novels almost unreadable. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/15 "2016-02-19T19:03:58Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > J. D. Salinger only published one novel, although he had several novellas and a couple of dozen short stories. One of my favorite Salinger stories is “For Esmee, With Love and Squalor”. He meets Esmee, who as at this time a young girl, who asks him to write something for her. Salinger, or his character in the story, loosely based on himself, says something like “I’m not very prolific” and Esmee says “It doesn’t have to be prolific! Just make sure there’s lots of squalor”. 🙂 Speaking of Salinger’s prolificacy, wasn’t he writing the whole time he was a recluse, that is, most of his life? I was excited when he died because I thought there was a lot of unpublished Salinger work that would get published soon, but it’s been five or six years now. Does anybody know the status of his unreleased work? Is it going to be published? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/16 "2016-02-19T19:06:06Z")
God? ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/17 "2016-02-19T19:13:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Susanna Clarke is essentially known for her one novel, _Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell_, although she’s also written a handful of short stories. > > Andy Weir’s only published work is his novel _The Martian_. Weir has written some short stories and his next novel is scheduled to be published in 2016. It doesn’t seem that he plans on being a one and done author. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/18 "2016-02-19T19:15:22Z")
Robert Pirsig has only published _ **Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance** _ and _ **Lila: An Inquiry into Morals** _. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/19 "2016-02-19T19:48:05Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > God? Maybe, but you have to cut him some slack – when all you’ve got to write on are stone tablets and/or gold plates, your output is going to be pretty limited. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563/20 "2016-02-19T20:11:12Z")
Thomas Harris (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal) has written only five books since the debut of Black Sunday in 1975 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-least-prolific-best-selling-authors/746563.md?page=2)