# Who is the world's best-known living author? The best regarded? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880 "2013-09-28T20:32:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/1 "2013-09-28T20:32:55Z")
Just what the title says. It took me only a minute to think of what must be the answer to the first question: J. K. Rowling. Her books have sold hundreds of millions of copies and been translated into umpteen languages. I’m having a hard time thinking of who could even rival her for best-known. Mot highly regarded, however, is much trickier, if for no other reason than that it enters the realm of the subjective in a way that best-known does not. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/2 "2013-09-28T20:46:01Z")
Danielle Steel is the best-selling living author. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/3 "2013-09-28T20:54:23Z")
Depends on how you measure “highly regarded”. If it’s just the number of people who think her books are good, it’s probably Rowling again. The answer might change, though, if you just consider the opinions of critics, or if you weight opinions by _how_ good they think an author is. > [@](#): > > Danielle Steel is the best-selling living author. Probably not in contention for this thread, though. She’s written an enormous number of books, and has a small following who buy a great many of them. She may be very well-regarded by that small following, but she has no wider appeal. Besides, is Danielle Steel even a single person? I had the impression that the name was a shared pseudonym, used by a number of writers of romance novels. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/4 "2013-09-28T20:55:51Z")
Tolkien has to be in the running for “best regarded”. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/5 "2013-09-28T21:00:00Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Tolkien has to be in the running for “best regarded”. Too bad he died 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/6 "2013-09-28T21:14:12Z")
I think Rowling might be in the running; other than a minority reacting to Too Much Harry _Fucking_ Potter and the group that thinks it’s satanism in disguise, I think she’s well-regarded personally - a single mom on the dole who really hit the big time, and on something a lot like merit, and has been fairly gracious and humble about it. Stephen King might be a close runner-up. Michael Crichton might have qualified before he (1) went off the rails and (2) was exposed as a major TFH loony and (3) died. ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/7 "2013-09-28T21:24:51Z")
I think a nomination for well regarded would have to be Cormac McCarthy. But that may just be me… ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/8 "2013-09-28T21:28:32Z")
Tom Clancy is pretty well known, but hasn’t published anything recently I don’t think… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/9 "2013-09-28T21:32:25Z")
Well regarded in which genre? In biographies, for example, Walter Isaacson would be a leading contender. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/10 "2013-09-28T21:41:20Z")
Critics are always excited about new books by Philip Roth, Margaret Atwood, and John Updike. Rowling and King are probably the best-known, worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/11 "2013-09-28T21:58:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Besides, is Danielle Steel even a single person? I had the impression that the name was a shared pseudonym, used by a number of writers of romance novels. > **[Danielle Steel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Steel)** > > Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born August 14, 1947) is an American writer, best known for her romance novels. She is the bestselling living author and one of the best-selling fiction authors of all time, with over 800 million copies sold. As of 2021, she has written 190 books, including over 140 novels. > Based in California for most of her career, Steel has produced several books a year, often juggling up to five projects at once. All of her novels have been bestsellers, includi... ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/12 "2013-09-28T22:02:04Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Critics are always excited about new books by Philip Roth, Margaret Atwood, and John Updike. > > Rowling and King are probably the best-known, worldwide. I agree but sadly Updike passed a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/13 "2013-09-28T22:03:19Z")
Michael Chabon should be on the short list of “Best Regarded.” Dave Eggars also. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/14 "2013-09-28T22:06:12Z")
Terry Pratchett has to be in the running for both categories, I would think - especially the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/15 "2013-09-28T23:16:58Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Terry Pratchett has to be in the running for both categories, I would think - especially the latter. I wonder about this. I’ve never been able to make it past the first chapter of any of his books. I hate fantasy and it took me years to make it through Lord of the Rings. I think there is a strong affinity for Pratchett amongst message boards and nerds, but I’ve never heard any one mention him in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/16 "2013-09-28T23:17:59Z")
I nominate John le Carré, whose body of work spans 52 years, and who released a [new book](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Delicate_Truth) just this year, which IMO was excellent. (Although I admit I’m a huge fan). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/17 "2013-09-28T23:30:22Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Rowling and King are probably the best-known, worldwide. I’m inclined to agree, and to give the nod to King over Rowling because I suspect that not everybody who recognizes Harry Potter would recognize her as the author, whereas “everybody” knows who Stephen King is even if they haven’t read any of his books. Although I’m wondering whether there’s a children’s author we’re forgetting (i.e. who’s the Dr. Seuss of today?). ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/18 "2013-09-29T00:01:59Z")
English speaking world - Jonathan Franzen? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/19 "2013-09-29T00:09:24Z")
As for best regarded: Harper Lee, maybe? On the one hand, she’s a one-hit wonder who hasn’t written anything in a long time; but on the other hand, that one hit of hers is very highly esteemed by lots and lots of people. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880/20 "2013-09-29T00:20:36Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m inclined to agree, and to give the nod to King over Rowling because I suspect that not everybody who recognizes Harry Potter would recognize her as the author, whereas “everybody” knows who Stephen King is even if they haven’t read any of his books. This may be true for the US, but it’s my impression that Rowling is far more famous internationally than King. I don’t know how accurate these figures are, but a quick Google indicates that (some of) King’s books have been translated into about 30 different languages while the _Harry Potter_ series has been translated into over 60 different languages. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-worlds-best-known-living-author-the-best-regarded/669880.md?page=2)