,

Favorite authors of all time as voted on by men at least 35 years old.

Guidelines:
  • What? Rules? These will hopefully preserve a useful, quality list of good reads.
  • Do not vote here if you are not male, or not at least 35 years old.
  • Please do not select/add any authors unless you have read at least a few authors on the list.
  • Please do not select/add any author unless you have read and liked at least two of their books.
  • This is not a list of favorite books.
  • Please do not add an author who is already on the list.
  • Please do not add an author who is already on the list with a different book/edition.
  • If adding an author, please select their most popular/well-known book (not a series).
  • We are aiming for an author's most-recognized book, not their best/highest-rated best book.
  • When you click on an authors link, the book at the top of their list is generally the most popular.
  • The top book on the authors list is sometimes, arguably, not their most popular/well-known.
  • If you're first to add the author, and sure that another of the top 3 is more popular, it's you're call.
  • Please do not select an esoteric/unrecognizable edition of an author's book.
  • The edition at the top of the list of all editions is usually a decent pick.
  • The first edition hardcopy, or paperback, are usually decent picks.
  • Sometimes, artwork is usefully better in a paperback, anniversary, or movie release edition.
  • We're aiming for an edition that is recognizable, has clear font, and the authors name is legible.

Over 35 lists:
Over 35: Favorite Authors of All Time
Over 35: Best Books of All Time
Over 35: Best Books of the 21st Century
Over 35: Best Books of the 2010s

Men Over 35 lists:
Men Over 35: Favorite Authors of All Time
Men Over 35: Best Books of All Time
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 21st Century
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2000s
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2010s
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2020s

General lists (for comparison):
Best Authors Ever
Best Books Ever
Best Books of the 21st Century
1

by
4.42 avg rating — 1,263,008 ratings
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2

by
4.19 avg rating — 855,793 ratings
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3

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,400,409 ratings
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4

by
4.30 avg rating — 169,431 ratings
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5

by
4.28 avg rating — 1,676,236 ratings
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6

by
4.35 avg rating — 9,740,690 ratings
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7

by
4.19 avg rating — 389,786 ratings
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8

by
4.45 avg rating — 2,703,619 ratings
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9

by
4.12 avg rating — 353,515 ratings
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10

by
4.02 avg rating — 1,178,810 ratings
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10

by
3.79 avg rating — 298,471 ratings
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10

by
3.81 avg rating — 121,985 ratings
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13

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,048,237 ratings
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13

by
4.02 avg rating — 260,349 ratings
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15

by
4.12 avg rating — 387,042 ratings
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15

by
3.70 avg rating — 6,358 ratings
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15

by
4.23 avg rating — 220,644 ratings
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18

by
3.93 avg rating — 2,499,682 ratings
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19

by
4.08 avg rating — 31,920 ratings
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20

by
4.17 avg rating — 3,412,943 ratings
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20

by
4.16 avg rating — 358,107 ratings
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22

by
3.93 avg rating — 20,166 ratings
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22

by
3.92 avg rating — 325,100 ratings
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24

by
4.11 avg rating — 787,320 ratings
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24

by
4.18 avg rating — 42,308 ratings
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26

by
4.44 avg rating — 137,435 ratings
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26

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,205 ratings
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28

by
4.01 avg rating — 717,287 ratings
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28

by
4.10 avg rating — 985,074 ratings
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30

by
3.98 avg rating — 143,156 ratings
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31

by
4.21 avg rating — 300,734 ratings
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31

by
4.08 avg rating — 143,003 ratings
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33

by
4.26 avg rating — 21,388 ratings
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34

by
4.52 avg rating — 1,066,617 ratings
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34

by
4.43 avg rating — 3,036 ratings
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36

by
4.29 avg rating — 40,164 ratings
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37

by
4.49 avg rating — 936,180 ratings
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37

by
4.24 avg rating — 27,048 ratings
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39

by
4.27 avg rating — 714,176 ratings
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39

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,341,291 ratings
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41

by
3.94 avg rating — 9,841 ratings
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42

by
4.12 avg rating — 6,351 ratings
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42

by
4.25 avg rating — 270,756 ratings
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44

by
3.86 avg rating — 72,514 ratings
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44

by
3.66 avg rating — 16,796 ratings
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46

by
4.23 avg rating — 270,171 ratings
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46

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,169 ratings
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48

by
4.13 avg rating — 693,457 ratings
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48

by
3.89 avg rating — 27,093 ratings
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50

by
4.64 avg rating — 2,002,417 ratings
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50

by
3.92 avg rating — 52,943 ratings
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52

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,653 ratings
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53

by
3.77 avg rating — 3,592 ratings
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54

by
4.08 avg rating — 135,903 ratings
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55

by
3.82 avg rating — 3,022 ratings
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56

by
4.16 avg rating — 7,246 ratings
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57

by
3.84 avg rating — 704,836 ratings
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58

by
3.99 avg rating — 55,050 ratings
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59

by
3.82 avg rating — 15,567 ratings
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60

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 130,564 ratings
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61

by
4.17 avg rating — 180,592 ratings
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62

by
3.90 avg rating — 16,299 ratings
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63

by
3.86 avg rating — 270,010 ratings
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64

by
4.03 avg rating — 11,025 ratings
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65

by
4.27 avg rating — 136,178 ratings
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66

by
4.40 avg rating — 157,330 ratings
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67

by
3.75 avg rating — 77,803 ratings
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68

by
4.14 avg rating — 217,245 ratings
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69

by
3.87 avg rating — 11,168 ratings
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70

by
3.75 avg rating — 75,958 ratings
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71

by
4.06 avg rating — 61,027 ratings
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72

by
3.93 avg rating — 15,985 ratings
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73

by
4.08 avg rating — 5,840 ratings
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74

by
3.95 avg rating — 22,459 ratings
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75

by
4.23 avg rating — 305,083 ratings
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76

by
4.13 avg rating — 212,140 ratings
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77

by
3.91 avg rating — 423 ratings
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77 books · 4 voters · list created March 22nd, 2024 by Steve Shelby (votes) .
1 like · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


People Who Voted On This List (4)

Steve 954 books
5 friends
Jed 305 books
8 friends
Mitchell 11398 books
168 friends



Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

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message 1: by Mitchell (last edited Nov 01, 2025 09:04AM) (new)

Mitchell Friedman Its interesting to consider my favorite authors right now as compared to 20+ years ago. At one point I would have been answering Isaac Asimov or Alistair MacLean or Robert Ludlum. And after that Michael Moorcock or Roger Zelazny. And then later Tom Clancy or John Grisham.

I took this list to especially mean authors that I'm excited when a new book comes out and am likely to read it immediately.

For authors that are no longer writing, this is harder to judge - but authors that I own and re-read with some regularity.


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