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 — 1,356,344 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.19 avg rating — 884,414 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,582,680 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.31 avg rating — 173,939 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.28 avg rating — 1,752,630 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.35 avg rating — 10,183,757 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
4.20 avg rating — 431,051 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
4.45 avg rating — 2,793,583 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.11 avg rating — 399,584 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.02 avg rating — 1,216,081 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
3.78 avg rating — 329,314 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
3.80 avg rating — 125,555 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
4.14 avg rating — 1,088,628 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
4.02 avg rating — 271,360 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.12 avg rating — 392,036 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
3.70 avg rating — 6,379 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.23 avg rating — 231,803 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
3.94 avg rating — 2,568,819 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
4.09 avg rating — 32,682 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.18 avg rating — 3,506,413 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.15 avg rating — 368,741 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
3.94 avg rating — 20,958 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
3.92 avg rating — 329,707 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
4.12 avg rating — 807,452 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
4.18 avg rating — 44,063 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
4.44 avg rating — 141,901 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,553 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
4.01 avg rating — 727,705 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
4.10 avg rating — 1,001,180 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
3.98 avg rating — 144,384 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.21 avg rating — 304,950 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.07 avg rating — 145,472 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
4.26 avg rating — 22,309 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
4.52 avg rating — 1,109,973 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
4.43 avg rating — 3,065 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.29 avg rating — 41,148 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
4.48 avg rating — 1,053,458 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
4.24 avg rating — 27,206 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,682,417 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
4.42 avg rating — 2,124 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
4.27 avg rating — 922,824 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
3.95 avg rating — 9,874 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
4.25 avg rating — 279,413 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
4.13 avg rating — 6,503 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.66 avg rating — 17,147 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.86 avg rating — 73,796 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,251 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
4.22 avg rating — 287,448 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.89 avg rating — 27,799 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
4.13 avg rating — 787,000 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
3.93 avg rating — 53,886 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.65 avg rating — 2,313,403 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,656 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.77 avg rating — 3,640 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
4.07 avg rating — 154,042 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.81 avg rating — 3,037 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
4.15 avg rating — 7,602 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
3.84 avg rating — 714,101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 57,883 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
3.82 avg rating — 15,609 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 133,998 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
4.16 avg rating — 194,456 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
3.90 avg rating — 16,670 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
3.86 avg rating — 277,825 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
4.03 avg rating — 11,215 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
66

by
4.27 avg rating — 138,144 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
4.40 avg rating — 162,458 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
68

by
3.75 avg rating — 78,972 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
4.14 avg rating — 221,266 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
70

by
3.88 avg rating — 11,538 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
71

by
3.75 avg rating — 78,674 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
4.07 avg rating — 63,705 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
3.93 avg rating — 16,408 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
74

by
4.08 avg rating — 5,889 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.95 avg rating — 22,673 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
76

by
4.22 avg rating — 316,758 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
4.13 avg rating — 214,586 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
3.92 avg rating — 432 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
3.57 avg rating — 18,576 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79 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 1033 books
7 friends
Jed 156 books
8 friends
Mitchell 11191 books
171 friends



Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

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.


message 2: by Steve (last edited Nov 02, 2025 04:17PM) (new)

Steve Shelby I’d like a list that reliably steers people to the best reading out there. It can be hard to find good reads, and some of the lists people just treat like a challenge list and check off the books they read, whether they like them or not. I don’t care if someone has read a singular book. Their opinion is worthless to me until they have read a few and can tell me which one is better than the other. I want relevant relative rankings. I love that you have read so many books. Your opinion holds more weight. I don’t care if 10 teenagers have only read Twilight or Harry Potter (or didn’t and just saw the movies). I care about the adult who has read most of the top 20 books and can rank order them usefully. Not everyone agrees and that’s fine, but I do want informed opinions. If you could grow a clone of yourself, and they’re physically the same but don’t know any books, and tell your cloned self which books to read in which order, what would they be? On this list, I want authors who’ve written multiple books you like that are reliably putting out good stuff. Not one hit wonders. That’s for a book list, not an author list.


message 3: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman I wish that the ratings was floating point and that you had to not reuse a rating value. So you always slotted a book between other books.


message 4: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman So a warning on following other peoples ratings. I generally find people's 4 stars more reliable than 5 stars. For people who use all 5 stars, that 5th star tends to be idiosyncratic.


message 5: by Steve (last edited Nov 04, 2025 06:36PM) (new)

Steve Shelby Agreed. My 5 stars are rare though. 12%, not 20%


message 6: by Mitchell (new)

Mitchell Friedman 447 of 6404 for me. so about 7%


message 7: by Steve (new)

Steve Shelby Nice for both the 7% and the 6000+ books.


back to top