Authors in today’s world are treated like rock stars. They make TV appearances, do radio shows, and, if your book is really popular, you can even have a movie made out of one or two of them. You’ll literally be able to make a living out of your books. Here’s a short-list of the world’s favourite authors.
Dan Brown is one of the more controversial authors in the world, and not because of anything he does outside the literary world. Dan Brown’s books tackle some of the most sensitive topics in the world: religion, government, and underground movements. His most popular works are those in what people call his Robert Langdon series: The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, The Lost Symbol, and the most recent, Inferno. All of these books talk about the world’s most prolific religion, Christianity. This series has earned the bane of the Church, and has even been banned in some countries for a short time.
When we hear the name J.K. Rowling, we think of only one thing: Hogwarts. She began her rise to fame with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has since gone through six more books: Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows. Even though young boys were her target audience, the Harry Potter series is largely followed by people of all ages, male or female. Her books were so popular that they spawned a movie series that spanned eight titles, all based on her books.
Born in January of 1892, J.R.R. Tolkien’s books remain very popular decades after his death in 1973. His best-selling Lord of the Rings series has spawned three movie titles, and The Hobbit, another one of his best sellers, has now spawned three movies. His take on fantasy novels remains unique, and a lot of authors often take their cue from his novels if they ever want to explore the world of fantasy novels.
The name Anne Rice has seemingly become synonymous with vampires, even if Bram Stoker is the one who created Count Dracula. The Vampire Chronicles remains her best-known and best-selling series of novels, spawning two films in the '90s. Vampire novels have been on the rise, and series from the latest vampire novels have Anne Rice to thank.
The name Mitch Albom has recently taken the literary world by storm. The 55-year-old journalist, screenwriter, musician, and radio and TV broadcaster never expected his books to sell that much. It started with Tuesdays with Morrie, a book written about his visits with his former college professor Morrie Schwartz. All he ever wanted from Tuesdays with Morrie was to be able to pay off Schwartz’s medical bills. His books, which deal with life and death, offer readers a fresh take on how people take life for granted and seemingly want to take it all back on their deathbed. His works, although people see it as grim, actually celebrate life.
