The world has advanced and the the advancement has been at a very fast pace. There are many things which are becoming obsolete in this new technology world. But the one things which has survived this change are Books. Books still shape our society. They increase our sensitivity to common human experiences. Authors help us focus our attention to things we take for granted for example water droplets on a leaf. Reading will always increase the experience of the world we see around us. Through literature we can taste the love experiences of those who live in lands that are distant, cultures that are distinct and in generations that are now extinct. The authors in the list have entertained generations of Americans with their stories of romance, horror, success and adventure. Let’s explore America’s authors.
1. Mark Twain
Mark Twain is definitely one of the most incredible writers in the English literature. His influence in the writing is still visible in writing today. He is called “Father of American Literature”. In his earlier days Mark Twain has served as riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, and inventor. He was a writer who was known to all and liked by all. In his entire career as writer he wrote twenty eight books, vast number of essays and short stories. Mark Twain was very good in capturing public imagination that he is considered America’s first celebrity. He wrote the classic American novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He changed the way Americans used to write their language. He has been honoured in number of ways. There are many buildings, schools, bridges which have been named after him. An award Mark Twain Prize for American Humour is also awarded annually to a book for children in grades four through eight.
2. Danielle Steel
If you are women or you are the one who loves romantic genre of novels then definitely you would be known with the novelist Danielle Steel. A world renowned author whose first novel was published 1973. Her first best seller “The Promise” was published in 1978. Since then she has written at a furious pace, and has enjoyed huge success. Her novels are of romantic quality and set in exotic locations. They form a great story for television and film adaptations. To count numbers, 21 of her novels have been adopted till now for television with some winning the prestigious Golden Globe Award. She holds the Guinness World Records for most consecutive weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
3. Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway is one the greatest writers of 20th Century. He revolutionized the idea of what an American Author was. He was Lady Gaga of his era. The quality which put Ernest Hemmingway different from other writers was he was very brief and straightforward in his writing. His short sentences sometimes even one word left impact much larger than long sentences of other writers. He had a reputation of fearless writer. His first work “The Sun Also Rises” is still considered Hemmingway’s greatest work. He was honoured with Nobel Prize for literature. He also won Pulitzer Prize which came for writing the most famous book “The Old Man and the Sea”.
4. Dr Seuss
If you have read Children’s books, then you must have definitely come across the name Dr Seuss. He revolutionized the way kids learn to read by a very simple idea. He made reading and learning a fun activity for kids through his books. He is the most famous children author of all time. His most distinguished characteristic was his thinking process was moulded like a child and people who used to read his books and had not met him thought of him as a child only. He has 46 children’s books to his name. All of them are characterized by imaginative characters and rhymes. He had an eye and ear for details which are generally observed only by children. Through his books he tried to answer the curiosity of children and also sometimes give them fruitful lessons.
5. Stephen King
Stephen King is a Horror King. If horror is your genre in reading, then Stephen King books can be your best friend. He has many achievements on his name, one of which is the completion of his novel “The Running Man” which was over 300 pages in just ten days. He owns three Radio Stations in Maine. He is certified by the Guinness World Records for the most motion picture adoptions. He also has received a medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. During his lifetime Stephen won many prizes and also hearts of millions of readers all over the world.
6. Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon was a best selling novelist who won Oscar, Tony, Emmy awards for his work on the stage and screen. He has risen from small time screen writer to internationally famous novelist and a master story teller. His novels are steamy page turners which have been translated in 51 languages. He also has to his credit four long running television series. Sheldon was born in Chicago, Illinois. Sidney started his career at an early age by making a sale of his poem for dollar ten. During his school days he has done a variety of odd jobs and during his graduation he contributed short plays to drama groups. Sidney Sheldon is one of the favourite authors and very popular especially among teens. His mystery novels have been bestsellers throughout the world.
7. Harold Robbins
This is the author who has 25 best selling books printed in 32 languages in his name. He was also one of the controversial authors right from the start. His novels covered topics like sex, money and power. Most of his novels were scorned by critics and loved by readers. Robbins published his first book on 1948 and was able to write full time till 1957. He wrote more than 30 novels. His personal life mirrored the characters in his book. His lifestyle was very grand. He owned luxury homes around the world, an expensive art collection, yachts and fleet of Rolls Royce. He was one of the top five best selling authors in the world.
8. F.Scott Fitzgerald
F.Scott Fitzgerald writings perfectly captured the sense of America in 1920. His passion for writing was so deep and intense is seen from the fact that he started writing short articles from the age of 13 for his school newspaper. He also wrote musicals in his college days. He had an immense devotion to writing. He is known for the greatest novels of all time The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was the biggest selling American Classic. He wrote 178 stories and published them in magazines which supported him to write his novels. F.Scott Fitzgerald lived the life he wrote about. His writingswas continuously adapted for big and small screen stories.
9. Louis L’Amour
Louis L’Amour was a western writer. Western genre of writing is usually devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th Century. His success came to the western novel named “Hondo”. His first book was so popular that it was made into a movie also. Till he died in June, he had written 100 books and 400 short stories which were translated into 10 different languages. His book continues to sell millions copies each year. He is an author who has captured interests of readers of each group. The unique quality of L’Amour was he researched a lot before writing any book. He travelled to the locations he wrote about in his books and would study the people there. This made the readers connect to the book easily and made Louis L’Amour a prolific author.
10. William Faulkner
William Faulkner is known as poet novelist of Mississippi. His is known for reflecting the history and culture of South in his work. His first Novel Sound in the theory was published in 1929. He had a reputation of technically complex and imaginative writer. Faulkner wrote several masterpieces within a decade. Faulkner won two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction and a Nobel Prize for literature.
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