This is a list of novelists from the United States, listed with titles of a major work for each.
This is not intended to be a list of every American (born U.S. citizen, naturalized citizen, or long-time resident alien) who has published a novel. (For the purposes of this article, novel is defined as an extended work of fiction. This definition is loosely interpreted to include novellas, novelettes, and books of interconnected short stories.) Novelists on this list have achieved a notability that exceeds merely having been published. The writers on the current list fall into one or more of the following categories:
All American novelists who have articles in Wikipedia should be on this list, and even if they do not clearly meet any other criteria they should not be removed until the article itself is removed. Winner of a major literary prize, even if the winning work was a story collection rather than a novel: the Pulitzer Prize, the PEN American Center Book Awards, the National Book Award, the American Book Awards, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and others. (Note: The only Pulitzer winner for Fiction not on the list is James Alan McPherson, who has never published a novel.) Having a substantial body of work, widely respected and reviewed in major publications, and perhaps often nominated or a finalist for major awards. A pioneering literary figure, possibly for the style or substance of their entire body of work, or for a single novel that was a notable "first" of some kind in U.S. literary history. Had several massive bestsellers, or even just one huge seller that has entered the cultural lexicon (Grace Metalious and Peyton Place, for example). A leading figure—especially award-winning, and with crossover appeal to mainstream readers, reviewers, and scholars—in a major genre or subcategory of fiction: Romance, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, western, young adult fiction, regional or "local color" fiction, proletarian fiction, etc.
A
Patricia Aakhus (1952–2012), The Voyage of Mael Duin's Curragh Rachel Aaron, Fortune's Pawn Atia Abawi Edward Abbey (1927–1989), The Monkey Wrench Gang Lynn Abbey (born 1948), Daughter of the Bright Moon Laura Abbot, My Name Is Nell Belle Kendrick Abbott (1842–1893), Leah Mordecai Eleanor Hallowell Abbott (1872–1958), poet, novelist and short story writer Hailey Abbott, Summer Boys Mary Abbott (1857–1904), Alexia Megan Abbott (born 1971), Die a Little Shirley Abbott (1934–2019), The Bookmaker's Daughter: A Memory Unbound Shana Abé, A Rose in Winter Louise Abeita (1926–2014), Native American Isleta Pueblo writer, I Am a Pueblo Indian Girl Robert H. Abel (1941–2017) Joan Abelove (born 1945), Go and Come Back Aberjhani Walter Abish (1931–2022), How German Is It Abiola Abrams (born 1976), television host, art filmmaker and writer, Dare Stacey Abrams (born 1973), While Justice Sleeps Traci Hunter Abramson, Smokescreen Diana Abu-Jaber (born 1960), Arabian Jazz Susan Abulhawa, Mornings in Jenin Evelyne Accad (born 1943), The Excised Elizabeth Acevedo, The Poet X Kathy Acker (1947–1997), Blood and Guts in High School Danielle Ackley-McPhail (born 1970), Tomorrow's Memories Marta Acosta, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula Cherry Adair, Black Magic Alice Adams (1926–1999), Beautiful Girl Deborah Adams, All the Great Pretenders Henry Adams (1838–1918), Democracy: An American Novel Kathryn Adams Doty (1920–2016), A Long Year of Silence Yda Addis (1857–1902), writer and translator Kim Addonizio (born 1954), poet, novelist George Ade (1866–1944), The Slim Princess Renata Adler (born 1938), Speedboat Warren Adler (1927–2019), The War of the Roses James Agee (1909–1955), A Death in the Family Charlotte Agell (born 1959), novelist and children's writer Kelli Russell Agodon (born 1969), writer, including poet,and editor Conrad Aiken (1889–1973), Blue Voyage Hiag Akmakjian (1926–2017) Mitch Albom (born 1958), The Five People You Meet in Heaven Kathleen Alcalá (born 1954), Spirits of the Ordinary Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), Little Women Isabella Macdonald Alden (1841–1930), children's writer Clifford Lindsey Alderman (1902–1988) Anne Reeve Aldrich (1866–1892) Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907), Prudence Palfrey Malin Alegria Grace Alexander (1872–1951), Judith Lloyd Alexander (1924–2007), The Black Cauldron Tasha Alexander (born 1969) Sherman Alexie (born 1966), Reservation Blues Horatio Alger Jr. (1832–1899), Ragged Dick Jo Ann Algermissen (1942–2009), I Do? Nelson Algren (1909–1981), The Man with the Golden Arm Hervey Allen (1889–1949), Anthony Adverse Isabel Allende (born 1942), Chilean/American novelist, Eva Luna, Daughter of Fortune Dorothy Allison (1949–2024), Bastard Out of Carolina Lisa Alther (born 1944), Kinflicks Joseph Alexander Altsheler (1862–1919), The Young Trailers Julia Alvarez (born 1950), How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Rudolfo Anaya (1937–2020), Bless Me, Ultima Laurie Halse Anderson (born 1961), Speak Poul Anderson (1926–2001), Tau Zero Steve Anderson (born 1966) Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941), Winesburg, Ohio Eliza Frances Andrews (1840–1931), novelist and Civil War writer V. C. Andrews (1923–1986), Flowers in the Attic Tina McElroy Ansa (1949–2024), Baby of the Family A. Manette Ansay (born 1964), Vinegar Hill Donald Antrim (born 1959), The Hundred Brothers Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1942–2004), writer, including poet, and activist, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza Allen Appel (born 1945), Time After Time Benjamin Appel (1907–1979), Brain Guy Max Apple (born 1941), Zip: A Novel of the Left and the Right Harold Hunter Armstrong (1884–1979) Harriette Arnow (1908–1986), The Dollmaker Timothy Shay Arthur (1809–1885), Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There Sholem Asch (1880–1957), The Nazarene Inez Asher (1911–2006), television writer and novelist, Family Sins Kristen Ashley (born 1968) Anastasia Ashman (born 1964), writer and cultural producer, Tales from the Expat Harem Isaac Asimov (1920–1992), The Gods Themselves Rilla Askew (born 1951), The Mercy Seat Robert Asprin (1946–2008), Another Fine Myth Gertrude Atherton (1857–1948), The Conqueror Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson (1863–1942), writer, including journalist, and teacher William Attaway (1911–1986), Blood on the Forge Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (born 1984), In the Forests of the Night Louis Auchincloss (1917–2010), The Rector of Justin Jean M. Auel (born 1936), The Clan of the Cave Bear Paul Auster (1947–2024), New York Trilogy Mary Hunter Austin (1868–1934), Isidro Victoria Aveyard (born 1990), Red Queen series
B Ba–Be
James Baar (1929–2021) Sanora Babb (1907–2005) C. Morgan Babst (born 1980) Richard Bach (born 1936), Jonathan Livingston Seagull Irving Bacheller (1859–1950), A Man for the Ages George Bagby (1906–1985), Murder at the Piano Dorothy Baker (1907–1968), Young Man with a Horn James Robert Baker (1947–1997), Fuel-Injected Dreams Nicholson Baker (born 1957), Vox Kirsten Bakis (born 1968), Lives of the Monster Dogs Faith Baldwin (1893–1978), The Heart Has Wings James Baldwin (1924–1987), Go Tell It on the Mountain Leigh Bale John Ball (1911–1988), In the Heat of the Night Toni Cade Bambara (1939–1995), The Salt Eaters Anna Banks Russell Banks (1940–2023), The Sweet Hereafter Margaret Culkin Banning (1891–1982), Country Club People Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) (1934–2014), The System of Dante's Hell Tom Barbash, The Last Good Chance Anna Maynard Barbour (died 1941), That Mainwaring Affair John Franklin Bardin (1916–1981), Devil Take the Blue-Tail Fly Brad Barkley (born 1961), Money, Love Annie Maria Barnes (1857 – 1933 or 1943), Some Lowly Lives and the Heights They Reached Djuna Barnes (1892–1982), Nightwood Linda Barnes (born 1949), A Trouble of Fools Margaret Ayer Barnes (1886–1967), Years of Grace Steven Barnes (born 1952), The Legacy of Heorot (co-author) Wilton Barnhardt (born 1960), Gospel Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr (1831–1919), Jan Vedder's Wife Nevada Barr (born 1952), Track of the Cat Stringfellow Barr (1897–1982) Andrea Barrett (born 1964), The Voyage of the Narwhal Lillian Barrett (1884–1963), The Sinister Revel, Gibbeted Gods, and The Crowd Out Front John Barth (1930–2024), Giles Goat-Boy Donald Barthelme (1931–1989), Snow White Frederick Barthelme (born 1943), Chroma Alice E. Bartlett (1848–1920), Until the Daybreak Nalbro Bartley (1888–1952), A Woman's Woman Fredrick Barton Rick Bass (born 1958), Where the Sea Used to Be Sara Ware Bassett (1872–1968) Hamilton Basso (1904–1964), The View from Pompey's Head Harriet Bates (1856–1886), wrote under the name Eleanor Putnam Margret Holmes Bates (1844–1927), Manitou Emma Pow Bauder (1848–1932), The Inhabitants of Two Worlds L. Frank Baum (1856–1919), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Beth Ann Bauman Richard Bausch (born 1945), The Last Good Time Robert Bausch (1945–2018), Almighty Me Charles Baxter (born 1947), Shadow Play Jonathan Bayliss (1926–2009), the fiction tetralogy Gloucesterman Peter S. Beagle (born 1939), The Last Unicorn Theodore Beale (born 1968), The War in Heaven, The Eternal Warriors Clare Beams (born 1980/81), The Illness Lesson Greg Bear (1951–2022), Darwin's Radio Ann Beattie (born 1947), Chilly Scenes of Winter Paul Beatty (born 1962), The Sellout Jessica Beck Louis Begley (born 1933), About Schmidt Madison Smartt Bell (born 1957), All Souls' Rising Edward Bellamy (1850–1898), Looking Backward: 2000–1887 Elizabeth Whitfield Croom Bellamy (1837–1900), Four Oaks Saul Bellow (1915–2005), Henderson the Rain King Peter Benchley (1940–2006), Jaws Aimee Bender (born 1969), An Invisible Sign of My Own Pinckney Benedict (born 1964), Dogs of God Stephen Vincent Benét (1898–1943), Spanish Bayonet Gregory Benford (born 1941), Timescape Gary L. Bennett (born 1940), The Star Sailors Jenn Bennett Marcia Joanne Bennett (born 1945) Thomas Berger (1924–2014), Little Big Man Gina Berriault (1926–1999), The Descent Don Berry (1931–2001), Trask Wendell Berry (born 1934), A Place on Earth Alfred Bester (1913–1987), The Demolished Man Doris Betts (1932–2012), Souls Raised from the Dead
Bf–Bz
Kiran Bhat (born 1990) Earl Derr Biggers (1884–1933), The Chinese Parrot Donia Bijan, "The Last Days of Cafe Leila" Jessica Bird (born 1969), Black Dagger Brotherhood series Robert Montgomery Bird (1803–1854), Nick of the Woods Michael Bishop (1945–2023), No Enemy But Time Pam Blackwell (born 1942) William Peter Blatty (1928–2017), The Exorcist Winfred Blevins (1938–2023), Stone Song, Story of the Life of Crazy Horse Robert Bloch (1917–1994), Psycho Francesca Lia Block (born 1962), Weetzie Bat Lawrence Block (born 1938), Eight Million Ways to Die Stefan Merrill Block (born 1982) Mabel Fuller Blodgett (1869–1959) Joan Blondell (1906–1979), Center Door Fancy Amy Bloom (born 1953), Love Invents Us Judy Blume (born 1938), Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret Tom Boggs (1905–1952) Chris Bohjalian (born 1960), The Law of Similars Arna Bontemps (1902–1973), God Sends Sunday Kola Boof Emma Scarr Booth (1835–1927), Karan Kringle's Journal Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), The Case of the Seven of Calvary Vance Bourjaily (1922–2010), Brill Among the Ruins Ben Bova (1932–2020), The Starcrossed Jane Bowles (1917–1973), Two Serious Ladies Paul Bowles (1910–1999), The Sheltering Sky Valerie Bowman Blanche McCrary Boyd (born 1945), The Revolution of Little Girls James Boyd (1888–1944), Drums Jennifer Finney Boylan (previously James Finney Boylan) (born 1958), The Planets Roger Boylan (born 1951), Killoyle Kay Boyle (1902–1992), Death of a Man T. Coraghessan Boyle (born 1948), The Road to Wellville Virginia Frazer Boyle (1863–1938) Gerald Warner Brace (1901–1978), The World of Carrick's Cove Hugh Henry Brackenridge (1748–1816), Modern Chivalry Leigh Brackett (1915–1978), The Secret of Sinharat