Well Marten, Im sure your right, children in this soceity have an ever evolving taste for art and artistic endevors, just look at music. I know the reason I say that this is MY list for the greatest list of author, I know that these authors have shaped and molded my writing more than any others. That is why I picked them, because they personally shaped what I write like and what I view as amazing writing. as I said before even in the article itself if you disagree, make a list and post it here, Im pretty sure that I will agree with a few of your own choices.
Not that I am saying that your own choices for the "greats" arent, they are great to you in your own rights... this I will not contest, I mean it is your list, and this IS my list. As for the asking a child again, your right they might not make the top 50 of authors for that child... hell might not even make the top 100, but that doesnt mean that they are not in some way related to the author that, that certain child likes. In fact I would almost be certain that some of these very authors that many of the commenters have stated have influences some of the other writes.

Thnkas for bringing that idea of what children think of greats to the blog...

Thomas

I agree that many of the old masters have influenced the writers of today, and that such a list is very subjectiv.But say a writer is very influenced by a master,almost a copyist,but adds his own personal style and improve on the writing, wich is then the better writer ? I cant say whos the better one, but then again I must say that regarding music I like the originals better that the remakers of today. My piont is ( I think !) we all have our top 10lists in music, writers, painters etc etc.But DONT close youre eyes/ears to new stuff. Theres a lot of very good music,books,wine etc out there , thats just waiting to be discovered by
those with open minds.
Marten(going home from work now)

I agree with most of your list and most of the comments. The prolem with all the other great writers is that you limited it to the Greatest, not just great.

I would point out one genre that you omitted, by suggesting one of the greatest authors of all time is Isaac Asimov. Besides being the greatest SciFi writer of all time, he is also the only author to have published in every major Dewey Decimal category. But I can understand some people's hesitation to include SciFi in a list of greatest works of literature. Does not mean I agree with that sentiment.

Let's get some women in here people!!

Dickinson, Angelou, Stowe, Atwood, There are many more, but they don't come right to mind

Damn right! Arundati Roy, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Iris Murdoch, Barbara Kingsolver?