Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

John Gardner

Charting Feb 11, 1973 → Sep 10, 1989 · 103 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 4.89%; week of May 6, 1973
Career Power: 446; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 104; March 1973 – February 1974
Peak Five Years: 199; April 1972 – April 1977
Top-five weeks: 1; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 103; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 8.34%; week of Mar 25, 1973
Comebacks: 4; February 1977, July 1981, November 1984, May 1987

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Jun 9, 1974	Feb 27, 1977	142	138	4.89%	1.73%
After absence	Jun 26, 1977	Jul 19, 1981	199	191	4.89%	1.92%
After decline	Aug 14, 1983	Nov 4, 1984	64	58	4.89%	1.74%
After decline	Dec 9, 1984	May 24, 1987	128	77	4.89%	1.76%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

11 books · 446 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Sunlight Dialogues	#5March 1973	15	February 1973 – May 1973	88.5	88.5
For Special Services	#6July 1982	15	May 1982 – August 1982	68.4	68.4
October Light	#6March 1977	10	January 1977 – April 1977	57.4	57.4
Nickel Mountain	#6March 1974	10	January 1974 – April 1974	53.0	53.0
License Renewed	#9July 1981	13	May 1981 – October 1981	45.6	45.6
Icebreaker	#9April 1983	11	April 1983 – July 1983	38.0	38.0
No Deals, Mr. Bond	#9May 1987	7	April 1987 – June 1987	26.3	26.1
Role of Honor	#9October 1984	8	September 1984 – November 1984	23.6	23.6
Scorpius	#11June 1988	6	May 1988 – July 1988	18.6	18.6
Nobody Lives Forever	#9June 1986	4	June 1986 – June 1986	14.8	14.8
Win, Lose or Die	#11August 1989	4	August 1989 – September 1989	11.6	11.6