Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Mary Renault

Charting Dec 30, 1956 → Feb 25, 1979 · 126 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 8.85%; week of Jul 1, 1962
Career Power: 788; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 197; August 1961 – August 1962
Peak Five Years: 352; August 1957 – August 1962
Top-five weeks: 43; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 126; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 12.64%; week of Apr 15, 1962
Comebacks: 5; August 1958, March 1962, December 1966, January 1970, December 1972

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After decline	May 26, 1957	Aug 10, 1958	63	61	1.41%	1.44%
After absence	Apr 19, 1959	Mar 25, 1962	153	142	6.03%	2.27%
After absence	Oct 21, 1962	Dec 18, 1966	213	209	8.85%	3.30%
After absence	Jun 18, 1967	Jan 25, 1970	136	131	8.85%	3.12%
After absence	May 10, 1970	Dec 31, 1972	138	132	8.85%	3.21%

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

8 books · 788 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 Bull from the Sea	#2April 1962	25	March 1962 – August 1962	197.4	197.4
The Mask of Apollo	#4February 1967	22	November 1966 – April 1967	162.2	162.2
The Persian Boy	#4February 1973	23	November 1972 – May 1973	158.0	158.0
The King Must Die	#3August 1958	27	July 1958 – February 1959	151.6	151.6
Fire from Heaven	#5January 1970	14	December 1969 – March 1970	83.2	83.2
The Last of the Wine	#11January 1957	9	December 1956 – March 1957	20.6	20.6
The Praise Singer	#12February 1979	5	January 1979 – February 1979	12.1	12.1
The Charioteer	#13June 1959	1	June 1959	2.8	2.8