Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Sidney Sheldon

Charting May 12, 1974 → Nov 12, 2000 · 342 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 12.35%; week of Jul 2, 1978
Career Power: 3,050; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 51; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 353; April 1980 – April 1981
Peak Five Years: 1,022; February 1978 – May 1983
Top-five weeks: 184; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 342; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 15.03%; week of Feb 8, 1987
Comebacks: 11; May 1976, February 1978, July 1980, September 1982, February 1985, February 1987, December 1988, September 1990, October 1994, October 1997, October 2000

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After decline	Sep 29, 1974	May 9, 1976	84	83	2.08%	1.01%
After decline	Dec 5, 1976	Feb 26, 1978	64	62	6.21%	2.99%
After decline	Jan 28, 1979	Jul 27, 1980	78	74	12.35%	5.29%
After decline	May 10, 1981	Sep 26, 1982	72	69	12.35%	4.62%
After decline	Jul 3, 1983	Feb 17, 1985	85	82	12.35%	4.74%
After decline	Nov 3, 1985	Feb 22, 1987	68	66	12.35%	4.39%
After decline	Nov 1, 1987	Dec 11, 1988	58	55	12.35%	5.38%
After decline	Jun 11, 1989	Sep 16, 1990	66	63	12.35%	4.94%
After decline	Mar 7, 1993	Oct 23, 1994	85	81	12.35%	4.48%
After decline	Feb 11, 1996	Oct 12, 1997	87	84	12.35%	4.50%
After decline	Dec 6, 1998	Oct 29, 2000	99	95	12.35%	4.65%

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

16 books · 3,050 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
Rage of Angels	#1July 1980	42	June 1980 – April 1981	353.1	353.1
Master of the Game	#1September 1982	38	September 1982 – May 1983	341.3	341.3
Bloodline	#1March 1978	26	February 1978 – August 1978	335.8	335.8
If Tomorrow Comes	#1February 1985	36	January 1985 – September 1985	329.7	329.7
Windmills of the Gods	#1February 1987	32	February 1987 – September 1987	318.5	313.8
The Sands of Time	#1November 1988	23	November 1988 – April 1989	244.4	244.4
Memories of Midnight	#1September 1990	23	August 1990 – January 1991	216.9	214.9
The Doomsday Conspiracy	#2September 1991	20	September 1991 – January 1992	152.4	152.4
A Stranger in the Mirror	#3May 1976	21	May 1976 – September 1976	144.5	144.5
The Stars Shine Down	#1October 1992	15	October 1992 – January 1993	129.1	126.8
Morning, Noon, and Night	#2October 1995	17	September 1995 – January 1996	125.0	125.0
Nothing Lasts Forever	#2October 1994	18	September 1994 – January 1995	101.7	101.4
The Best Laid Plans	#2September 1997	10	September 1997 – November 1997	92.8	92.8
Tell Me Your Dreams	#2September 1998	8	September 1998 – November 1998	76.1	76.1
The Sky Is Falling	#2October 2000	7	October 2000 – November 2000	63.0	63.0
The Other Side of Midnight	#9June 1974	6	May 1974 – June 1974	26.3	26.3