| 100% | MISHIMA | 7 | Yukio —, author of 1963 novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea |
| 37% | SONTAG | 6 | Susan —, author of 1963 novel The Benefactor |
| 36% | MONSARRAT | 9 | Author of the novel The Cruel Sea: Nicholas __ |
| 35% | IRALEVIN | 8 | Author of the novels The Boys from Brazil and The Stepford Wives |
| 34% | NOON | 4 | Jeff —, author of the novels Automated Alice and Falling Out Of Cars |
| 34% | LUCYSCORE | 9 | Author of the novel Things We Hide From the Light |
| 33% | LEVIN | 5 | Ira —, author of the novels The Boys from Brazil and The Stepford Wives |
| 33% | JEANRHYS | 8 | Author of the novels Good Morning, Midnight and Wide Sargasso Sea |
| 33% | DAVYJONES | 9 | Squid-headed sailors' devil from bottom of the sea |
| 33% | ALLENDE | 7 | Isabel —, author of novels City of the Beasts and The Island Beneath the Sea |
| 33% | ANDREALEVY | 10 | Author of the novels Fruit of the Lemon and Never Far from Nowhere |
| 32% | MONSARRAT | 9 | Author of a WWII novel The Cruel Sea: Nicholas __ |
| 32% | OSBOURNE | 8 | Lloyd —, stepson of Robert Louis Stevenson with whom he co-authored 1889 novel The Wrong Box |
| 32% | SUEGRAFTON | 10 | Author of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries who wrote the 2015 novel "X": 2 wds. |
| 32% | DESAI | 5 | Anita —, author of the novels In Custody and The Village by the Sea |
| 32% | ELTON | 5 | Ben —, comedian; author of novels This Other Eden and Blast from the Past |
| 32% | IRALEVIN | 8 | Author of novels The Boys from Brazil and The Stepford Wives |
| 32% | ANNE | 4 | Author Tyler with the upcoming novel "A Spool of Blue Thread" |
| 31% | ANDREALEVY | 10 | Author of novels Fruit of the Lemon and Never Far from Nowhere |
| 31% | DUMAS | 5 | Author who died before finishing his novel The Knight of Sainte-Hermine |
| 31% | TONYPARSONS | 11 | Author of novels Men from the Boys and One for My Baby |
| 31% | LONDON | 6 | Jack —, author of novels The Sea-Wolf and White Fang |
| 31% | JULES | 5 | With 49-Across, author of the novel suggested by this puzzle's theme; the movie debuted 10/17/1956 |
| 31% | RICHARDWRIGHT | 13 | Pink Floyd keyboardist who shares a name with the author of "Native Son" (2 wds.) |
| 31% | WILLIAM | 7 | With 35-Across, author of the classic dystopian novel "Lord of the Flies" |
| 31% | JOHNUPDIKE | 10 | Author of the Rabbit series who wrote the 1988 novel "S.": 2 wds. |
| 31% | TIDAL | 5 | Having to do with the rise and fall of the sea |
| 31% | JOANNEROWLING | 13 | Author of the "Harry Potter" series who has written novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith: 2 wds. |
| 31% | SOPHIEKINSELLA | 14 | Author of the "Shopaholic" novels who also wrote stand-alone novels as Madeleine Wickham: 2 wds. |
| 31% | RICHARDRUSSO | 12 | Author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Empire Falls" and 17-Across (2 wds.) |