A somewhat more holistic ranking of Chinese web novel authors by the web novel industry that is not based on royalties alone. The authors were voted on by a variety of sources. 2015 was their first year.
From Baike:
The rankings were chosen through 15 days, 200 top internet authors, 19 media and novel sites, and 33 editors with a long history of experience. The “King of Web Novels” is a ranking produced by China Mobile Reading, with the help of Zhejiang Writer Association, Youth Times, Dragon-sky and many other media websites.
Twelve Olympians (alphabetical)
- Chen Dong
- Fang Xiang
- Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou
- Feng Ling Tian Xia
- Liu Xia Hui
- Jiu Tu
- Mao Ni
- Meng Ru Shen Ji
- Tang Jia San Shao
- Tian Can Tu Dou
- Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi (I Eat Tomatoes)
- Yue Guan
The King Of Web Novels: Tang Jia San Shao
He is the author that truly comprehends “fast”. He chooses classical topics, creates fresh characters, constructs attractive plots, uses clean words, and with steady continuous updates, he really expresses the true power of “fast”, pushing the charisma of his works to the limit. In more than ten years, he has never stopped updating for a day, creating a beautiful tale. “Dou Luo Da Lu”, “Zither Emperor”, “The Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods”, and other works have countless fans, and continued to raise him to the highest ranking web novel author for multiple years. In 2014, his royalties reached 50 000 000 renminbi.
The Five Great Emperors (alphabetical order)
Chen Dong
His original name is Yang Cheng Dong, from Beijing and is one of the most influential and representative authors in the present web novel world. Chen Dong founded the “fantasy (xuanhuan) suspense style.” He is skilled in creating suspense, has outstanding imagination. His writing is powerful and unconstrained, and can move the reader to enter the story and fulfill their psychological demands. Readers are not able to stop even if they want to. Up to February of 2015, his new work “Perfect World” is hot and ongoing.
[Translated Works: Shrouded, Shen Mu, World of Immortals, untranslated – Everlasting (不死不灭)]
Mao Ni
Mao Ni is one of the most exceptional web novel authors. His writing style is detailed, solidly constructed, turbulent, and deeply profound. His works are mostly web novels, but they have relatively high literary value, and is worth reading. His now finished work “Jiang Ye” surpasses all of his other previous works and gave readers a whole new experience. His new work “Ze Tian Ji” is ongoing.
Meng Ru Shen Ji (Dreaming Into A God Machine)
Shen Ji’s work almost all found a new sect that becomes popular for a while on the web. He has started the prehistoric stream, the martial arts stream, the divine powers stream and many others. His works are filled with a domineering aura of sharp edges and killing, an original edge that causes him to always maintain the position of the avant-garde! His work “God of Sun” managed to accomplish the miracle of eight months on top of the month ticket rankings, and his most famed work “Buddhism Is The Dao” is still a classic today.
[Translated Works: Eternal Life, Romance of Dragons and Snakes, Sheng Wang]
Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi (I Eat Tomatoes)
Up to February of 2015, he has completed “Legend of Xin Feng,” “Inch of Radiance,” “Stellar Transformation,” “Coiling Dragon,” “The Nine Cauldrons,” and “Swallowed Star.” His new work, “Lord Xue Ying” is still ongoing. He has always been one of the few authors that could always rank near the front of websites, and frequently is the first on all the rankings. After works such as “Stellar Transformation” and “Coiling Dragon” was completed, countless continuations and similar novels appeared on web novel websites, showing the unshakable position of a “Emperor of Web Novels”. He is called “Tomato” by readers and he also calls himself this.
The Other Olympians
Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou “Lighting Beacons To Tease The Nobles”
In 2005, he started to write web novels, his “Highest Grade Young Master” burned through the web. In 2008, he graduated and became a professional writer. His works have high rates of subscription, great reviews, and is one of the popular writers of the new generation. In college, his first work was “Religion Tribunal.” His representative works include “Highest Quality Young Master,” “Religion Tribunal”, “Chen Er Gou’s Evildoer Life” among others. His work “A Bold Sword Traveling In The Snow” set a new goal of physical book sales for web novels.
Feng Ling Tian Xia
His novels carry a strong hot-blooded style, and is definitely related to the author’s experiences as a soldier. Feng Ling Tian Xia’s works contain many of his own poem which has received many praises from readers, and won him enormous popularity and fans. Each work has exploded over the web, and he is one of the top authors on the web.
[Translated Works: Transcending the Nine Heavens, Otherworldly Evil Monarch
Untranslated: Legend of Ling Tian (凌天传说,) Heavenly Domain Sphere (天域苍穹 – ongoing). Legend of Ling Tian, Otherworldly Evil Monarch, and Transcending the Nine Heavens are distantly interconnected stories) ]
Fang Xiang
A talented author well-received by many fans, his works are filled with originality and imagination, things that people never think about, writing what others have not wrote. He was the first to create the streams of “Master Soldiers” and “Card Disciple”, creating separate world trees in the web novel world. Each of his novels is about a system that he had never wrote before. All of them are full of imagination, and gives the reader the greatest vision.
[Translated Works: Card Disciple (teaser), World of Cultivation, Five Way Heaven
Untranslated Works: Master Soldier Legend (师士传说), The Unbeatable God of War (不败战神)]
Jiu Tu (Drinker)
His works are magnificent, his writing concise, and plots full of twists and turns. His historical novels highlights the philosophy of the people saving the country, and contain many profound perspectives on philosophy and life.
[Works: Qin (秦), Ming (明), Guide Book (指南录), Chaos of Sui (隋乱), Country Founding Thief (开国功贼), Clouds of Great Tang (盛唐烟云) etc.]
Liu Xia Hui
His representative work is “Personal Bodyguard,” set in the city. His style is relaxed and comedic. He is most skilled in creating characters. Those under his pen are extremely fresh and have high affinity with readers. His classical work “Genius Doctor” has spent long periods occupying a position in the top ten of various chars. He started a new path for novels set in the city.
[Works: City Thousand Gold Lady Falls In Love With Me (市长千金爱上我), The Neighbor Girl is Grown Up (邻家有女初长成), The Days of Living With An Airplane Stewardess (和空姐同居的日子), Ultimate Teacher (- adapted into TV drama) ]
Tian Can Tu Dou (Heavenly Silkworm Potato)
The representative of the new generation of web authors. In 2008, his virgin work shot to the top, squeezing into the ranks of the best authors. Immediately as “Battle Through The Heavens” was published, it swept through all the major rankings, hits on the work surpassing 29 billion. The next work “Wu Dong Qian Kun” established Potato’s unshakable position as a top author in the web novel world.
Yue Guan (Moon Gate / Month Off)
The legend of historical web novels. With great quality, incredibly fast update speed, exquisite plots, Yue Guan has shocked and stirred admiration from many readers and authors. His representative work is “Going Back To The Ming Dynasty To Be A Prince” (回到明朝当王爷)
[Notable Works: Emperor of the Night (夜天子), Braveness Of The Ming (锦衣夜行 – adapted to TV drama) ]
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