Last night I looked at NatNats registration. This is more fun.

Doyle advances over Poe because he created a character that is as alive today as ever. Poe had more ideas, but ultimately Sherlock is eternal.

Wells over Verne for a better sf imagination. Time travel, space travel, deep earth travel, etc., versus trains and boats around the world and a submarine, all practical enough in their day.

Austen over Eliot for the sense of humor.

Dickens over Thackeray for depth of canon. Thackeray is good, but, ultimately, Dickens is better. That's just the way it is.

King over Steele for having further pervaded all aspects of American culture, and personal variety.

Connelly over Crais for purity.

Sparks over Roberts for (wait for it) sincerity.

Patterson over Brown for having more than one or two ideas.