Prose and Cons Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dan Brown

Author Dan Brown is the author of a number of books, beginning with his first novel "Digital Fortress", published in 1998. He is most notably known for the series that features his character made famous in the movies by Tom Hanks, symbologist Robert Langdon.

The first three books featuring Langdon are "Angels & Demons" (2000), "The Da Vinci Code" (2003), and "The Lost Symbol" (2009). "The Da Vinci Code", with its story questioning the traditionally accepted biblical depiction of Christ and Mary Magdalene, was very controversial.

Answer: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. Among his published works are "Nicholas Nickleby" (1838), "David Copperfield" (1850), "Oliver Twist" (1838), "The Pickwick Papers" (1836), and "A Tale of Two Cities (1859). The two cities in question in the latter, of course, were London and Paris. Lastly, there is also "Our Mutual Friend", published in 1864.

Over his writing career, Dickens published 15 novels along with hundreds of short stories.

Answer: John Grisham

John Grisham practiced law for about ten years, in addition to serving in public office for six years, before becoming a published author. His first novel was "A Time to Kill" (1989), and the other titles that can be partially found in the question clue are "The Firm" (1991), "The Testament" (1999), "The Racketeer" (2012), "The Confession" (2010), "The Runaway Jury" (1996), and "The Pelican Brief" (1992).

A number of films have already been made of Grisham's more than 20 novels, and some have even been adapted into television series.

Answer: Jules Verne

Jules Verne (1828-1905) is thought of by many as the 'Father of Science Fiction' for his many stories that explored both the mysteries of the world and of outer space. Clues given in the question refer to "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), "The Vanished Diamond" (1884), "The Blockade Runners" (1876), "The Flight to France" (1878), and "The Mysterious Island".

Answer: Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton (1942-2008) wrote many novels that touched on mankind's delving into a technological world that gets away from him. Among Crichton's more well-known works is 1990's "Jurassic Park". In the case of the clues given in the question, the referenced works were "State of Fear" (2004), "Disclosure" (1994), "The Andromeda Strain" (1969), "Congo" (1980), "Zero Cool" (1969), "Timeline" (1999), "The Lost World" (1995), and "Sphere" (1987).

Answer: Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel is one of the biggest best-selling authors of all time, with over 800 million books sold and more than 70 romance novels written. The novels referred to in the question were "The House" (2006), "44 Charles Street" (2011), "Jewels" (1992), "A Good Woman" (2008), "Betrayal" (2012), "Sisters" (2007), "Daddy" (1989), "Family Album" (1985), "Rogue" (2008), and "A Perfect Stranger" (1983).

Answer: Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan (1948-2007) was the pen name for Oliver Rigney, Jr. Most famously known for his "Wheel of Time" fantasy series, Jordan also wrote stories about Conan the Barbarian in the 1980s. Along with the Conan reference in the question, the "Wheel of Time" books referred to were "The Great Hunt" (2nd book, 1990), "The Path of Daggers" (8th book, 1998), "Winter's Heart" (9th book, 2000), "New Spring" (prequel, 1998), "Crossroads of Twilight" (10th book, 2003), and "Lord of Chaos" (6th book, 1994).

Jordan passed away after writing the 11th book in the series ("Knife of Dreams"), and Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Jordan's wife (and editor) to complete the work.

Answer: Dick Francis

Dick Francis (1920-2010) spent some time in Britain's Royal Air Force before a stellar career as a jockey, winning over 350 races in his day. His crime-story books almost exclusively centered around the world of horse-racing, and he wrote over 40 international best-sellers before his death in 2010. Clues in the question reference "Smokescreen" (1972), "Banker" (1982), "Enquiry" (1969), "Proof" (1984), "Break In" (1985), "Odds Against" (1965), "Hot Money" (1987), "Wild Horses" (1994), and "Knockdown" (1974).

Answer: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a well-known and well-liked author in his day, writing not only novels, but also poetry, essays and travelogues. The works referred to in the question were "Prince Otto" (1885), "Kidnapped" (1886), "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886), "Catriona" (1893), "The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses" (1888), "Treasure Island" (1883), and "The Wrong Box" (1889).

Answer: Stephen King

The master of horror, Stephen King has sold over 350 million copies of his books, which also delve into suspense, fantasy and science fiction genres. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted for film as well. The books referred to in the question are "It" (1986), "Night Shift" (1978), "Full Dark, No Stars" (2010), "Four Past Midnight" (1990), "Firestarter" (1980), "Salem's Lot" (1975), "Skeleton Crew" (1985), "The New Lieutenant's Rap" (1999), "Desperation" (1996), and "Misery" (1987).