Reading other posts on this site, I'm curious to know who is the most popular author amongst readers of Gothic fiction/literature? The ones I see pointed out most often are Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Dorothy Eden, Barbara Michaels and Phyllis Whitney. Who are the other big-name authors amongst the Gothic writers? And who is your favorite all-time?

The authors you named are/were not only popular, but prolific as well. One of the reasons for their popularity is their gift of storytelling. I have read at least one book by each of those authors and I may not like all the stories they write, but I certainly admire their writing style. (I will add that not all prolific writers have good writing styles.) Amongst your list, I believe Victorial Holt and Mary Stewart have been the most influential, with Ms. Holt writing historicals and Ms. Stewart writing contemporary Gothics. Publishers use that influence when promoting new writers by comparing them to these ladies. (I have to admit that I am more tempted to read a book by a new author if the publisher makes a note comparing them to Victoria Holt or Mary Stewart.) I am hard-pressed to say who is my favorite, even amongst that small list. If I had to choose, I think it would be Mary Stewart. It's a shame, though, that she never wrote an historical Gothic.