What are some good authors out there?

Is the project on the life of the author or on the author's works or a combination of the two? Ernest Hemmingway apparently was an interesting study, though I don't know anyone who really enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea. Kurt Vonnegut might be a good one. F. Scott Fitzgerald (they made a movie about him.) George Eliot (real name Mary Ann Evans) would be an interesting study. Joseph Heller was very influenced by war apparently and it comes through in Catch-22. J.D. Salinger would be great. He didn't write very much but what he did write is fantastic. Also, he was a recluse and he died not too long ago so it might be easy to find lots of info. about him.