One of the most controversial authors in the Western hemisphere, if not the entire world. The Marquis de Sade (1740 – 1814) was a French novelist and philosopher, best known for his hardcore libertine views and often violent erotic works (the two usually going hand-in-hand). The latter earned him the status of a namesake, with his title being the basis for the word “sadism”.

Sade’s work has been discussed by many a philosopher, including proto-feminist Simone de Beauvoir and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, when he adapted the Marquis' infamous The 120 Days of Sodom for the silver screen.