Would the science fiction writer Phillip K. Dick be more popular if he had a better last name?
No If anything his name is rather mundane for a science fiction writer. Just because you let loose with a girlish giggle every time you hear his name doesn’t mean most people do. I think the only way last names really make someone more popular is if you’re a mid level writer, it sure helps to have a name that gets you shelved next to the greats. I’ve picked up an author for being on the shelf near where the Dick novel I wanted wasn’t. The same goes for the other greats. They aren’t there, so I end up browsing the convenient shelf nearby.
