There's fighting, and then there's fighting with an author. If you like a contest of words, these literary arguments will suit your fancy. From arguments over the pronunciation of Russian vowels to televised winner-take-alls, here are a few famous author feuds for the ages.

Gore Vidal v. Norman Mailer

During an appearance on the Dick Cavett Show, Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer traded barbs, both accusing the other of "intellectual pollution." Janet Flanner, also a guest that night, eventually scolded the men, declaring, "I'm becoming very, very bored," and thus also becoming the hero of the night.

Edmund Wilson v. Vladimir Nabokov

Before there were Twitter spats, there were letter feuds. Wilson and Nabokov aired their grievances via letters, including some which were published in the New York Review of Books. "I do not think Mr. Wilson should try to teach me how to pronounce this or any other Russian vowel," Nabokov wrote. "The 'yaw' sound he suggests is grotesque and quite wrong. It might render, perhaps, the German-Swiss affirmative ('yawyaw') but has nothing to do with the Russian 'yo' pronounced, I repeat, as in 'yonder.' I can hear Mr. Wilson (whose accent in Russian I know so well) asking that bookseller for Myawrtvïe Dushi instead of the correct Myortvïe Dushi (Dead Souls)." Later, Wilson continued the feud by wondering in the same magazine pages why Nabokov seemed to switch his preference from St. Petersburg to Minsk pronunciation and vice versa when convenient.

James Patterson v. Stephen King

Stephen King has called James Patterson "a terrible writer." For his part, Patterson takes another approach. He told the Wall Street Journal, "I like breaking his balls by saying positive things about him."

Mary McCarthy v. Lillian Hellman

The tension between Mary McCarthy and Lillian Hellman was so great that Nora Ephron wrote a play about it entitled "Imaginary Friends." For many who remember it, the pinnacle occurred when Dick Cavett asked McCarthy about Hellman on his television show. “I said once in some interview that every word she writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the,'” McCarthy replied. Hellman sued.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez v. Mario Vargas Llosa

In 1976, Llosa reportedly punched Marquez. Forget the cupcakes: Thirty-one years later, in honor of Marquez's 80th birthday, La Jornada published a photograph of the author sporting a bruise on his face shortly after the incident.

Arthur Rimbaud v. Paul Verlaine

Is all fair in love and war? The two French poets became lovers in 1871. Two years later, Verlaine bought a gun and shot Rimbaud in the wrist. 

Had enough ire? Check out the Friendships of Authors We Love.