* William Shakespeare: Dickens admired Shakespeare greatly and often quoted him in his own works. He even wrote a play, "The Frozen Deep," which was inspired by Shakespearean tragedy.
* William Makepeace Thackeray: Dickens and Thackeray were contemporaries and rivals, but also respected each other's work. It's likely Dickens saw Thackeray's social commentary and literary style as a challenge and inspiration.
* Sir Walter Scott: Dickens was a big fan of Scott's historical novels and their focus on social issues.
* Tobias Smollett: Dickens was known to have enjoyed Smollett's satirical and humorous writing.
Dickens also held great admiration for the writers of the eighteenth century such as Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson, whose social realism and character studies influenced his own work.
Ultimately, it's impossible to know for sure which author was Dickens's absolute favorite, but the influences listed above are known to have shaped his writing and perspectives.