Francois Rabelais Francois Rabelais (between 1483 and 1494 - 1553) was a French Renaissance writer, physician, Renaissance humanist, monk, and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of satire, grotesque, bawdy jokes, and songs. Because of his litrary power and historical importance, Western literary critics consider him one of the great writers of world literature and among the creators of modern European writing. His best-known work is Gargantua and Pantagruel. Read More Read Less