Joseph Hergesheimer (/ˈhərɡəsˌhaɪmər/[1]) (February 15, 1880 – April 25, 1954) was an American writer of the early 20th century known for his naturalistic novels of decadent life amongst the very wealthy.

Hergesheimer's reputation fluctuated wildly in his own lifetime, from a peak of acclaim and popularity in the 1920s to almost total obscurity by the time of his death.

Hergesheimer's manner of writing, known at the time as the "aesthetic" school (in which he was frequently paired with James Branch Cabell), remained in demand throughout the 1920s (with F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby being the most durable example of a book written in this style).

Sinclair Lewis's novel Babbitt includes an extensive passage in which the title character reads from Three Black Pennys.

On the other hand, John Drinkwater wrote that "His constant complaint is that women readers, with their craving for sentimentality, are a blighting influence upon the American fiction of the age.

The weakness in his method can be seen in books like Cytherea, wherein the author's aesthetic concerns overwhelm all other aspects of the writing, resulting in thin plot and characterization and a certain precious quality in the descriptions.