Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon is a celebrated American novelist known for his complex and encyclopedic fictions, including V., The Crying of Lot 49, and Gravity's Rainbow.
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr.
Novelist
May 8, 1937
Taurus
87
Glen Cove, New York
Thomas Pynchon, an American novelist and writer, is considered a prominent postmodern author. He is renowned for his intricate and demanding fiction works such as “Gravity’s Rainbow,” “The Crying of Lot 49,” and “Mason & Dixon.” His latest novel, “Bleeding Edge,” was released in 2013. Pynchon has also contributed to film and television projects, including writing the script for the 1990 movie “Natural Born Killers.” Among his notable accomplishments are winning the National Book Award for “Gravity’s Rainbow” and receiving the MacArthur Fellowship. Pynchon is known for his reclusive nature, avoiding interviews and public appearances since the 1960s and 1980s, respectively. He reportedly lives in seclusion and uses pseudonyms to evade media attention. “Slow Learner,” a lesser-known collection of short stories written in the 1960s before his rise to fame as a novelist, has gained a cult following despite its initial limited readership.