Thomas Pynchon

Gravity's Rainbow, published in 1973 and winner of the National Book Award, is set in Europe during the final months of World War II and centers on characters connected to the German V-2 rocket program. The novel weaves together hundreds of subplots involving paranoia, technology, sexuality, and determinism, and is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and ambitious works of postmodern American fiction.

Yes, The Crying of Lot 49, published in 1966, is Pynchon's shortest novel and is universally recommended as the best starting point for new readers. It introduces his signature themes of conspiracy, hidden alternative histories, and entropy in a relatively contained narrative compared to his massive later works.

Pynchon, born in 1937, is famously reclusive—there are very few confirmed photographs of him and he has never granted a formal interview or made a public appearance to promote his books. He did, however, make two voice-only cameo appearances on The Simpsons, playing himself with a paper bag over his head.

Pynchon's novels include 'V.' (1963), 'The Crying of Lot 49' (1966), 'Gravity's Rainbow' (1973), 'Vineland' (1990), 'Mason & Dixon' (1997), 'Against the Day' (2006), 'Inherent Vice' (2009), and 'Bleeding Edge' (2013). 'Inherent Vice' was adapted into a 2014 film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.