Thomas Pynchon is an American author.

One of the most respected (and mysterious) writers of his time, Thomas Pynchon made his breakthrough with his 1963 novel, V, about a traveler, Herbert Stencil, who teams with a discharged U.S. Navy sailor in a quest to find an entity known as "V."

Pynchon was awarded a William Faulkner Foundation Award for V, and his subsequent novels won him more praise from both critics and the public. His signature novel, Gravity's Rainbow, which depicts the production of German V-2 rockets, won the 1974 National Book Award and was considered for a Pulitzer Prize.

Pynchon continues to write, though very few photographs of him exist after the 1950s. After being recorded by CNN in 1997, he requested the network not air his face, insisting to remain "unambiguous."

• 1963 - V
• 1966 - The Crying of Lot 49
• 1973 - Gravity's Rainbow
• 1990 - Vineland
• 1997 - Mason & Dixon
• 2006 - Against the Day

• May 8, 1937: Born in Glen Cove, NY

• 1953: Attends Cornell University, but does not graduate

• 1955: Joins the U.S. Navy

• 1960-62: Works at Boeing as a technical writer

• 1963: Wins William Faulkner Foundation award for best first novel

• 1974: Wins National Book Award

• 1988: Receives MacArthur Fellowship

• 1991: Marries Melanie Jackson, his literary agent

• 2004: Makes two cameo appearances on The Simpsons television show