Thomas Pynchon is one of the most important postmodernist writers, and his Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) is – arguably – the essential postmodernist novel. At the same time, Pynchon’s works have increasingly transcended this categorization in the twenty-first century, perhaps along with the critical imperative to think of literature in such terms. Pynchon’s nine novels, published between 1963 and 2025, attracted critical attention and praise, and his work continues to be a focus of academic discussion. Yet the author himself is notoriously absent from public view, which has (wrongly) earned him the title of a recluse.
Pynchon refuses to comment on his work in print, with the rare exception of the introduction to his collection of early short stories, Slow Learner (1984); he does not give interviews, and there are only few published photos of him,...
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Citation: Pöhlmann, Sascha. "Thomas Pynchon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 February 2006; last revised 04 December 2025. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3673, accessed 05 December 2025.]
