Jack London

Jack London is one of the most prolific authors of the early or late 20th century. He wrote extensively about adventure, the great outdoors, and labor in his novels and short stories. London's works have influenced countless other works, including films and television series.

Born John Griffith Chaney on January 12th, 1876, Jack London was raised in Oakland, California and San Francisco, California. Jack had a difficult childhood, partly due to his parents’ rocky marriage, but he also had to develop a passion for reading and writing early on to fend off bullies at school. He took a job as a cannery worker at age 14, which informed his later socialist views of the labor movement.

London was deeply interested in the struggle to better workers’ rights and working conditions during his lifetime. He wrote several critiques on social and economic issues and developed a friendship with labor organizer Eugene Debs. London also became a regular contributor to the socialist newspaper called The Open Magazine.

It was his seafaring and wilderness adventures, however, that brought London great fame and fortune. He began as a wanderer and vagabond, documented in his novel, The Road (1907). In his short story, “To Build a Fire” (1908) and his novel, The Call of the Wild (1903), he explored the tension between civilization and the wilderness, a recurring theme in his works. He also wrote extensively about life in the Gold Rush era in his novel, White Fang (1906).

London’s novels were immediately popular and he became even more popular with movie adaptations in the 1910s. His works won him international acclaim and were translated into many other languages. London's influence was also seen in proletarian literature during the 1930s.

Though he only lived to the age of 40, London’s impact can still be felt to this day. His works remain highly popular, especially amongst young readers, and have been used as teaching material at colleges and universities. He is seen as a pioneer of genre writing, having written in a range of genres, from adventure to labor fiction.

Jack London died on November 22nd, 1916 in Glen Ellen, California at age 40. He left a lasting impression on literature, with his works having been translated into 50 languages in his lifetime and even more after his death. Through his works, he inspired generations of readers and continues to influence literature and films today.