Jack London

Jack London (1876–1916) was an American novelist and journalist whose vivid adventure stories helped define popular naturalist fiction. Born in San Francisco, he worked a range of jobs before turning to writing, drawing on firsthand experience at sea and in the American West. His time in the Klondike Gold Rush provided material for some of his best-known books, including *The Call of the Wild* (1903) and *White Fang* (1906), both set against the harsh northern frontier. London also wrote widely on social and political issues and was associated with socialist activism. He died in California at age 40.