Jack London (1876-1916) was an American author best known for his adventure novels and short stories. He was also one of the first Americans to make a lucrative career exclusively from writing. Twice (in 1901 and 1905) he ran for mayor of Oakland, CA, as a socialist.

London's best known works include:

• To Build a Fire (1902, short story)
• The Call of the Wild (1903, novel)
• The Sea-Wolf (1904, novel)
• White Fang (1906, novel)
• The Iron Heel (1907, novel), a dystopia work which documents the rise of fascism in the United States.
• John Barleycorn (1913, memoir) A confessional autobiography about his lifetime as an alcoholic. One of the first memoirs to paint the subject in a negative, as opposed to a heroic light. Trope Namer for Pink Elephants, not only in this Wiki, but in Real Life too.