How many novelists’ real identities are only known to their agents or publishers or very close family? The source material for many writers is their family, friends and colleagues. Presumably some would not wish to let these people know what they really think of them, for all sorts of reasons. Obviously you can change details to mask the source of ideas, but I would have thought that sometimes it would feel easier or safer just to publish under a different name and not let yourself be photographed. The downside to that would be to lose potential sales by not being able to do promotional work such as interviews or book signings. Does anyone know whether this sort of thing happens much?
I would say Thomas Pynchon sounds like exactly the sort of person you’re after.
Thomas Pynchon is his real name and, while he doesn’t make public appearances, he is living his life under that name. He’s not anonymous, he’s just a very private person.
Another example of an author who’s not anonymous but is very private is J. D. Salinger:
A case that we discussed in a recent thread is James Tiptree, Jr.:
James Tiptree Jr. - Wikipedia.
Alice Sheldon, who wrote under that name, managed to keep her identity secret for a while.
Wasn’t the real identity of spy novelist Trevanian (wrote The Eiger Sanction among others) unknown for most of his life? I know William Poundstone even speculated on his identity in one of the Big Secrets books.
Trevanian’s the one I came in to mention. I didn’t know he was trying to keep his identity secret until someone told me about his Nicholas Seare books.
On a related note, does it bug you if you read something by one of your favorites – when writing under another name – and you don’t recognize it? It does me. I wouldn’t have guessed Richard Bachman was Stephen King.
Joe
It happens very rarely. Authors do use pseudonyms so their real name is not known to the general public (for instance, Robert Jordan), but it’s hard to keep it a secret within the field or from a diligent researcher.
I seem to recall one author who wrote under a pseudonym because he wrote some fairly adult stuff and was also a elementary school teacher and didn’t want people to get the wrong idea. It doesn’t really matter much if your real name is known to other authors; it’s important that people who might know you in real life don’t automatically make the connection.
And, of course, the reasons for pen names vary by author. Most commonly, it’s because your name is too much like another author (e.g., Lawrence Watt-Evans and Michael Kube-McDowell (who doesn’t care for his pen name at all)) or just to make it sound different (C. J. Cherryh). Anonymity is not the most important reason.
Wow. I didn’t know there was so much mystery attached to his identity. That’s fascinating.
Thanks for these replies.
This is the sort of thing I was wondering about. JD Salinger’s almost the opposite in that his identity is really well known but if anyone gets to read his stuff it’s only family and trusted friends.
The first name I thought of was V C Andrews
I doubt I am what you’re looking for, but I’ve published a couple of works of book-length fiction pseudonymously because of…um…discretion.
Well, on that basis, then Victor Appleton, Victor Appleton II, Carolyn Keene, and Franklin W. Dixon fit.
V.C. Andrews was a real author’s name. After she died, her heirs kept it as a house name and hired ghostwriters to write sequels. However, this is less the writer’s decision than it is the heirs’: they’re using V.C. Andrews as a brand name, much like the Stratemeyer Syndicate did with the other names I mentioned.
As far as the OP is concerned, I do have on opposite example of what you’re asking: Somtow P. Sutchuritkul used the pen name of S. P. Somtow for his horror, since it was felt his real name would scare off some readers. Of course, anyone who knew his real name realized that S.P. Somtow was a pseudonym.
Hal Clement took that as a pen name to avoid issues with his writing conflicting with his work as a prep school teacher. He also painted under the name George Richard so that his paintings would be judged without knowing who did them. But both pen names became public knowledge.
In addition, some writers used to moonlight writing porn under a pseudonym, for obvious reasons.
No, I think that possibly is the type of situation I have in mind. Is your work available in shops? Could someone who knows you personally buy it and read it without knowing you’d written it?
Yes to the first. As to the second: Mrs. Rhymer was unable to figure out which was mine until I told her. I don’t know if my sisters, nieces, or stepdaughter could, and frankly I hope to never find out.
This is an interesting book about the search for the man behind the name. It left me with a bit of “Just leave him alone, already!” feeling, but is very interesting.
Joe
I still do.
“A.J. Quinnell” was another author who kept his real identity private during his lifetime. His real name, Philip Nicholson, was not widely known until after his death in 2005.
John Twelve Hawks, author of The Traveler and The Dark River, falls under the anonymous author umbrella. However, I’m pretty sure it’s all just a gimmick to sell his books.
The anonymity will only continue until I manage to sell something. Dammit.