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Born in 1876, Jack London grew up in San Francisco and Oakland, California. His family was poor and he had to work a variety of jobs as a child and teenager. Despite this, London found time to visit the Oakland Public Library and read enthusiastically. His job poaching oysters earned him the nickname “The Prince of the Oyster Pirates,” and at age 17, he joined a seal hunting expedition that took him across the Pacific. When he returned, he worked more varied jobs and rode the rails across the country. However, after a stint in the brig on the sealing ship and an arrest for vagrancy in Niagara Falls, he decided to change his life. He finished high school and took one semester of college, and in 1897, he joined the rush to search for gold in the Yukon and found his skill as a writer instead.

London’s stories, especially those set in the Yukon, brought him popularity, prestige, and riches. His works The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906) are still widely read over a century later and have inspired movies, TV shows, and sequels. London was the first writer to become a millionaire through his work. He was also a socialist and wrote articles, nonfiction, and fiction influenced by his political views, including The People of the Abyss and The War of the Classes, both of which portrayed his observations on socialism and the degradations caused by capitalism. His 1908 novel The Iron Heel described a dystopian United States in which capitalism led to fascism. 

London designed his dream home, a ranch in the country called Wolf House, but it burned down before he could move in. London was interested in farming and believed in sustainable agriculture. However, even as he longed for a quiet life in the country, he was also drawn to adventure. He was a war correspondent in Mexico, attempted to sail around the world, and visited Hawaii. As he grew older, London faced financial and health-related problems. He constantly chased commercial success, but believed his creativity was failing him. He became an alcoholic and suffered from kidney problems and other health issues. London’s 1913 novel John Barleycorn describes the impact alcohol had on his life. London died in 1916 at the age of 40, and the site of Wolf House in the Jack London State Historic Park outside of Glen Ellen, California, was later designated a landmark.

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