To Build a Fire and Other Stories

Born into poverty in San Francisco in 1876, Jack London is one of the most well-known and beloved of all American authors, as well as one of the first Americans to become world famous and wealthy from his literary career. London lived a colorful and adventurous life as a young man, working as a sailor and then living as a hobo, all before starting high school. After dropping out of college at Berkeley, London joined the Klondike Gold Rush, an experience which would form the basis of many of his most famous works. After returning sick and weakened from his time in Alaska, he turned to writing full time. Contained in this volume are many of his most famous and well-loved short stories, including the powerful "To Build a Fire," a story based on his own experiences as a young and inexperienced man in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. London seized on the new popularity of magazines and short stories and delighted readers with his mastery of language and amazing ability to capture places and dramatic events. This collection showcases many of his best and most thrilling tales and demonstrates why London remains one of America's best writers. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

John Griffith "Jack" London (1876 - 1916) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction, he was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone, including science fiction. Some of his most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in the Klondike Gold Rush, as well as the short stories "To Build a Fire", "An Odyssey of the North", and "Love of Life". He also wrote of the South Pacific in such stories as "The Pearls of Parlay" and "The Heathen", and of the San Francisco Bay area in The Sea Wolf.