Cormac McCarthy was an American author renowned for his profound contributions to literature through twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories. His works primarily span the Western, postapocalyptic, and Southern Gothic genres. Known for graphic depictions of violence and a unique writing style characterized by sparse punctuation and attribution, McCarthy is celebrated as one of the greatest contemporary American writers.

Born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr. in Providence, Rhode Island, he was raised in Tennessee. In 1951, McCarthy enrolled at the University of Tennessee but soon left to join the U.S. Air Force. His debut novel, The Orchard Keeper, was published in 1965. With the help of literary grants, he traveled to southern Europe, penning his second novel, Outer Dark (1968).

Despite critical acclaim, his initial works, including Suttree (1979), were not commercial successes. However, a MacArthur Fellowship allowed him to explore the American Southwest, inspiring his fifth novel, Blood Meridian (1985). Initially receiving lukewarm reviews, it later gained recognition as his magnum opus, often labeled the Great American Novel.

McCarthy gained widespread success with All the Pretty Horses (1992), winning the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. This was followed by The Crossing (1994) and Cities of the Plain (1998), completing The Border Trilogy. His novel No Country for Old Men (2005) received mixed reviews, while The Road (2006) won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction.

Many of McCarthy's works have been adapted into films, including the successful 2007 adaptation of No Country for Old Men, which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. All the Pretty Horses, The Road, and Child of God were similarly adapted, along with a short version of Outer Dark. His play was adapted into a 2011 film, The Sunset Limited.

McCarthy contributed to the Santa Fe Institute, publishing the essay "The Kekulé Problem" (2017), exploring the human unconscious and language origins. Elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2012, his final novels, The Passenger and Stella Maris, were published in 2022.