Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He is celebrated for his revolutionary approach to literature, breaking away from established forms to forge a new genre that seamlessly blends character study, social criticism, philosophical reflection, stream of consciousness, explicit language, sex, surrealist free association, and mysticism. Miller's semi-autobiographical novels, including Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, Tropic of Capricorn, and the trilogy The Rosy Crucifixion, are based on his experiences in New York City and Paris. Notoriously banned in the United States until 1961, his works challenged the puritanical norms of his time, exposing the moral hypocrisy of American society while delving into the existential quandaries, cynicism, and contradictions of human existence.

In addition to his influential novels, Miller also made his mark with travel memoirs, literary criticism, and was an accomplished painter, known for his watercolors. His provocative style and content, which rebelled against the literary creation of his era, had a significant impact on the Beat Generation.