John Steinbeck was a renowned American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception." He is celebrated as "a giant of American letters."

Throughout his prolific writing career, Steinbeck authored 33 books, with one co-authored alongside Edward Ricketts. His works include 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. Among his most famous works are the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generational epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937).

The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is often considered his masterpiece and a key part of the American literary canon. By its 75th anniversary, it had sold 14 million copies.

Steinbeck's writing frequently draws on the settings of his native central California, particularly the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges. His works often explore themes of fate and injustice, especially concerning downtrodden or everyman protagonists.