Now and On Earth
Encyclopedia
Now and On Earth is a 1942 novel
by Jim Thompson
, it was his first published novel.
Set in San Diego during World War II
, it is a semi-autobiographical
description of the author's life working in an airplane
manufacturing plant during the war years and the frustrations he endured there and in his personal life at the time. The main character is named James Dillon, a pen name under which Thompson had previously published short stories.
Though later heralded as a powerful work of first person narration and working class
and migrant class frustration, it received almost no attention at the time of its publication. With Thompson's subsequent popularity for his crime fiction
, original editions of Now And On Earth fetch thousands of dollars from collectors
. Even dustjackets of the book are known to net hundreds of dollars at auction. Though his later works would be significantly more praised, Now and On Earth is well regarded in the author's body of work.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Jim Thompson
Jim Thompson (writer)
James Myers Thompson was an American author and screenwriter, known for his pulp crime fiction....
, it was his first published novel.
Set in San Diego during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it is a semi-autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
description of the author's life working in an airplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
manufacturing plant during the war years and the frustrations he endured there and in his personal life at the time. The main character is named James Dillon, a pen name under which Thompson had previously published short stories.
Though later heralded as a powerful work of first person narration and working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and migrant class frustration, it received almost no attention at the time of its publication. With Thompson's subsequent popularity for his crime fiction
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, original editions of Now And On Earth fetch thousands of dollars from collectors
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
. Even dustjackets of the book are known to net hundreds of dollars at auction. Though his later works would be significantly more praised, Now and On Earth is well regarded in the author's body of work.