Richard Bachman
Born in 1941
stephenking.com
Crime
Horror
Stephen King wrote Thinner under the pseudonym Richard Bachman to increase his publication output and test his talent versus luck.
He deliberately minimized marketing for Bachman books.
The pseudonym was inspired by Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Richard Stark.
King created a fictional biography for Bachman, including details about his family and death.
The true identity was discovered by a bookstore clerk who noticed similarities in writing styles.
King then revealed the truth and republished early Bachman novels under his own name.
The Bachman experiment allowed King to explore different writing styles and themes while maintaining his primary brand.