Don DeLillo is a prominent figure. His works often explore the complex nature of modern American society. For example, in 'White Noise', he delved into consumer culture and the fear of death in a post - modern world. Another is Jonathan Franzen. His novels like 'The Corrections' examine family dynamics and the changing values in contemporary America.
Mark Twain is a very prominent one. His works like 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' are well - known. Another is Nathaniel Hawthorne, known for 'The Scarlet Letter'. And of course, Herman Melville with 'Moby - Dick' is also a significant author of that era.
Zadie Smith. She has written several influential novels such as 'White Teeth' which deals with issues of race, identity, and multiculturalism in modern - day Britain.
Benjamin Franklin was one of the prominent figures. Although he is more known for his non - fictional works, his 'The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin' had elements that influenced American novel - writing. Another was Charles Brockden Brown. His works were some of the earliest examples of American Gothic novels. He explored themes like the human psyche and the dark side of human nature in the context of the young American nation.
Anne Bradstreet was a well - known author. Her works often dealt with family life and her personal experiences as a woman in the colonies. Another was Cotton Mather. He wrote on religious and historical topics, and his works had a great influence on the Puritan community.
Virginia Woolf is a prominent author of 20th - century novels. Her works like 'Mrs. Dalloway' and 'To the Lighthouse' are masterpieces in stream - of - consciousness writing. Another is F. Scott Fitzgerald. He wrote 'The Great Gatsby', which is considered a classic of American literature. Ernest Hemingway is also well - known. His novels such as 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'A Farewell to Arms' are highly regarded.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a very prominent author. His works, like 'The Great Gatsby', are still widely read today. He captured the essence of the Jazz Age with its glamour and underlying emptiness.
Edgar Allan Poe was a very prominent one. His works, such as 'The Fall of the House of Usher', are full of Gothic elements like decay, madness, and the supernatural.
Mark Twain was a very prominent one. His works like 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' are well - known. Also, Henry James, who was famous for his novels that explored the upper - class society and the clash of American and European cultures.
One characteristic is the diversity of voices. In 21st - century American novels, we see more representation from different ethnic, cultural, and social groups. For example, novels by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie like 'Americanah' which, though the author is Nigerian, also reflects on the American experience of immigrants. Another aspect is the exploration of new technologies. Some novels incorporate elements like virtual reality, social media, etc., into their plots, showing how these impact human relationships.
Neal Stephenson is one. His works often deal with complex technological and social concepts.