Jim Thompson: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Sep. 23, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	James Myers Thompson
Born	September 27, 1906 • Anadarko • Oklahoma
Died	April 7, 1977 (aged 70) • Los Angeles • California
Notable Works	“After Dark, My Sweet” • “Paths of Glory” • “The Killer Inside Me” • “The Killing”

default image

Charles Bukowski

American writer

default image

Richard Matheson

American author and screenwriter

William Faulkner

William Faulkner

American author

Bret Easton Ellis seated in a red chair, wearing glasses and a black suit, resting his chin on his hand and looking at the camera at a Rome Film Festival event.

Bret Easton Ellis

American author

Portrait of John Steinbeck in a suit and tie, looking downward with a serious expression.

John Steinbeck

American novelist

James McBride

James McBride

American author and musician

Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury

American writer

Portrait of Miranda July in a black blouse, standing beside a patterned wall with one hand raised near her hair.

Miranda July

American writer, film director, and artist

Sherman Alexie, 2007

Sherman Alexie

American author

John Grisham in a dark suit and tie, smiling slightly, at the Broadway opening night of A Time To Kill in New York City.

John Grisham

American writer

Garson Kanin

Garson Kanin

American writer and director

American author John Irving sits in a chair wearing a blue striped shirt, holding a book, with a bronze statue and dark wood paneling in the background.

John Irving

American author

John Sayles in 2010, wearing a dark shirt and looking at the camera against a plain brown background.

John Sayles

American director, screenwriter, and actor

Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard

American playwright and actor

Harlan Ellison.

Harlan Ellison

American author

Paul Auster

Paul Auster

American author

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce

American author

Don DeLillo

Don DeLillo

American author

default image

James Agee

American author

default image

Adela Rogers St. Johns

American journalist and writer