Elmore Leonard (1925 – )

Leonard got his first breaks in the fiction market during the 1950s regularly publishing pulp western novels. He has since forayed into mystery, crime, and more topical genres, as well as screenwriting. He has been commended by critics for his gritty realism and strong dialogue. His writing style, which takes liberties with proper grammar in exchange for flow, is also unique.

A number of his novels have been adapted as films, perhaps most notably Rum Punch as the 1997 film Jackie Brown.