Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown California | 1985 | Thomas Pynchon | Buy |
| 2 | Storming the Reality Studio | 1991 | Thomas Pynchon | Buy |
| 3 | Deadly Sins | 1994 | Thomas Pynchon | Buy |
Thomas Pynchon’s anthology appearances are rare, which makes these three collections notable. Unknown California (1985) is an anthology of writing about the state, fitting given Pynchon’s long residence there and the California settings in novels like The Crying of Lot 49 and Vineland. Storming the Reality Studio (1991) collects cyberpunk and postmodern fiction, placing Pynchon alongside other writers working at the intersection of technology, culture, and literary experimentation.
Deadly Sins (1994) is a collection in which different authors each write about one of the seven deadly sins. Pynchon’s contribution sits alongside pieces by other well-known writers. Given how rarely Pynchon publishes short work or allows his writing to appear in group collections, each of these anthologies offers a chance to read him in a different context than his novels.
These are multi-author collections, not books written entirely by Pynchon. His contributions are individual pieces within larger volumes. For readers already familiar with his novels, these anthologies provide smaller, more focused examples of his style and preoccupations.