Book excerpt: In One Book, Five Novels! The five most well-known and significant novels by Jack London are collected in a single, handy volume: Martin Eden; The Call of the Wild; White Fang; The Sea-Wolf and The Iron Heel. Novelist and social activist John London was an American who lived from 1876 until 1916. He was a pioneer in the field of commercial fiction and one of the first American writers to achieve literary stardom on a global scale. He also made significant contributions to the growth of the science fiction subgenre. He is still regarded as one of the most enduringly well-liked and significant American authors of his time, and both young and elderly readers adore him.