Jack London

In 1897, Jack London left San Francisco for the Klondike to join the gold rush. He was just 21. A few weeks earlier, a ship had arrived in San Francisco from the Klondike carrying more than a million dollars worth of gold, and London got his stepsister to mortgage her house and lend him the money for the trip.

It was a tough journey, including a long haul over the famous Chilkoot Pass. Winter hit before London could even start looking for gold. 

He spent that winter in a little fur trader's cabin the size of a tool shed he read the books he'd brought along - Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost. 

By the time spring arrived, all the good claims had already been made, so he gave up looking for gold and decided to collect stories from the people there.

On the journey home, he almost died of scurvy, but he wrote a book. That book was The Call of the Wild, which became one of the most popular books of the time.

That was 1903 and the novel was a turning point in London's career, propelling him to literary stardom and enabling him to live a life filled with both creative and personal adventures. This success also provided him with substantial financial rewards, which allowed him to focus more on his writing.

The novel established London as a prominent American author. He gained recognition as a skilled storyteller with a deep understanding of nature and the human (and animal) condition. He became highly productive, writing and publishing numerous works over the next several years. These included The Sea-Wolf , White Fang, and Martin Eden.

He bought a ranch in California and later embarked on a sailing voyage across the Pacific in his yacht, the Snark. 

Despite his success, London faced various health problems. His adventurous lifestyle, combined with heavy drinking, took a toll on his body. By the end of his life, he suffered from kidney disease and other ailments.  

London continued to write prolifically, though not all of his subsequent works achieved the same level of acclaim as The Call of the Wild. Nonetheless, he remained a significant literary figure until his death in 1916 at the age of 40.