Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 36 (2015) Special Award
James Patterson
ジェームズ・ブレンダン・パターソン
James Patterson
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1947-03-22 （Newburgh, New York, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Newburgh, New York → Palm Beach, Florida
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Philanthropist
- Active Years
- 1976-
- Influenced By
- Evan S. Connell
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan University | College of Arts and Sciences | English | B.A. | — | United States |
| Vanderbilt University | Graduate School (Arts & Sciences) | English | M.A. | — | United States |
Manhattan University
College of Arts and Sciences
/ English
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Graduated summa cum laude
Vanderbilt University
Graduate School (Arts & Sciences)
/ English
Degree:
M.A.
Country:
United States
Was a PhD candidate before leaving academia to work in advertising
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | International Thriller Writers Awards — "Thrillermaster" Award | — | Thrillermaster Award | International Thriller Writers | Won |
| 2015 | Literarian Award for Outstanding Service | — | Outstanding Service | National Book Foundation | Won |
| 2015 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Innovator's Award | — | Innovator's Award | Los Angeles Times | Won |
| 2019 | National Humanities Medal | — | — | National Endowment for the Humanities | Won |
| 2019 | New York State Writers Hall of Fame | — | Class of 2019 | New York State Writers Hall of Fame | Won |
| 1977 | Edgar Award — Best First Novel | The Thomas Berryman Number | Best First Novel | Mystery Writers of America | Won |
| 2025 | International Thriller Writers Awards — Silver Bullet Award | — | Silver Bullet Award | International Thriller Writers | Won |
| 2017 | Audie Awards (various nominations/wins) | Cross Justice | Thriller or Suspense (Audiobook) | Audie Awards | Won |
International Thriller Writers Awards — "Thrillermaster" Award
2007
Category:
Thrillermaster Award
Organization:
International Thriller Writers
Result:
Won
Literarian Award for Outstanding Service
2015
Category:
Outstanding Service
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Won
Los Angeles Times Book Prize — Innovator's Award
2015
Category:
Innovator's Award
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
Won
National Humanities Medal
2019
Organization:
National Endowment for the Humanities
Result:
Won
New York State Writers Hall of Fame
2019
Category:
Class of 2019
Organization:
New York State Writers Hall of Fame
Result:
Won
Edgar Award — Best First Novel
1977
Work:
The Thomas Berryman Number
Category:
Best First Novel
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
Won
International Thriller Writers Awards — Silver Bullet Award
2025
Category:
Silver Bullet Award
Organization:
International Thriller Writers
Result:
Won
Audie Awards (various nominations/wins)
2017
Work:
Cross Justice
Category:
Thriller or Suspense (Audiobook)
Organization:
Audie Awards
Result:
Won
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Thomas Berryman Number
1976 MysteryPatterson's early novel and debut; a crime story with psychological elements.
crimepsychology
Alex Cross (series)
Crime mystery / ThrillerProtagonist Alex Cross is a forensic psychologist who confronts various cases across the series; one of Patterson's signature series.
investigationjusticefamily
Adaptations
- [Film] Alex Cross / Rob Cohen (2012)
- [Film] Kiss the Girls / Gary Fleder (1997)
- [Film] Along Came a Spider / Lee Tamahori (2001)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
2005 Young adult / Science fictionGenetically modified children with wings escape and fight for freedom in an action-packed adventure.
friendshipfreedomethics of experimentation
Adaptations
- [Film] Maximum Ride / Jay Martin (2016)
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
2011 Children's fiction / ComedyA middle-school protagonist faces school life with humor; part of a series.
growing upschool lifehumor
Adaptations
- [Film] Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life / Steve Carr (2016)
The President Is Missing
2018 Political thrillerA political suspense co-authored with former president Bill Clinton, depicting a national crisis surrounding a missing president.
powernational securityconspiracy
Adaptations
- Numerous film and television adaptations (e.g. Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider, Middle School)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- commercial thrillerfast-paced plottingconcise style in children's and YA works
- Recurring Motifs
- crime investigationfamily relationshipsjustice and revenge
Legacy
As a global bestselling author, Patterson has had major popular-cultural impact and has continued philanthropic support for libraries and schools. He holds numerous bestseller records and is notable for collaborative authorship, drawing both commercial acclaim and debate over authorship practices.
In Popular Culture
- Many works adapted for film and TV; appeared in popular culture, including an appearance on The Simpsons.
Quotes
-
He's 'a terrible writer but he's very successful.'
Source: Stephen King (interview / USA Weekend) (2009) -
I'm simply more proficient at dreaming up plots than crafting sentence after sentence.
Source: James Patterson (interview) (2012)
Trivia
- One of the first authors to sell over one million e-books.
- Holds records for number of #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author.
- Known for large donations and scholarships to libraries, schools and education programs.