A short life of the author
Dan Chaon (b. 11 June 1964) was born in Sidney, Nebraska, and grew up in a rural area near the South Dakota border. He teaches at Oberlin College.
Life and Career
Among the Missing (2001) — a story collection — was a finalist for the National Book Award and established Chaon as a distinctive voice in American fiction. His stories combine the realist tradition of the American short story with an undertow of dread that edges into horror territory.
Await Your Reply (2009) — a structurally intricate novel about identity theft, disappearance, and reinvention — confirmed his reputation. Ill Will (2017) — about a psychologist whose adopted brother was convicted of murdering their parents, told in a split-page format — is his most ambitious and formally inventive work, blurring the line between literary fiction and serial-killer thriller.
Major Works and Themes
Chaon writes about identity, family trauma, and the uncanny resemblances between people and their doubles. His fiction is pervaded by a sense of menace that is difficult to locate — it may be supernatural, it may be psychological, and Chaon refuses to resolve the ambiguity.
Key Works
- Among the Missing (2001) — National Book Award finalist
- Await Your Reply (2009)
- Ill Will (2017)
Collecting Chaon
Fitting Ends (1996, Ballantine) — the debut — brings $15–$40. Among the Missing (2001, Ballantine) brings $15–$40.