Richard Powers
Richard Powers is an American novelist celebrated for his intellectually rich and emotionally resonant fiction, often exploring the intersection of science, technology, and humanity. He has written more than a dozen novels, including The Gold Bug Variations, Galatea 2.2, and The Echo Maker. The Overstory, his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, brought environmental themes and the secret life of trees to the forefront of literary fiction. Powers’s work is known for its depth, structural innovation, and engagement with big ideas. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, and his writing continues to challenge readers to consider the interconnectedness of life and knowledge.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Overstory is a sweeping, ambitious novel about the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Richard Powers weaves together the stories of nine characters whose lives are all deeply affected by trees—biologically, emotionally, or spiritually. As their narratives converge, the novel evolves into a powerful environmental fable about resistance, interdependence, and ecological awareness. Lushly written and expansive in scope, The Overstory challenges readers to reconsider humanity’s place within nature. It is a novel of ideas, rooted in science and awe, that celebrates the silent, enduring presence of the living world around us.