Dan Brown biography

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Dan Brown

Dan Brown

Dan Brown Biography

Dan Brown is the author of many bestselling novels, including the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to writing.

In 1996, Dan’s interest in code-breaking and covert government agencies led him to write his first novel, Digital Fortress, which quickly became a #1 national bestselling eBook. Set within the clandestine National Security Agency, the novel explores the fine line between civilian privacy and national security. Brown’s follow-up techno-thriller, Deception Point, centered on similar issues of morality in politics, national security, and classified technology.

The son of a Presidential Award winning math professor and of a professional sacred musician, Brown grew up surrounded by the paradoxical philosophies of science and religion. These complementary perspectives served as inspiration for his acclaimed novel Angels & Demons—a science vs. religion thriller set within a Swiss physics lab and Vatican City, which was followed by the runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code.

Dan’s wife Blythe - an art historian and painter - collaborates on his research and accompanies him on his frequent research trips.

In its first week on sale, The Da Vinci Code achieved unprecedented success when it debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list, simultaneously topping bestseller lists at The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and San Francisco Chronicle. Later, the book went on to hit #1 on virtually every major national bestseller list. Dan Brown's novels have been translated and published around the world.

Origin, the fifth in the Robert Langdon series, is due to publish in September 2017.

Dan Brown's website

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Interview

Dan Brown discusses his blockbuster bestseller The Da Vinci Code and talks about his favorite books - to read and to give as gifts. He also reveals his personal writing habits, which include hanging upside-down from a pair of gravity boots!

How would you describe The Da Vinci Code to someone who has not read any of your previous novels?

The Da Vinci Code is the story of renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who is summoned to the Louvre Museum to examine a series of cryptic symbols relating to Da Vinci's artwork. In decrypting the code, he uncovers the key to one of the greatest mysteries of all time…and he becomes a hunted man. One of the many qualities that makes The Da Vinci Code unique is the factual nature of the story. All the history, artwork, ancient documents, and secret rituals in the novel are accurate…as are the hidden codes revealed in some of Da Vinci's most famous paintings.

Will your next book also feature Robert Langdon?

Indeed. I intend to make Robert Langdon my primary character for years to come. His expertise in symbology and iconography affords him the luxury of virtually endless adventures in exotic locales. Currently, I have rough sketches for almost a dozen Robert Langdon thrillers set in mysterious locations around the globe.

Currently I'm writing another Robert Langdon thriller - the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. For the first time, Langdon will find himself embroiled in a mystery on U.S...

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Books by this Author

Books by Dan Brown at BookBrowse
Origin jacket Inferno jacket The Lost Symbol jacket The Da Vinci Code jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Dan Brown but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Tom Clancy

    Tom Clancy

    Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. was an American novelist and historian. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, and for video ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Deception Point

    Try:
    Rainbow Six
    by Tom Clancy

  • Nelson DeMille

    Nelson DeMille

    Nelson Richard DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 1943 to Huron and Antonia (Panzera) DeMille. He moved as a child with his family to Long Island.

    DeMille spent three years at Hofstra University, then joined the ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Deception Point

    Try:
    Night Fall
    by Nelson DeMille

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