Dan Brown
Dan Brown (born on June 22, 1964 in Exeter, New Hampshire) is an American author of detective thrillers. His novels include:
He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, where his father was a math teacher, then matriculated to Amherst College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, graduating in 1986. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he taught English at Phillips Exeter. He currently lives in New England. Blythe, his wife, is an art historian and painter and her influence is evident in his acclaimed novel, The Da Vinci Code. Promotional materials state that he is working on a new book called Solomon Key about the Kryptos statue, at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Controversy
Brown's depictions of certain aspects of Catholicism and various historical events have generated some controversy among critics who feel that much of what he wrote is factually inaccurate. Brown states that his books are based on historical fact and that the details regarding the works of art and architecture discussed in his books are easily verifiable. He also states that, while he may agree with some of the theories put forth by the characters in his books, it is up to the reader to evaluate their veracity. As a writer of fiction, Brown has not felt the need to extensively defend the factual accuracy of his work beyond a brief section on his website. As a result, it is not clear what parts of his work he considers theory and what parts he considers fact.