(John) Anthony Burgess (Wilson) 1917–

English novelist, editor, translator, essayist, composer, and critic.

A remarkably prolific writer with a wide range of subjects. Burgess frequently uses his knowledge of music and linguistics in his fiction. Burgess's fascination with languages is evident in many of his novels, most notably A Clockwork Orange. Terming himself a "renegade Catholic," Burgess explores free will versus determinism in his novels. Admittedly influenced by James Joyce, Burgess has endeavored to explicate his genius in Here Comes Everybody: An Introduction to James Joyce for the Ordinary Reader. With more than forty titles to his credit, Burgess has often been accused of having an uneven oeuvre. Most critics agree, however, that in Earthly Powers, which took him ten years to write, he regains the top of his form.

(See also CLC, Vols. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, and Contemporary Authors, Vols. 1-4, rev. ed.)