Gillian Flynn

Author:
Gillian Flynn

Date of birth: 24-Feb-1971
Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri USA

About the author:
Gillian Flynn is an American author, screenwriter, and former journalist best known for her sharp, darkly psychological thrillers that explore the complexities of female characters and the darker sides of human relationships. She was born on February 24, 1971, in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in a family of academics, which nurtured her love for storytelling and analysis.

Flynn studied English and journalism, earning degrees from the University of Kansas and Northwestern University. She worked as a television critic and feature writer for Entertainment Weekly for about a decade before turning to fiction.

Her debut novel, Sharp Objects (2006), introduced her gritty, suspenseful style and earned critical acclaim for its portrayal of trauma and family dysfunction. It was later adapted into a successful HBO miniseries starring Amy Adams. Her second novel, Dark Places (2009), centred on a woman revisiting a notorious crime from her childhood and further established Flynn as a master of psychological suspense.

Flynn’s major breakthrough came in 2012 with Gone Girl, a twist-filled, character-driven thriller about a toxic marriage and media manipulation. The book became a global bestseller, selling millions of copies and staying on the New York Times bestseller list for over 100 weeks. It was adapted into a successful 2014 film directed by David Fincher, with a screenplay written by Flynn herself and starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

Known for her unapologetically complex female characters, Flynn's writing explores themes of identity, manipulation, trauma, and societal expectations. Her style is marked by unreliable narrators, sharp dialogue, and dark wit.

In addition to her novels, Flynn has written short fiction and screenplays, including work on the TV series Utopia and the adaptation of her novella The Grownup.

She lives in Chicago with her family and continues to be a powerful voice in modern thriller fiction.