Frank Norris was a late 19th century American novelist writing in the naturalist genre. His most famous works include McTeague (1899), The Octopus: A California Story (1901), and The Pit (1903). His works show socialistic tendencies and were influenced by Darwin and Huxley. His work often includes depictions of suffering caused by corrupt and greedy turn-of-the-century corporate monopolies. McTeague is a murder mystery concerning a dentist who loses his practice when the authorities find out he lacks both license and diploma. He kills his miserly wife in frustration and attempts to evade capture in Death Valley.