Which California-born novelist is famous for Alaska tales including 'To Build A Fire'?

• A. Steinbeck
• B. Twain
• C. Melville
• D. London

Answer: (D)

Recognize the author who built a reputation on frontier survival tales set in the North. Jack London, born in San Francisco, California, wrote many Alaska and Klondike stories, with "To Build a Fire" as a quintessential example of his cold, unforgiving wilderness settings. This focus on man-versus-nature in icy landscapes is a hallmark of London’s work, which is why he fits best among the options. The other writers are known for different themes and settings—Steinbeck for California social realism, Twain for humorous adventures along the Mississippi, Melville for 19th-century sea narratives—so they don’t align with this Alaska-tale tradition.