Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher, the founder of Objectivism, best known for her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Her work spans both literature and thought, often using social novels and classic works to explore the tension between individual will, reason, and creativity; essays such as The Romantic Manifesto set out her literary views. Her writings are classed under foreign literature, social fiction, and inspirational growth, have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, and have had a profound influence on twentieth-century American thought. Beyond fiction and essays, her writing also touches on ideals and individual value, and Chinese readers can gain a fairly complete picture of her literary and intellectual profile through the many available translations.