John Steinbeck was a novelist, which means that he wrote fictional stories about a character’s struggle. Steinbeck had several major works that that won prizes. Steinbeck’s first work, Cup of Gold, was published in 1929. After that Steinbeck would go on to write 16 more books. His most award winning books include, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, and, The Grapes of Wrath.