He had his first novel published in 1965, The Orchard Keeper, which won a 1966 William Faulkner Foundation Award, but his true acclaim did not arrive until he wrote All the Pretty Horses in 1992.

In a unique tribute to Goodreads' 10th anniversary in 2017, the renowned author listed his top 10 favorite books ... like The Exorcist, or All the Pretty Horses in place of Blood Meridian.