F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his novel "The Great Gatsby," which is considered a masterpiece of modernist literature. Fitzgerald's writing often explored the decadence and excess of the Roaring Twenties, and he is credited with helping to define the literary style of the era. Despite his literary success, Fitzgerald struggled with personal and financial difficulties throughout his life, and he died at the age of 44, largely unrecognized as a major literary figure.