Happy birthday, Thomas Pynchon! In honor of the author's dazzling literary headrushes we've put together a crossword that only a real fan can conquer. So put down your muted post horn and show us your Pynchon puzzling know-how.

Fill out the crossword online, or download the PDF to print. (Stumped? We'll post the answers on Monday.)



Across

4. The "Pirate" of Special Operations Executive

6. Number of cameos on "The Simpsons"

8. Vibe born Beef

9. The O in Doc's MICRO

10. Nickname of Doc's LAPD nemesis

11. Peter Pinguid Society proselytizer

12. Evil Duke of Squamuglia

13. Institute that translates to mean "golden fang" in Greek

17. Man's best friend and a Chum of Chance

20. Writer with whom Pynchon shared the 1974 National Book Award

22. State where Pynchon's first published short story is set

23. Occupation of Mason & Dixon narrator

25. Agency for which Brock Vond works

26. The most balletically named character of Gravity's Rainbow

27. Job title of Pynchon's NBA acceptance stand-in



Down

1. Prize for which Gravity's Rainbow selection was rejected by jury

2. Phoenix's last name in Pynchon film adaptation

3. 2003 Radiohead song inspired by a passage from V.

5. Part 3 of Against the Day

7. Band of Hope's surf rocker husband

14. A coolly run computer security firm

15. A backwards curse; the employer of Mucho Maas

16. Title of Slow Learner story first published in the Kenyon Review

18. Utterance of frustration and Bigfoot's favorite section

19. Acronym for association through which Maxine meets Reg

21. Pynchon's fourth novel

23. Pynchon's alma mater

24. Location of Profane's subterranean alligator hunting