How 8 Famous Writers Chose Their Pen Names

Ever heard of Charles Dodgson, Józef Korzeniowski, Ruth Crowley, or François-Marie Aroue? Some pen names are fairly well-known for what they are. Most people know that Mark Twain was the alias of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The outing of Richard Bachman as a pen name used by Stephen King was well-publicized and inspired King's novel, The Dark Half.

Some pen names you don't see coming, though, and assume the name on the book cover is the real deal. Here are eight pen names used by famous writers.