Pynchon's other novels that incorporate his postmodern style are V. (1963; see separate entry), The Crying of Lot 49 (1966; see separate entry), Gravity's Rainbow (1973; see separate entry), and Vineland (1990; see separate entry). Although settings and protagonists differ in each novel, many similar elements appear in all five novels: a narrator that shifts back and forth from first person to third person, humorous and bitter satire, digressions that include many eccentric characters, lengthy descriptions, historical, literary, and comical allusions, jokes, and songs.

Pynchon displays accurate knowledge of several branches of science and predicts the impact scientific discovery will have on the moral degradation of society and its exploitation of the natural world.

Underlying all books are themes of conspiracy, persecution, and religious and political hypocrisy.