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