Tree of Smoke the name given to a 'psy op' that might or might not be hypothetical and might or might not be officially sanctioned is Denis Johnson's most gripping, visionary and ambitious work to date. Set in south-east Asia and the US, and spanning two decades, it ostensibly tells the story of Skip Sands, a CIA spy who may or may not be engaged in psychological operations against the Viet Cong -- but also takes the reader on a surreal yet vivid journey, dipping in and out of characters' lives to reveal fundamental truths at the heart of the human condition. 'A Catch-22 for our times' Alan Warner, Books of the Year, Observer 'The God I want to believe in has a voice and a sense of humour like Denis Johnson's' Jonathan Franzen 'An epic of drenched sensuality and absurdly chewable dialogue, as though Don DeLillo and Joseph Heller had collaborated on a Vietnam war novel' Steven Poole, Books of the Year, New Statesman

丹尼斯·约翰逊（1949— ）　生于德国慕尼黑，长于日本、菲律宾和美国，曾获众多文学奖项。根据他的作品《耶稣之子》改编的同名电影被《纽约时报》、《洛杉矶时报》等评为年度十佳电影；《烟树》获2007年美国全国图书奖，并获普利策奖提名。

约翰逊是一个极力避免聚光灯的作家。他没有自己的网站，从不为自己的书作宣传。甚至在全国图书奖颁奖当晚，他都远在伊拉克体验生活。

约翰逊善以后现代主义的笔法描写那些在宏大时代和悲惨命运中痛苦挣扎的灵魂。有人认为，他的作品有一种狂乱和痛苦的美，和陀思妥耶夫斯基笔下的人物一样凄凉，和爱伦·坡一样充满激情，让人恐惧。